Why Emily McCormick Walked Away From a Thriving Business to Start Over

In this heartfelt and inspiring episode, Casey Baugh speaks with Emily McCormick, founder of the Policy Project, about how personal adversity and unwavering purpose shaped her journey.

Emily opens up about growing up caring for her sick mother, losing her at 19, building and exiting a successful company, and finding her calling in policy and community work. Together they discuss identity, faith, motherhood, leadership, and what it takes to transform hardship into lasting impact.

This conversation is a powerful reminder to live authentically, embrace discomfort, and pursue what you’re truly called to do.

Chapters:

00:00 | Introduction and Friendship

00:50 | The Power of Supportive Communities

01:49 | Raw and Real Conversations

04:02 | What Emily is Doing Today: The Policy Project

04:56 | How Childhood Shaped Her Mission

06:33 | Living with a Chronically Ill Mother

08:45 | Her Father’s Example of Love and Loyalty

13:07 | Hardship as a Gift and a Teacher

14:33 | The Role of Community in Her Life

16:10 | Her Siblings and How They Coped

19:16 | The Foundation That Saved Her Family

20:10 | College Years and Finding Independence

22:43 | Choosing Journalism and Study Abroad

25:32 | The Last Moments with Her Mother in France

27:17 | Processing Loss and Feeling Alone

32:09 | Redefining Herself After Her Mother’s Death

34:05 | Identity and Core Beliefs

36:34 | Discovering Her Strengths and Values

39:08 | Embracing the Role of a Matriarch

42:15 | Leadership, Learning, and Following Good

44:02 | Authenticity and Vulnerability in Leadership

45:26 | Meeting Adam and Building a Life Together

46:54 | Graduate School and Expanding Her Perspective

49:51 | Entrepreneurship and Shabby Apple

52:36 | A Health Crisis That Changed Everything

54:46 | Financial Comfort, Identity Shifts, and New Challenges

59:43 | From Survival Mode to Answering Her Calling

01:00:02 | Restlessness and the Search for Purpose

01:03:02 | The Birth of the Policy Project

01:05:56 | Why Policy is the Most Scalable Tool for Change

01:07:03 | What Emily is Most Grateful For

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