Episode 240: From Art School to Urban Impact: Designing Spaces That Bring People Together | Emily Isenberg | Founder & Creative Director, Isenberg Projects
What happens when you merge creativity, city planning, and community-building into a business? Meet Emily Isenberg, the founder and creative director of Isenberg Projects. Based in Boston, her firm brings people together through placemaking, public art, and activating city spaces in ways that feel inclusive, unexpected, and fun. In this episode, we talk about leading a collective, designing experiences that reflect a city’s heartbeat, and why real community-building happens when we get out into the world and try all the flavors. We also discuss the difference between leadership and management, how to make career pivots from art school to urban planning, and why curiosity, empathy, and collaboration are key skills for building a creative business that lasts.
“What mobilizes people? What do we need to step it up? What stokes our creative fire? We need you out there in the world, trying all the flavors.”
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Follow along using the Transcript
Chapters:
(00:00:00) What is creative placemaking?
(00:01:10) From art school to community activation
(00:03:05) Why public-private spaces matter
(00:04:40) Building micro-communities through shared experiences
(00:07:00) The creative landscape in Boston
(00:10:45) What motivates us as entrepreneurs
(00:12:00) How Emily’s Halloween parties shaped her career
(00:13:50) Bringing brands, cities, and artists together
(00:16:00) Lessons from building and leading a creative team
(00:18:45) The power of mentorship and community in business
(00:22:00) What powerful ladies look like in practice
(00:30:00) Reclaiming curiosity and real-world joy
(00:35:45) Why community is more than just your inner circle
(00:42:00) Rewriting your story through conscious choices
(00:43:40) How to connect with Emily and what she’s looking for next
We're working on a big project right now with the City of Boston, closing down Newbury Street. So we've been working all summer with the city and all the businesses, trying to get them to, bring what they're doing to the street and create fun experiences, and then also working with street performers and then all the kind of nuances of blocking off a street with this much energy.
That's Emily Eisenberg. I'm Kara Duffy, and this is the Powerful Ladies. Podcast.
I'm really excited to talk to you today. Anyone who is recommended from the magical Elizabeth McGarry is amazing. And let's just jump in by telling everyone who you are, where you are, and what you're up to in the world.
Great. So I'm Emily Eisenberg. I am the founder and creative director of Eisenberg Projects.
We are a Boston based creative consulting firm, but our focus is on place placemaking and community engagement. So we work with. Cities, municipalities institutions, private development on ways to make more engaging places on ground floor and to get more people to have a seat at the table. So whether that's thinking about the artists or the creative communities, or thinking about small businesses and what the ripple effects are of how we engage and develop our cities.
For somebody who has walked through one of your projects, like what does it look like on the ground? Is it. Is City Plaza, is it in like where would they experience your projects?
Yeah, I think a lot of our work is in private spaces that feel public. When you think about, when you go to different parts of, whatever city you live in, you start to realize that these courtyards and kind of these developed sites are not public property, but they feel public and it feels like it's a place that you're welcome.
So I think that's how we show up, is making sure that, there isn't that sense of feeling like you're intruding or you're trespassing and thinking that there's something in it for you.
Very cool. Where did this come from and how did you end up to be doing this for your business?
This is a great question. I could talk for an hour about where it came from because I wish I could just say that I was like one of those people who had like a. A deck and spreadsheet and then started and knew that this is where we would be today 12 years later. But the origin of this is that I've always been truly fascinated by how people gather and thinking about the intentionality and the social design that comes into place.
So that sounds like intelligent and very highfalutin. The reality is that I just like to know what people are doing all the time, and I'm incredibly nosy. And I love the idea that there's all these micro communities that are built around, like how people wanna get together and what they're interested in.
So I think for us that was the catalyst. It started from thinking about how do people in like creative communities come together And, it was like pretty antiquated for a long time. That it was either like you went to a museum, you went to a gallery opening that had to like artists and people who make things mean each other.
So that was the real nugget that got us started.
I've been talking to a lot of people about community lately, and I've moved a lot. I consider Boston home. I've been living in California for 12 years now, I think, which sounds insane to me. And there's definitely a difference in community in different spaces and countries and cities.
How is the artistic creative community in Boston maybe unique to other parts of the world?
That's a hard question. I think that like I, I. A little bit. That's okay. But because I think that it comes down to the thing that we know about every city, right? What happens in the places that we all wanna go to?
Usually the artists go first, the gays go second, and then it gets gentrified. So I think that, like for me, it's not necessarily about what makes. Boston unique. It's what makes every city unique is thinking of ways that we can bring it down to the heartbeat and making sure that we're preserving opportunities for all of these subcultures to coincide and exist when we're experiencing a lot of rapid newness.
So I think that like I'm, I didn't answer your question, but the point is it is not really about boston's our community is so great that we need to it is great and there's so many wonderful things about it, but that sort of for us is just making sure that there's a voice for those folks in, in, in these long-winded processes.
Are you from Boston originally?
No, I'm from Southern California.
Oh, you are? So we're, we've traded. Yeah. Yeah.
It's
weird. My whole family's from here. Yeah. But I like, feel like I, my personality in like my formative years was in California, but then I also find that like I straddle this line of like directness and then also a little bit of a casualness.
That kind of, so it's I don't really. I sure don't fit either.
I think this is why Elizabeth wanted us to meet. I've been trying to explain what that is and I'm, I feel really lucky that I can totally relax and be in that. California mindset, but I also lose my mind sometimes where I'm like, we have got to get shit done, and why can't we just handle this and why can't we just have the conversation?
It's funny, so one of my best friends works in Hollywood is like makes movies, does TV shows. And she said that there is she tells me all the time we have so many friends from New England who end up there and she's I don't know what it is about New Englanders, but they do really well here because of the rigor and kind of the straightforward nature.
They tend to move quicker through their paces. Yeah. On the West Coast, which I can see.
What brought you to Boston originally? School,
yeah. I went to art school. I stayed. Hip, I hopped along different jobs. At one point I did move to Portland, Oregon for a couple years, and then another opportunity brought me back.
And then I've pretty much been just like here since 2007.
I think that there could be a an entire anthropological study on the rotation between Southern California, Portland, and Boston most people I know have rotated between those three locations at some point. Yeah, that's fair. And if they lived in one, like they go to it regularly because a whole bunch of people they know are in one of those three pockets.
Yeah, for sure. I also think that there's like a little bit of a creative transient nature where there's the, these cities that become this like upswell and then people are like gravitating to them. And I think that I don't know if it's like masochism, but for me, I know there's been so many times in my career that I could have moved somewhere that my abilities would've been celebrated in ways that sometimes in Boston it didn't feel, but then I also feel like I enjoy the fact that I'm like, they need us. They need us to do more. They need it. Yeah. And we have to work harder to create it. And so I don't know. I think that's why I'm still here.
And not only am I still here. I'm like in a role that, like the things I complain about, I do have some impact to create change around. So that is like a beautiful thing, even though sometimes it's really challenging and seems like just, a lot of heavy lifting for no reason.
I think that's like the interesting kind of human journey of like where is that tipping point where.
We have influence. It can make change, but it's not so comfortable that we decide to like, take a break and be like, oh, someone else is gonna handle it. I'm gonna go float and have a cocktail. And it's a funny thing that I wrestle with too because there are moments when I think my life here is a little too comfortable that am I pushing myself to what my highest potential really is?
Or am I taking the slacker train and is it okay? Or is this really just. If, you know anyone here would tell me that I'm not slacking off, but knowing what energy you get when there's a little bit of resistance and there's different pressures coming in, I, I miss that and I don't have it enough as an entrepreneur and I definitely don't have it in my urban environment here.
So I like, I, that's also part of the reason why I'm like, should I move to New York? Should I move to Boston? Like where can I get a little bit of that resistance that I know I'm trained to have? Fuel me.
So interesting. We've been talking a lot about this at work, about what motivates you. And for a long time, I think especially in early stages of management, you take all the things that like sucked about your old job and then you become the manager that's the opposite of that.
But then you don't realize that oh wait, part of like my personal ambition came from friction. Yeah. And from having proved something. And so like when you take some of that stuff away, you're like, you realize that like other. Other people have different, mechanisms that they need in their environment.
So I feel like, yes, you could move somewhere and you could create that, but I also think you could find that in your own, in your zip code right now. It just depends on what that looks like for you. I don't know. It's also as we get older, it's like, why do we always need the wall to push?
It's a question I continually ask myself, and I don't know if it's like healthy, but I also feel like if it mobilizes you to your evolution, then yes, find it.
Yeah. It really is such an interesting conversation. So I wanna go back to you and 8-year-old, you would, 8-year-old.
You have imagined that this is your life, what I do every day. Like
I never thought that was a job. Like I went to art school, I studied design. I like did not know that like you could make things without being the one who touches everything. Do you know what I'm saying? Producing and things like that wasn't like something we ever really talked about.
And I think it's just like exposure, lack of exposure. But 8-year-old me, like I used to throw these Halloween parties in my garage and I was like very obsessive about it. Where I would stay up as late as I possibly could, and I would take all my clothes and I'd stuff them with newspapers to make as like many, like dead bodies I possibly could.
And like just weird little quirky things that were not about me, but were like other people having the most insane experience. And so it is comical now that like we make big events and big projects happen in public. And there's a little bit of a wanting to do things that are really challenging and hard component that I feel has always been part of like my energy as a person.
But would I ever, I never had like aspirations to, necessarily be in charge. 'cause I thought no one else could do it. You know what I mean? Yeah. It was, it's like being a boss is comical. Like I. I appreciate it and I definitely it's, there's a lot of honor and privilege I get from it, but at the same time I'm just like constantly trying to make bigger things happen and that's the core of who I've always been I guess I wouldn't be surprised at the like how things are actualized, but then the mechanism, I probably would be like, this is insane.
When you are working on a project, who are all the players? Are there brands involved? Are there local businesses? Is it the city government artists? Who all gets involved to bring these projects to life?
All of the above. I think that it really depends on the size, but we're working on a big project right now with the city of Boston for us closing down Newbury Street which is for anyone who's listening, it's like our, it's our biggest old school retail district.
And it's very charming whenever you see movies that are filmed in Boston or filmed on Newbury Street. 'cause they're just like beautiful Boston brownstones with ground floor retail and these quirky spaces. So we've been working all summer with. City and all the businesses trying to get them to, bring what they're doing to the street and create fun experiences.
And then also working with street performers and then also working with the police department and all the kind of nuances of blocking off a street with this much energy and trying to make sure that it is as successful for everyone involved. But then sometimes we work just with artists and we work we do a lot of work with minority and small owned businesses, so it really just depends.
I think that we're always trying to figure out where the gaps are in all of our projects and thinking about ways that we can support those gaps by rising tide raises all boats if we bring, other groups into the fold. And we're really passionate about making sure that those are really good opportunities for them and not just one person is served through that experience. So we do a lot of, surveys and questions and interviews and things like that to make sure that we're constantly learning in this process as well. 'cause there's so many players in each conversation. And then, yeah, sometimes we do a lot of work. We started on the brand side, but then as time has marched on, we've really focused on the build space.
Yeah. And people I think don't realize how much opportunities there are, right. Usually chasing like where a project can go versus money. And of course, municipalities have less money than brands do sometimes, but they also have a need to fill that's so much more hyperlocal than a brand usually ever has.
So I think it's an underlooked at space, especially for a lot of different. People and entrepreneurs and small businesses that I talk to, like they don't look at their own local city. And even state level opportunities that I think sometimes get, get missed because you don't think that there's money or opportunity in it when sometimes they have money that they have to spend.
And yeah, you're like, why are you repaving that road? We had to spend money somewhere. And you're like, what? We could have done something cool with that.
City and state budgeting is fascinating if you ever wanna nerd out on it because it's all publicly accessible. 'Cause it's tax dollars.
So it is really interesting to think about that. And you're right. I think for us, we see how all these pieces work together. And that's like a big part of what drives us is like even when we are working with we did a big running popup with a, a. Global running brand. And we sell like they're our client, but then we have to work with the city to permit some of the things they wanna do.
So it's like we need to be in the in-between and be in a good place. And so understanding everyone's motivations has been like, very fruitful.
What, you mentioned your team and when it was time to expand and build a team, what has that process been like for you and how has it been evolving?
Recently.
The short version is that we always hire people when we're desperate. Not like we hire people and those are the people 'cause we're desperate. We have amazing people here. But I think more in line with the fact that like we are never proactive because we don't have. Investors and we are literally bootstrapping.
We always have been. That's the one thing I'm actively working on for the next year or two when I look at our scale and where we're headed is trying to make sure that we have more, of like a financial backbone that we can be proactive. But yeah, so I think, really it comes down to what is the work landscape look like, and then what are the gaps we need within our team?
And then how we think through who those roles and jobs are. But yeah, I mean I think we, we have an incredible team. I honestly am so stoked. And everyone brings something really unique and different, varying perspectives to what we do. So yeah, I think that i'm fortunate I hear all these stories about people who have really challenging hiring processes and that but we're also like a little bit of a hippie company, so it definitely helps. We're, we try to be as flexible as we can. The work is quirky, so people have a tendency if they're motivated into the space, they find us. Yeah. I dunno if that answers your question completely.
Yeah. I think, everyone has a different team experience and leadership kind of journey when they're, I think it's different being a leader in a corporate environment, even than being a leader in a entrepreneurial small business setting as well. Because you are having to worry about everything all the time, right?
And there's. We could always do more to invest in our people and to train them. And so often we're like, okay, we're on a life raft and we're all gonna row and we're gonna figure it out as we go. And if you're upset along the way, raise your hand and I'll get to you as fast as I can. But we gotta go.
Yeah.
I think sometimes, like my joke is I don't, I'm like, what business am I in, I think we talked about this when we first met. Like sometimes I'm like, am I in this creative placemaking business, or I'm actually just like in a mentorship business where we like have found a vehicle to pay people to come here, to help train 'em, engage them, to think about how they're gonna show up in their communities and in their jobs, and in their families in other capacities as they evolve and grow.
Whether they're with us or when they move on. So I think it's sometimes I'm like, which job is it? Yeah. To be fair, the second one probably has more like lasting long-term value and meaning. But yeah, I don't, it's, this is, I guess the first is the mechanism to get there. So they needed both coexist.
What does it mean to, for, to you to be powerful and do the words powerful and ladies mean something different when they're independent or like alone versus when they're next to each other?
I don't think about my power and at points I have to check myself because I don't wanna be like, like I don't wanna think that I'm in an even head space as everyone, because obviously I'm living in the future and they're all living in the now. And by that like within my studio. But I don't know. I think the powerful ladies thing is something that I've gotten much more comfortable with over the last few years.
I realized that there was just like, there was even like some latent misogyny in like how we thought about girl boss and all that stuff. Yeah. And so I think even my mind, I was like, Ooh, I don't like that. But then I realized the reason I didn't like it is 'cause people were using it in a manner that was like demeaning, but that wasn't the intention.
So not in to get into the, character and the linguistics of all of it. 'cause it can get heady. I think now I take it in, I have an incredible. Social circle of like powerful leads in my life. And I, I'm so grateful because I can always ask them questions or see like what their struggles are and figure out how we can help each other and work through stuff.
So I, I do and I'm looking for more, which I think I told you, is I'm constantly trying to find new people that are putting themselves out there in these strange and hard ways. It is. I don't know. I don't, my soap.
Doing some trying to think of like financially, how we're thinking about how we're setting ourselves up for success. But it definitely is harder and I can't, I am a white woman, so it's only as hard as it is for white women. I know for me, but I know it would be even harder if I wasn't, but just even my.
Experience. Experience with other male entrepreneurs and like their experience with funding and getting loans and like their bank. I'm looking for a new bank every year for two years because they can't move fast enough with us, because we're just like, we've had three of the most insane growth years since we've been in business.
I don't know if that's the same experience From what? From what I've heard, it's not. So in some ways I feel like the term powerful ladies is like a collection. Like I'm like, I'm looking to collect them. Do you have any information? Can I offer any
yeah. I like that term as it being a collection because I do think that it's such a a personal relationship with both the word powerful and the word ladies.
And I've had a lot of interesting conversations over the years on this podcast of what. What it means for people and who loves it and is so excited and proud to call themselves that. And they want all the merchandise, they're like, gimme all the things that say this because I want to scream it from the rooftop that I'm a powerful lady.
There's other people who are like, I don't know if I'm powerful. I just keep showing up. I don't know why you called me and I'm like, that's exactly why I called you.
I get it. I totally hear you. It's like a little bit like I'm, yeah. You just you're so deep in it at a certain point that you're like, there's no turning back now within my own social circle, like obviously we were all like riot girls back in the nineties and like we had our like, different versions of feminism over the last 30 years.
And I think for a lot of us it was like okay, that's already been done. But then, you know when you go on Reddit and you read these pieces about people who saw that film and how much it impacted them, and you're just like, okay, yeah, okay. Slow our role. There's never been a, a major motion picture.
That has treated a male character the way that women are treated in every single movie, and stuff like that where you're like, oh my god. Okay. So I think that it's hard 'cause like you might see all of it, but then understanding how you're showing up and like what the opportunity is that's bringing and expansiveness.
Yep. It's cool.
How have other powerful men or women impacted your path and helped you get to where you are today?
I guess from the beginning my mom she was like incredible dynamo, CEO and started a business in her 80 in the eighties and went for it. So like I grew up with that.
Like I grew up watching that and thinking that wasn't abnormal. It was very normal to me. And she ended up selling it and doing pretty well. So I think that was like, just something that was like embedded is you can do that because your mom did that. Not a big deal. But yeah, I think.
So that definitely was like a big part of the foundation for me is just if you're frustrated or dissatisfied, just make it happen. But in the last eight or nine years, honestly, it's, my husband has been such incredible support because he's just do your thing and it's never point of tension And, i, he's such a stabilizing force in my life that I can really let take risks all over the place in my business on my own terms and. It is like not, I come home and everything's like very chill and very relaxed and I do think that there is something to be said psychologically about you can always move one, like one, like from one stone to the next if you have one on a steady step, so I think of that a lot. Honestly, I just, I don't even know. I could talk about that all day. I have so many credible people here and our principal is just like constantly, we push each other constantly. And so I don't, I have so many incredible friends that are just kicking ass and I think that just.
Finding ways to surround yourself with people who celebrate the weird and celebrate the, be like the, tenuous boundaries that we all move around in has been really helpful. And I feel like in some ways. I've had to like, let go of like people who carry a ton of negativity because it just is becomes like I'm an empath.
So all of a sudden I'm like taking all of it on and I'm like, this is a distraction. I don't know. How do you, how are I wanna post a same question to you. Like, how do you keep moving forward and who has your back and keeps you kicking.
It's been a really interesting, I think, two year process for me of like really looking at that.
I know I just did a positivity and elect resiliency training that Mark Megarry led, and I did it in like a small pod of, I think there's six or seven of us. And it was really interesting because I have a lot of training in the coaching space. I have a lot of training in. Leadership and personal development and then yoga training.
Like I have a lot of things that are supposed to help you be resilient and stay in alignment with what really matters ultimately. Sure. And so did this training because I'm a Yes to team Maherry, so if there invite me to something, I'm a hell's yes.
Yeah.
And I went through it and there were some things I knew and some things that were eyeopening and great to look at again.
But what really struck me was this exercise that we did of looking at who is in your life that you can really count on. And it was like specific things like who could you call it to in the morning if you had to go to the hospital, who could you call last minute to watch your dog, your kid, your, something like how are you really using your community?
'cause I think we talk about, oh, we have friends and we go out and we do things and yeah, here's who's on my team. And there's a different level of having, there's so many levels of friendship and relationships and community and it was really eye-opening for me to look at it and ask myself, who really is on that emergency team for me?
Who knows when I need help? Because I'm not someone people check on, like I'm not, no one is asking, are you okay? No one is asking what's going on? They know that I am busy. They know that I am the driving force in my life. They know that. There's a lot of people I'm interacting with, but there's a handful of people in my life who know that yes, that's true and I solve all the same bullshit everybody else has.
And it's been interesting to see those people showing up. And I say in the last two years, because it's been two years that I like, ended a very long term relationship and that kind of wakens you up to sure. When you don't have that. Partner who like covers a lot of those bases. What's, who's filling that gap?
And who's really on your team still? And so it's just been really interesting to see what that's like. And I think that's what leads to some of my thoughts about I can live anywhere. So like, where should I live? What team do I really wanna cultivate? And when I stop and I'm not in the go mode with everything, it's who's really on that team?
And it's been a really interesting exploration, honestly. To look at that. I have some, I love that a lot of my clients have become dear friends and so there's a handful of those people who are great at knowing what's really going on and checking on me and like really becoming that core support system.
My family is good at that too. And then some of my favorite humans who do support me, like Elizabeth or Mark, like they live in Boston. We're far away. Yeah. But they do a really good job of texting and being like no, we're talking like you're not gonna squirrel out of this because you're busy.
And I'm like, thank you. Thank you for nailing me down and making me have these conversations.
So has anything surprised you as you've been like looking inward on this journey?
I told Mark that I've never done a personal development program and been less happy than when I started on that one.
Fair. And I think it was because it made me realize hold on. Am I in a, am I acting in alignment with my values? And that's work I do all the time. So I think it caught me off guard that I was like, oh, I think there's room to go deeper than I have been in this. To root deeper into my values and make sure the work I'm doing is tying back into that.
And for it to not just be, because I believe in working with clients and people that feed you almost more than you feed them. So I check that box with my clients, but it's okay, what's happening outside of that box of people and things? So it's been a really interesting evaluation and I think I felt like my community got much smaller than I thought it was, and that was like a shock.
I've been looking at, okay, like I, we're all powerful here. So like how am I causing that and what can I shift to make sure people know I want more community, I want more engagement, I want deeper. And so I've been proactively telling friends of mine who I know will, who want that back, and like telling them that's what I need, telling people if I'm feeling lonely or if I'm been disconnected.
And then also just looking at like. How did I make commun? I've lived in places where I community was never in doubt. So what was different there that I was doing? Because while I do think that our environment contributes to things, it's not just the environment. So I've been really evaluating what was I doing?
What was I participating in? And we get older, right? So we were like, I don't wanna be out after nine and no, I would like to hang out and it doesn't involve any alcohol. And so as all those things start shifting, it's okay. What is, how does that evolve and how do we maintain the mentorships and the friendships and the things that we need?
So it's been interesting. So I'm like networking, like I'm networking for romantic relationships, for business, for fun. Like all the things right now, if somebody wants to meet up for a coffee, I'm like yep. We're just taking in new people and seeing what other community matches, are out there.
I love that. I love that so much. I also think that like we have a tendency to not calibrate that stuff. 'cause I think in some ways we evaluate and work, we reeva, we reevaluate and love. But let, like in our friendship sometimes it's just feels like, okay, you were great for a while so you'll still be great.
But wait, it's not really great. But that's fine. 'cause you used to be great. So it's gonna be great. It's funny.
Yeah. And I think it's natural for. Some of my close friends, like they're, they've had babies and like it's things shift. Like you,
yeah.
Yeah. And like I know that I can still call them in an emergency, but I have to also give them space to be recalibrating what that is too.
And so it's never an issue of not wanting to spend time together. It's literally of a, we don't have time and I'm often guilty of the one not having the time.
Yeah.
I'm real good at making my schedule crazy 'cause I say yes to fun things and then I'm like, hold on. Yeah. Why did I say yes to all the things in the same week?
That's probably not healthy. So I've actually tasked my team with not letting me do that anymore. But yeah, I think it's really interesting and I love all the anthropology and that community space building and how. How we find joy on a regular basis through whatever the things are. And it's fun to be using myself as the Guinea pig to be testing out different theories that I coach people on as well as what I've been consuming.
I love it. Like 360.
Yeah. Yeah. And you know what, there's. I'm sure, I imagine this comes up in your business quite a bit where like you're asking people all the time like, why do you wanna do this? Like, why are you, why do you have this space? Why does this art project matter? Like you're asking why a lot?
I would think. Is that accurate?
I'm in a unique spot where people want me to tell them. Why they should care and like what they should do. Yeah. So there is definitely then it becomes like very meta where you're like, oh, why do you want me to tell you what you should do? What do you feel like is mis, it's a little bit, but yes, it comes into play, but I'm also just like fascinated, as a, like on my own.
Just to go back to like kind of the personal and the how your personal life, like personal life intertwines with your job. Which I think is also why we like, probably are very good at what we do, just to toot our own horn for a second. But yeah, I'd love to be a visitor in other people's communities and their other, like kind of how these little subset of subcultures exist. And I wish I could have an invisibility cloak and go to so many places because I know sometimes those places aren't for me. And so I know that those places inherently will change by me being there. So that's another thing that.
I think about a lot, and I think just like on a larger scale too, is like making sure that we're not just building community with people who are exactly like us. Yeah. And are the same age as us and are the same, all in the same creative industries and thinking about things from that perspective because.
We, we need to be open to different it, different iterations of fun as well. And I think like we always, when we interview people sometimes like, I feel bad, but like sometimes we'll be like, I'm like, what do you do when you're not working? Or, yeah. And they're like, oh, I hang out with my cat and I read books and I'm just like, Ugh.
Yeah, we need you to be out in the world. Trying all the flavors. That's not a good answer. I don't, so I think it's like a thing that also, this is where I sound like a boomer. But there is like a certain passive engagement that like. These things bring, yeah.
That like the world is serving you content constantly that like you are never having to get off your ass to go somewhere. So that's something that I think about a lot is like what mobilizes people and then what do we need to do to. Step it up. Yeah. Yeah. Because it does feel like it's there are things that are happening in that little device that are very fun and creative, but there's also like a what's Next syndrome that's coming from this where there's just, everything moves too fast.
And frankly, like we can't move that fast.
And we, why do you want to I don't wanna be rushing to the end of my day or my week, or my month or my life.
Yeah, and when we think about the things that we really hold onto, they're all focused around the time that we spend with people, the places we go with people and like just allowing wonder to be something Yeah. That we like, aren't motivated to participate with. So I think that's the nature of, the curiosity piece and how do we stoke that fire like within ourselves and with like our friends and with the community, even with my parents, yeah. I think about that a lot.
What are things then that you're doing or maybe even forcing yourself to do to make sure that you are getting out from your own screens?
It's funny, I just went hiking in the White Mountains for a weekend with my partner and that was like so fun. And we went on like an REI group and like we didn't know anyone and we met like a bunch of strangers and it was so fun.
So I like that like kind of tension around lots of uncomfort, uncomfort, but get to work for it and it was great. But yeah, I think I'm just trying to like, enjoy myself. I ride my bike a lot, which is great because I can't be looking at my phone. I can't be in the zone, I have to be like offline.
Yeah, I think I'm also like a big walker. I like to know how all the things are connected, so whenever I travel I like to make sure to make time for that. But yeah, it's, I wish I could give you like a real, like bolt of lightning of an idea of what I do that's so unique and special, but honestly I just make time to like. Be out in the world and observe. Yeah. It's so sad to me, even when I'm on the train now, like no one's looking at each other and I just think of all the little stories and vignettes that are happening in real time and every, all this juicy information that everyone's just like missing because they're just staring,
all the meet cutes that are being missed.
I know,
right? I know. Yep.
We ask everybody on the podcast where they put themselves in the powerful Lady scale. If zero is average everyday human and 10 is the most powerful lady you can imagine, where would you put yourself today? And on an average day?
I would say like a four. Perfect. Yeah. How about you?
Where are you today?
Today I'm feeling like a seven. Oh, I really do believe that it changes day by day, hour by hour. I love the fact that I have experienced a 10 or 12 day in moment, and I know it's there. And so at a minimum, I want people to experience it. Just they know that it's something to be reaching for and what it feels like.
But no I feel. I feel really like I have an exercise called the eight Spheres of Life that I'll walk through with clients and the eight buckets are like, how are you feeling in love and relationships? How are you feeling in your job or career? Your, money, health and wellness, playtime, curiosity, learning and self-expression, I believe are the eight.
And I try to check in and like really see how those things are feeling. On most days, I'm feeling pretty good in, in most of them and I like being in that space for those growth to do. But I'm feeling powerful in the life I have and feeling like I have freedom of choice. And it's, we've been doing a lot of work in my extraordinary entrepreneurs' community about looking at the freedom we have and appreciating it 'cause it's so easy to get sucked into.
Everything that sucks about being an entrepreneur sometimes. Sure. And being weighed down by this pressure that ultimately we've made up. Like whenever I'm working with a client and they're freaking out, I'm like, hold on. Who picked this deadline? They're like, I did. I'm like, okay, so if you picked it, can you move it?
Can you, can we like so much of what, when we are living a life that we've designed, we forget that we can keep designing it and changing it. That's so
true. That's really beautiful. I'm gonna remember that.
Great. So just giving people permission to remember that you can keep changing it and, yeah.
So like I'm really present this week to the fact that I can keep changing it and evolving it. I'm also, I've been doing a lot of my coach I, because I believe in having a coach too, has had me doing, like sending her my affirmations every day, which has also just been a helpful reminder because I will like.
I'm good at doing things like that for three days and then I'll fall off and then do it again for three days and it's just not a top priority and I really need to be making that, those rituals a top, a higher priority. So coming back again to not only do I have more control than I will remember and more freedom than I remember some days, but things do keep working out and like we, the idea that we have to worry about anything is really silly most of the time.
And just continuing to let it go. And give it away and come back to what I am creating.
I love that so much. I, one thing I always think about is if you look for weeds, it's all but if you notice that the dandelions are weeds too, and they're like cute blooming flowers, you start to notice other flowers and it's like really where you put your, this is what you do all day, but like it really is like you have to make a choice.
Like
where you're looking and what you're looking for.
Yeah. And I heard something the other day that in the event of a zombie apocalypse, the dandelion is like the only thing most people have in their property that they can actually eat. So like we risk value those dandelions.
Yeah. I appreciate that.
For everyone. Of course, who wants to support you, follow you, hire you? Where can they go to do all those things?
Oh we're on Instagram at Isenberg Projects, which is I-S-E-N-B-E-R-G projects. And then we're also there at.com. So that's where all the things are happening and we're super excited.
We're launching a new website in hopefully a week. There's fun stuff up there now, but it's gonna get even more fun. Over time.
Love that. And then the last thing we've been asking everyone on the podcast is, what do you need? What do you want? This is a powerful community.
Both of listeners and fellow guests we're connected in weird ways. So what do you need and how can we help you?
I think that I, what I need is I think I'm just like really looking to learn from other people that are further along. I've been, I'm 12 years in now and we're still a team of 11.
Like I wanna talk to people who have built teams that are 30 50 and figure out how they deal with kind of those friction and those tension points. So that's definitely something I'm looking forward. To connect with different individuals
in that.
Way.
Okay. Perfect. Thank you so much for your time today.
It was so great to talk to you and to see your face. And just thank you for sharing all your wisdom and what you're up to with myself and this community. I really appreciate it.
Thank you so much and please keep in touch. I look forward to hearing from you.
All the links to connect with Emily and the Eisenberg Project are in our show notes@thepowerfulladies.com. Please subscribe to this podcast wherever you're listening, and leave us a rating and review. Join us on Instagram at Powerful Ladies, and if you're looking to connect directly with me, visit kara duffy.com or Kara Duffy on Instagram.
I will be back next week with a brand new episode. Until then, I hope you're taking on being powerful in your life. Go be awesome and up to something you love.
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Instagram: @msisenberger
Website: Isenbergprojects.com
LinkedIn: emilyisenbergprojects
Email: emily@isenbergprojects.com
Created and hosted by Kara Duffy
Audio Engineering & Editing by Jordan Duffy
Production by Amanda Kass
Graphic design by Anna Olinova
Music by Joakim Karud
