Episode #73: Aliza Licht
Aliza Licht is the author of the best-selling book LEAVE YOUR MARK and was named one of America's Next Top Mentors by The New York Times. LEAVE YOUR MARK was ranked #8 in Bookauthority.org's "The 100 Best Career Development Books of All Time," and has been translated into Spanish, Chinese and Russian. She is also the host of the new LEAVE YOUR MARK podcast, which brews fresh career advice weekly in conversation with special guests.
As a fashion industry veteran of 20+ years, Aliza was formerly and the creator and former voice behind the five-time, award-winning DKNY PR GIRL® social media personality. She is a TEDx speaker, was named one of Time's "Six Women Who Rule the Fashion World," and The New York Daily News listed her as #30 in the "Top 50 Most Powerful Women in New York." She is also the founder & president of LEAVE YOUR MARK LLC, a consultancy that specializes in creative brand marketing & digital strategy for the fashion and beauty industries.
Aliza Licht (of DKNY PR GIRL® fame) knows how to build public-facing brands. But when it comes to her personal life, she’s a pretty private person. In conversations, she likes to be the listener. So, when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, she kept it to herself and didn’t tell anyone but close family. Not even her kids knew. All that changed in 2019, when she agreed to share her story in a TV segment for abc7NY. Only today’s episode, Aliza and I talk about why she spoke up and felt it was important for people to know the facts of her diagnosis: namely, that she didn’t have a lump she could see or feel, and that doctors only found the cancer because she had requested additional testing. We also talk about how she approached and tackled her diagnosis and treatment, how life has changed for her since cancer happened, and why she believes everyone has a responsibility to take the initiative in their own health.
“You have to be your own doctor. You have to ask questions, you have to network about health. That’s every single person’s responsibility.”
Here are some of the things Aliza and I chatted about:
Getting a mammogram at age 35 in order to establish a baseline for future testing and results
Why she got an ultrasound at her next mammogram, despite being told she didn’t need one
Finding out she had breast cancer, even though neither she nor any doctors could feel a lump
Her treatment (a lumpectomy and radiation) and why it was scheduled in a “nanosecond”
Why she decided not to tell people--including her kids--about her diagnosis and treatment
- What Tamoxifen is, what it does, and why it will be part of her life for the next 10 years
The physicians on her care team, including Dr. Anne Moore and Dr. Alison Estabrook
Her follow-up plan, and her excitement when she learned that her doctor had un-retired
Her reaction when her doctor approached her about sharing her story in a TV segment
Why, though reluctant at first, she ultimately decided she needed to share her experience
The wide range of reactions from people (including her kids) when they learned her story
What it was like to go to work having spent her morning getting radiation, and telling no one
Why she’s happy she shared her experience, especially if it motivates people to get checked
The lifestyle changes she’s made post diagnosis, and why they’re important for her health
What led her from DKNY PR GIRL to a book deal, and what her career looks like now
“It might sound cheesy, but I was really proud of myself. I felt like Olivia Pope. I’m like, this is handled.”
Listen Here: iTunes / Spotify / Stitcher / Google Play / Overcast
Support for this episode comes from Abridge. Abridge is a free app that helps you capture the details of your care so you can make the most of your next doctor's appointment. In addition to recording conversations with your doctor, it highlights and creates an index of key medical points so you can review them later on. To learn more and download Abridge for free, visit www.abridgeapp.com/madevisible.
