Rooted in Purpose. Built on Experience.
It was 2:00 PM on a Friday. I was wrapping up the workday when I got a call I was 99% sure was spambut answered anyway.
“Emily?”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry to convey this news over the phone... but your lab results came back. You have breast cancer.”
I dropped the phone.
What followed were tests, hospital visits, cancer drugs, a body that didn’t feel like my own anymore, and eventually, depression. It was a slow fog that settled in and stayed. This was the kind of reckoning that forces you to see everything differently.
I spent years rebuilding, mind first, then body and soul. I kept coming back to one truth: when we ignore our inner knowing, our bodies will do whatever it takes to get us to pay attention.
After 20 years in marketing and leadership, partnering with powerhouse brands and scrappy startups, I had checked every career box. But while I loved parts of the journey, I often felt conflicted working in large organizations where I didn’t have control over the businesses I worked on. I was promoting fast farming as a vegetarian, leading alcohol campaigns while navigating a family history of addiction, and designing candy packaging to be more appealing to children. I showed up with professionalism, but inside, I was unraveling.
I realized I was no longer willing to compromise my values for someone else’s bottom line.
Since going into remission in 2022, I’ve made it my mission to help others listen to that same inner voice, the one that says, “You’re here for a reason. Make it count.”
That’s why I started Steele + Sage.
Now, I get to work with brands I believe in, people who energize me, and organizations that value both purpose and performance. I use my experience to help teams streamline marketing and operations, fill leadership gaps during parental leave without added stress, and build systems that make work smoother for everyone involved. I couldn’t be happier.
If you’re building something meaningful, I’d be honored to support you — and to hear your story.
Hugs,
Emily