Why Do 80% of People Choose to Work Through Cancer? With Gina Jacobson || EP.207

"You might not have been born for this, but you almost died for it."

When Gina Jacobson's husband spoke those words, he captured the profound transformation that turned a stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis into a mission. Given just one to two years to live, Gina didn't just survive—she discovered why work matters so deeply when everything else falls apart.

Now, as Program Director for Working with Cancer, she's tackling an uncomfortable truth: there's a massive gap between what well-meaning colleagues want to do and what actually helps. When people don't copy you on emails to "spare" you, when they assume you can't handle meetings, when they reduce you to your diagnosis—the isolation can be as devastating as the disease itself.

In this episode of Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw, Gina also speaks about:

Why "Can I work?" is the second question cancer patients ask after "Will I live?"

How manager training can build organizational empathy that extends far beyond cancer

it means when 80% of Americans choose to work through cancer treatment

Why creating confidence before diagnosis changes everything

How simple accommodations can preserve identity during treatment

What happens when your biggest pitch becomes helping others through their darkest hour

Chapters

02:14 - From Potato Cravings to Stage 4 Diagnosis

03:43 - The Gap Between Intentions and Impact

05:20 - What Organizations Really Need to Do

07:39 - The Workforce Cancer Crisis

08:59 - "You Almost Died for This"

10:37 - Creating Confidence Before Crisis

Guest & Host Links

Connect with Laurie McGraw on LinkedIn

Connect with Gina Jacobson on LinkedIn

Connect with Inspiring Women

Browse Episodes | LinkedIn | Instagram | Apple | Spotify