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Patient StoriesSurvivorshipWork & Cancer

How My Battle Against Cancer Made Me a Better Entrepreneur

“I think most entrepreneurs believe they are superhuman,” says Jonathan Passley, a business owner, husband, and new father, whose world was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with cancer at age 29.
March 2019 Volume 5 – Patient Stories
Jonathan Passley
Towson, Maryland

I stood slumped over the bathroom sink in my office, in shock, staring at the pool of blood I just threw up. In the upcoming weeks, I would undergo emergency surgery to remove tumors from my liver and stomach, and eventually be diagnosed with a stage IV cancer called gastrointestinal stromal tumor, or GIST.

As a 29-year-old business owner, husband, and new father, my world was turned upside down. It has been a difficult journey, but I’ve learned many lessons along the way, which have ultimately made me a better person and an entrepreneur. Here are 7 lessons that I’ve learned running a business while battling cancer.


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Last modified: March 10, 2022

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