Her Story
About Karen
I've been in the store planning field for 30 years, starting with Gucci Corporate and then spending 27 years with Arco. I've created a name and reputation within my industry that was very, very male-oriented. I build, manufacture, and install luxury stores - duty-free stores, jewelry stores - all over the States, Canada, Latin America, and the Caribbean. I have a mark in the industry, and I say this in a very humble way. My clients want my creativity, and I'm currently opening stores in Nebraska, the Bahamas, and New Jersey. Beyond my career in store planning, I'm also a patient advocate. I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and was given 3 weeks to 3 months to live. I spent over 10 months in the hospital, went through chemotherapy that didn't work, participated in a clinical trial as patient 104, and eventually received a bone marrow transplant from a donor who was only 70% match. I'm now 3 years post-transplant. During my recovery, I learned to meditate with Dr. Joe Dispenza, which changed my life. I even met him at a retreat in Tennessee that my husband drove me to in an RV. After my transplant, I wrote a book with my kids explaining leukemia, and I educated myself in Texas on how to be a patient advocate, especially for the Latino community. I created the Live Again app, a free resource for cancer survivors that provides exercise classes, community support, journaling, resources, and medication and symptom tracking. The app helps survivors track everything from their recovery to hormones to food allergies. I'm currently working with HIPAA lawyers to ensure it complies with all requirements. The hospital has invited me to give my testimony and share my story at various institutions. I'm also in the process of creating a foundation that will provide free access to the app for cancer survivors through donations. I'm a volunteer at my kids' school as a room mom, and I push myself hard every day - I even do CrossFit. My goal is to influence at least one person and show them that recovery is possible, that you don't have to surrender to cancer.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Karen
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to never surrendering. When they told me I had 3 weeks to 3 months to live, I was like, I don't have this. My husband surrendered to that thought, but I was like, no. It's like when you're in the gym doing CrossFit - you put yourself in that mindset of 'I can do it.' I learned to meditate with Dr. Joe Dispenza, which has changed my life. I met him at a retreat, and his teaching that everything happens for a reason really resonated with me. I knew I was going to have a transplant donor when I came back from meditating - I visualized it, I manifested it. My visualization was like GI Jane, that was my thing. When the doctor came back and said they found a match, I already knew. I never surrendered to cancer. Even when they said the donor was only 70% match and didn't qualify for various reasons, I said I take her - that's my chance to life. I push myself so hard every day, even when I have to stop twice to go to the bathroom while dropping off my kids. I'm pushing myself just to show my kids that just because cancer came to us, it doesn't mean the rest is just cancer. I always think about gratitude - that's what breathes through everything I do.
02What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Gratitude is the most important value to me - it breathes through everything I do. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and there are no coincidences. I'm very goal-driven and push myself hard every day, even when it's difficult. I want to show my kids that just because cancer came to us, it doesn't mean the rest is just cancer. I'm focused on making an impact - if I can influence one person, just one lady who has kids and has had or has cancer, and show them that it is possible to recover, that's what matters to me. I wasn't thinking about 5 minutes of fame when I got involved with this - it was more about being able to influence someone and show them that you don't have to surrender. I put myself out there, even singing in front of 30,000 people at a run with my music therapist, just to demonstrate to my kids that we can do anything. Mom is always my first role, and my kids are the real troopers in this story. I'm also committed to giving back to my community, which is why I created the Live Again app as a free resource for cancer survivors and why I'm creating a foundation to provide free access through donations.
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