Describe Stage and how your personal journey inspired you to launch this business.
Stage is a marketplace and community for
women with breast
cancer and their
supporters. We
curate the products
and knowledge she
needs to navigate
her journey with
dignity, style and
grace. Our blog is
filled with helpful
tips and advice for
every stage of
treatment from
women who’ve
been through it
(validated by
medical experts, of
course). Our
products include
hair accessories,
cozy loungewear,
sleepwear, intimates,
swimwear, clean
beauty, home goods,
luxe gifts and more
from both
established labels
and emerging
survivor-led brands.
And, we give back a
portion of proceeds on all sales to nonprofit organizations that offer financial assistance, fertility preservation, and integrative wellness therapies for patients and survivors.
During my battle with Stage II breast cancer, I was awestruck by the information I learned about prevention only after being diagnosed. I kept thinking, “why aren’t we teaching our young women these things?” I was grateful to have received helpful tips and advice from other survivors (many friends of friends) who clued me in on what to expect and shop for - but it was a lot of work - there was no single
destination to find it all. Given my extensive background in retail, I knew I could help simplify the shopping experience for other women and I wanted to pay it forward by sharing my knowledge. This led me to the idea of founding Stage!
Explain the challenges you had prior to launching Stage and how that may have impacted your initial vision of what the company would be.
In the early days following my diagnosis, I remember feeling completely overwhelmed, not sure where to turn while waiting for results and doctor’s
appointments.
I found power
and comfort in
reading books
about the
disease from
reputable
sources and
making
diet/lifestyle
changes that
would
increase my
odds of a
successful
outcome.
The
conversations
I was able to
have with
other
survivors
while
preparing for
a double
mastectomy,
chemo and
radiation were
another
source of comfort in a very unsettling time. The shopping lists they shared also gave me the knowledge and insight I needed to adequately prepare in advance for my procedures.
I will never forget the day when I spent $800 online on hats and hair accessories in a panic when the “big shed” started - two weeks after my first chemo treatment. It was so stressful. I spent hours scouring many different websites to find styles that I thought might work. I had no idea what I was doing and ended up returning more than half of what I bought. I kept thinking, there has to be a better way!
Finally, the hardest part about cancer treatments is the waiting and not knowing what’s next. You feel stuck in place - with your entire life on hold. It's very hard on the psyche and also very isolating.
With that as a backdrop, I created Stage to be a single destination for helpful tips and advice, stylish finds and a community of people that understand. Our goal is to make this process easier on patients and their loved ones while giving back to those in need.