Taking care of the "Twins" - Breast Cancer Awareness Month

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By Cheryl Benson

Twitter: http://twitter.com/calcables

Cheryl Benson is a 47-year-old, wife and mother of four children, Alex, Zach, Sara and Elizabeth (ages 18, 16, 12 and 7 respectively). Cheryl currently holds the position of Vice President at Cal Manufacturing, Inc., which is a company that manufactures resistance welding cables. Cheryl is also the sole proprietor of her own business, Medical Transcription Services, which allowed her to work at home and raise her small children during their formative years and which she still maintains. Managing four children, one of whom just graduated high school and will be entering college this fall and the youngest who is just finishing her year of first grade ensures that life is never devoid of drama, that schedules are still full of first grade programs and piano lessons as well as the joys that accompany raising children. As life often does on a dime, it changed due to the fact that the company is family-owned and succession was inevitable, Cheryl is now balancing two businesses and the challenges of being a working mother. While not new to the resistance welding cable industry (the company has been in her family for over a decade and the business itself has been running for over half a century), the challenges that present themselves in running a primarily male-dominated industry are inherent. Her professional, yet fun-loving approach to the business world is key to success in driving sales, attending expos and conventions, managing daily operations and exploring new markets for the resistance welding cable industry as well as being a "CEO Mom".

Taking care of the "Twins" - Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Posted on October 23, 2011

I certainly don't mean to be "flippant" about breasts and breast cancer, particularly on this weekend when services were held for the mother of one of my daughter's third grade classmates who had succombed to breast cancer. However, whatever it takes to bring your attention up close and personal with breast cancer is certainly worth the flippancy.

Breast cancer doesn't discriminate on age or genetics, it can happen to anyone. Although, according to the American Cancer Society, about one in eight cases of invasive breast cancer is diagnosed in women under age 45 and two out of three breast cancers are diagnosed in women age 55 and older.

During the month of October, what can you do to make sure that "no woman is left behind?" Reach out to your mother, sister, aunt, friend, co-worker and encourage that time consuming mammogram. If your health insurance does not cover this (which is ridiculous), check community programs available offering free or reduced cost mammograms, because they are out there.

The Susan Komen Foundation is a great resource to support, even if you simply "like it" on Facebook. The more support garnered for research in support of a cure for breast cancer, the better.

Let's stick together and save a life (or two) this month, because I, for one, don't want to lose another woman to breast cancer and while we're at it, let's set an example for our daughters in taking care of ourselves as mothers by getting that mammogram, performing self-breast exams and supporting great foundations that work tirelessly to set out to find a cure and also support women who courageously battle breast cancer.