I witnessed an incredible story of courage, entrepreneurship and compassion last week.
C2 Strategic Communications was fortunate to be selected as a finalist for the Inc.Credible Awards, a recognition of the region’s best small businesses by Greater Louisville Inc. We attended a luncheon along with other small businesses vying for honors in a half-dozen categories, including the “People’s Choice” award selected by online voting.
We didn’t win and I’m glad. Because we didn’t, I learned about Lara MacGregor and her company, Hope Scarves.
Lara is a cancer survivor, diagnosed in 2007 at age 30 with breast cancer. For the past nine years, Lara has turned the fight of her life into enriching the lives of others. About five years ago, the same time that I started C2 Strategic, Lara started her company in a spare bedroom.
Hope Scarves is an elegantly simple idea, sharing beautiful scarves to wrap the bald heads of cancer fighters enduring radiation and chemotherapy treatments. The bonus is sharing stories of hope, love and death-defying triumph.
“Each scarf comes wrapped in a happy package with a scarf, story, scarf-tying instructions and information about Hope Scarves,” according to HopeScarves.com. “We hope each time you wear your scarf or hold it in your hands you feel the love and support of all those involved in our mission.”
Lara’s company has outgrown her spare bedroom, and the office space she moved into is now too small for the growing demand. Hope Scarves sends out 50 scarves a week all around the world and the company will soon top the 5,000 mark.
In accepting the award to a standing ovation, Lara confided in the crowd that her cancer has returned and it’s Stage 4. As the son of a cancer fighter, I know what that means.
Most small business owners start with simple goals: to follow a passion, test their mettle and make enough money to give their families a better life. Many of us add “make the world a better place” to the list.
Lara, you are making the world a much better place with Hope Scarves. May God bless you and your family.
