Four years ago, after more than three decades of corporate management experience, Providence, Rhode Island-based Sharon Linder founded GetJanes, LLC (www.GetJanes.com), which manufactures high-quality wellness gowns for women. Made of a soft waffle weave knit material, “Janes” emphasize comfort, total coverage and dignity for women of all sizes. The product is a stylish option: whether for the spa, travel, mammograms, nursing mothers, or medical treatments of any kind.
In addition to her two sisters and mother, all cancer survivors, Sharon brings to the product line her own experience with cancer. She offers understanding and compassion to other women looking for simple solutions to provide comfort in sharp contrast to the iconic hospital gown. Sharon contributes a portion of all sales to non-profit programs that offer free mammograms to under-served women.
Three things that Sharon wished she had known in her 20’s…
1. The importance of good health. In my 20’s my Mother used to say…’without your health you have nothing’. I always sneered back, thinking…lady get a life! A person can have all the building blocks in place, without good health everything else has little meaning.
2. The importance of support from friends, family and community. It has been said that ‘it takes a village’, no words ring truer. At the same time it is vitally important to value those relationships by giving back and/or paying it forward.
3. Persistence. The ability to plow through the rough spots. Remembering nothing has ever been achieved by giving up or giving in too soon. Most of the best rewards are not immediate and have been won and enjoyed after lots of effort. ‘Do not expect something for nothing’.
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