A CEO’s Battle Through Cancer and Corporate Turnarounds | Paula Schneider, President and CEO of Susan G. Komen®

Paula Schneider (0:00)

Find something that you're passionate about, people. I've been running a philanthropy now for six years, and find some place to do good, and then do it.

Michael Gervais (0:17)

Okay, welcome back or welcome to the Finding Mastery podcast. I am your host, Dr. Michael Gervais, by trade and training, a high-performance psychologist. I'm really excited to welcome Paula Schneider to the podcast for this week's conversation. Many would refer to today's guest as a survivor, but it's fair to say her impact goes far beyond survival. Whether she's staring down a terrifying cancer diagnosis or a failing corporate juggernaut, Paula has proven she can conquer the greatest of challenges, turning personal pain into purpose and inspired leadership into real legacy. As president and CEO of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Paula is responsible for the largest breast cancer research portfolio and one of the most prominent nonprofits in the world.

Komen has invested $3.5 billion in research and advocacy, helping reduce the breast cancer mortality rate by 42% since its inception in 1982 Clearly, no small feat. And then prior to her time at Komen, she navigated one of the most notable retail sector turnarounds while serving as the CEO of American Apparel. Again, no small feat. Across education, fashion, retail management, and nonprofit industries, Paula has demonstrated the kind of business acumen, entrepreneurial expertise, adaptability, and real world perspective that can move proverbial mountains. That's why I'm so thrilled to explore the passion and perseverance that has allowed her to thrive so brilliantly, even in the face of immense difficulty. I think you'll quickly learn how, in her words, she stays calm with fires burning all around her.

So with that, let's dive right into this week's conversation with Paula Schneider. Paula, you went from a costume design major in college to American Apparel CEO, to major fashion brands, to CEO of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

What an arc. And maybe we can just start with you sharing some of the key experiences that helped shape your professional arc.

Paula Schneider (2:41)

Yeah, well, it was a very secuitous route. Certainly not one that was, you know, started in one place and you planned all the parts and pieces because I don't really think that life turns out that way. But I have to say that I think it's all part of being somewhat entrepreneurial to start with. You know, when I got my costume design and theater major, I actually wrote that major and it became part of the California State curriculum for universities in California because I didn't see anything else that I wanted to do. So I wrote my major, I graduated with my major, I never actually used my major, but I did have the ability to make a fabulous costume and I'm wonderful at Halloween if you want like any tips, I'll be happy to help you there. But I ended up going into the fashion industry because I actually was, I got my teaching credential because you always had to have a Plan B. My mom always said, you know, what's your Plan B if you can't make it with Plan A?

And so my Plan B was getting a secondary teaching credential, which I did and I made $735 a month. I was 23 years old and you can't live on that even then.

And so I decided that I'd started working in a clothing store and ended up going down to Los Angeles, seeing that this whole world in the fashion industry was really exciting and fun and especially then not so much now, but certainly then. And I ended up going into the fashion industry and learning the trade and doing that for many, many years and had my own company. I started my own company at 25 with $5,000 loan from my mom. And we had, you know, literally I grew up very, very middle class. My dad died when I was 20 and my mom was on her own. And, you know, $5,000 was a lot of money at that point for her.

But she lent it to me and I created a career from that. But, you know, there's not one straight arc that happens and things happen in your career and you kind of have to go where your heart is. And, you know, after many, many years in the fashion industry, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

And when that happened, my mom had already had a breast cancer diagnosis. And I had two young daughters at the time. And, you know, I didn't immediately go into some passion project. I was working and I just wanted to get back to my life, which was taking care of my family and, you know, I had a great career and fabulous friends and all of those things. But when you get a diagnosis like that, it's very life changing, if you will.