Meet Stacy Russo of Survive and Thrive

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacy Russo

Hi Stacy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I am a 3-year Breast Cancer Survivor, and my cancer journey is where the idea for Survive and Thrive was born. After I completed active treatment (lumpectomy, chemo and radiation) and shared my journey with coworkers, family and friends I would often get asked for advice to give to others newly diagnosed. My advice was always to get in tune with your body and track everything – what you eat, how you sleep, meds you take, physical activity and how it all makes you feel. Since I didn’t have a specific notebook to refer people to, I decided to design one! During my treatment I tracked everything, and I used that knowledge to crack the code of when I would have good days and when I would have bad days. Over time that knowledge taught me what would cause a bad day and how to avoid it – if you knew eating something would cause you to get a headache or feel bad would you still eat it?
Survive and Thrive was launched on my 2-year Cancerversary in 2023, a date that would signify a new beginning of helping others! My first vision was to be the go-to gift for a friend or family member that was recently diagnosed – something that was thoughtful yet useful. Survive & Thrive has since grown to include other thoughtfully designed journals that guide users through daily gratitude reflections, health goals and personal growth to help build a foundation for long-term wellness. I am committed to making a difference in the cancer community that supported me during my battle by contributing a portion of proceeds to a breast cancer organization that supports awareness and care.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been the smoothest road and of course I would love to be further along with my business than I currently am, but growing a business on a budget takes time! I started Survive and Thrive as a passion project to help others and that is what I continue to focus on doing. I was at farmers market this past summer and it was fairly quiet compared to what I had expected when a woman came up to me and said she recognized my wellness journal. She then asked if I was treated at Henry Ford, which I was, and she went on to tell me that she had received one of my wellness journals (I donate one back to the hospital for every one I sell) while she was in treatment there several months back. Using it she was able to identify some foods that were reacting to her chemo and she worked through it with her doctors. On that hot summer day, we both had tears running down our face – hers for meeting the creator of something that had helped her during a difficult time and mine for realizing that what I was doing made a difference. In that moment, I realized I’ve already made it through the hardest days of my life and that I had to keep going in order to make the difference I want to make.

As you know, we’re big fans of Survive and Thrive . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Survive and Thrive is a female owned wellness-focused business dedicated to empowering individuals on their health and self-care journeys. Founded with the purpose of supporting others facing wellness challenges and giving back to the community. Survive and Thrive started by providing a thoughtfully designed wellness journal to help those fighting cancer or focusing on health goals. Over the last year more journals have been designed to focus on daily gratitude reflections and personal growth. Our shop also offers hand-poured candles with uplifting messages and other curated bundles that combine our journals with other items to offer a complete self-care gift set. Survive and Thrive is committed to making a difference in the cancer community by not only donating a Wellness Journal for every one that is sold, but also by contributing a portion of the proceeds to the breast cancer organizations supporting awareness and care.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
When it comes to finding a mentor, or being a mentor for that matter, it is important that you are your authentic self in that relationship. You must be willing to put yourself out there and take the feedback when it is given even if it is not something you want to hear. Although some mentor relationships happen organically, some you have to seek out. Finding a mentor is like dating, it is ok to start small – coffee or lunch – to see if the fit is right. There shouldn’t be hard feelings if it doesn’t feel right, just keep asking until you find the right person! Unlike dating, it is ok to have several mentors though, in fact I would encourage it!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://surviveandthrive.online
• Instagram: survive.and.thrive.wellness
• Facebook: Survive Thrive Gifts