There is a book called Carry On, Warrior: The Power of Embracing Your Messy, Beautiful Life by Glennon Doyle. 

When I think about the concept of “carrying on, warrior,” I think of Emily Zarecki. As you will hear in today’s podcast, Emily is a warrior that has endured many trials and tribulations in her life. When I met Emily, I knew she would have a story of bravery to inspire all of us that we can do hard things. 

During my conversation with Emily, we chatted about:

1. How the passing of her mom and her husband impacted her.
2. How she reacted after hearing of her own breast cancer diagnosis. 
3. What prompted her to write her book, Golden Scars: How the Death of My Husband Prepared Me to Battle Cancer.
4. How Emily took care of herself while raising young kids on her own, including her twins!
5. The story behind her beautiful book cover and the concept of golden scars.
6. Emily also shared her work with Clarion Communications and the importance of having a personal brand. 

Before we get started, here is more about Emily:

Emily Zarecki is a seasoned communications and public relations professional. Her 25-year career spans global Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies, nonprofit, and agency settings.

Completing treatment for breast cancer not only gave Emily a new perspective on life but the experience ignited a flame to do more writing and storytelling. After parting ways with a marketing agency in 2021, she founded Clarion Communications and is its lead consultant and chief storyteller. 

Passionate about a few causes close to her heart – mental health, suicide prevention, and breast cancer awareness – Emily has served on the board for Unison Health in Toledo and led fundraising efforts for the National Association of Mental Illness (NAMI) Toledo in memory of her husband, Steve. Emily is enthusiastic about advocating for research and education about breast cancer and eliminating disparities in access to diagnostics and treatment. She serves as an advocacy ambassador for Susan G. Komen.