Meet Emily Murphy

We recently connected with Emily Murphy and have shared our conversation below.

Emily, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

Resilience in Business

When I think about resilience in business, my thoughts immediately jump to my grandfather. He only completed eighth grade but built a successful cabinetry manufacturing business through determination, smart risk-taking, and the kind of no-nonsense confidence that I certainly envy. He taught me that success doesn’t require a perfect background—it requires belief in yourself, the ability to make decisions without second-guessing, and the guts to take a leap when it counts.

I grew up in a working-class family where money was tight—my dad worked 100% commission in furniture sales and my mom often held multiple jobs just to make ends meet. And yet, they prioritized sending my brother and I to private school and encouraged us to explore our passions. That foundation instilled in me a strong work ethic, resourcefulness, and drive.

When I entered the corporate world, I found myself in male-dominated spaces where I had to learn quickly how to adapt to be taken seriously. One particularly toxic experience—working under a jealous, undermining boss—pushed me to ask: Why am I doing this for someone else? Inspired by my grandfather and frustrated with corporate life, I decided to start my own business. At first, I battled serious impostor syndrome. But now, four years in, I know my skills are not only valid—they’re valuable. I’ve learned to trust myself, lead with clarity, and remember that fear is part of growth.

Resilience in Personal Life

My personal resilience was forged in one of the most intense seasons of my life. Just three weeks after I found out I was unexpectedly pregnant with my first child, my husband was diagnosed with stage 4 testicular cancer. That year was stressful and exhausting—but you don’t stop and process in the moment. You just move forward. You trust the doctors, focus on the next step, and try to stay positive. I found purpose through action by organizing a Relay For Life team for our family, eventually co-chairing one of the largest events in the world. That gave us a sense of control, a way to turn fear into something productive.

Since then, I’ve carried that same mindset with me: We can do hard things. But I’ve also learned that just because you can do hard things doesn’t mean it’s easy—or that you have to be tough all the time. I’m learning to sit with discomfort, to ask for help, and to honor my own limits.

As a mom of three, I’m constantly working to balance being dependable for everyone else while still taking care of myself. I’ve had to unlearn people-pleasing habits and give myself permission to rest, reset, or say no without guilt. I try to live by this rule: Don’t quit on a bad day. That one mindset shift has kept me moving forward when things feel overwhelming.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m Emily Murphy, founder of Cheshire Digital Marketing, a boutique agency based in West Chester, Pennsylvania. I help small business owners cut through the digital chaos and build sustainable marketing strategies—without feeling chained to social media. My work spans website design, SEO, paid ads, and coaching, but at the heart of it is one mission: making digital marketing feel doable, strategic, and aligned with how my clients actually want to run their businesses.

My journey here wasn’t exactly linear. I spent over a decade in the tech world as a QA tester, project manager, and product designer—often the only woman in the room, navigating challenging environments where my voice wasn’t always heard. After one particularly toxic corporate experience, I knew I had to make a change. I took the leap and started my own business, inspired by the work ethic of my grandfather, who built a successful cabinetry business after only finishing the eighth grade. He taught me that resilience, decisiveness, and smart risk-taking can go a long way—and I carry those lessons with me every day.

Like many small business owners, I started out thinking I had to do it all—especially when it came to social media. But over time, I realized that constantly creating content, chasing algorithms, and trying to “show up” all the time wasn’t sustainable—or effective. Now, I focus on helping others reclaim their time and energy by building strong digital foundations that don’t depend on posting 24/7.

Outside of work, I’m a mom of three—my life is full of school drop-offs, dance recitals, sports practices, and a very spoiled black cat named Keebler and our puppy, Foxy. My days are a mix of client meetings, strategy sessions, and trying to sneak in a few minutes of peace and quiet (which, let’s be honest, usually involves a Diet Coke and a Bravo reality show).

I’ve lived through some intense seasons—like navigating my husband’s stage 4 cancer diagnosis while pregnant with our first child—and those experiences shaped the way I show up in life and business. I believe in doing hard things, but also in giving ourselves permission to rest, reset, and not have to be “on” all the time.

At the end of the day, I built Cheshire Digital to support people like me: passionate, driven business owners who want to grow—on their own terms.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

First, resilience. There have been plenty of times I wanted to quit—whether from burnout, self-doubt, or difficult clients—but I’ve been lucky to have the support of my husband, my family, and a really great business coach who reminds me what I’m capable of. Sometimes, I keep going just out of sheer determination—or because I don’t want to let people down. (Not the healthiest motivator, but hey, it’s honest!) What helped me shift my mindset was realizing that the supposed “experts” weren’t necessarily doing better work than I was. That gave me the confidence to stop shrinking myself and start owning my space.

Second, learning and adaptability. I built this business with a mix of online classes, intuition, trial and error, and a lot of Googling. I think one of my biggest strengths is being able to think creatively about how different pieces of a business fit together—from marketing angles to client journeys. For anyone just starting out, I’d recommend working in a corporate environment first, even briefly. It teaches you how to work with teams, communicate with clients, and handle tricky conversations—skills that are gold when you’re running your own show. And if you’re launching a business, remember: you’re basically in sales. Hiring someone to do that for you is far down the road, so get comfortable pitching yourself and your value. A coach or mentor is worth their weight in gold here.

Third, clarity—and a healthy dose of realism. When you spend your days on social media for yourself and your clients, you quickly realize how unpredictable and exhausting it is. Some clients are fine with showing up just to be visible, but others expect instant ROI—and that’s where the friction starts. Over time, I’ve come to believe that we can’t build our businesses on platforms we don’t control. Social media companies don’t want you to win unless you’re paying them, and with the recent shifts in fact-checking and algorithm priorities, I’ve felt more and more out of alignment with where social media is headed. That’s why I help people focus on long-term strategies they can actually own—like websites, email, and SEO.

And one more note on decision-making: it’s hard. You can get all the advice in the world, but ultimately, it’s you who has to make the call and carry it out. I still overthink. I still spiral into “what-ifs.” But sometimes I just have to lean into a little healthy delusion and remind myself: What if it all works out? And if it doesn’t, I’ll figure it out.

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?

My ideal clients are kind, easy-going, and open-minded business owners who trust us to bring strategy and execution together—even when it means stepping slightly outside their comfort zone. They understand that digital marketing is a long game, and that success often involves trial, error, adaptation, and evolution.

Most of our clients are small service-based businesses without a dedicated marketing department. They’re established enough to know who they serve and what they stand for, and they’re typically looking to grow their brand visibility, especially in local markets. Many come to me for SEO support, competitive analysis, or a full strategic shift after realizing they’ve outgrown the DIY stage—or that their old methods aren’t working anymore.

One of the most important traits I look for is a client’s willingness to delegate, while still staying aligned with their brand values. We always get sign-off before publishing anything on their behalf because we deeply respect the voice and integrity of each business. The best results come from clients who are realistic about what they can contribute, especially when it comes to content. Wanting to show up authentically is great, but if they’re too busy or uncomfortable to be in front of the camera, we’ll need to pivot—and that’s okay. It’s just important that we’re all on the same page.

We work best with clients who see us as partners—not vendors. We love long-term relationships because they allow us to go deeper and make smarter decisions over time, but we also enjoy one-time strategy projects that challenge us to learn about new industries and bring fresh insights.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to respect, communication, and shared goals. We reach out regularly, ask for feedback, and are always here to brainstorm or troubleshoot—but we need our clients to keep us in the loop. We can’t fix what we don’t know is broken. The best outcomes come from clients who are engaged, communicative, and trust the process.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cheshiredigitalmarketing.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheshiredigital
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cheshiredigitalwc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-murphy-b6b3b57/