When searching for the perfect place to grow his business, Zachary Cochran found what he wanted in the Maryland Innovation Center. As the owner of Cochran Coaching, LLC, he joined the MIC as a Circle member, and from that moment on, he found a wealth of invaluable solutions to enhance his business. Over time, Cochran’s journey with the MIC has led him to become a MIC Amplify member, showcasing his business’s remarkable progress and success through this partnership.
In a series of videos outlining his membership journey, Cochran explains how the MIC has helped him grow his business, what attracted him to upgrading his membership level, and how other companies can benefit from its sense of community and deep talent pool.
In the early days of his business, Cochran recalls discovering he needed a “much deeper, much stronger support system.” The MIC connected him with the resources he was searching for and more.
“After testing the waters as a Circle member, it just made total sense for me to jump over to a higher membership level,” says Cochran.
Cochran believes the MIC’s Entrepreneurs-In-Residence were critical in demystifying his questions.
“Before I joined the MIC, I was just feeling my way in the dark toward what I needed to do as a business owner,” says Cochran. “To find other like-minded people who are working through their challenges is useful. Taking advantage of the opportunity to connect with entrepreneurs in residence helped fast-track my understanding of how to grow and care for certain parts of my business that I hadn’t focused on before. They helped me get the missing pieces and find what I needed.”
The BRITE program is one of the MIC’s most distinguishing features, says Cochran.
“It’s been helpful to me because I’ve been able to take these classes and not have to worry about paying full cost when I’m bootstrapped,” says Cochran. “The way that the MIC functions as that hub and is so well-resourced, it’s hard to pick any better place just to invest and build your business.”
Cochran enthusiastically encourages other entrepreneurs considering MIC membership to take the plunge.
“The advice that I’d give someone considering joining the MIC is to join,” says Cochran. “Join as a Circle member and see what it’s about. It’s free, so you have no excuse not to come. Over time I think you’ll want more support and resources to take advantage of, and you’ll make the switch like I did.”