Fete Lifestyle Magazine February 2022 - Empowerment Issue | Page 56

"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. "

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.

During the process of starting Stage, who were the people that supported and encouraged you the most and why?

I keep in

touch with

several of my

former

colleagues

who I

consider

mentors.

There were

two that I

spoke with

when I was

considering

the idea, and

they both

emphatically

encouraged

me to go for

it! One in

particular

owns a

company in a

different

market

segment but

similar business model, so his enthusiasm for the idea gave me the courage to

go for it.

My mom is also

an incredible

support and

champion of

mine - from a

young age she

told me I could

do whatever I

set my mind to as long as I worked for it. She’s been in the loop along the way and has enjoyed seeing how much I’ve grown professionally!

Tell us your personal and professional goals 5 years from now and where you expect Stage will be at that time.

Five years from now, I hope to be a mom in good health that’s running a thriving retail and media platform serving women

with cancer!

Describe what empowerment means to you.

To me,

empower-

ment is

about

acquiring

the

knowledge,

resources

and

necessary freedoms to pursue a goal. At Stage, we empower women with information, community, and inspiring stories to help them take on breast cancer with courage, confidence and a sisterhood of survivors at their back!

To learn more or to shop scroll to the next page or visit www.shopstage.co.