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A decade ago, Emily McDowell of Emily McDowell Studio sparked a greeting card revolution and evolution with the release of her Empathy Collection. Her card reading, "There is no good card for this" was both an acknowledgment that the market didn't reflect real life, and a challenge to makers to begin doing just that.Emily's self-named stationery brand would eventually become Em & Friends; in 2022 it was acquired by Union Square Publishing, the publishing arm of Barnes & Noble. While she currently serves in a part-time consulting role, she is no longer an employee or part of its leadership.Since @emilyonlife is currently on sabbatical from many of her endeavors, I am beyond grateful that she sat down with me to reflect on the art of disruption; the importance of timing; writing, rewriting and then rewriting again — as well as the dimensions and ultimate limitations of success. This interview was so compelling, I had to stretch it over two episodes!
Meet Emily McDowell: writer, illustrator, speaker, entrepreneur and host of the podcast “Quitted.” Emily left working in advertising to launch her own greeting card business called Emily McDowell Studio (now Em & Friends). She wrote and illustrated cards that speak to the genuine, sometimes difficult, relationships we really have. The brand is best known for its Empathy Cards designed to help people connect more authentically and honestly with loved ones experiencing major illness, loss, and yes, even menopause! In this episode, Emily details her unique journey with medical menopause and tells Christine and Robin about her heavy and long periods, joint pains, brain fog, migraines, exhaustion, irritability, night sweats, and mood swings after starting perimenopause at just 39. Emily also talks about the power of quitting things that don't serve us, her vulnerability to admit she was struggling during a time of intense achievement, and her new commitment to focus on personal contentment. Learn more about the nonprofit Let's Talk Menopause: www.letstalkmenopause.org. Download a symptoms checklist here (lista de síntomas aquí). Check out Robin's Comedy & Funny True Stories at www.robingelfenbien.com Follow Robin on Social: Instagram, TikTok, Twitter & Facebook Thank you to Always Discreet for sponsoring this episode of Hello Menopause. Always Discreet because we deserve better. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Emily McDowell Quits Her Job & Identity: An Update EpisodeThis week, we're talking about the big thing Emily couldn't talk about until now: in April, Em & Friends—the brand she founded and infused with her name, personality and life experience—was acquired, and Emily didn't go with it. What did it feel like to, finger-by-finger, let go of the future she thought she'd have? WTF is she gonna do now? We get into it all. Big themes include the idea of comfort vs. growth; the feeling of knowing it's time to go, but deciding to hold on anyway because the unknown is terrifying and security is seductive; and the things we believe keep us safe. The intro ends, and the episode begins, at 00:10:45.About Emily McDowell: Emily is a writer, illustrator, keynote 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 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 this podcast. Find her at emilyonlife.com, and on Instagram @emilyonlife.Support us:Quitted is listener-supported, made possible by us and by you; you can support this podcast by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/quittedMusic: Michael Blumenfeld, mikebloomstudio.comSound engineering + edits: Adam Day, https://www.adamdayphotography.com/Producer: Cathleen KisichHost: Holly Whitaker, https://hollywhitaker.substack.com/Host: Emily McDowell, https://emilyonlife.com Become a Quitted supporter on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
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.comSound engineering + edits: Michael Blumenfeld, mikebloomstudio.comProducer: Cathleen Kisich Become a Quitted supporter on Patreon See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Emily McDowell is a writer, illustrator, speaker, teacher, and entrepreneur who is fiercely committed to not doing all of those things at the same time. She is the founder and creative director of the brand Em & Friends, originally known as Emily McDowell Studio, and the co-host of Quitted, a podcast about quitting the big things in our lives, and what comes after. Emily's work has been featured by hundreds of major media outlets. Her book, There Is No Good Card For This: What To Say and Do When Life Gets Scary, Awful, and Unfair To People You Love, co-authored with Dr. Kelsey Crowe, was released in January 2017. In today's episode we discuss expressions of empathy, navigating trauma, mental health, and how quitting the familiar can bring a new level of hope and peace.
Margo is joined by Emily McDowell to discuss the less glamorous side of running a creative business. Emily is a writer, illustrator, speaker, and entrepreneur who is fiercely committed to NOT doing all of those things at the same time. In 2012, after a decade working in advertising, Emily founded the stationery and gift brand, Emily McDowell Studio. In January of 2021, the brand changed its name to Em & Friends, to reflect its expansion into partnerships with additional artists and writers. She currently serves as the brands creative director. Emily and Margo chat about: Taking stock of what you want your life to look like Entrepreneurship and burnout Taking self-care into your own hands (because no one else is going to do it for you) How Emily began to separate her self-worth from her productivity, success, and business Why she rebranded and changed her business name Things she would do differently if she could go back in time Taking a holistic approach to ‘work-life balance’ Some tough lessons she’s learned over the last 10 years as a creative entrepreneur Emily’s work has been featured by The New York Times, Good Morning America, BBC News, and NPR's All Things Considered, among many others, and in 2015, she was named one of Slate's 10 Designers Who Are Changing the World. Connect with Emily: www.emandfriends.com https://www.instagram.com/emandfriends/
Emily McDowell is a writer, illustrator, speaker, teacher, and founder of Emily McDowell & Friends. After spending a decade working in advertising, she founded Emily McDowell Studio, a company that creates greeting cards that speak to the human condition with honesty, humor, and heart. Emily talks about how she started off on Etsy hitting sales of over $500,000 in her first year. She also discusses what her greatest motivator is and what the most important attribute to being an entrepreneur is…constant problem-solving. Youtube Link to This EpisodeEmily’s WebsiteEmily’s Instagram
What do you say to a friend or family member that is hurting? Whether it be from illness, grief, miscarriage, infertility or any of the other ups and downs we can come across in life, there are moments when we just don’t quite have the words to say to comfort our loved ones. Today I am speaking with Emily McDowell, a writer, illustrator, speaker and teacher who after overcoming cancer and losing a friend to cancer a short time later, decided to bring a product to market that would help both the person on the giving and receiving end. Emily created stationery products that would help express what people are feeling but don’t know how to put into words. We talk about her business and why she merged with another company. She also shares what she does when she is in a creative rut and why she takes the time to focus on self-care. What’s in this episode: Emily’s experience of going to a breath work camp The main takeaways that Emily took from her experience Recognizing that you’re not responsible for other people’s happiness Listening to our bodies when they tell us to stop Navigating through her illness and feeling disconnected from others How cancer gave Emily a unique perspective of the world Feeling like sympathy cards didn’t express what she wanted to say Why she decided to get back into journaling What Emily does when she’s stuck in a creative rut Deciding to merge with another company Being reactive rather than proactive in her business Creating meaningful work Taking the time to focus on self-care Emily’s advice on doing what you dream about Being mindful and keeping what makes life beautiful to her a priority About Emily: Emily McDowell is a writer, illustrator, speaker, teacher, and entrepreneur who is fiercely committed to not doing all of those things at the same time. After spending a decade working in advertising, she founded Emily McDowell Studio in January 2013. In January of 2019, Emily McDowell Studio officially changed names to Emily McDowell & Friends to reflect their expansion into partnerships with other artists and writers. Emily’s work has been featured by The New York Times, Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, BBC News, and NPR's All Things Considered, among many others, and in 2015, she was named one of Slate's 10 Designers Who Are Changing the World. Her first book, There Is No Good Card For This: What To Say and Do When Life Gets Scary, Awful, and Unfair To People You Love, co-authored with Dr. Kelsey Crowe, was released on January 2017. Emily currently serves as an equity partner and SVP of strategy at the Who’s There Group, while remaining creative director/founder of Emily McDowell & Friends. She lives in Los Angeles with her family and various half-dead plants. Connect with Emily: Website | Personal Instagram | Business Instagram Links: Knock Knock On Being Human: A Memoir of Waking Up, Living Real, and Listening Hard by Jennifer Pastiloff I would love to hear from you! Connect with me on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or on my website. If you enjoyed this podcast and you haven’t already, I’d like to encourage you to subscribe that way you won’t miss a single update. Craft a Life You Love by taking a small step toward turning happiness and fulfillment by savoring this season no matter where you are in your life and in the world.
Hey little humans, I’m Norma Jean and Welcome to Stay Wild, the podcast about how to keep your quirks in the wonderous world! This is episode #35 with today’s guest, Emily McDowell. I am so excited to share Emily's story! She is the founder of Emily McDowell & Friends (formerly Emily McDowell Studio), a company that creates beautiful illustrated treasures, and started out making greeting cards that spoke the truth! As humans living in this fast-paced digital world, it has become a challenge for us to connect - we've been so accustomed to "minding our own business" and setting boundaries that it has become difficult for us to say exactly how we feel, and we've left a lot of that job with greeting card companies. Then again, classic greeting cards don't reflect what's actually happening in our lives and how we're feeling. Template messages just weren't cutting it anymore. Enter Emily and the Empathy Card Revolution! Join us for this episode of delving into creative paths, empowerment, entrepreneurship, and how success and joy in our lives is anything but linear. Check out her work on: www.emilymcdowell.com Instagram Facebook Pinterest Today’s episode was brought to you by me, Norma Jean. You can hear all of my music that we use on the show, check out the podcast, see my cartoons, and grab one of my hand-made shirts at www.njloves.com
Have you ever looked through a bunch of greeting cards and felt like nothing reflected the way you feel? The greeting card industry is 150 years old, and yet they haven’t quite mastered this skill yet… But Emily McDowell has. Emily has an uncanny ability to characterize the relationships we have, not the relationships we want to have. Emily runs Emily McDowell Studio, an online hub of greeting cards, tote bags, and other gifts that articulate things in an emotional way that we often can’t express ourselves. Emily finds the right words to say … when we can’t. For our Valentines when we haven’t quite defined our relationships yet. For our loved ones who were just diagnosed with cancer. Emily is also the New York Times bestselling author of There Is No Good Card For This, which acts as a guidebook on how to navigate our relationships so we can understand our pain, work through our challenges, and develop resilience and empathy. I think she has really put her finger on something that we desperately need in the world right now: how to create more empathy. We discuss some really interesting themes including how our pasts affect us, how to raise creative children, and how to use lessons from advertising to make things people want… not make people want things. I hope you enjoy Chapter 17. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN: How can we identify universal truths to better relate to others? How can we turn pain into humor? How do you raise children out of your own shadow? Leave us a voicemail! Your message may be included in a future episode: 1-833-READ-A-LOT You can find show notes and more information by clicking here: https://www.3books.co/chapters/17 Sign up to receive podcast updates here: https://www.3books.co/email-list/
It's an unfortunate fact of life that we will all experience heartbreak. Be it a romantic break up, a big disappointment or the biggest heartbreak of all - grief. Knowing how to navigate these heartbreaks personally, and how to support others who are going through them, is a great skill to learn as you go through life. We look closely as the various 'heartbreak tiers', share our own experiences of heartbreak and advice on how to help yourself and others. It's an emotional episode, and one we hope will help you to navigate some difficult points in life. As light relief from the heartbreak chat we open up about our celebrity crushes in our Weekly Five - including our embarrassing ones! We hope you'll enjoy the show! As always you can get in touch with us using the links below. A huge thank you again to Push PR for welcoming us into their offices to record. We loved 'playing real office' with you! EPISODE 15 SHOW NOTES Ella's blog - Coco's Tea Party Monica's blog - The Elgin Avenue Ella's Instagram account - @CocosTeaParty Monica's Instagram account - @MonicaBeatrice How to help a friend through a break up on Ella's blog What to say to a grieving friend on A Cup of Jo How to write a condolence note on A Cup of Jo Rising Strong by Brené Brown - Ella's top heartbreak book recommendation Ask A Straight Guy - Ella’s dating advice column Emily McDowell Studio - thoughtful greeting cards for friends and loved ones going through a hard time Happier podcast - one of our favourite podcasts! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy
It's an unfortunate fact of life that we will all experience heartbreak. Be it a romantic break up, a big disappointment or the biggest heartbreak of all - grief. Knowing how to navigate these heartbreaks personally, and how to support others who are going through them, is a great skill to learn as you go through life. We look closely as the various 'heartbreak tiers', share our own experiences of heartbreak and advice on how to help yourself and others. It's an emotional episode, and one we hope will help you to navigate some difficult points in life. As light relief from the heartbreak chat we open up about our celebrity crushes in our Weekly Five - including our embarrassing ones! We hope you'll enjoy the show! As always you can get in touch with us using the links below. A huge thank you again to Push PR for welcoming us into their offices to record. We loved 'playing real office' with you! EPISODE 15 SHOW NOTES Ella's blog - Coco's Tea Party Monica's blog - The Elgin Avenue Ella's Instagram account - @CocosTeaParty Monica's Instagram account - @MonicaBeatrice How to help a friend through a break up on Ella's blog What to say to a grieving friend on A Cup of Jo How to write a condolence note on A Cup of Jo Rising Strong by Brené Brown - Ella's top heartbreak book recommendation Ask A Straight Guy - Ella’s dating advice column Emily McDowell Studio - thoughtful greeting cards for friends and loved ones going through a hard time Happier podcast - one of our favourite podcasts! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy
Today Tara talks with Emily McDowell, the founder of Emily McDowell Studio and the creator of the wildly popular greeting card collection Empathy Cards. Her company’s mission is to identify universal emotional truths and observations on being human and turn them into products that help people feel understood. Emily and Tara talk about the other […] The post Episode 66 – Behind the Scenes of Explosive Growth with Emily McDowell appeared first on What Works.
Emily McDowell is a writer, illustrator, and entrepreneur who specializes in chronicling the human condition.In 2012, she left a successful career in advertising to launch her greeting card line, making cards for the relationships we actually have. Now a multimillion-dollar stationery and gift company, Emily McDowell Studio products are sold online and in nearly 2,000 stores worldwide.In 2015, Emily’s Empathy Cards, designed to help people connect around serious illness and loss, struck a nerve around the world and gave people a way into conversations that seemed brutally hard to begin and deepen into.Her first book, There Is No Good Card For This: What To Say and Do When Life Gets Scary, Awful, and Unfair To People You Love, will be released in January 2017.In today's conversation, we take a step back in time, explore the experiences in her younger life that were defining moments, revealing who she really was and how Emily began to connect with an irreverent blend of art and humor that touches so many.We explore what happened when she was diagnosed with cancer at a very young age and watched friends struggle to figure out how to be there for her. We dive into how she compartmentalized this experience, seeking to not let it define her, both as a person and, soon enough in art and business. We also track the launch and growth of her company and her recent move to rework the business in order to not just serve a "customer" need, but also give her what she needs, the ability to do the work that most lights her up.Mentioned in this Episode:Dance Neurosis Resume by EmilyEmily's famous quilt-making mom, Ruth McDowellEmily's talk at World Domination Summit 2016Emily's Awkward Dating CardHand Letterer Mary Kate McDevittStupid Cancer :: The Voice of Young Adult CancerBrené Brown - Researcher + Storyteller+++The 108: Conscious Business Collective - Entrepreneurship is lonely. To build what you're here to build, not just in business but in life, you need people. Nobody does it alone. The 108 is a conscious business collective of entrepreneurs helping each other rise. Move into 2017 with a powerful new family of allies, mentors, champions and collaborators as you work to build a living and a life on a profoundly different level. Learn more now.
Most people struggle to find the right words when someone is facing a serious medical issue, enter Emily McDowell, young adult survivor creator and founder of Emily McDowell Studios and genius behind cancer empathy cards. Emily created her now famous empathy cards in response to the loneliness and isolation she felt during her cancer treatment, when many of her close friends and family members disappeared because they didn't know what to say, or said the absolute wrong thing without realizing it. In the Survivor Spotlight, we welcome young adult survivor and conqueror of the seven Wonders of the World Megan Sullivan.
Most people struggle to find the right words when someone is facing a serious medical issue, enter Emily McDowell, young adult survivor creator and founder of Emily McDowell Studios and genius behind cancer empathy cards. Emily created her now famous empathy cards in response to the loneliness and isolation she felt during her cancer treatment, when many of her close friends and family members disappeared because they didn't know what to say, or said the absolute wrong thing without realizing it. In the Survivor Spotlight, we welcome young adult survivor and conqueror of the seven Wonders of the World Megan Sullivan. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.