Emily M Austen is a British entrepreneur, bestselling author and productivity expert best known for transforming the phrase “work smarter, not harder” into a practical leadership framework. As Founder and CEO of EMERGE, an award-winning PR agency established in 2012, she has driven strategic growth for global brands including Abercrombie and Fitch, Huel and Spanx. With over a decade of experience in public relations and brand strategy, Emily is now widely hired as a keynote speaker on high performance, reinvention and building sustainable success without burnout.
After graduating from the University of Manchester with a BA Hons in Criminology and Criminal Law, Emily began her career in PR before launching EMERGE. Through a sharp understanding of narrative, positioning and commercial growth, she built the agency into a trusted partner for disruptive and established brands alike. Her expertise in strategic communications later led to her role as Strategic PR Advisor to UN Women UK, aligning commercial strategy with social impact. She further strengthened her financial and entrepreneurial acumen by completing a Diploma in Venture Finance at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.
In 2024, Emily published 'SMARTER: 10 Lessons for a More Productive and Less Stressed Life', an Amazon best-selling book introducing her SMARTER Method. The book reframes productivity, ambition and resilience through a psychology-led lens, challenging hustle culture while empowering leaders to optimise performance. She also hosts 'The Smarter Podcast', featuring high-profile guests such as Dylan Lauren, Bobbi Brown and Amanda Baldwin, and has served as a guest lecturer at Harvard University.
As a speaker, Emily explores female leadership and identity, resilience in high-performance spaces, the psychology of balance and ambition, and how to build influence without sacrificing wellbeing. Combining commercial credibility with behavioural insight, she equips audiences with tangible tools to achieve meaningful growth while protecting energy, clarity and purpose.
