Get ready to be inspired by the story of Corrine Ellsworth-Beaumont, a fearless force in the fight against breast cancer, who turned personal loss into a global movement.
In this episode, we’ll hear how a single mom and CEO channeled her creative genius to make healthcare education both accessible and visually compelling with the Know Your Lemons campaign.
Join us as Corrine shares her trailblazing journey from self-doubt to empowerment, proving that with grit and passion, you can create waves of positive change.
Show Highlights:
- Discover what this metaphor for breast cancer teaches. [00:03:38]
- Explore meaningful work–life self-care and parenting. [00:11:14]
- Gentle lessons in how a designer became a charity CEO. [00:18:17]
- Dive into the art of having hard conversations. [00:24:40]
- Top tips to harness the power of journaling. [00:26:42]
- How healthy naiveté helps you embrace the journey. [00:30:00]
- Are you biased against yourself as a corporate woman? [00:32:39]
- Don’t miss out on these zesty breast-health resources. [00:40:25]
- Pro advice for young women on starting a business. [00:43:57]
For more information or to connect with Corrine Ellsworth-Beaumont:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/corrinebeaumont
https://www.knowyourlemons.org/symptoms
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/know-your-lemons-breast-check/id1420212829
If you enjoyed this episode, please go to Apple Podcasts and leave a review!
For more information about Lorie Jones, go to http://fearless-females.com/.
00:02.11
loriejones7
Well good morning. We're here today with Corinne Ellsworth beaumont and she is Ceo of know your lemons I'm so excited that she's joined us joined us today. Um i. I've really been looking forward to learning a little bit more about your churning crim. So. Thank you so much for doing this. So um, first my first question is always I'm a reader I love reading anything everything? um.
00:16.59
Corrine
Thanks Laura I'm happy to be here and have this conversation with you.
00:29.93
loriejones7
What is your favorite book.
00:34.29
Corrine
Um, you know my favorite books are paintings I Love to study paintings. Um, it's really hard for me to pick a favorite I'd I'd have to say um I you know, really enjoy abstract art. So um I love.
00:35.66
loriejones7
Ah, oh ah.
00:50.69
Corrine
Seeing New ways of looking at things and yes I'm I'm a very visual person which you may have already guessed with all of my design work. But.
00:59.83
loriejones7
Um I love that I Love the idea of paintings as books because um, there is a lot you can you can kind of read what they.
01:10.37
loriejones7
Author is trying to say through words but through a painting you can kind of read what the artist is trying to tell you.
01:11.82
Corrine
Um, yeah, yeah, exactly especially with the painting because you know a photograph is documenting what is existing.
01:22.77
loriejones7
Um.
01:23.17
Corrine
Um, but a painting is you have to make all those decisions of where things go and why did you choose this color and where is it. Why is it in that location. Why is this person doing this thing or this object's there. Um, and with abstract it It's even further removed from that because it's more about kind of the emotions of the piece. So. My my um, favorite ah kind of grouping of paintings is rothko's red series. Um, so they yeah.
01:52.58
loriejones7
I'll have to look at it I am I am am almost entirely impressionistic art. So and I can basically draw a stick figure. So but.
02:02.36
Corrine
Um, yeah.
02:04.57
loriejones7
But so so I am in awe and impressed with anyone that can create things. It's It's really a talent that I don't possess and truly admire. So So tell me a little bit um about what you do and how you kind of got. To where you're at a little bit about your journey to to where you are.
02:27.47
Corrine
Yeah, so um so I'm I'm the seaowned founder of the know your lemons foundation and we are a global nonprofit that is focused on early detection for breast cancer. And we do this through raising awareness in education about symptoms the importance of screening and being able to know how to manage your risk um and and make sure that you are having all the information that you need in order to improve your chances for early detection. So. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the world. Um, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. Um in their lifetime and so it's a really important topic for me how this began was my own family. Um, both of my grandmothers died from breast cancer.
03:00.13
loriejones7
Um.
03:16.31
Corrine
When my second grandmother died was when I was starting my master's degree in graphic design and I was needing to pick a ah ah project for the next three years to focus on um and at the same time I realized I think this is a family health issue.
03:16.32
loriejones7
I'm so sorry.
03:31.95
Corrine
I don't know anything about so I started researching more about breast health and and um, realized that as a designer I could make this more engaging more interesting for people to learn about you know it shouldn't take 2 family members dying for us to learn about breast health but that was the bar that had been set. So um.
03:49.70
loriejones7
Um.
03:51.50
Corrine
So I started working on what would be some engaging ways of bringing up the topic knowing that breasts are taboo um we can't just display breasts openly in public. Ah cancer is also a topic that carries a lot of fear. So how could how could I design this in a way that's friendly and accessible and inviting. Um.
03:56.30
loriejones7
Um, in.
04:11.10
Corrine
And so that's when I started on this project of figuring out. What could be a good metaphor for breasts and that's when you know after looking at lots of different things I came across a lemon is a really great way of being a visual stand-in for a breast because lemons are cheerful. Um, they have nipples.
04:28.74
loriejones7
Where.
04:30.68
Corrine
They have pores they have skin and if you cut a lemon navel to naval. It looks a lot like breast anatomy with I ducks and things and then a cancerous slump. Um often feels hard like a lemon seed and the longer cancer develops more immovable it becomes so it became a really um, great metaphor.
04:34.98
loriejones7
Yeah.
04:51.25
Corrine
You know, explaining ah information not only on how breast cancer can look. But also how breast cancer can feel so you know there's the one symptom of um, a hard lump but it can also be a thickened area. Um in the breast as well. Um, but there are 12 symptoms of breast cancer. People don't know about and our campaign ah teaches people about that. So how I developed the campaign was I started this as my master's project I received my Mfa at Utah state university.
05:24.88
loriejones7
Ah.
05:25.40
Corrine
Ah, knew that there would be more than I wanted to do with it I wanted to be able to educate a global audience. So I ah left my job moved to London and got a ph d in design thinking for healthcare specifically looking at how to improve. Ah, global education around breast health. So um, ah, lived in the Uk for 12 years became a dual citizen um got married had my daughter there got divorced and um after that I started my charity after losing my really close friend to breast cancer. Um.
06:00.30
loriejones7
Oh now.
06:03.16
Corrine
When she was in her thirty s so that I was ah a professor um in London teaching in entrepreneurship and and marketing and branding and decided to leave my job as a single mom and start the charity with my own savings. Ah, what's really exciting is that today we've reached one point eight five billion people around the world through our online campaign. Um, we have print materials in thirty four languages thirty thirty five now actually um and we have. Almost one thousand trained volunteer educators in I think 62 countries right now. So we're growing really fast. We're partnering with um organizations nonprofits to help them expand their education reach with the people they serve. But we're also working with companies in doing corporate wellness programs because breast health is not something we learn about at school um breast cancer happens to working women. Um, it can also happen to men and um, being able to find it early can make all the difference in.
07:02.25
loriejones7
Um.
07:14.20
Corrine
In surviving it. Um, it can also mean it's a smaller burden on companies if their employees are educated and they're able to get diagnosed at a really early stage. You know if it's signals at the early stage. It doesn't require chemotherapy those sites those sorts of things and so you know we're really working with um. Companies with our corporate wellness program to help incentivize employees to make sure that they're doing their annual mammograms that they know what their risk level is so that they're getting access to all the tools that they need to be able to to take care of themselves and also to know what the symptoms are so if something shows up, they know how to. Report it right away and how to negotiate that conversation with the doctor to make sure that they're understood and referred as they should be ah so that's but that's how we operate today. That's that's what we do.
08:01.40
loriejones7
Um.
08:03.90
loriejones7
I love that that's that is 1 fearless move going ahead and movie is starting a you know quitting with a ah daughter and and how did how did that were you just like I feel so passionately about this week
08:10.55
Corrine
Um, that's right.
08:23.31
loriejones7
We just have to do it.
08:23.66
Corrine
Yeah, yeah, honestly, you know like when we have negative life events that happen to us we have to look for how we build positives in other ways you know we can't control every area of our lives. Um.
08:29.31
loriejones7
Yes.
08:38.73
Corrine
But something I could control was making sure I was in a working environment that really helped me feel fulfilled. Um, and so I had ah I did some freelance work um to to keep the bills going and then I worked on this full time. Um, and my daughter would play under my desk.
08:45.90
loriejones7
Ah.
08:58.42
Corrine
As I would work. Ah, she was eighteen months old yeah
09:00.21
loriejones7
How old was she then oh yeah, yeah I've yeah but that's about the right aged I Love it. Um, and I love the idea of making these really complex.
09:07.95
Corrine
Yeah I called her my undersecretary. So.
09:18.11
loriejones7
Ideas Very simple and relatable. You might imagine as a financial advisor that finance is neither fun nor ah nor simple you know and so the idea of taking these really big Concepts that are a little bit scary. And making them into something that everybody can relate to and understand I Love that you did it with lemons that are so cheerful and happy.
09:41.70
Corrine
Yeah, and something that's really interesting Is you know lemons are used around the world but in some countries lemons are green so we have a grain know your lemons campaign depending on where in the world. It's being used so it it adapts pretty well. But yeah, being able to to design something that has helped save. People's lives is pretty humbling and exciting. Um, you know I I really have the best job in the world of being able to use my skills as a designer to educate and and save lives. It's It's really wonderful.
10:11.46
loriejones7
And and that's neat that that each new language or new country that you enter to raise awareness around breast cancer makes it's It's not only fulfilling for you. But. It makes a difference in this World. We have so many people that are affected. You know I have clients that dear loved ones that I just I just cry when they you know they tell me hey we found a lump or we have to get you know radiation or something like that. So so.
10:32.99
Corrine
Um, yeah.
10:44.00
Corrine
On.
10:47.85
loriejones7
It's it must be very nice to have that fulfilling position affect so many lives.
10:54.14
Corrine
Yeah, it it really is wonderful.
10:57.73
loriejones7
So tell me what is the best investment you made in yourself in this journey was there something that you can look back on and you're like oh I'm so glad I did that that was that made such a difference in in where I am today.
11:13.71
Corrine
Um, um, you know I I think investing in yourself is really important I think there's a couple different ways we can invest in orself. You know financially I had to invest in myself quite literally.
11:28.23
Corrine
Um, and and say I'm going to be the rest. Best return on my money. Um, you know nonprofits are a little bit different because your ah roi is saving lives and not necessarily money that's coming back to you right? But a nonprofit is run the same as any other business. We just don't have shareholders.
11:46.79
loriejones7
Um.
11:46.82
Corrine
And we have a very like specific purpose that we're trying to meet a need of the community right? So that's the difference between a nonprofit and a business but both need money to operate um both need talented people that are working there and you know and being able to attract that talent requires funds. Um, and so ah, you know I'd I'd say really you know investing the time and and being patient to let things develop and grow has been great. Um, for a long time. It was just me and ah and another person um running the charity. Um, and now I've got a team of 9.
12:06.34
loriejones7
Um.
12:24.87
Corrine
Which is really amazing. So it's it's fun to see it grow and and expand around the world. Um, the other thing I do just for me is I get a massage every month so I have my standing appointment I do not cancel this appointment. Um, where I physically take. Time out and do something because you know, especially when you have your own business and you work from home. You're always working and there's always something to do and especially with this being global like this morning I I had a meeting you know at at six thirty with Europe.
12:50.50
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
13:01.53
loriejones7
Um.
13:02.30
Corrine
And then if I have a meeting with Asia that's ten p m and so I can really um, let my day manage me instead of me managing my day so finding these things that I enjoy that take me away from work is important. So a massage is is great. Um.
13:11.87
loriejones7
Ah.
13:21.87
Corrine
Is just that little 1 hour I protect every month right? and then then you build that habit to be like okay, how can I protect other time and and create boundaries for myself and things like that. So it's just you know a learning process as you recognize when you're starting to get burnt out or you're.
13:22.54
loriejones7
He asked.
13:40.84
Corrine
You know, quite having the work life ballots are looking for right? It's seasonal. So.
13:43.47
loriejones7
Yeah, and that must be really hard. You know, owning your own business and and running and being in charge to and especially when you want it to succeed So badly. How do you protect that are there other ways to.
13:54.87
Corrine
Um, yeah.
14:01.79
loriejones7
To keep that balance because I quite frankly fail at it to tell you the truth.
14:04.13
Corrine
I think we all fail at it right? And the great thing about so like again work is something that you can somewhat control right? You can say ooh if I spend 3 hours on this. Activity today then I know I'm going to have this tangible output and something will have been accomplished and right like we can measure our progress with work with family. It's harder to measure that progress right? It's usually the the efforts you put in now might not pay dividends until much later on in life right? so.
14:24.85
loriejones7
Um, the.
14:36.97
Corrine
Being able to kind of recognize that and and and see hey it's it can be very enticing to spend a lot of time on work because people are asking things of you. There are fires to put out. You know, etc. Um, and so. Managing that is is really difficult. So I I kind of have around a breast cancer. Awareness month is october. It's my real busy season I try to anticipate and prepare for as much as I can um, but um, I've taught my daughter how to order pizza on door dash.
15:06.74
loriejones7
Ah.
15:11.22
loriejones7
But yeah.
15:13.20
Corrine
You know it's like guess what you're going to have some extra skills during this like busy season and um, you know what? what books can we get you interested In. You know things like that. Um, and then my house is messy and I'm like that's okay because right now I'm doing this. Other thing and so I can't do at all so there are things that I deliberately say I'm letting this go until until I'm out of this this period.
15:39.29
loriejones7
Ah, until you're out of the busy I love that idea that and and giving yourself that kindness of saying this is not. You know? So what? if my house is messy and my kid eats pizza 5 nights a week because they have done that before at my house but because what I'm building here and I know it's not forever I know it's you know the month of October a couple of months around here. Yeah I love that.
15:52.79
Corrine
Um, yeah, yeah.
16:03.90
Corrine
Yeah, yeah, exactly and you know something like I um I grew up in ah in a wonderful environment. Um, my mom ah was a stay at home Mom She was really entrepreneurial. She. Ah, made her own soaps. She taught piano lessons so I was always hearing the piano in my house growing up. Um my dad is an inventor um for farm equipment and also is a farmer and so I was in this very kind of entrepreneurial household where everyone managed their own.
16:31.50
loriejones7
Um, is it.
16:40.80
Corrine
Schedules and you know as much as you can manage your own schedule as a farmer I mean the land owns you on that. Let's be honest, but um I think seeing now like set up a really good example for me of just having this attitude of like well if I can think it I can make it and I can do it? Um, so I think.
16:44.99
loriejones7
Yes.
17:00.20
Corrine
You know, kind of recognizing that but that that being said, um, you know having to work full time having the single parent you know I'm like this am I damaging my child right? You you wonder like what the negative impacts of that are.
17:16.62
loriejones7
M.
17:18.99
Corrine
And a couple years ago um when my daughter was eight I believe um, she made me a mother's des card and it was a picture of her and me and our little dog um with a rainbow behind and she wrote Ceo's daughter and.
17:32.39
loriejones7
Oh oh that makes me so emotional.
17:38.51
Corrine
And and isn't that amazing isn't that so cute and that's what I realized I'm setting a great example for her of you can do anything and it it took me a while for me to really fully put on that mantle of like Ceo um I don't.
17:52.71
loriejones7
Um.
17:55.20
Corrine
Come from a traditional business background I don't have you know an accounting specialty or or anything like that. Um you know learning how to manage people and what I've realized in it is the main thing you need is passion and when you want your business to succeed. You're going to develop those skills as you go.
18:07.69
loriejones7
She.
18:14.62
Corrine
You're going to run into problems that you learn how to address you know, reach out to others to ask how they manage certain situations having those mentors is really important but don't don't hold ourselves back when we're thinking about is this something I can do or not. If you have the passion for it then you are Capable. You can build those skills in you can learn things over time. Um, and you know so like I think really believing in yourself and and not holding back on what you can achieve is so important.
18:45.14
loriejones7
Yeah I love that idea fearless I have ah um, an admin in our office sky and she tells me all the time we can do hard things.
18:51.57
Corrine
Um, yes.
18:53.42
loriejones7
And so whenever I have something that's just a little bit scary that I'm not sure whether I'm going to be successful I I channel sky we can do hard things I Love that thought So what is what is the worst advice you've ever received and did you take it did you learn something from it.
19:00.52
Corrine
Exactly definitely.
19:12.85
loriejones7
To me about that. Yeah.
19:14.24
Corrine
Um, who worst advice. Um.
19:22.71
Corrine
Um, I are trying to think aversive like so like so much good advice is like coming to mind. But um, one piece of advice I was given specifically was that I didn't have what it took to be a Ceo.
19:36.51
loriejones7
In this.
19:38.99
Corrine
And I should hire that out to someone else and and I had had that belief myself for a while because I just saw myself as a designer I'm like I'm a graphic designer I'm creative I'm scrappy I Can you know I I can I can use technology which means I can build ah a.
19:47.28
loriejones7
Aha.
19:59.15
Corrine
Ah, ah like ecommerce site fairly easily like I have the tools to create a business but I don't have necessarily the business skills. Um, you know I know but when I started to kind of get rid of those labels of like I'm just a designer or.
20:08.80
loriejones7
Okay.
20:17.68
Corrine
Or that I um that that's when I really kind of started to step into my own power and and realize I was capable and you know I have just this week have been thinking about that conversation I had with someone who said you know I'm I'm a real expert in these things and. Done a lot of change management for a lot of companies and you know with my assessment of you. You really aren't someone who would enjoy being Ceo and you don't quite have the skills etc. She says that's not to say it couldn't happen but that's really what what she was saying you know and.
20:51.61
loriejones7
Yeah.
20:54.33
Corrine
From her point of view from what she could see that you know that's what was on the page for her. Um, but when I was able to let go of that and and recognize you don't have to be um, you know business really is an open playground for a lot of people and.
21:12.12
loriejones7
Ah, yeah.
21:12.89
Corrine
If if the only people we have managing businesses are accountants then then yeah I mean it's going to be looked at very much from a financial perspective only right? Um, but if you have a designer that's running a charity then that's going to be a whole different way of looking at.
21:18.30
loriejones7
Boring.
21:22.79
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
21:32.22
Corrine
Problem and stuff like that and not saying you don't need accountants and things like that involved in this stuff but we need variety in the kind of people that are leading businesses. Um, so nice. Um.
21:42.57
loriejones7
Yeah, because it brings new ideas into the space new ideas for how to what business means and how to create it. You know I've I've talked to several women entrepreneurs who are doing new things um about work life balance and trying to um.
21:49.69
Corrine
And.
22:00.57
loriejones7
You know, trying to make their businesses into something um that that they can be proud of and and that's that looks different from for everybody. So I absolutely agree. How did you get past the oh you're not going to be a good Ceo like how how did you get from there to say hey.
22:10.38
Corrine
Um.
22:18.87
loriejones7
That's not true. That's I can be.
22:22.60
Corrine
Um, well I I had a step into the role um or close down the charity and and so it's like all right, let's learn this right? and so I learn how to read a profit and loss statement and um, you know. Started learning how to to develop my board more and you know those sorts of things you just learn them 1 thing at a time you know if if I went back to redo things I would have started things out differently now that I've got this expertise and this experience to look back on. Um, but it's just it's part of learning and growing. You know there are things that we've started this year that I thought why haven't we been doing this the whole time right? But you you learn 1 one piece at a time and you kind of gather that wisdom as you go and you know still learning a lot of things. So.
23:04.54
loriejones7
I.
23:13.47
loriejones7
Yeah, and there are a lot of resources out there too. A lot of I've found you know through this podcast so there are a lot of women that are so willing to share their knowledge and what they've done to to help others along that path.
23:19.15
Corrine
Um, so.
23:28.23
Corrine
Yeah, yeah, absolutely and and being an entrepreneurship professor. So My role was helping students identify business opportunities and create business plans around that and understand their revenue stream and understand their their customer base and things like that. So. You know I I did have a lot of understanding on how to set up a business and the entrepreneurship side of it. Um, you know, but then fully recognizing these are my weak areas and these are my strengths and and how do I use my strengths to kind of make up for some of these weaknesses. Um. And so yeah, being able to advise students on their business ideas and thinking about things really gave me a lot of perspective and how to approach my own business having to help other people sort out their thoughts and ideas and plans you know, um the the big thing I learned is. You know with a business we tend to go for the shiny things. So We're really excited to get the logo or the business card or the website up. Um you know or the pretty packaging. Um, but maybe we haven't quite thought through the pricing model very much. Um, do people actually want this thing that I'm so in love with.
24:40.80
loriejones7
You.
24:41.93
Corrine
That's a really big question. How do you test that before you put a lot of money into that. Um, you know one really interesting story that I read was someone that was looking at um this was back when online retail was just taking off and no one was really doing online shoes.
24:59.62
loriejones7
And.
25:01.63
Corrine
Um, because you need to try on a shoe before you can buy it online. You know like and so their concept was are people even willing to buy shoes online. So what they did is they posted shoes online and then when someone bought it.
25:05.46
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
25:17.56
Corrine
They went next door to the shoe store purchased it and mailed it out and and they they said you know they weren't making any money off of that They just wanted to see are people willing to order shoes online. How does this return process work write stuff like that. Um.
25:30.83
loriejones7
Um, what a creative way. Yeah.
25:36.63
Corrine
Because it can be great to be like oh here's this beautiful logo and we've got this amazing name for our shoe shop and we're gonna have the best shoes you know and and this is our audience that we're wanting to go after and everything like that. But if in the end people aren't comfortable purchasing shoes online then it doesn't matter any of that like it's. So You have to kind of recognize that they're the shiny objects that are really fun, but that's not the business and how do you make sure you answer those kind of Risky. How do you mitigate your risks with your business by testing it without using a lot of money or resources or Time. Um. So I Just thought that was a really like smart example of how do you set something up without having to have the full business yet. So.
26:17.32
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
26:24.25
loriejones7
Yeah I Love the idea that's a really creative way of getting around that problem too like it's it takes out of the box thinking um like you're I'm a spreadsheet person I probably would not.
26:38.39
loriejones7
Have thought that globally of how to how to test those ideas. So.
26:41.67
Corrine
Um, yeah, and answer those big questions First that's the important thing then yeah.
26:48.44
loriejones7
So um regrets. So if you look back on your journey I'm sure we all have things that we would have done just a little bit differently is there something you can point to or kind of think about where you're like oh.
26:58.42
Corrine
Yeah.
27:03.98
loriejones7
I Wish I had done that just a little differently. Um.
27:07.60
Corrine
Um I think being less afraid to have hard conversations. Um, it's it's difficult to have hard conversations. Ah, and ah you know I I would. Say oh if something wasn't done right? then sometimes I would just do it myself because it was easier and and then what would happen was I would be ah wearing myself out instead of fixing the situation or like you know that sort of thing. So um, again, that's just something you learn with time.
27:30.86
loriejones7
The hair.
27:39.76
loriejones7
And.
27:41.66
Corrine
So I think you know being able to have hard conversations sometimes with others or you know that to make sure that things are working because in the end everyone benefits. Um, it's it's hard in the moment but it can produce a better outcome for everyone and then everyone can be in a better situation and feel more fulfilled with what they're doing because.
27:49.33
loriejones7
Yeah.
28:01.20
Corrine
You know that? So I think that's something I've learned as a leader is learning how to have hard conversations and I'm still figuring it out. You know are every hard conversations. A little bit different. So um, yeah.
28:11.18
loriejones7
Well I was just going to ask? how did you learn like did you read a play is there a book on that that I could maybe.
28:20.24
Corrine
Um, yeah, there there are books on that. Um I can't think of it the names of them right now. But um, some of it is just acknowledging what's your own roadblock in and being able to.
28:36.22
loriejones7
Man.
28:36.23
Corrine
Not have this conversation like why you know or just things that we procrastinate in general right? It doesn't have to be a conversation just look at like what things you're putting off um and just recognizing either way, you're going to have a negative outcome and why are you accepting 1 negative outcome over the other if the other one's better.
28:53.53
loriejones7
Is it.
28:55.49
Corrine
So kind of addressing that and and learning from it. Yeah.
28:59.25
loriejones7
So self-reflection kind of like having hard conversations with yourself so that you can have hard conversations with someone else.
29:07.90
Corrine
Yeah, and they've been say like you know, naming the emotion can help you control it better. You know so you can say right now I'm feeling really anxious and you know right now I'm I'm really worried about how this conversation might go or.
29:15.64
loriejones7
And.
29:23.98
Corrine
You know those sorts of things being able to name it and call it out can be really helpful to just acknowledge. Yes, this is a difficult situation but the situation doesn't have to last forever. Um, Also um, discovered some really good advice about Journaling and the specific thing was. Leave some space under a journal entry for you to follow up to say what you've learned after that thing happened and the interesting thing about that is what I've noticed is things get resolved much quicker than I think they will you know because I thought oh this is gonna be something that's gonna like.
29:49.17
loriejones7
What a good idea.
29:56.78
loriejones7
Is.
30:03.30
Corrine
Be a dark cloud for months or you know, whatever and I'm like no actually like five days later things were already much better than they were before you know something like that and I wasn't necessarily putting those things together because we tend to hold the negative memories with us more right? That's our survival at stake just learn from things that hurt you.
30:18.49
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
30:22.74
Corrine
And so we're going to learn by focusing on that stuff instead of learn from the things that didn't challenge your survival and we're just thinking about good things all the time right? like that. That's how our survival brain works and so journaling can help you kind of recognize your survival brain. That's not very good at remembering things.
30:28.84
loriejones7
Um, yeah, yeah.
30:42.43
Corrine
Um, or like connecting the dots together. Um, but it can also help you learn like oh yeah, that I remember that time where I wasn't quite sure what was going to happen next here's how it turned out and you can start to connect those dots So That's been like an interesting thing that. Um, you know I'm not great at Journaling but I have an app that you can just kind of like dictate at the end of the day and say hey I did this in Bo Blah Blah Blah excuse me? Um, but then I can go back to that Journal entry and say okay, here's an update and. You know talking about here's here's what I learned from that. Um I Think that's a much more interesting journal to kind of see like so and-so face this situation. You know if if someone else is reading my journal you know decades from Now. Um. Then then they can see oh this is the thing that happened this is how she interpreted it and this is what she felt like she learned from it. You know that that can be a useful guide for somebody else later on.
31:39.10
loriejones7
Um, and.
31:43.28
loriejones7
That's really interesting that talks I I read a book about deep learning and that practice of making the mistake kind of going back figuring out Why the mistake was made and then and then practicing until you get it right? And's and they were talking about you know like. I don't know doing sports or playing an instrument but I I think that what you've described is kind of that same sort of thing in a business Situation. You know that deep practice that deep learning.
32:11.76
Corrine
Um, and some things take a long time. You know sometimes we we live with things that are outstanding for quite a while and we're like when is this thing going to get resolve trick. Um, you know and then Sometimes. We have a shorter situation that that comes up but being able to say okay here's what I'm learning from this or here's what I've decided I'm not doing next time you know those those sorts of things can be Helpful. You know, just kind of look back on our thinking previously. But just the act of having to write something Down. Can really help you kind of externalize it. So It's not so internal and bouncing around inside.
32:49.13
loriejones7
I love that I really love that concept I think I'm gonna I think I'm gonna start with that I think that's a really good idea. So um, if you could go back and talk to your younger self 2021 22 and tell her something.
32:52.31
Corrine
Um, oh great. Yeah.
33:04.82
loriejones7
What would you want to tell her.
33:06.80
Corrine
Um, um I I'd say go for it. It's gonna be an adventure.
33:16.19
Corrine
Um, yeah, definitely. Um.
33:16.38
loriejones7
Um, the journey is well worth it.
33:20.40
loriejones7
So what scared you the most when you started out on on your journey. What What was the scariest part.
33:30.43
Corrine
Um, you know with the business. You're always looking to make sure everything gets funded. Um, but I think because I was so focused on the work I was doing um I think I was a little bit. Ah, like positively naive about things if that makes sense you're looking back I'm like how did I survive on that amount of money. It doesn't make any sense. Um, Ah, but I think you know it can be real easy to kind of stare at a balance sheet. And get freaked out by that and then that paralyzes you and then you're not able to do the things to actually change what you want to have change on that balance sheet. Um, so you know being able to let go of some things and just do your best and trust and move forward. Um. Can be really helpful because I think this like fear of failure can actually lead us to the failure itself If if we let it own us and so being able to have you know a healthy um view of reality.
34:29.26
loriejones7
Ahead.
34:41.86
Corrine
Um, but to also be able to be open to the possibilities. Um years ago I I heard a great piece of advice that said you know sometimes the evidence of the past um is not the right predictor of our future and. But were ingrained to think that way you know. So if we've had a certain outcome with a particular situation every single time we start to set up this mentality of like well this is how it will always be and then that's how it continues to unfold so being able to recognize just because something has happened that way in the past.
35:11.70
loriejones7
Um, this is.
35:17.94
Corrine
That doesn't mean that that's how it will happen in the Future. You absolutely learn from those experiences and you know be be realistic and anticipate problems and all you know all of that use all the wisdom you've gathered from those experiences. But don't let the evidence of the past be the evidence of the future because the future hasn't doesn't have that evidence yet. So yeah.
35:39.83
loriejones7
Yeah, be hopeful. It could. It could be different and and as you're learning from those things in the past that inevitably makes your future just a little bit different because you do things differently the next time.
35:53.60
Corrine
Um, yeah, exactly exactly.
35:58.33
loriejones7
So I like that I like that idea. Um, yeah, as you look forward and kind of think about what you want you have to have a sense of hope the reality sometimes can be harsh. But if you have that sense of optimism and hope and. I don't think anyone would try anything if they didn't have those dreams. Um, what about this is interesting because you're Ceo and it's your own business.
36:18.26
Corrine
Um, yeah, exactly.
36:30.48
loriejones7
But did you face any unique challenges because you were a woman tell me about those. But.
36:35.38
Corrine
Oh definitely right? I have haven't always just been a Ceo and it's it's not like um you put on a Ceo badge and then the world's like oh great, we're gonna treat you like that. So right? The um and so I think there's. Kind of 2 pieces of that one is I think recognizing the current systems that have historically led us to how we interact with each other in society. Um recognizing how those systems have worked how they have.
36:58.36
loriejones7
E.
37:11.59
Corrine
Made assumptions about Um, how people might think of you but also how you might be thinking of yourself that you've not really considered has been influenced by those systems right? So um, you know I realized that some of the things that were holding me back from. Um.
37:21.78
loriejones7
Okay.
37:31.10
Corrine
You know, really stepping into my role as ceos that I saw it as like a male role. My dinner I didn't I didn't see that. That's how I was seeing it um because I consider myself very much like women can do anything but you know looking back I'm like I think some of what was holding me back was feeling like.
37:37.85
loriejones7
Here.
37:49.58
Corrine
How am I going to find my place in this and I wasn't quite able to pin it down to this is kind of a a gender thing. This is a little bit of a patriarchy like influencing this right? um and you know also like.
37:56.87
loriejones7
Um, you see.
38:05.67
Corrine
Feeling mom guilt and you know those sorts of things you know, but you know people don't interview ah a Ceo that's a man and say you know how are you balancing this work life balance. You know, do you feel dad guilt right? like.
38:18.55
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
38:21.38
Corrine
Those questions don't come up so just kind of recognizing that if that question when it be posed to the opposite sex then maybe reconsider why you're holding onto those things maybe subconsciously right? because we're we're so influenced by the environment that we're in um.
38:31.91
loriejones7
That.
38:39.19
Corrine
You know? so sometimes I would hold back. Um, just because you know how? um we see roles of women can be a little limiting and sometimes we kind of fit into those roles for social acceptance. Not really recognizing. That's what we're doing.
38:48.92
loriejones7
Vision.
38:58.35
loriejones7
Yeah, no, no, it does and sometimes I feel like as women we tell ourselves these things like other people sometimes they they don't tell us these messages but we tell ourselves these messages.
38:58.96
Corrine
I Don't know if that's making a lot of sense. But.
39:11.51
Corrine
Yeah, yeah, exactly right? and um and I think just like learning that there are lots of different ways to lead like I I lead my organization as a designer. So I.
39:21.12
loriejones7
Is.
39:25.26
Corrine
I approach it a little bit differently. You know we're always kind of building things and tweaking things and testing things out was a lot of experimentation and that sort of thing. Um, there was where someone else would be very kind of numbers led to start off a project. So I'm kind of like numbers are at the end. Um. And so kind of like pulling pulling those 2 things together. Um, but like ah you know women as leaders we we can have different styles of of leading right? and so looking at how we lead as women like for example. A lot of women on my team have young kids and so you know they're on Zoom sometimes or people need flexible schedules for different things that come up and that's really important to me is that people are able to have a flexible schedule. You know they're still able to put in the time every week.
40:04.15
loriejones7
E.
40:20.96
Corrine
But that it can work around the things that that crop up. Um you know where whereas some companies would you know it's not legal but they'd be like they've got young kids I think this is gonna be really disruptive to our business instead of finding ways to let the business work with you know what? what.
40:34.68
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
40:40.48
Corrine
Um, someone who's raising young kids would need so you know thinking through those ways of bleeding is important too.
40:44.55
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
40:47.39
loriejones7
Yeah I agree I think that um you know women in finance. There's like 20% female financial advisors and part of the reason is because ah, the situation and the the way that we're set up is so that you know we. It's a 9 to 5 you do this is the way you show up all the time because these are the things you have to do and they don't give that flexibility for you know, young kids or caretakers or you know I've had pets that you know require a lot of.
41:14.10
Corrine
Lovely.
41:22.70
loriejones7
A lot of energy and and I really appreciate looking how different industries are dealing with those sorts of challenges with their workforce so that women can show up and and give their best selves their at work because they they know that. They can do it at six o'clock in the morning before they go to the orthodontist.
41:44.75
Corrine
Yeah, exactly exactly and you know I think with um Covid and doing remote work. You know women have been asking for this more flexible schedule for quite some time with very little um belief that that could be doable.
41:54.16
loriejones7
Yeah.
42:01.76
Corrine
But then when um, you know honestly when men were forced to do that schedule. Um, and then then they were able to see the benefits of it. You know I I know I'm presenting This is very black and white. It's not that way. But when when a lot of the decision Makers who are mostly men. Um. Could actually see Yes, It's very possible to do remote work and we have to make some adjustments but we can still be very functional as a company. Um, that's really I think opened up the way for much more flexible ways of working so that you know women who are the primary caregivers. Um, are able to be more involved in you know their fields and make more of an impact whereas before there was this you know Doorway of well you can only get involved if you can be at the office 40 hours a week and um, you know, especially in finance.
42:54.45
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
42:59.44
Corrine
Like hours with like the big 4 and stuff like that right? There's no room for family in in any of that so you know, but as women we tend to be you know, very focused on our families and want to make sure that we have schedules that can align with that as much as possible. So.
43:05.55
loriejones7
Yeah.
43:19.26
Corrine
You know it's It's really neat to see how that that kind of rigidity has broken up to really open the doorway for more people.
43:28.78
loriejones7
Yeah I agree I think that it's It's really interesting to watch how how workplaces are becoming more accommodating so that they get the talent and the um you know the the piece that women bring.
43:37.25
Corrine
Mission.
43:44.56
loriejones7
But haven't been able to because they couldn't give 40 hours between the hours of you know, 9 and 5 every single day. Yeah so ah Corinne tell me what is the thing you are most proud of.
43:49.41
Corrine
Exactly.
44:01.21
Corrine
Um, I'm really proud of my daughter of course um she has really ah been my buddy through all of this really Understanding. Um. She's fantastic and you know I'm really proud of the team that I've built my team work so hard. Um, and you know we all get Along. We're all really happy and excited with the work that we're doing and so I'm I'm really proud of this organization that's growing and. And all the people in it are volunteers are Incredible. You know, just the people that I get to meet because of this work and and how this this mission This idea is pulling everyone together. You know it's It's so amazing to see these these lemons around the World. So.
44:49.95
loriejones7
Yeah, that's have you ever shown up somewhere and you saw 1 of your marketing pieces and you didn't even like.
44:57.63
Corrine
Yeah, and I have friends who will like take pictures of like hey I we got my mammogram today and your poster is on the wall I think oh that's great. That's wonderful. So yeah, like like things show up and then you know we get people that share their story with us to say how they were able to find their breast cancer because of you know something I designed like that's that's really meaningful to me. Um, that's what keeps me going. You know it's. it' a great excuse to keep pouring more time into work because I'm like well if I spend more time on work I can save more lives but you know that's that that's the thing I have to recognize to be like no no no no I have a life too. Let's but let's be valid, but um, you know that's that's a nice thing is that it's there's such a amazing.
45:36.76
loriejones7
Um.
45:43.99
Corrine
Reward in in this work. So.
45:44.82
loriejones7
Yeah, and being able to see that so clearly that the the impact that you're making in people's lives. That's so fulfilling.
45:57.13
Corrine
Yeah, absolutely um, and then we I also designed an app. Um, so if if people do 1 thing after this podcast it would be this thing I'm about to say which is um, download our free know your lemons app.
46:09.98
loriejones7
He.
46:11.96
Corrine
Um, it's award winning. It's helped people understand how to do self-exams the right way help them understand what they're feeling right? Breasts are are lumpy by nature and so it can be really confusing for someone to say fill for lump and you're like ah everything feels lumby right.
46:24.79
loriejones7
Camera lumpy. But.
46:29.25
Corrine
So we've got an audio guide with Mona Lisa that talks you through how to do a self-exam. Um, she's really fun and ah it will send you monthly reminders to yourself exams you don't forget, there's also a screening assessment on there so you can put in all these different risk factors. Ah, it will it will teach you ah what risk factors are for breast cancer and then you can have a conversation with your doctor to make sure you're on the right screening plan based on your your your health your risk factors. Um, and it's it's fun. It's free. Um.
46:53.73
loriejones7
I.
47:06.26
Corrine
And you know if you do 1 thing for your health today's you know download this free app and it we'll send you reminders. We also have a period tracker on there. We don't collect any health data but will send you a reminder to self-exam um at the right time during your menstrual cycle if if you're menstruting if if you're not menstruting then we've.
47:15.11
loriejones7
Ah.
47:26.17
Corrine
Got something set up for that as well. But it'll also send you a reminder a few days before your period begins to order chocolate. So we think that's really important.
47:35.30
loriejones7
Ah, oh I Love it I love it and and maybe share with your daughters too because it's never too early.
47:41.27
Corrine
Yeah, exactly we are working on a schools program right now which we're really excited about um where teachers will be able to offer a breast health lesson in high schools. Ah because we use lemons. Ah we you don't see.
47:51.26
loriejones7
Um, it.
47:57.83
Corrine
Breasts is part of the lesson which is really great but students have the assignment to go home and talk to their family about their their cancer history and their family and also Learn. You know our our family. Our family members getting screened if not how could we positively encourage them to like take care of themselves and. And and keep up on those Mammograms. So um, we know that it'll be students helping to save lives in their own families as a result of this this program which we're excited about So I know as we've been talking about this on the on the podcast um people probably be thinking. What are these lemons things like that.
48:23.61
loriejones7
Um, out.
48:33.99
Corrine
So you know if you go to knowyourlemons.org and you'll be able to see you know these really amazing visuals that teach what you know what breast cancer can look and feel like what breast anatomy looks like um, all with these fun lemon.
48:47.79
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
48:49.70
Corrine
Graphics that will teach you quite a bit and we're also on social media. We're always educating on social media every day with fun little facts. Um, and we're just at know your lemons on all of the social channels and of course Linkedin.
48:59.21
loriejones7
Yeah I love it I Do love the visuals. It's just so cute and pretty and fun it. It makes it not scary and and hard So I love that that.
49:09.42
Corrine
Yeah, a little add a little fun to your your social media feed by following us and then we've had so many people that have said someone shared this image with me on social media and a couple years later I noticed something and I remembered seeing that picture because it's so memorable.
49:16.82
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
49:29.80
Corrine
And they were diagnosed early because that friend shared the image so you know being able to do that is is amazing and only takes a few seconds so we've got lots of we have 3 pinned images on Instagram at the top. So if you go to our um, our account at know your lemons.
49:46.36
loriejones7
Yeah, and we'll I'll go ahead and and put links to all of these things in the in the podcast notes so that so they so everyone can sign up I encourage that I think that's great. So um, last Corinne our last question is any of.
49:48.40
Corrine
Um, oh that's great. That's wonderful.
50:02.44
loriejones7
Advice for a young lady who's just starting down on her journey. Um, that can help her be successful like you are.
50:10.81
Corrine
Find? um a skill that you really are wanting to develop that you love that brings you joy and then think about a particular group of people that you want to impact and combine those 2 things. So for me I really love graphic design. And so I you know really developed that skill and then for me so you know something that personally mattered were the people I'd lost in my family to breast cancer. So I thought well how can I combine design and you know women who need to know about their health um into this 1 thing. Um, and with that is kind of like the guiding star of like my goal that all these amazing things have come out because of that and you know being able to develop the skills like business skills are really important you know learning how to read that profit and loss that are.
51:03.88
loriejones7
Ah, well I'm I'm in agreement with that one.
51:06.50
Corrine
There you go? yeah right? So you need like financial skills. You understand how money works that sort of thing but don't feel intimidated um by kind of all of the things you may have seen about business before there's there's lots of ways to run a business. There's so many tools that make it easy to do it now.
51:12.78
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
51:26.90
Corrine
Um, you know so you know spend some time in Quickbooks and learn how to organize your finances and like all kinds of things if if you're handing it off to other people. You don't quite learn those things. So. It's really good that you know if you have someone. For example, if you're working with an accountant you say okay. Understand why things are organized the way they are can you tell me why it's set up like this. What is you know something you look for and then also for a business be thinking about what your exit strategy would be. You know is your plan to.
51:45.57
loriejones7
Here.
51:54.74
loriejones7
Is.
51:59.86
Corrine
Run the business to sell it to someone else and retire is your plan to run the business to sell it so you can start another business. You know something else. Um I think sometimes um, ah businesses are treated like hobbies where they cost a lot of money. Um. But they're not really bringing in a lot of money and that's kind of the difference between a hobby and a business a hobby something you love to do and you pour a lot of money into it and you don't really mind if money is coming back but a business is not a hobby. It's about you generating um funds and revenue from that business.
52:20.13
loriejones7
Yeah.
52:37.25
Corrine
Um, to help you build and and grow and scale and and do more with it. So um, that's kind of the biggest thing I've seen with a lot of like small businesses is that they're being treated like hobbies instead of businesses and you know they don't want to ask too much money of people and.
52:50.99
loriejones7
Um, yeah.
52:55.72
Corrine
Things like that like then this is a hobby. It's not a business yet so you have to have to think in how to make it make financial sense. Not just enough to keep it going but enough for it to grow and scale and and thrive. So.
52:55.84
loriejones7
Um, yeah, no yeah.
53:09.51
loriejones7
Ah, you hit on my passion there that is you know it's so important to me that that people that maybe haven't had a lot of financial knowledge. A lot of business knowledge. They are able to I love educating and helping them to. Get to that place where they're like oh oh I can do this? Um, So so that's ah but I I do run into a lot of times I run into and people who are running they they don't know exactly what they're doing with business and so it's.
53:28.70
Corrine
Is it.
53:44.20
Corrine
Um, husband.
53:44.54
loriejones7
It's nice to have those resources available to help out and kind of guide you down the path. So well. Thank you so much for your time today. Kran I I really appreciate it and we'll put. We'll put all those links for places that they can find you and what you do and.
53:48.27
Corrine
Um, yeah, exactly Oh thank you this this great conversation I enjoyed it.
54:04.15
loriejones7
Read more about you and and ah and know their lemons. So thanks. Thanks I Appreciate it.
54:08.35
Corrine
Um, so wonderful. Thank you so much laurie.