Episode 58: How Cancer Catapulted Kara Ladd To Know What is Important in Life

Have you ever pondered the significance of people entering your life – wondering if it is simply a coincidence that you met, or if they are destined to offer support or impart some crucial lesson during your journey in this lifetime?

Our guest today on the Cracking Open podcast, Kara Ladd, is someone I feel certain I was meant to cross paths with in this life.

Kara was living what seemed to be the dream life—working in fashion editorial and residing in a stunning apartment that was nestled between two of New York's hottest nightclubs. She embodied the quintessential girl boss, hustling tirelessly. Then her life took an unforeseen turn when Kara discovered a bump under her left knee, which turned out to be a one-in-a-million synovial sarcoma cancer. At the young age of 24, her life as she knew it came to an abrupt halt. She recalls, “I had this full-on cracking open spiritual, out-of-body experience.”

While editing Kara’s episode last week, life threw me an unexpected curveball. I found myself needing an ultrasound to investigate some symptoms that could have been anything from perimenopause to a potential cancerous mass in my uterus or cervix. Thankfully, my symptoms turned out to be related to menopause (gratitude to Dr. Mary Claire Haver for her invaluable teachings!). But this scare reinforced my belief that Kara's voice needed to be heard on the podcast.

Through her journey with chemotherapy and facing her mortality head-on, Kara realized the importance of delving deep into her soul and asking profound questions like: “Who am I? What do I truly enjoy? Are my relationships nurturing me?” 

Kara is not only a badass cancer survivor but an award-winning multimedia entrepreneur & journalist known for her storytelling, purpose-driven thought leadership, and conscious marketing consultancy for the next generation of modern, mindful brands.

She began her career working in the fashion closets of Cosmopolitan and Italian Vogue, then worked at a boutique sustainable fashion consultancy where she spearheaded creative and strategic marketing for high-profile clients such as Amazon. Kara then pivoted back into editorial, working as Hearst Digital Media’s E-Commerce and Partnerships Editor, where she created optimized digital content for all 28 Hearst sites. Her features have reached 35 million page views worldwide. In 2018, Kara started her own successful consulting company, KL Consulting.

Kara considers her healing journey to be one of the most powerful awakenings of her life and was the conduit for creating her consultancy. She now helps others awaken to their "why" - their heartbeat, their purpose.  Kara's story reminds us that universal light permeates everything around us, and her words help us connect to our hearts. May her message inspire you to take aligned steps towards embodying your best self.

Love,
Molly


Learn more about Kara Ladd and her work here
Follow Kara on Instagram and TikTok

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