We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Emily Karc. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Emily below.
Emily, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Along with taking care of clients, taking care of our team is one of the most important things we can do as leaders. Looking back on your journey, did you have a boss that was really great? Maybe you can tell us about that boss and what made them a wonderful person to work for?
The best boss I ever had was John Morgan who once owned a small grocer where I found myself employed at 15. John was kind, gentle and fair. Beyond fair. I saw him give young kids from broken homes a place to belong. He allowed each individual under his employment to have a shot at greatness. No matter their grades, their home life, or how many times they messed up at work, John always gave them a second chance. Whether he realized it or not, he provided a safe space for so many of us teens and young adults floundering in the social construct of our day. He taught us integrity, honesty, and how to lead by giving kids who others would deem unworthy, leadership roles and responsibilities When I think back, his store was run by a bunch of kids who had no clue what they were doing, except in their position at Five Mountain Market. When I had to resign my position at the store, John met my teen girl tears with a hug and a promise that I would do great things and become something all together fantastic. His faith in me inspired me in one of the darkest season of my life to not give up because I knew at least one person in the world saw me not for my title, my age, my last name or my reputation, but for me – a young girl with a big heart longing to be free to take on the world for myself. His kindness to me will be something I will never forget. I pray that I, like John, will always look for the best in anyone under my employment or in my care. Because a little faith in someone goes a long way to inspiring greatness for the rest of the world to receive.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am a wife and mom first and foremost. But in recent months I have added the titles Author, Founder and CEO to my resume. The truth is I have no business owning any of these names. I don’t have a degree or experience to back them up. But it is because of my lack of qualifications, and yet subsequent achievements that I hope I will inspire others like me to take a leap of faith and receive all that they have been destined to achieve in their life. I have always had a passion and desire to reach the marginalized groups of women around me. The ones lost and forgotten, feeling defeated by the world and cast in a dark corner of shame. Feelings and places I can all too well relate to in various seasons of life. From broken teen years, to messy motherhood, to regrets in my marriage, I have determined that no other women should ever have to walk those dark days alone. It was with this in mind that I recently published a work of literature entitled: Dear Mama – One Mama’s Journey of Learning to Live Beloved. It is a 45 day 5 minute devotional for any weary mom deep in the trenches of motherhood. My hope is that this book will invoke hope and bring peace into someone’s dark days and let them know that they are not as alone as they think they are. In general, this notion of not allowing anyone to walk alone is my hope for every part of my life, which has inspired me to create a nonprofit that will be long term housing and rehabilitation for Sex Trafficking Survivors. It was only a few short months ago I was shook out of my every day life upon meeting a trafficking survivor who resembled so much of myself. Face to face with a woman so different and yet so much like me, I was no longer able to deny the realities of one of the most forgotten groups of women in our day. I knew something had to be done and upon further conversation and months of prayer and research, I saw the greatest need for these women was a safe place for them to heal post exit from the sex industry. Enter the nonprofit lovingly called: Learning to Live Beloved Ministries. At Learning to Live Beloved Ministries, our goal is to gift hope that anyone can have a second chance at life as we provide a safe space for healing not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually. Upon graduation from our program, our hope is that each woman leaves not just with life skills and a healed heart, but fully restored, standing tall in the name God calls her by – Beloved. My hearts desire is to help the women around me (whether reaching moms via my book, or women through my blogs, or speaking at an awareness event about the realities of Human Sex Trafficking in our area) reach their full potential by casting off the negative labels and confines the world puts on us, whether shame, regret, or pain of the past, and find wholeness and freedom in Christ’s love for us and the name He calls us by. My goal through my book/s, and the nonprofit home, is to provide a safe space for women to heal and grow and live fully Beloved by Jesus.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
As I have begun to build Learning to Live Beloved Ministries I found myself saying, “I have no clue what I am doing! Would anyone take me seriously?” And once again I have had many conversations where it felt like the door slammed in my face leaving me bewildered and discouraged. But every one served a purpose to get me to the place I was really meant to be and not stuck on something else that wasn’t part of my original call. In my research for the nonprofit I have had conversations with individuals who I was sure would be so happy for the services my nonprofit would provide, and yet who only had negative critique to give. This was incredibly discouraging! But it was in those moment when my brain said give up, my heart knew that it was only the beginning and giving up on the women who need a place to heal was not an option. I have learned to square my shoulders in the face of resistance and tell it to move, for I am not going anywhere. The cause is too important, the need too big. And what I lack in experience and degree, I can learn. It is never too late to learn. To ask questions and to open ourselves up humbly to the unknown and free fall into it finding that what is meant to be will truly be. Maybe when that door closes, we really do need to look for the window and resist giving up all together and tapping out. For our greatest success might be around the next corner, at the next training, or on the next phone call.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
There have been many ups and downs along this journey. I have wanted to be an author my whole life. I have wanted greater still to speak into the lives of the women around me. At one point in my journey I had hoped to have a speaking engagement to test my skills as author and speaker. Then I got the call that it was not going to happen, I was devastated. Amongst other no’s from podcasters, and magazines, I was sure that this big dream of NY Times Best Sellers and World Renown Speaker was about to go out the window. The next day I went for a trip with friends and ended up meeting a trafficking survivor and my world was forever changed. I now know that if I had got the speaking engagement, I never would have opened my heart to the greater need of the women around me and the ways that I can meet that need to speak into the lives of the women around me even if not in written or spoken word as I originally had planned. 
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.emilykarc.com/
- Instagram: @emilykarc
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@emilykarc/videos