Trueline Spotlight: Making the Move from Stage Leaps to Law
Growing up in Fryeburg, Maine, Emily Holden found herself in a world where her neighbors were her relatives and almost everyone was an entrepreneur working out of their home—be it as a hairdresser, a seamstress making costumes for opera, or in her father’s case, an attorney.
Holden joked that her first “legal” job was at age 5 shredding documents in her father’s study at five cents an hour. She interviewed her first attorney, A. Kingman Pratt, at age 10 as a writer for her elementary school’s newspaper. Despite this early start, she never envisioned her future position as a content developer for Trueline’s Vanguard Law Magazine. Both the job, and her career path, were welcomed—but unexpected.
Graduating from Montclair State University in New Jersey with a degree in Musical Theatre, Holden felt the draw of the bright lights and big stage. Moving to New York City, she pursued her career in acting, dancing and modeling—while living as the stereotypical “starving artist.”
When it didn’t pan out—at least not right away—she headed home.
“In following a dream, you learn some tough life lessons,” Holden recalls. “I discovered that even if one door closes, opportunities are everywhere—even if you can’t see them right away.”
Homeward Bound
Back in the Mount Washington Valley, Holden started teaching dance and choreographing at the Jeanne Limmer Dance Center, where she shared time with her mentor. She learned she could be an artist from anywhere and rediscovered the joy in the process.
“It was a time of defining myself as young woman,” she remembers. “I saw that earlier I was limited in my thinking, seeing Manhattan as my only option. What I learned coming back to the Valley is that we can be anything we want to be.”
Just as her life was getting back on track, Holden lost her best friend and two weeks later her cousin—both to suicide. Gripped by grief, she explored ways to make a difference in the lives of others, including going back to school to earn a degree in social work.
“I realized that, long term, it wasn’t the right fit for me. Once again, I felt that I was back to square one,” says Holden.
Determined to find a meaningful job, she went online to apply for entry-level marketing jobs. She enjoyed statistics in psychology while in grad school, and especially enjoyed the marketing case studies she read. She saw an ad for Trueline. As a dancer, she took a leap and applied. Shortly thereafter, she was hired.
“Never in million years did I see myself in a desk job, but the growth I’ve experienced both personally and professionally has been amazing. Trueline gave me a second chance at my life and helped me to define who I am as a professional.”
Emily Holden, Vanguard Sector Lead
“Never in million years did I see myself in a desk job, but the growth I’ve experienced both personally and professionally has been amazing,” says Holden. “Trueline gave me a second chance at my life and helped me to define who I am as a professional.”
The diversity and the talent of the Trueline team brought her joy and a new sense of accomplishment. She views each of her daily calls as an opportunity to connect with people and tell their stories.
“It is my innate desire to be a light in the world that honors the light in others. I’ve learned to never limit myself again. I’ve found my rhythm and continue to listen to the space in between beats.”
Halftime with Holden:
Life as a “Ridiculous Ginger”: A redhead of many talents, Holden now enjoys a career acting, modeling, dancing and singing. She’s currently developing, writing and producing Ridiculous Ginger, a web series, based on her true story.
Coping with COVID-19: You’ll find Emily on her balcony taking a work break, dancing to the sounds of Wu Tang-Clan, Courtney Barnett, or Miles Davis. It depends on the day!
Bustin’ a move: What styles doesn’t she know? Emily’s a pro, teaching and performing in ballet, tap, jazz, modern, hip-hop and contemporary.
Blue Steel?: Emily signed with Carolina Talent as an actor and model in 2020. Her portfolio includes print work for Google, commercial and industrial work for Dupixent, Kia Sorento and Harris Teeter, runway modeling for Camille La Vie, cable TV in Sid Roth’s “It’s Supernatural;” and as Catrin in Third Lows Productions’ feature film, Blood Daughter.
She was almost: A social worker. In the wake of her friend’s death, the Timothy Even Scholarship was established through the Susan L. Curtis Foundation, affiliated with Camp Susan Curtis, a nonprofit summer camp. The fund will provide college tuition assistance to a camper with interest in music, or athletics.
