At Engage + Empower, everything starts with people, the way we communicate, collaborate, and connect. That philosophy comes from Erin Beattie, Founder and Chief Communications Officer, who has spent more than twenty years helping leaders, teams, and organizations find their voice and share it with purpose.
After two decades working in post-secondary education, government, and corporate sectors, Erin launched Engage + Empower to build a consultancy that brings strategy and humanity together. She believes communication isn’t just about what we say. It’s how we build trust, shape culture, and make people feel seen.
We caught up with Erin to talk about what inspired her to start Engage + Empower, how she sees her role alongside the team, and why she still gets excited about helping others tell their story.
Q: You’ve worked in communications for over twenty years. What made you want to start Engage + Empower?
Erin: I wanted to create the kind of consultancy I wished existed when I was in-house. One that treats communication as part of strategy, not something that gets added at the end. I’ve seen what happens when communicators are brought in too late, and it’s rarely effective. I wanted to help leaders build clarity, trust, and alignment from the very beginning and do it in a way that feels human.
Q: You talk a lot about “where strategy meets humanity.” What does that mean in your day-to-day work?
Erin: For me, it’s about grounding every message in empathy. Strategy gives you the direction, but humanity gives it meaning. Whether I’m helping a leader prepare for a town hall or building an internal comms plan, I’m always asking: how will this make people feel, and who might we be leaving out? Communication has power, and if we don’t pause to think about inclusion, accessibility, or the quieter voices in the room, we miss the chance to make a real connection. If communication doesn’t connect on a human level, it won’t land.
Q: You’ve built a small but mighty team with Barb and Ben, each bringing something different. How do your skills fit together?
Erin: I see our work as a partnership, not a hierarchy. We each bring different expertise and perspectives that make the collective stronger. Barb brings deep design experience that helps messages come alive visually. Ben brings curiosity and digital fluency that help us connect across platforms and audiences. I bring the strategic layer that ties it all together, the why behind the what. We work side by side, and I love that sense of shared ownership and learning from each other.
Q: You often work with leaders during moments of change or transition. What do you think makes communication so important in those times?
Erin: Change can create uncertainty, and that’s where communication matters most. It’s not just about delivering information. It’s about helping people understand what’s happening and why, and giving them a sense of stability and direction. When communication is clear and consistent, it builds trust. And when it’s absent, it creates confusion and anxiety.
Q: What’s next for Engage + Empower?
Erin: Growth, but the intentional kind. We’re building relationships with clients who care about doing things the right way, not just the fast way. I want to keep expanding the work we do around leadership communication, internal culture, and accessibility. And I want to keep creating space for more collaboration and shared learning. Communication is never one-way, and neither is how we work as a team.
Erin brings the strategic foundation that connects the pieces. At Engage + Empower, she works alongside a trusted circle of collaborators who share her belief that communication is both a practice and a partnership. Together, they help organizations build clarity, trust, and momentum, one conversation at a time.
If you’d like to collaborate with Erin and the Engage + Empower team on communication strategy, leadership messaging, or internal engagement, we’d love to connect. Reach out anytime through our contact page.
