How Sarah Loughry Is Creating Content With a Purpose

Meet Sarah Loughry, the Founder and CEO of Em Dash Content Studio. This boutique team of expert writers and strategists is committed to elevating their clients in the realm of thought leadership and increasing their searchability.

Sarah’s journey from Senior Editor to visionary entrepreneur began with a frustrating experience that illuminated a gap in the content landscape. After venturing into freelance writing and editing to expand her portfolio, she noticed the content that was being churned out was devoid of genuine value and was being created solely for optimization. Recognizing this gap was the ah-ha moment that spurred the creation of Em Dash Content Studio, which now serves as a powerhouse agency that redefines what it means to create affordable, optimized, and quality content.

We asked Sarah about the founding story behind Em Dash Content Studio, how she navigates self-doubt as an entrepreneur, and what she would tell her younger self if she were to start her entrepreneurial journey over again.

Q: Tell us the story behind your company’s founding. How and why did you start working on Em Dash Content Studio?

A: The idea of Em Dash Content Studio started with a bad freelancing experience. I was the Senior Editor at an amazing digital content agency but wanted to continue building my portfolio, so I started freelance writing/editing on the side. 

I partnered with a content agency and my first task was to edit and optimize an article about interior design. The writing was poor. It wasn’t actionable or valuable, but it was optimized. In fact, it looked like the writer spent more time shoving a keyword into 500 words than the actual quality of content itself. Think: ”You should make sure there is room for a refrigerator in your kitchen design.” 

So, I rewrote it. The entire thing. And when I explained what happened to the founder, they said they’d prefer I spend no more than 20 minutes on each edit. That told me everything I needed to know. More than that, it pissed me off. That is what people are posting to their websites? Isn’t there an option for content that’s affordable, optimized, and quality? The answer was no. Not to my knowledge. Em Dash Content Studio was live within a month. 

Q: In what ways has your upbringing or past experiences contributed to how you operate as an entrepreneur?

A: I started my career in a very corporate environment. Higher ups always intimidated me. In fact, much of my experience involved working for micro-managers. I never felt valued. When I finally got out, I knew I wanted to do it a different way. Working with the digital agency was a breath of fresh air. 

Everyone was encouraging. Office politics didn’t exist. When I wanted to try something new, I was cheered on and given support. They showed me how leadership should be. I never felt intimidated or nervous around my bosses. They were and are friends. And when I went on my own? The cheers kept coming. 

As I lead my team now, I want them to feel that same type of encouragement and support. Let’s explore different ideas together. Let’s keep growing and evolving. More than anything, it’s important to me that they are happy with what they are doing. A startup environment is not for the faint of heart. It’s tedious, fast-paced, and busy—so busy. I make it a priority to check in, connect beyond work, and celebrate each person. They deserve it. 

Q: What’s been the hardest and most rewarding part of your entrepreneurial journey?

A: The hardest part of my entrepreneurial journey is money. The biggest challenge is balancing employee hours and income. For example, I can see that we’re ramping up business and hire someone to ensure we have coverage, then have a client churn. Going in, I didn’t anticipate I’d spent this much effort on finances. A lot of time has been spent building our credit, conversations with our accountant, and meetings with my bookkeeper. 

The most rewarding part of this journey is a toss up: my team or our impact for clients. We have such an amazing team of writers from all walks of life. I’m so grateful for each of them and their commitment to what I’m doing. That’s a great segue into our impact. We’ve been able to partner with such amazing brands. Seeing them grow through the content we create gives me such a high. Every time we land on page one for an article the entire team celebrates. 

Q: Have you struggled with self doubt as an entrepreneur? How do you navigate this?

A: Yes, every day. Have I thought about giving up? Yes, many times. 

There are a lot of amazing writers in the world. There are a lot of crazy good marketers. SEO strategists? A ton. So, it’s easy to feel imposter syndrome. It’s easy to question my value when it’s up against so many others. 

So, I remind myself of our differentiators. I remind myself that we care deeply about each client. I remind myself that it’s personal for us. I remind myself that we’re damn good writers and strategists. I remind myself that we produce results. 

Q: Have you felt like giving up? What made you persist?

A: When things are especially difficult I tell myself, “You could just stop. You could reduce down to a few clients for yourself and be done.” But as fast as that thought comes into my mind it’s replaced with stubborn determination. This is a low moment. Every entrepreneur has felt it. This is the part where my resilience is challenged. And I’m not giving in. 

Q: We dare you to brag: What achievements are you most proud of?

A: So many of our clients come to us with hesitation. They’ve been told that to really see organic traffic they should post multiple times a week. They are always shocked when we say we can make it work with two posts per month. And we have. 

One of my clients is in the marketing space—it’s saturated with content so coming up with a strategy that would drive traffic was challenging. We’ve been writing three articles per month for a year. They went from zero organic traffic to over 2,100 users per month. We currently rank for six keywords in position one on Google and have more than 500 on page one. This has been a huge success. 

Every time we learn we’re on page one for a client, a screen shot is shared internally on Slack and we all celebrate. Sometimes I have wine. Most times I have wine. 

Q: How have you grown as a leader since starting your company?

A: I have grown a lot as a leader and continue to evolve. Nine times out of 10 there is a better way. It’s my responsibility to remain nimble enough to evolve and supportive enough so my team feels empowered to make changes. 

I’ve learned that having a network of other entrepreneurs to lean on is critical. I’m part of a few networking groups and make it a point to participate in events and meetups. It helps to learn from the mistakes and successes of others. 

Q: What would you tell your younger self if you were to start your entrepreneurial journey all over again?

A: If I were starting my journey again I would approach it with more confidence. Self-doubt played a big role in my pricing and client management. And that’s only been rectified in the last six months. 

Sarah is a member of Dreamers & Doers, an award-winning community that amplifies extraordinary women entrepreneurs and leaders by securing PR, forging authentic connections, and curating high-impact resources. Learn more about Dreamers & Doers and get involved here.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

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