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Keep Going, Keep Growing — Meet Emily Heck
Emily Heck, owner and founder of Evergreen Strategic Communications, shares her personal and professional story. Get to know Emily, learn about her passions, and read about the values that drive her business!
From tending to her home garden, to cultivating her own business, Emily Heck’s life has been trademarked by the concept of growth, a badge that she wears proudly. Emily is the owner and founder of Evergreen Strategic Communications. She is a marketing strategist with a passion for helping small businesses and nonprofits.
“’Keep going, keep growing’ is one of my mottos,” says Emily. “While the bases of marketing remain the same, my mission is to always expand my knowledge and customize my services to fit each client.”
Emily’s first job was at her local Columbus, Indiana, flower shop; the place in which her love for small business initially blossomed. There, she learned of the power small businesses hold in supporting neighborhoods and shaping communities for the better, but also the challenges small business owners go through each day. Today, Emily navigates working as both a freelance marketing consultant and the owner of her very own business.
“I didn’t initially intend to be a business owner,” shares Emily. “It sort of fell into place. I love the people I work with and I’ve learned that being a business owner is incredibly rewarding.”
After spending her childhood in Columbus, Emily moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, to embark on her collegiate journey. She attended Butler University, graduating with a Bachelor of Public Relations. A few years later, in the pursuit of further knowledge, Emily earned her Master of Business Administration from the University of Indianapolis.
“I love education and the process of acquiring new knowledge,” says Emily. “I am always trying to learn something new.”
After graduating from Butler, Emily began working as a public relations and marketing coordinator for the Boy Scouts of America, Crossroads of America Council where she grew the department and eventually earned the title Director of PR and Marketing. There, she adopted a strong love for nonprofit organizations that remains today. Emily looks upon her five years with the BSA fondly.
“There are ups and downs to every job, but I learned so much from this organization and its people,” says Emily. “I attended national jamborees, spoke at national conferences, and learned so much from other marketing professionals in the field.”
After working with the BSA, Emily made the transition back to Butler University where she served as Associate Director of Advancement Marketing for two years. Her work was centered around building a marketing strategy for the University’s largest comprehensive campaign, Butler Beyond, which launched in the fall 2019.
“My experience working at Butler really confirmed for me who I was as a professional,” shares Emily. “During that time, I learned what I value in myself, my colleagues, and the organizations I work for.”
Upon closing out her time at Butler University, Emily began working as a freelance marketing consultant with the help of Sheryl Rodgers, owner of Rodgers Marketing Communications, and Patricia Pickett, owner of Pickett and Associates Strategic Public Relations. Thanks to their guidance and a growing family of clients, Emily decided to launch a marketing agency of her own, Evergreen Strategic Communications.
“I started my business during a very challenging time in my career,” says Emily. “I chose the name ‘Evergreen’ because it serves as a symbol of resilience and I wanted it to be a reminder to me to grow and thrive, too.”
Emily and her husband, Jonathan, are proud parents of their newly born daughter, Emerson, who plays a special role in the origin story of Evergreen Strategic Communications. In 2019, Emily discovered she was pregnant with Emerson just days after launching her business.
“These huge life changes happened all within the same week,” says Emily. “All of a sudden, I was navigating owning a business, going through pregnancy, and experiencing motherhood for the first time, all at the same time and during a pandemic.”
When Emily is not diligently serving clients or changing the (rather) occasional baby diaper, she enjoys spending time outdoors, practicing yoga, and tending to her garden.
“I love nature and the outdoors,” says Emily, “I have a huge respect for the Earth and its gifts.”
As a homebody and aspiring homesteader, Emily is passionate about creating a mostly self-sufficient household for her family of three. She jokes she is a secret hippie because many of her colleagues probably don’t know about her interests.
“Spring is my time of year because I love working in my garden,” says Emily. “During the summer, Jonathan and I cook a lot of our meals from the garden and spend as much time outside as possible.”
Much like an evergreen tree, by digging deep into her passions and settling into her roots, Emily has grown exponentially, both personally and professionally. Through Evergreen Strategic Communications, Emily hopes to create ongoing partnerships, helping local organizations grow their marketing engagement and build brand awareness.
“I want to be a partner for my clients,” says Emily. “My goal is to guide them through the marketing process, transforming their business through the ways of collaboration, problem solving, and communication.”
*We are a small business and we love supporting other small businesses and entrepreneurs. Abigail K Photography is on our list of go-to photographers in the Indianapolis area.
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