Grant Writing & Funding How Emma Went from Overwhelmed to Organized—and Finally Scaled Her Grant Writing Business
In this bonus episode of the Grant Writing & Funding podcast, Holly Rustick sits down with Emma Krass, Owner and Lead Grant Writer of Grants & Growth, to talk about what it really takes to move from freelancer to CEO.
Emma shares her journey from working at a grant writing firm to building her own business—and the challenges she faced along the way. From underpricing services and taking on the wrong clients to feeling disorganized and overwhelmed, Emma opens up about what wasn’t working and how she turned it around.
Inside the Grant Professional Mentorship, Emma found the structure, systems, and confidence she needed to grow sustainably. She discusses how implementing retainers, hiring her first virtual assistant, and preparing to onboard a grant writer have transformed her business operations and capacity.
If you're a grant writer feeling maxed out, disorganized, or unsure how to scale, this episode offers real talk and practical insight on what to focus on first—and why you don’t have to do everything at once.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- How Emma transitioned from working at a grant writing firm to running her own business
- Why taking the wrong clients can stall your growth—and how to fix it
- The shift from hourly work to retainers (and why it matters for scaling)
- How hiring a virtual assistant helped Emma get organized and free up time
- What to focus on first when you feel overwhelmed in your business
- How to build systems and SOPs to support growth
- Why you don’t need to do everything at once to scale successfully
- The mindset shifts required to hire your first team member
- How Emma is preparing to bring on a grant writer to expand capacity
ABOUT OUR GUEST
After graduating with her Master's in Social Work, Emma began working as a freelance grant writer to leverage her writing and research skills, and knowledge of human rights frameworks to support non-profits activated around social justice through the arts and community organizing.
In 2023, she founded grants & growth in order to dedicate more time to each individual client and focus intentionally on each non-profit's journey towards growth and stability. Emma has helped non-profits in the arts and culture and social change realm grow their budgets and find more time to focus on their communities' needs! Since 2021, Emma has raised over $5 million for non-profits with budgets under $750,000.
Outside of grants & growth, Emma enjoys playing with her three cats, watching the NBA and WNBA, making films, and organizing against the war machine and for tenants rights in her community.
CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST
OTHER RESOURCES:
- Weekly Newsletter: “Write Grants. Get Paid” - Get thought leadership on grant and freelance grant writing strategies every week in your inbox. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/
- Freelance Grant Writer Academy: Replace your Full-Time Income Writing Grants Part-Time from Home. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/freelance-grant-writer-academy/
- Grant Professional Mentorship: Double your Monthly Revenue with an Income Stream Outside of Grant Writing. https://grantwritingandfunding.com/mentorship
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Thanks for listening!
Warmly,
Holly Rustick
Leading the $1 Billion for Good Movement: By 2030, aspiring and seasoned grant writers inside the Freelance Grant Writer Academy & Grant Professional Mentorship will 1) WIN $1 Billion in Grants, and 2) MAKE $30 Million in their Grant Writing Businesses. We are on our way already.