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 spam—but answered anyway.
“Emily?”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry to convey this news over the phone... but your lab results came back. You have cancer.”

I dropped the phone.

What followed were oncologist meetings, surgery, and the kind of reckoning that makes you look at everything—everything—differently. Like many people who get a wake-up call, I tried to keep living as I had before. I even said, “I have back-to-back client calls this week!” when asked about a convenient date for a follow up appointment. But deep down, I knew something had to change.

I spent years rebuilding—mind first, then body and soul. And 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.

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 Consulting.

After 20 years in marketing and leadership—working with powerhouse brands and scrappy startups—I’d checked every career box. But while I loved my time in ad tech and advertising agencies, working with beautiful brands, I also oftentimes felt conflicted. I found myself promoting fast farming as a vegetarian, leading alcohol campaigns while navigating a family history of addiction, and working on strategies to make packaging on candy more appealing, so kids would consume more sugar. I showed up with professionalism, as I had a job to do, but inside, I was slowly unraveling.

I realized I was no longer willing to compromise my values for someone else’s bottom line.

Now, I partner with purpose-driven businesses and people who want to lead with clarity, integrity, and impact. Whether you're:

• Asking how your business can become more environmentally sustainable

• Wondering how to better tell the story of the good you’re already doing, or

• Craving a more aligned way to empower the people inside your organization—

I’m here to help bring it to life with structure, strategy, and soul.

Because here’s the truth: purpose pays off. A Deloitte study found that purpose-driven companies have 40% higher workforce retention than their competitors. People stay longer when they believe in what they’re building—and they perform better when they feel part of something bigger than profit.

At Steele + Sage, I combine strategic clarity with operational grounding to help organizations grow without losing their identity. I bring the kind of calm, confident energy that gets teams unstuck—and back into motion.

If you’re building something that matters, I’d be honored to be in your corner.

Let’s create something purposeful. Together.