Emily Lauren Dick shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Emily Lauren, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What are you being called to do now, that you may have been afraid of before?
Lately, I’ve been called to invest in my business in a way that feels deeply intentional. To me, that means choosing practical support that is aligned with how I want to grow my business. I’m not interested in joining another coaching program or group container because I’ve noticed how easy it can be for other people’s strategies to overshadow my own instincts.
In the past it felt comfortable to trust other people to guide my business decisions and investments. After many years of learning from others, I am far more interested in tuning into what actually works for me. That means making decisions and investments that challenge me, without disconnecting me from my values. Growth can be uncomfortable, but it doesn’t need to feel like I’m constantly abandoning myself just to move forward.
This is why I’m investing in support that actually supports the direction I’m heading, one that is sustainable for me. I’ve hired an SEO expert, a VA, and I’m in the process of trademarking my business name and tagline.
I want my business to have a strong foundation, not just a strong presence. And that starts with making decisions that honour both the vision I hold and the person I am becoming.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Emily Lauren Dick and I am a multi-passionate, feminist, author, brand strategist and designer who helps values driven businesses make money while making the world a better place.
Most people think they need a professional logo and a pretty website to fix their business problems. What they actually need is clarity on who they are and what makes them different.
I help values driven entrepreneurs create their own brand recipe so they can build a standout online presence that attracts the right clients without copying someone else’s approach.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
The part of my business that needed to be released was my former brand name, Bootstrapped Woman.
At the time, it represented something meaningful. I was proud to have built my business independently and wanted to support other women doing the same. But over time, I started to notice a growing misalignment between the language I was using and the values I hold. One moment that stood out was reading a post about how phrases like “getting money into women’s hands” can unintentionally exclude non-binary and gender-expansive people. It made me pause and reflect.
That reflection led to small shifts, like updating the language on my website to be more inclusive. But the more I sat with it, the more I realized the name itself no longer reflected the direction I wanted to move in. I wasn’t interested in starting over entirely, but I knew I needed to realign my brand to better reflect who I am and the people I serve.
Unbuttoned Brands emerged from that process. It’s not just a new name…it’s a clearer expression of my mission and values. The core of my work hasn’t changed, but how I talk about it and who I’m intentionally creating space for has. Letting go of Bootstrapped Woman allowed me to step into a brand that feels more honest, more inclusive, and more aligned with the future I want to build.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There have absolutely been moments when I questioned whether to keep going, but not because I didn’t believe in my work. It was more about recognizing when something I had built was no longer the right fit for me.
Before launching Unbuttoned Brands, I started and ran several creative businesses. Some were quite successful, others less so. But even the most “successful” ones didn’t always feel sustainable or energizing long term.
Each of those businesses taught me something valuable about what I enjoy, what drains me, and how I want to show up in the world. What stood out across every venture was my love for creating something from scratch. I was always most energized in the early stages when I was developing each brand. Every business had its own personality and purpose. A new logo, a new story, a new way to connect.
Eventually I realized that I didn’t just love launching new businesses. I was obsessed with building brands.
It helped me stop trying to find the “right” business model and start paying attention to what actually lit me up. And that’s what led me to build Unbuttoned Brands, a business that allows me to stay creative, support values-led entrepreneurs, and engage with the kind of strategic work that keeps my brain stimulated.
Letting go of those earlier chapters wasn’t easy. But with each decision to release something that no longer fit, I moved closer to building something that does. I didn’t give up. I just gave myself permission to move forward with more clarity.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
I deeply believe that supporting values-led businesses with their branding can change the world for the better. It’s not just about helping someone find the right logo or tagline. It’s about amplifying the voices of people who are doing business in ways that centre care, equity, and sustainability.
The more visibility and clarity these businesses have, the more money they make. And when values-led entrepreneurs make money, they tend to reinvest it in ways that ripple outward (in their families, communities, and the causes they care about). That creates real impact.
I’m committed to helping those kinds of businesses build brands that reflect who they are and what they stand for. Not just so they look professional, but so they feel empowered to show up, take up space, and grow in ways that are aligned with their values.
This isn’t a fast project. It’s a lifelong commitment. But I truly believe that branding, when done intentionally, can be a tool for justice, access, and change.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What light inside you have you been dimming?
For a long time, I found myself dimming the part of me that already knew what I needed. Instead of trusting that inner knowing, I often deferred to coaches, therapists, and other “experts” to guide my path. Not because I lacked insight, but because I had internalized the belief that someone else always knew better (or that I first needed validation and approval from others). I think that’s what happens when you’ve spent years trying to be the “good girl,” the people pleaser, the one who gets it right.
It’s even harder to trust yourself when your brain works differently. I was recently diagnosed as AuDHD, and that discovery helped me make sense of a lifetime of high masking. I’d been pushing through in silence, trying to meet invisible standards that were never designed with neurodivergent people in mind.
As I’ve started to unmask, I’ve become more open about both the challenges I face and the strengths I carry. Traits like hyper-focus, deep empathy, and the ability to spot patterns others miss are powerful.
But being neurodivergent can also lead to burnout, overstimulation, and a constant feeling of being “too much” or “not enough.” That’s why I’m committed to building a more sustainable business, one that honours my energy, my process, and my pace. I’ve stopped pretending there’s one right way to succeed. And I’m encouraging others to do the same.
There are many valid ways to build a business. My hope is that more entrepreneurs begin listening to themselves, experimenting with what works, and give themselves permission to do it differently.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.unbuttonedbrands.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unbuttonedbrands
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-lauren-dick/
Image Credits
Sisterhood Photography
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