Emylee Williams on Reinvention, Growth, and Owning Your Time
- Editorial
- Jun 2
- 4 min read
As a first grader, Emylee Williams didn’t realize that her mom was an entrepreneur. Looking back now, though, she sees that the cleaning business her mother launched after a layoff was more than just a job. It was a big move that gave her the time freedom she needed as a single mom. That very cleaning business put Emylee through college—the first in her family!—but it also showed her that being at the helm of her own company was the single best way to stay empowered in her schedule and the people in her professional circle.
Today, Emylee carries that lesson forward with Creative’s Catalyst, a boutique consultancy that helps agency owners evolve from service providers to sought-after thought leaders—without burning down what already works. It’s also a continuation of a legacy that keeps women-owned companies thriving. We caught up with Emylee to talk about her journey—from cupcakery owner to co-founder to growth strategist—and how she helps others build businesses on their terms.
What’s been the hardest and most rewarding part of your entrepreneurial journey?
Going through a massive identity and career shift in 2023 was both the hardest and most rewarding thing I've done. At that point, I’d co-founded this company that I ran as CMO and co-CEO for over eight years, and I literally thought I'd be there until I died. My whole identity was wrapped up in it—even my husband worked there! When it stopped feeling aligned, leaving felt like a business divorce. But going through therapy showed me that I'm not just my role or title. And honestly, the other side has been incredible. I've completely redefined how I show up, my expertise—even my identity. I'm super proud of how I've rebuilt things in a way that wouldn't have been possible if I'd stayed where it felt safe.
Has your definition of success evolved throughout your journey as a founder/leader?
It's evolving literally every day! When I was a business newbie in my early twenties, success was all about the money and who knew my name. Now, it's so much more about how my day-to-day actually feels. Can I write books? Make art? Learn how to make sourdough bread? Can I live this big, creative life that feeds my soul, not just my bank account? I'm still money-motivated, but I have way more non-negotiables now about what I won't do to achieve success. I'm super picky about who I work with. If they're growing in ways that feel out of alignment or unethical, I'm out. My energy is way too precious for that.
Have you discovered any underappreciated leadership traits or misconceptions around leadership?
This gets me fired up! In my previous company, we went through leadership training, and I discovered I'm naturally a laissez-faire leader. At first, I felt terrible about it. Was I just lazy? Did I not care enough?
But I was so wrong! This style is so underappreciated, but it creates this amazing autonomy where your team actually gets to shine in their own unique ways. Sure, you need some systems and check-ins in place (because I can totally get caught up in assuming everyone's got it handled), but when you trust your team and give them the space to work their magic? That's when the real innovation happens. We don't need to baby people or micromanage them—we need to let them show up as their full, capable selves.
“When you trust your team and give them the space to work their magic—that’s when the real innovation happens.”
What would you tell your younger self if you were to start your entrepreneurial journey all over again?
I would grab Baby Entrepreneur Me by the shoulders and tell her that success doesn't have to look like what everyone else is doing. There are so many different ways to get to where you want to go, and the "right" path is the one that feels aligned with who you actually are. I spent way too much time trying to change myself to fit some ideal business owner mold when I should have been leaning into my natural tendencies and strengths. When you work with your natural flow instead of against it, that's when things start feeling less like a hustle and more like I'm actually lucky enough to do this for a living.
In a few sentences, how would you describe the journey you’ve had—and would you do it all over again?
It's been this wild mix of "pinch me" moments and "wait, did I actually make this up?" moments, especially in the creator space where we're literally inventing jobs and titles that didn't exist a decade ago. The journey has completely transformed my identity in ways I never could have predicted when I first started, and even though there are days when I briefly think that maybe I should just get a normal 9-to-5, I can never actually finish that thought because this is exactly where I'm meant to be. Would I do it all over again? In a heartbeat. This is where I belong and where I can make the biggest impact—and I wouldn't have it any other way.
