Choices & Chances with Tesa Arcilla

Deborah Kan: from award-winning TV journo to founder of dementia research platform 'Being Patient' - Ep7

Tesa Arcilla Season 1 Episode 7

When then Wall Street Journal Executive Producer Deborah Kan's mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, her journalistic instincts kicked in — she wanted to know everything there was to know about the disease. The problem was, she couldn't really find one resource that provided accurate, up-to-date information on long-term illness, as well as access to experts in the field. That's how 'Being Patient' came to be.

Key inspirational food for thought:

🏊  Taking the plunge: leaving a great career at The Wall Street Journal to become a startup media entrepreneur

🤷 How do you know it's the right time to leave a secure job to follow a passion?

🗝️ Entrepreneurial tips: 

  • the mindset of making a little go a long way; 
  • giving yourself time and space to build from the ground up; 
  • how to listen to the "angst" of the community in order to hone in on what problem people would like a solution to; 
  • how to deal with naysayers; 
  • why 'culture fit' is key to building a good team, and more


🩺 Why getting a correct diagnosis is so important

👩‍⚕️ Hearing from different voices: patients, carers, experts

19:53 — Three things Being Patient tries to address 

22:15 — "Society cages this disease as a disease of the dying, but it’s actually a disease of the living."

27:42 — More on Lewy body dementia

48:10 — Business lesson: "A lot of 'a littles' lead to A LOT. Focus on how to get that next increment, that next step."

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