Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Hartstone.
Hi Emily, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I grew up riding and training horses when I was a kid, and back then being an equestrian was my entire life. Then, I was diagnosed with leukemia and that was the moment when everything changed.
Unfortunately, I had to give up riding and officially said goodbye to the sport that I loved so much. That was such a painful memory for me because so much of my identity revolved around training horses and suddenly, the vision I had for my life was gone.
Regardless of how difficult that experience was, it taught me the valuable lesson that at any given moment, we have to be prepared to say goodbye to who we are, in order to become who we’re meant to be.
In the midst of my trying to figure out the next step, a friend reached out with an opportunity to be the assistant for someone who was planning a 3,000 conference in Las Vegas. I took the job with very little experience, a whole lot of excitement, and absolutely no idea what the universe had in store for me. The woman I was originally supposed to work for was let go right before the event and suddenly I was thrown completely into the fire, and honestly…I loved every minute of it. Everyone was freaking out, solving problems, and trying to quietly resolve issues behind the scenes, and I just remember thinking: “This is so much fun!”
The process of learning to adapt, remain calm, and stay focused within the high-pressure environments of sales and events was such a rewarding challenge for me and it was also the catalyst that helped to unlock my potential in so many different ways. Also, it didn’t “hurt” that my second event was a 10,000+ firefighter convention. I have no complaints at all about that one and honestly loved the fact that with this work, there was always something unexpected, exciting, or insightful to experience on every level.
From there, I began working with a lot of nonprofit organizations and learning the ins and outs of fundraising. To this day I still remember when I did my first walk for a Lupis foundation. I remember feeling so fulfilled and connected to the work I was doing because I could see that my work was actually making a difference in people’s lives.
That’s when things became even more clear for me. It wasn’t just about the sales, marketing, or strategic planning of events anymore, it was about finding a way to align my core strengths with the right organizations, initiatives, and people who were out there trying to make an impact.
Then came the Grave’s Disease diagnosis that combined with the leukemia completely flipped my world upside down and amplified the dark days that helped me discover what I was truly made of. Between battling cancer and severe hyperthyroidism, there were moments when I would just curl up into a ball and cry. Due to the severe bone loss, most of my face has been replaced with metal. Also, I haven’t been able to eat whole food since October 2021, and have been surviving on a strict diet of smoothies and mashed-up Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I still have more surgeries ahead.
The same pain and challenges I’ve experienced helped me to clarify my long-term vision and also inspired me to get very intentional about the kinds of clients I choose to work with. So, in January 2022, I made the leap into full-time entrepreneurship and started From The Hart Management, LLC, with a mission to provide strategic sales, events, and business and association management services for purpose-driven organizations.
Every company I work with is striving to create some kind of positive change in the world and these are the only companies I want to work with. These guiding principles not only became the foundational approach of From The Hart Management, LLC but also informed the launch of Gifts From the Hart LLC, a boutique gift shop I opened with my business partner Chaunsea Keller, that donates 5% of all proceeds to various charities and foundations.
Now, when I think about my work as a motivational speaker and entrepreneur, I reflect back to the people who have shaped my life and I get a bit teary-eyed because honestly, I wouldn’t have made it to this phase of my life or stage of my career without the support of key mentors, family, and friends.
Whether in business, life, or relationships, all of our decisions are driven by something. What drives my personal mission forward is being able to help organizations streamline every aspect of their operations, boost profits, save time, and create the kind of meaningful change the world needs right now.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road, but I don’t think I would change anything looking back. Just as a restaurant owner has to spend time working in each position to fully understand how to properly operate their business, I had to go through the struggles I did in order to understand how to help people the best. Even though many of the speed bumps I encountered came because of my health, I was still able to apply the lessons I learned to my business. My mindset was, and still is, everything with my health.
Instead of living in survival mode, I live by the theory of “mind over matter” and this has been extremely useful for my business. As an entrepreneur, you’re going to hear “no” much more than you are “yes” especially when you’re starting out. This is because entrepreneurs are more known for being risk-takers. It doesn’t mean you aren’t good at what you do or that you aren’t cut out to be an entrepreneur. Any successful person will advise that you must get knocked down several times and learn from those experiences before you can successfully run a business.
One of my favorite quotes is “The comeback is always greater than the setback” and this is something I live by. You can knock me down as hard as you want, and trust me, I’ve fallen hard. But believe me, I’m going to come back fighting harder than you’ve ever seen before. If you don’t have this mindset, then you’ll get eaten alive when you’re pitching an idea or meeting with potential investors – I can’t stress this enough. If you don’t believe in yourself, why should anyone else? Always, always, believe.
We’ve been impressed with From The Hart Management & Gifts From The Hart, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
From The Hart Management, LLC is a multi-level management company focused on sales, marketing, and events, with turnkey management solutions. The mission of the company is simple: analyze, identify, advise, and execute.
With these pillars in mind, our team works to identify the gaps and opportunities in a company to create a comprehensive project plan with timelines, milestones, cost analysis, and a schedule. The company also offers an array of quality products to help reach the management and consulting goals in a smooth manner. In terms of event management, the company provides consultation to identify the event details, budget, and timeline and generates a cost analysis report and a schedule.
Comprising of an award-winning group of strategists, marketers, analysts, accountants, planners, and advocates, our team offers services that include turnkey (nonprofit) association management, strategic planning, and conference/event planning.
Our expert team focuses on understanding a company’s objectives and desired goals while zeroing in on the key challenges and providing strategic advice that leads to optimum results and fuels financial success. Every company we work with is striving to create some kind of positive change in the world and these are the only companies we want to work with, as it is our foundational approach.
I also do my keynote and motivational speaking underneath From The Hart Management, LLC, although that might change one day. Gifts From The Hart, LLC is a boutique gift shop that gives 5% of the proceeds back to a different charitable organization each month. While the company was originally started out of a need to assist with my medical bills, I knew there were others in similar situations and wanted to be able to make a difference for those people as well. Since the first day, we have given back.
Everything we do comes “from the heart” which is where the name comes from. Should I start another company in the future, it will fall under the “From The Hart Empire” as we call it internally, and follow the same pattern with the name. I believe what sets us apart is that we make sure our clients feel more like family than just other clients. We are extremely close with all of our clients and really take pride in that.
We always joke around with them if we haven’t spoken to them personally on the phone for even a day or two, “I thought you forgot about me” because it’s so rare that will happen. It really makes me wake up and love what I do, and I’m so grateful and appreciative to have them. Over the last year, we have been incredibly blessed and honored with awards we hold very close to our hearts. We will continue to work and hold up our end on the achievements.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://fromthehartllc.com (From The Hart Management, LLC) https://giftsfromthehart.com (Gifts From The Hart, LLC)
- Instagram: @empromo_hart (business) and @giftsfromthehart (Gifts From The Hart)
- Facebook: facebook.com/emily.hartstone
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilyhartstone/
- Twitter: @empromo_hart
Image Credits
Angie Myers
