A New Perspective
Life catches you off-guard at times and makes you think about a new perspective. Before Breast Cancer I was a different person. I worried about everything and anything. I tried to be the best in everything and failed, because how could you be? I wanted to please all my friends, family, and co-workers, which was impossible to do and often to my detriment..
After breast cancer, People told me that I’d changed--I felt it, too. I knew I had another chance and I was going to live my life differently. I decided to accept more of life’s messiness, and that you can’t control it. I decided to try and live for today vs. tomorrow or next month. I decided to stick up for myself more and voice my thoughts, ideas, and frustrations.
I had so many plans for Koa Life in 2020. We were going to do a beta with a major SF hospital, so new breast cancer patients would get access to Koa Life. This meant the right articles and trusted resources would be available on a portal based on the patient’s age, location and diagnosis. I also dreamed up fundraising dinners with breast cancer experts and survivors. And then, COVID-19 happened….
I spent a little time feeling sorry for myself, b/c all of my plans went down the drain. But then I picked myself up and got a new perspective. I decided it was time to focus on two things. Refining the product and figuring out the best way to keep Koa Life full of fresh content. Keith Hamrick, head of product at Koa Life, doubled-down on getting the beta up and running, so we could test and refine it with breast cancer survivors. I’m so thankful for Keith. He fit Koa Life into his COVID life by making weekly calls with Europe to ensure we had a solid product this year.
Technology and content were going to be critical for Koa Life’s success. I was only one person. I couldn’t find all the right content and services. I remembered a DesignThinking course, which looked at successful business models and challenged us to apply them to different industries. I thought about my first job at Salesforce. Data.com awarded people points and prizes if they submitted business contacts. I was going to use the Data.com reward model for Koa Life to ensure there was always fresh, new and trusted content.
The Koa Life Champion Program was created on Oct 1, 2020. Patients, survivors and their loved ones and medical staff accrue points for submitting trusted articles and resources. Top participants are awarded prizes for Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Join the Koa Life Champion Program Today. Help us build a library of trusted content to help people make tough decisions and figure out what life means after a breast cancer diagnosis.
Submit your first resource HERE.
