How Emerge was Named

23 Jan How Emerge was Named

I get asked all the time how we came up with the name “Emerge” and why there is a 3 in the name. It’s amazing how things work in a mysterious way, and you’re often led to the right answers if you’re patient enough!

Some of you know the crazy story of how this business started, but for those of you who don’t, check out the ‘turtle story‘ that happened in 2016! I had decided a year prior that I wanted to pursue my dream of owning my own business, but it would take nearly 14 months before I would make it official. For any of you who knew me at the time…I was NOT a patient person!

As time passed and the idea started to come to fruition of owning my own business, I knew I needed to get serious if I was going to make this dream a reality. (Like many creatives do, I was already doing a lot of this work as a volunteer in the community and transitioning that into paid work was a little harder. It required confidence, vision, and commitment.)

I set up a meeting with my attorney to get the legal details of the business moving forward, but the one thing that kept holding me back was that I didn’t know what to call it! I knew how much branding meant and that the meaning of all I wanted to impact in this world was so much more than the words I would choose to name this business! But I didn’t want to mess it up or sell us short!

So, I thought about my journey leading up to the business start-up and the impact I wanted to have on other entrepreneurs, our clients, and beyond. My encounter with the turtle was really a pivotal moment for me and my life, but I didn’t like turtles. They’re slow, gross, cold, slimy, and boring (or so I thought!). Although I felt like I had always been on the ‘right’ path, doing all the ‘right’ things, it was the symbolic meaning of the turtle that really impacted and guided me most. But what was it about that turtle that I could carry on to clients in a meaningful way?

What is it about a turtle that would make a difference in this world?

Well…when a turtle is stagnant, sitting in its shell it’s more like a rock (kind of like many of us when we’re feeling stuck in our business or in life). But when the turtle sticks its neck out from the comfort of its shell and starts to emerge, it begins to make progress. EMERGE! That’s it! While comfort and security lie within the shell, it’s when the turtle finally emerges with a plan to move forward that it makes progress…slow, steady, and calculated progress. And that’s what we do here at Emerge. We help people get unstuck, emerge from the comfort of their business, and pursue new heights with passion, planning, and purpose. And don’t be mistaken…we’re rarely slow! However, we want to ensure the ‘right’ approach is taken, not just complete a project just to complete a project.

What about the 3?

The underlying purpose of our business and why we do what we do is to serve God. The number three acts as a constant reminder that at the center of all that we do is to serve the Lord with the gifts that have been entrusted to us. Our responsibility here on earth is to have faith in the Lord and share the good news of salvation, grace, and hope with all people. The three in Christianity represents the Triune God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Without these three, we would be nothing.

The fact that God is Triune – three persons in eternal relationship – reminds us that relationships are what life is about, and that’s what I love most about the work we do. Meeting people, getting to know them personally, and inspiring them is what I cherish most. Life is not about stuff or earthly successes. It’s about a loving relationship. If we truly know the Triune God, we will cherish relationships – with God and with one another.

I have often questioned whether we go too far with our emphasis and integration of faith into our business, but I am constantly reminded at every turn of life, that our calling is not to pursue immediate success or gratification in life here on earth, but to serve our Lord and ignite this same faith in others.

This is also why we have developed the faith-based part of our company, Ignite: Be the Light, to help others recognize the flame from within and feel comfortable in developing a strong faith foundation that not only gives them a stronger base, but allows them to eventually find purpose in their own life, and to ignite others and set the world ablaze.

So, I encourage you to do the same. Emerge from the comfort of your shell; pursue God’s calling; and ignite, be the light for all.