Today’s digital environment is crowded. Audiences now often scroll past content that feels staged or overly polished. Fortunately, this glut of inauthenticity has left the door wide open for human and emotionally grounded content to truly shine. That belief sits at the center of Emily K. Bergquist’s work, where marketing, poetry, and advocacy come together in ways that feel intensely personal.
Bergquist’s path into digital marketing began with language. “I have an English literature major. I’ve always been a writer,” she says. That foundation led her to New York City and an internship with the Poetry Society of New York, an organization with which she remains deeply involved today. While she once imagined a future in traditional publishing, she soon felt drawn to the more immediate and practical world of startups. “I wanted something quicker paced, more creative,” she explains.
Finding Momentum in the Pet Industry
Bergquist’s shift in priorities soon brought her into the pet industry, through which she found a role at Barkly Pets, an app-based dog walking service. “I am very into dogs. I’ve been an animal lover my whole life,” she says. Wearing many hats at a startup of just six employees, Bergquist handled customer support, wrote blog content, and built early social media and email campaigns. “I was doing a lot,” she says.
When Barkly Pets was acquired during the pandemic, Bergquist transitioned into a larger organization and moved fully into marketing. Her focus sharpened on social strategy, and, in 2020, she assumed one of the most visible roles of her career. “We acquired Dogs of Instagram, a huge platform, and I started the TikTok account by diving in headfirst,” she recalls. Much of what she learned came through experimentation and self-teaching. “Most of my skills are self-taught,” she says.
Building Reach Without Losing Meaning
That period cemented Bergquist’s approach to content. “If content looks or feels like an ad, it won’t perform well,” she explains. Storytelling, humor, and relatability matter more than polish. Problem-solving became part of the creative process, rather than a separate task. “Problem-solving in this context is also fun for me,” she adds.
As the platform grew, so did Bergquist’s sense of responsibility. “With such a big platform, giving back is essential,” she says. She launched a Give Back initiative tied to Dogs of Instagram, using visibility to support rescue organizations and adoption efforts.
Returning to the Startup Mindset
After years in corporate roles, Bergquist felt pulled back toward the energy of building something from the ground up. “Corporate life is fine, but I am having much more fun doing my own thing,” she says. In 2025, she launched Every Story Marketing, offering influencer management, campaign strategy, video editing, and design. It is often done as a one-person operation. “I handle everything,” she says, and notes that her client base has grown almost entirely through referrals.
At the heart of Bergquist’s work is language. “Being a poet has truly helped me,” she says. “When writing a poem, you’re naturally condensing the message.” That instinct for clarity carries across platforms and shapes how brands show up online. She may not have planned to turn poetry into a profession, but, as she puts it, “I didn’t become a poet to make money, but here I am, applying it in exciting ways.”
Bergquist attributes much of her success to the support of her mother, who instilled in her a strong moral compass and encouraged her to advocate for others through her work. Looking ahead, she plans to keep building work that blends creativity with care by telling stories that connect and leave room for meaning alongside growth.
