The Emily Episode: Who is Quitted co-host Emily McDowell, how did she get here, and why does she want to talk about quitting stuff? This week, Emily shares the real story behind building a successful brand named after herself and based on her personality, and then, the painful reality of letting go of a dream, and an identity, in order to save both her company and herself. Holly and Emily cover a lot of ground in this hour, including the spiritual implications of “personal brand;” why bigger isn’t always better; the pain we carry from not honoring endings; the loneliness that comes with responsibility; how quitting requires defying logic; and how it was possible for Emily, whose work was all about promoting empathy and healing, to have had so little empathy for herself.
About Emily McDowell: Emily is a writer, illustrator, speaker, teacher, and entrepreneur who is fiercely committed to not doing all of those things at the same time. She’s best-known as founder of the stationery brand Em & Friends (formerly Emily McDowell Studio), which makes cards and gifts for the relationships people really have. She also co-authored (with Dr. Kelsey Crowe) and illustrated the book There Is No Good Card For This: What To Say and Do When Life Gets Scary, Awful, and Unfair To People You Love; and she’s the co-host of the Quitted podcast. Emily currently serves as creative director and SVP of strategy at the Who’s There Group, home of Em & Friends and its sister brand Knock Knock. Find her online at emilyonlife.com, and on Instagram @emilyonlife.
Music: Michael Blumenfeld, mikebloomstudio.com
Sound engineering + edits: Michael Blumenfeld, mikebloomstudio.com
Producer: Cathleen Kisich
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