Emily Steele comes from the land of windmills and tulips — Pella. But Greater Des Moines may be lucky enough to have her living in Sherman Hill and putting her entrepreneurial energies to use around the area. Steele wears multiple hats these days as president of the FemCity group  in Des Moines, the managing director at Think Digital, a blogger and startup hobbyist. When poring over her list of activities and responsibilities, I wondered, in jest, if she sleeps, and she offered this thoughtful response: “I get this question all the time and think my best response is that I have really learned how to prioritize, systematize, and work from a place of inspired action as opposed to ‘grinding it out or hustling,’ which is what society says is the best. A game changer in my life was using ‘time blocking’ where I spend two hours immersed in deep work with absolutely no distractions (phone on silent, door closed, email off). I try to focus specific days on specific types of tasks and it’s led to really productive habits. I don’t believe in work-life balance, I would much rather call it the work-life blend and I’ve spent years figuring out how to blend it so I can sleep, enjoy a long bike ride with Zach, and keep building businesses I love and believe in.” She says she thrives on her work with the Des Moines group that promotes networking and training for women in business. (Learn more about membership and events at www.femcity.com/des-moines.) We caught up with her online and in person to learn more about what she’s up to and how she got to this point.

Could you tell me about the story of FemCity and its growth in Des Moines? 
FemCity has been around in Des Moines for the last four years, formerly known as “Femfessionals.” I came on board as president of the group in late 2016 when the group had about four paying members; I was energized by the idea of bringing like-minded, positive women together to support one another and grow together. Since our re-launch in January 2017, we’ve gained 150-plus paying business members and 250-plus community members, which is our complimentary membership available to any woman. 

FemCity Des Moines is the fastest-growing chapter in the world, and I believe it was a perfect storm of timing, talents and connections that allowed us to explode in growth in the last year. What keeps women coming back time and time again is the community of support; we’re turning the tables on traditional “networking” and embodying a relationship-driven model. Instead of wondering what we can “get” out of events, we are asking women to think about what they can “give.” If you visit our Facebook Group of 1,700-plus women, you’ll see gratitude shoutouts very regularly and women openly helping one another to find the resources they need in their businesses. 

What’s the purpose of that group, and how does it work?
The group is really about connecting positive women in business. These are women who are intrapreneurial, who have been in business two days, and very seasoned executives. Our specific chapter hosts free Coffee Connection events every first Friday of the month and then “Around Town Social” events and luncheons every month. 

We offer different event prices to business members, and because we are seeing so many women commit to business memberships, we’re creating more “business-member only” events like our recent luncheon on blogging best practices. The business membership is $150 and allows women to post in the Facebook Group and get access to podcasts from corporate office and event sponsorship at our local events. 

We operate very similarly to a chamber of commerce, but focus only on women. We’re also very intentionally creating digital experiences as well; for example, I do Facebook Live Q&A events for Fems where I interview a FemCity member on a topic that would interest fellow Fems. This allows us to add value to women without having to create events that are in-person.

What are some of your future plans for FemCity? Do the different locations operate independently? It sounds like you are really trying to meet the needs of local women, so I was curious about the national and international aspects.
FemCity recently shifted to a new model of launching what we call collectives, which are groups of 25 women in different cities and they meet once a month in a mastermind-like setting. Ames just launched a collective and is working on filling up their group of 25 women. Des Moines is a chapter, where presidents have more flexibility on types and frequency of events. As a collective director, I get the joy of partnering with women worldwide to launch these groups, which is an exciting time for the company. In the near future, we’ll likely invest more efforts into FemCity Girls and continue equipping our presidents and Collective leaders to grow successful communities of women.

Is FemCity a nonprofit? The chamber of commerce comparison made me wonder.
Great question. Presidents are actually all contract employees, which really intrigued me in the beginning because the nature of the group is so non-profit-like. However, this model allows me to get creative in providing value for women while also earning an income. It’s a win-win situation. Collective Leaders (the new model) are volunteers that can leverage their role within FemCity to expand their network and personal brand. 

You also have a full-time job with Think Digital. What do you do there, and what is the company about?
To rewind just a bit, I left my full-time job at Community Housing Initiatives after successfully launching a multimillion-dollar neighborhood revitalization campaign called Viva East Bank! in 2016. After spending a few years in community development, I realized that our local economy is incredibly powerful when it comes to quality of life and building community, which is what led me to Think Digital. I was eager to understand for-profit company operations and how serving businesses through digital marketing could move the needle. We work with dozens of clients worldwide who use paid traffic to create thriving businesses. My role of managing director allows me to oversee big picture marketing strategy for clients, while ensuring our team is supported.

What do you think are some of the most pressing issues for women in business to address? What are ways to address those issues?
The women I see regularly within FemCity are for the most part just getting started and really struggle to consistently grow. They are attending workshop after workshop looking for information and education to do it all (and do it well) within their businesses. Since most typically self-fund their businesses, there isn’t a lot of wiggle room to outsource any type of work until there is business growth, which can be challenging if you’re always booking client appointments or organizing receipts or trying to come up with marketing campaigns. Layer on the limited, affordable health care options and childcare opportunities (and massive student loans for my fellow millennial friends), there is an insanely high amount of stress that can be very burdensome. 

We’ve partnered with many of the Fems in our community to help support women at every step on their journey. From determining whether they will be an LLC or S-Corp to understanding social media tactics, we’re here to help these women grow one day at a time. And sometimes that feels really “surface level,” like are these workshops really moving the needle? However, I’m watching women get more business, gain more confidence, create more freedom, and I think this is exactly what FemCity Des Moines can do for now.

What are things that have helped you to grow professionally (groups, books, websites)? Do you have mentors or advisers?
I have poured thousands of hours into reading books and blogs, listening to podcasts, and learning from inspiring women like Mel Robbins, Jen Sincero, and Brene Brown. From reading books like “Profit First” to spending hours immersed in the “Law of Attraction” audiobook, I believe we can all learn from one another without labeling one another right or wrong or good or bad. Honestly, mentorship doesn’t really resonate with me. All of my friends are what I call friend-tors; they challenge me, inspire me, keep me human, and coach me when I need it. 

How are you wired?
I am a very positive person with a drive to make every single person’s life just a little bit brighter. I am obsessed with growth and “the next thing,” which has its faults, but also makes me a very ambitious human.

How did you reach this point you are at in life — professionally and volunteer-wise? 
My senior year of college, I realized that up until that point I mostly just did the next “right” thing, without asking myself if it was fulfilling, so I really committed to following the breadcrumbs of my curiosities. This exploration led me on a bike ride across America in 2012, which absolutely changed the way I wanted to live life. I knew that if I could endure the hottest summer on record biking 100-plus miles a day, I could do anything. It’s all mindset. Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right. 

Outside of your work and FemCity, do you have other passions or interests?
Absolutely. I’ve created two things in the last five years that have been really impactful in my life and the lives of others. In 2012, I launched a local bike ride called the Water Ride to raise money for clean water in Ghana. This year is our sixth year, and we’ve built three water wells, a school, and hired teachers and a headmaster. I also got certified as a yoga instructor and launched Pop Up Yoga DSM, which brings yoga to different places and spaces around the Des Moines metro. I’m a mobilizer; if I have a vision for something, I can’t help but bring it to fruition. 

What else should the Greater Des Moines community know about you?
I will encourage everyone I meet to take chances, create a life with intention, and drink oat milk lattes from Horizon Line Coffee.