Meet Emily Reza

We were lucky to catch up with Emily Reza recently and have shared our conversation below.

Emily, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

I get my resilience from the example my parents set for me and the community I grew up in. My family, especially my parents, instilled in me the importance of pushing through adversity, and always finding a way forward. From seeing my Dad continue to pursue his passions and provide for the family despite losing his eyesight and health, to my mom juggling a full-time job and her role as a caretaker, I was never short on motivation to make things happen against all odds.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am the founder and CEO of 4th & Crawford, a creative communications agency dedicated to helping athletes and changemakers build purpose-driven brands. Our mission is to create lasting legacies by aligning our clients’ passions and purpose with innovative and strategic brand management.

What excites me most about what we do is the transformative power of storytelling. We get to help our clients share their unique stories, amplify their impact, and connect with their audiences in meaningful ways. It’s incredibly rewarding to see an athlete or changemaker understand their potential to make an impact and leverage their platforms to make a difference in the world.

In addition to our agency work, we’ve launched “With A Love Like Yours” (WALLY), our nonprofit division focused on giving back to the community where we got our name. WALLY aims to ignite the spark of possibility for youth in underserved communities through passion development, social emotional and physical education, and family assistance. This initiative is deeply personal to me as it continues the legacy of my father, who always believed in the power of community and giving back.

At 4th & Crawford, we’re not just building brands; we’re building legacies. We believe in the power of authentic storytelling, purpose-driven work, and the impact of a strong community. Whether through our agency services or our nonprofit initiatives, our goal is to inspire and support the next generation of leaders and changemakers.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Looking back, three qualities that were most impactful in my journey are working well under pressure, being a lifelong learner, and embracing my authentic self.

I started out in live events and game entertainment, where the environment was often high-stress and fast-paced. I was fortunate to work under directors who were “cool as cucumbers,” never losing their composure no matter how intense things got. Their ability to stay calm under pressure and lead effectively was inspiring. This experience made everything outside of live events seem less stressful in comparison. For those early in their journey, find mentors who exemplify calm and effective leadership, and know that with this industry oftentimes requires you to immerse yourself in high-pressure situations to build your resilience.

I’ve always had a thirst for knowledge, and I’ve always coupled it with a clear intention of how I will apply what I learn to help me reach my goals. In a digital world where we have all types of information at our fingertips, it can be overwhelming thinking about all the things you can educate yourself on. My advice is to embrace the lifelong learner mentality, create roadmaps to your goals and identify areas where you could increase your knowledge, and lean into staying ahead of trends, picking up new skills, and staying competitive. This ultimately helps keep you at the forefront of innovation, helps sparks new ideas, and improves your problem-solving skills.

Lastly, I didn’t learn this until much later in my career, but being confident in who I am—my passions, interests, skills, values, and story—was transformative. Early on, I thought I needed to be like everyone else because I hardly ever met someone whose upbringing looked like mine. As I learned to embrace my authentic self, I found greater satisfaction in aligning myself with people and opportunities where I could provide representation and truly make an impact. For those starting out, embrace your uniqueness and let it guide you to the right opportunities and relationships.

How would you describe your ideal client?

My ideal client is someone who is purpose-driven and passionate about using their platform to make a positive impact in the world. They are athletes, changemakers, or leaders in the sports industry who value authenticity and are committed to building a meaningful legacy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://4thandcrawford.com
• Instagram: @4thandcrawford
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyareza/

Image Credits

For the headshot you can credit Pablo Cabrera