Today we’d like to introduce you to Virginia Carnesale.
Hi Virginia, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My journey into the corporate side of retail began shortly after completing my MBA at the University of Southern California in 2003. That summer, I accepted a position at Gap Inc, which set the stage for a 20+ year retail career with brands such as Nike, Gilt, Saks Off 5th, bebe and Jaanuu in roles ranging from strategic planning to buying, marketing and creative leadership. It was equal parts challenging, rewarding, and fun — and afforded me the opportunity to live and work in San Francisco, Portland, Los Angeles and New York, which I loved.
In 2017, I returned to my hometown of Santa Barbara with the intention of joining the startup community in LA and consulted for various companies as I was figuring that out.
But the universe had a different plan. 2018 proved to be a pivotal year for me between losing a parent and receiving a life-altering diagnosis.
Hearing the words, ‘You have breast cancer,’ from my doctor over the phone just hours before walking into my 15-year class reunion at USC was nothing short of shocking. Somehow, I put the news aside for the weekend and enjoyed reconnecting with classmates. The following week, I got down to business.
The next two years would be filled with countless tests, surgeries, chemo, radiation, physical therapy and a new perspective on what truly matters in life.
Armed with a new sense of purpose, fresh knowledge of the patient journey, and a motivation to pay it forward for others that lack the same access to resources and support that got me through my experience, I decided to launch a mission-driven business in the breast cancer space.
The pandemic gave me time to incubate my idea, recover and regain my strength. And by 2022, I had leveraged my retail expertise to launch Shopstage.co: a support and shopping destination for women with breast cancer.
Fast forward to today, I’m 6 years cancer free, done with treatment, and filled with gratitude for my health, the lessons I’ve learned running an early-stage startup, the many relationships I’ve built within the community and the impact we’ve had together.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Heck no. Building a team, creating a brand and standing up the business were the easy parts — the fundraising, growth hacking and many pivots we’ve undergone in our first 3 years have been where the real learning has occurred. As a solo founder, it can be a pretty lonely experience —I had heard this from other founders, and it is really true. In hindsight, I think finding a trusted co-founder up front to embark on the experience with me would’ve made it easier and more enjoyable. Also, undergoing 5 years of endocrine therapy and healing from cancer treatment forced me to go at a slower pace at times than I would’ve liked. Learning to structure sprints of work around my energy helped a lot and is something I continue to this day to mitigate burnout. There have been many lessons throughout this cancer journey and guarding one’s physical and mental health are high on the list.
When I’m feeling discouraged, I remind myself that I can do hard things. The positive feedback we get from patients, supporters and the medical community remind us of why we’re here.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Her Stage LLC – d/b/a ‘Stage’?
Stage is an online retailer, resource and community built by survivors to support patients through their treatment journey and in survivorship. With over 60 brands across clothing, accessories and clean beauty, plus tips and advice from survivors and medical experts on our blog, we curate the products and knowledge she needs to take on breast cancer with courage, confidence and style!
Think of us as a single destination for thoughtfully curated products to aid in her recovery and survivorship. Our curation addresses her full lifestyle and is a mix of mainstream and survivor founded brands. From button front pajamas, to cozy loungewear, lightweight pajamas, chic head wraps, headscarves, cheerful earrings, mastectomy bras, mastectomy-friendly swimwear, activewear, luxe skincare, haircare, recovery pillows, blankets and more, we take the guesswork out of preparing for treatment, so she can focus on healing.
You can shop essentials, find helpful gifts, or create a registry for yourself or a loved one at Shopstage.co.
Stage donates 5% of net sales all year long to non-profits that are backing game changing research, providing patient grants and support services. Partners include the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, The Breasties, The Chick Mission and Unite for Her. Learn more about our giving strategy at https://shopstage.co/pages/giving.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
To be honest, I don’t believe in luck alone. I believe in hard work, following your intuition and putting yourself in a position to take advantage of opportunities that come your way as a result of those choices. Of course, there have been many times where I felt the universe had my back – like when I received a cancer diagnosis a year after returning to my hometown where I could be surrounded by the support and love of family and friends. And equally, there have been times where I felt that luck and factors outside my control weren’t on my side. Cancer has taught me to be grateful for the good times and grow from the setbacks.
Pricing:
- Clean beauty from $10
- Recovery essentials from $20
- Mastectomy bras and bralettes from $25
- Cheerful and empowering jewelry from $25
- Sleepwear and chic headwraps from $40
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shopstage.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopstage.co/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopstage.co
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/shopstageco/
Image Credits
Virginia headshot – Ashleigh Taylor Portrait
Group shot of Virginia and survivor models (denim) – Christopher Miggels
Print with Purpose (pink group shot) – Lilly Pulitzer
