Who is Em North?
By day, I work in digital marketing, helping teams make sense of complex problems and turn ideas into action.
By night (and most weekends), I’m usually thinking, writing, gaming, spreadsheet-building, or quietly obsessing over how people (including me) manage to be both capable and stuck at the same time.
Sometimes, I make people laugh. Occasionally, it’s intentional.
I’m Em, and The Em Word is where I share what I’m learning as I work through life with a bit more intention than I used to.
How I got here
A few years ago, I was over £30,000 in debt, constantly stressed about money, and privately frustrated that my life didn’t reflect the potential I believed I had.
On paper, I was doing fine. In reality, I felt behind, overwhelmed, and increasingly aware that procrastination, avoidance, and poor decisions were quietly compounding, financially and otherwise.
Since then, I’ve made a series of deliberate changes.
I’m now a debt-free homeowner, far more financially secure, and significantly happier than I’ve ever been. That hasn’t come from a single breakthrough or overnight transformation, but from sustained focus on mental health, continuous self-improvement, and making fewer but better decisions.
That journey has also included gastric bypass surgery in 2025, which has played a role in improving my physical health. It wasn’t a magic fix, and it didn’t solve everything, but it has been part of a broader effort to build a life that feels healthier, calmer, and more aligned.
Why “The Em Word” exists
I don’t believe most people lack motivation or ability.
I think many capable, intelligent people:
- Know what they should be doing
- Delay acting on it
- Feel overwhelmed by choice and information
- Quietly worry they’ve missed their chance to do something meaningful with their potential
The Em Word exists to explore that space.
This isn’t a place for hustle culture, empty motivation, or pretending there’s a single right way to live a good life. It’s a place for practical lessons, tools, and reflections that help turn ambition into action before time passes you by.
I’m not writing as an expert with everything figured out. I’m writing as someone a few steps along the path, documenting what’s helped, what hasn’t, and what I wish I’d understood sooner.
What you’ll find here
The content here broadly falls into three areas:
Thinking clearer
Decision-making, mindset, and life lessons I’m still learning, particularly around procrastination, focus, confidence, and getting out of your own way.
Acting earlier
Practical systems, habits, and frameworks that reduce delay and help turn good intentions into momentum.
Learning faster
Tools, workflows, and skills (including AI) that make it easier to adapt, work smarter, and avoid being left behind by change.
Across all of it, the aim is the same: helping capable people make progress that feels intentional, sustainable, and genuinely worthwhile.
A bit about me, professionally
Professionally, I work in digital marketing, where I spend much of my time translating complexity into clarity, whether that’s through systems, spreadsheets, presentations, or problem-solving.
People often come to me when things feel messy or overwhelming and they want a clearer way forward. Sometimes that’s with spreadsheets or presentations. Other times its as a sounding board for strategic thinking. This blog is an extension of that instinct.
Outside of work, I’m a gamer, a writer, a chronic over-thinker, and someone who believes deeply that small, well-chosen actions, repeated over time, matter more than big declarations or perfect plans.
Does this resonate?
If you:
- Feel capable but behind
- Want practical ideas rather than platitudes
- Find yourself getting in your own way
- Care about building a life that feels both successful and meaningful
Then congratulations – you’re very much in the right place. Welcome!