We recently connected with Ashley Plum and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, thanks for joining us today. One of our favorite things to hear about is stories around the nicest thing someone has done for someone else – what’s the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017, I had a whole community of family and friends that rallied around me. I can’t say that there is one specific thing that sticks out most in my mind as there were so many things that people jumped in to help with. Meals were brought to my home each week, surgery supplies were donated, fundraisers were done in my honor and benefit, someone came and cleaned my house throughout chemo, another friend and her sister came and did yard work every weekend, I had someone with me at all my doctor and chemo appointments, friends took me to the grocery store and out to lunch when I was feeling up to it, people sent me different non-profits information who helped women going through breast cancer, and the list goes on. I was so lucky to have such an amazing support system behind me every step of the way.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in April of 2017. After finishing treatment, I did some soul searching for about two years to figure out what I wanted to do for my career going forward after cancer. I did a lot of thinking about what my career was in the past, the jobs I was doing at the time, and where I wanted to go. One thing I knew for sure was that I wanted to work in the world of non-profits.

Knowing that I wanted to work in the world of non-profits, I started the search. My family and friends encouraged me to find that perfect fit with my passion for helping the community. The non-profit world is so large! Starting with what I knew, I reach out to the non-profit that gave me one of my wigs when I was going through breast cancer treatment, Check for a Lump. “Hi Holly, I’m not sure if you are looking for anyone, but I am interested in working for you in events and community outreach”. I was hoping that she might have a spot and she did!

Staring my new career was super exciting! Since losing my hair during chemo was the hardest part of going through breast cancer, I was happy to be part of a team of women who support other women going through breast cancer. I hit the ground running in 2020 and couldn’t wait to start getting out in the community and getting the word out about how we can help women, men, and their families in Arizona. Then the pandemic hit, and everything went on hold, including my career. Fast forward to the end of 2021 and I was offered to go back to work at Check for a Lump.

I’m very excited to be back working in the world of breast cancer so that I can bring hope and light to women who are currently undergoing treatment.

Check for a Lump is a local breast cancer non-profit in the state of Arizona. Our vision is make a difference in the fight against breast cancer. Our mission is to provide free breast health education, mammograms, testing, and direct assistance to breast cancer patients with wigs, support, and resources in Arizona. We have four pillar programs to support women going through breast cancer and their families in Arizona.

Our education program is empowering women in Arizona and beyond with invaluable breast health facts and prevention information. Our magazine is printed in both English and Spanish. We offer wellness workshops, have monthly newsletters and participate in community events and health fairs. We can’t forget about social media as that is where it all started with a simple call to action on facebook, Check for a lump.

We are providing free mammograms and all diagnostic testing, up to diagnosis, for qualifying women in Arizona. Women can go to an imaging facility or to a mobile mammography event that we host. Imagine not having adequate insure and you do not have $150 to pay for the mammogram you need. Check for a Lump covers the cost for that mammogram.

Our wig program is close to my heart as I was a wig client in 2017. We support women undergoing chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer with a free NEW wig of their choice up to $300. Giving them a sense of normalcy during a difficult time. We are supporting nearly 1 woman a day and we have almost hit the 2,000 wig mark!

We offer support with our fun Super Survivors Unite gatherings for women who have been affected by breast cancer and their co-survivors, our Super Survivor Kits for women undergoing breast cancer treatment and additional resources for women going through breast cancer.

Everything we do is lighthearted and fun! We strive to make a difficult subject and time not so difficult for women and their families.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

I believe that having the ability to relate to women who are going through the same journey that you went through gives them hope and comfort. Being a breast cancer survivor is not a club that I recommend anyone to join, but if they do, then we are here to help them during their journey. We also help by women by empowering them with the knowledge on ways to help lower their risk for cancer and knowing that, should they be diagnosed, we are here to help guide them as much as possible.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

One of the books that has impacted my management style is The Energy Bus, by Jon Gordon. It really inspired me to be more positive thinking and to make sure that my whole team is positive. I try to live my life with kindness and positivity every day. Bringing that to a whole team allows them to do the best job they can each day. When difficult situations arise, I remind myself, and my team, to change the way I am or they are thinking, to look for the positives and change the perspective.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.checkforalump.org
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/checkforalumpaz
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/checkforalump/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/don’t-be-a-chump-check-for-a-lump-/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/checkforalump
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/checkforalump
• Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/dontbeachumpcheckforalump0152/boards/

Image Credits
Leland Gebhardt Photography