When I started Emerge ten years ago, my original vision was not to build a traditional agency with employees. Instead, I imagined a model rooted in flexibility, creativity, and meeting women exactly where they were in their lives.
In my mind, Emerge would operate primarily through subcontractors. Some were stay-at-home moms who wanted to keep their skills sharp while raising babies. Others had climbed so far up the corporate ladder that they no longer had access to the creative work that originally drew them to their careers, and this gave them a chance to rediscover that joy. Still others were women business owners themselves, using Emerge as a consistent pipeline of work that complemented what they were building on their own.
No matter the scenario, it was a beautiful thing. I was able to work with incredibly talented women from my previous careers, embrace the unique strengths each of them brought to the table, and create opportunities for them to use their creativity while earning income to support their families, hopes, and dreams.
From day one, one thing remained constant: a focus on strategic growth.
I’ve always been intentional about setting goals, creating a strategic plan, and checking in on that plan at least quarterly. Progress toward those goals (not finances, not follower counts, and not the satisfaction of others’ expectations) has always been my true measure of success. In fact, it wasn’t until two or three years into the business that we even started a Facebook page, much less considered building a website. We already had more business than I could manage, so I honestly wondered what the point was, despite the fact that we provided those services for our clients.
But soon after, I began to feel a deeper calling…this was meant to be something bigger.
The Next Step
If we were truly going to help revitalize rural Iowa, it was going to take more than just me. It also meant acknowledging a hard truth: I couldn’t continue managing subcontractors on nights and weekends while also being fully present for my family and home life.
With an investment in a project management system and a nudge to hire my first full-time employee, Emerge began breaking into territory I didn’t even think was possible.
While I had strong connections from past communities, volunteer roles, and previous employers, I hadn’t really considered opportunities beyond Iowa. That changed with one of the most remarkable (and intimidating) projects of my career: creating an architectural history coffee table book for Indiana State University, authored by Dr. Lloyd Benjamin III, former university president and art history professor.
For someone who earned solid C’s in art history in college, this project felt like proof-positive that I actually did learn something, and that those classes gave me a lifelong appreciation for art and architecture. The project stretched me far beyond my comfort zone and lasted 18 months. The final books were delivered to Indiana State University on the very day the world shut down due to COVID. No one was there to receive them.
It all worked out…but what a moment. To this day, I still have never met Dr. Benjamin in person.
Community Work
Another transformational chapter for Emerge came through community work. My goal was to help communities realize their potential – to market beyond their borders, believe in what they had to offer, invest in the right priorities, and ultimately change their narrative to one of optimism and possibility. The hope was to attract new residents and encourage alumni to return home.
That work began when my father-in-law heard on the radio that the City of Coon Rapids had conducted a community survey and might hire a community coordinator. He mentioned it to me, thinking it sounded like something I’d enjoy. A few days later, I met with Janelle Kracht and Jes Leighty to explore contracting services with Emerge.
I cannot thank them enough for believing in me so early in my career (just 3 months after moving to Manning). That relationship truly jumpstarted my ability to pursue my passions through Emerge.
What followed (beyond many smaller projects) was a five-year strategic plan that helped Coon Rapids earn designation as a Great Places community and eventually hire a full-time community coordinator equipped with a clear roadmap for success. Years later, I learned they completed that plan and were already setting their sights even higher.
That experience taught me something critical: if I wanted to continue this work, I needed to better understand what communities actually needed and present solutions proactively. Government processes are slow by necessity, and communities often can’t wait. It was that or else I would have needed to hire many more people to sit in on mundane council meetings!
That realization eventually laid the groundwork for initiatives like Off the Beaten Path in Iowa and Evolution of the Heartland. I never lost sight of the vision; I simply needed to create “quick win” solutions that allowed communities to build momentum faster and jointly. Since then, we’ve been fortunate to work with communities and organizations including Manning, Manson, Atlantic, Calhoun County Economic Development, Carroll County Growth Partnership, Ringgold County, and more.
Growth
As Emerge has grown, so have our people.
Today, we have 10 employees working anywhere from part-time to full-time, depending on their season of life. I am deeply grateful for the flexibility of this model – one that supports working women throughout their careers, allowing them to step back when life requires it or lean in when the time is right.
We also continue to collaborate with subcontractors, though this has been one of the most challenging aspects of the business. I intentionally stepped away from our traditional subcontractor model for about three years so we could build a strong employee foundation and ensure I wasn’t the sole point of support. Managing the ebb and flow of subcontracted work while growing a business is not for the faint of heart, but I look forward to this next generation of Emerge, where we can once again empower even more women through subcontracting opportunities.
One of the most monumental moments of this past year was being awarded the annual marketing contracts for both the Iowa Rural Development Council and Keep Iowa Beautiful. These organizations make an incredible impact across rural Iowa, and our team is honored to help extend their reach and influence. We’re just getting started, and there’s much more to come.
I would be remiss not to acknowledge the clients who have supported Emerge since year one. Though their needs have evolved, their trust has remained. I am profoundly grateful to Hostetler Precision Ag Solutions, The Oakwood Inn, the City of Manning, Manning Hausbarn Heritage Park, and Manning Regional Healthcare Center. It has been an honor to serve you and witness your growth alongside ours.
Final Reflection
Early on, Manning Regional Healthcare Center learned I had moved to town and approached me about supporting their Foundation and Marketing efforts. I explained I wasn’t seeking a full-time role but would consider subcontracting services. They embraced the idea, and for the past nine years, Emerge has provided 100% of MRHC’s internal and external marketing and communications.
I’ll be honest…I wasn’t a fan of hospitals. I don’t love doctors, medications, or clinical settings. But over the past nine years, my respect for healthcare workers has grown immensely. During COVID-19, I worked alongside the response team to keep the community informed. The dedication, planning, and resilience required to continue delivering healthcare during that time left a permanent mark on me.
Supporting MRHC (and now six other hospitals) has been one of the greatest honors of my career. Most recently, I’ve been involved in grant writing for bold, innovative initiatives led by senior healthcare leaders, and I couldn’t be prouder to serve rural healthcare.
As I reflect on the past ten years and look ahead to the next ten, I can say without hesitation that this journey has been incredibly rewarding. It has stretched me more than I thought possible. Serving rural Iowa and beyond (helping communities, organizations, and people thrive) has been a privilege.
Emerge has grown far beyond what I originally envisioned. And yet, at its core, it remains exactly what it was always meant to be: a calling to help others live fuller, more connected, more impactful lives.
So here’s to the next decade of emerging, strengthened.
-Shelly
