Don't Pause Life or Travel for Cancer

Episode 6 Transcript: Julie Bach and Traveling as Treatment

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There are no limits to what you can do when facing cancer - learn how Julie Bach transformed the spa industry to be cancer patient welcoming

Joelle: Welcome to Kicking Cancer's Ass, a podcast that refuses to play by Cancer's rules. I'm Joelle Kaufman, and I've spent over four decades in the cancer trenches. First supporting my mother through multiple diagnoses, then my sister, and finally facing my triple-negative breast cancer diagnosis. When cancer knocked on my door, I didn't just answer. I invited it in for a conversation about who would call the shots. Spoiler alert, it wasn't going to be cancer. Here's what I discovered: the prevailing narrative around cancer, reinforced by movies, TV shows, and hushed conversations, tells us a diagnosis equals a death sentence. That narrative is dead wrong. The five-year survival rate for localized breast cancer is over 95%. That's not a typo. Over 95%, yet when cancer enters our lives, fear. Overshadows facts, and we lose sight of our power.

This podcast exists to flip the script; we'll hear from survivors, medical innovators, wellness pioneers, and people like today's guests, Julie Bach, who transform how we live with and beyond cancer. laugh, we might cry, but most importantly, we'll share practical strategies that helped me and countless others crush cancer’s curve ball. The goal isn't to sugarcoat cancer. It sucks. Full stop. But what if we could experience profound joy, deeper connections, and even personal growth while kicking cancer's ass? I did, and I'm hoping you can too. Let's begin. This is your playbook for facing Cancer with confidence, community, and even a few curveballs. My guest, Julie Bach, welcome and thank you for being here.

Julie Bach: My pleasure.

Joelle: Thank

Julie Bach: a kick ass show. I love the,

Joelle: Yeah.

Julie Bach: Whole introduction.

Joelle: Well, thank you.

Julie Bach: You're welcome.

Joelle: You know, you told me a story when we first reconnected about losing both your parents to cancer when they were young.

They were all younger than 55, and you pivoted from your Harvard MBA career path to like travel experiences and extraordinary experiences for cancer patients. Could you walk us through that transition and how your personal lived experience shaped your vision for what cancer patients truly need?