Cancer Survivor Kristin Wyza Joins BK Nation
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time that brings greater attention to cancer, screening, survivorship, and the people whose lives have been affected by the disease. In recognition of this month, I invited cancer survivor Kristin Wyza to share her story. Kristin talks with me about the people who supported her, the challenges she faced, and how the experience changed her outlook on life. BK Nation, without further ado, I introduce Ms. Kristin Wyza.
KLR: Kristin, thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to join us here at BK Nation. We have much to talk about today so I’ll jump right into it. Tell us some interesting things about you that most people don’t know?
KW: Thank you for having me, Ken! I’m happy to jump into things. Most people don’t know that when I was 23, I moved from Pittsburgh, where I was raised, to Orlando with no job lined up and only what I could fit in my car. I rented my own apartment and started out with an air mattress and two plastic patio chairs. Looking back, that combination of ambition and “naivety” was probably a good thing because I just went for it! I’m not sure I’d be quite that brave today.
I’m also proud of those humble beginnings because they’re a good reminder of how hard I’ve worked to get where I am today.
Travel has also been a big part of my life. I’ve been on more than 135 cruises and visited 31 countries so far. I love experiencing new places, cultures, food, and, of course, the travel journey itself can be exciting!
KLR: In reading your Bio, I understand you worked for The Walt Disney Company. What did you do there?
KW: I spent nearly 20 years with Disney, most of that time with Disney Vacation Club. During the latter half of my Disney career, I worked as a Quality Assurance Manager, an extremely detail-oriented role that prepared me well for the work I do today.
KLR: Who or what inspired you to pursue web designing as a profession?
KW: It happened somewhat unexpectedly. After I was furloughed from Disney during COVID, I started a spray tanning business that I thought would be something fun to do on the side once I returned to work. When my Disney position was ultimately eliminated, I decided to go all-in.
I built my own website, and before long, other small business owners started asking me to build theirs. It snowballed from there. I discovered that I loved website work far more than I expected, and about a year later, I pivoted into web design and branding full-time.
KLR: How did your previous job prepare you for your current position as an entrepreneur and successful web designer?
KW: My years in Quality Assurance taught me to notice the details other people might overlook. Disney also taught me the importance of the customer experience and maintaining high standards. Both have carried directly into the way I approach websites, branding, and my clients today.
KLR: What challenges, fears, etc. did you face when starting your business and how did you overcome them?
KW: My biggest fear was wondering whether I was actually good enough. Imposter syndrome was very real for me during the first few years, and I still experience it occasionally.
After being involved in hundreds of website projects, I’m much more confident in what I bring to the table. I’ve also surrounded myself with a great team of people who are experts in their own fields, which allows us to do even better work together.
KLR: I am a testament to the outstanding work you do. Your company, KW Media Design, created and currently manages my website. I see your business has expanded over the years. What other services does your business offer?
KW: Thank you for the compliment. I’ve always enjoyed working with you Ken, and I love all of the historical knowledge I’ve picked up from you along the way!
We’ve grown well beyond website design. Today, KW Media Design offers branding, website design and development, SEO, copywriting, email marketing, social media support, and ongoing website care. Our goal is to help businesses build a strong brand and digital presence that actually supports their growth.
KLR: For those looking for the type of services you provide and may want to reach out to you, where can they contact you?
KW: The best place to learn more is kwmediadesign.com, or you can email me directly at kristin@kwmediadesign.com. Our website is actually newly revamped and I haven’t officially announced it yet, so BK Nation readers are getting a sneak peek!
KLR: Now let’s talk about a challenging time in your life when you were diagnosed with cancer. What was one of the first things that crossed your mind when you were first diagnosed?
KW: The first couple of days were a blur of shock and fear. But somewhere underneath all of that, I had a feeling that I was going to be OK. I can’t really explain it. I just knew I had to face whatever came next.
KLR: Who/what/where did you turn to get you through this difficult time in your life?
KW: First and foremost, God helped me through it. My family supported me in countless ways, and I had friends who stepped up in ways I never could have imagined.
I was also incredibly fortunate to find doctors who went above and beyond, not only to get me through cancer, surgeries, and procedures, but to help give me the best quality of life possible afterward.
KLR: How did you choose to share your diagnosis with your family, friends and/or colleagues?
KW: Within the first week, I called my closest friends and family to share the news, and soon afterward I told them to feel free to share it with others. I was very open about what I was going through.
I even started writing a blog to keep everyone updated. What began as a practical way to communicate quickly became something very therapeutic for me.
KLR: How does it feel to be a cancer survivor?
KW: I still think about it often because I continue to deal with some physical challenges resulting from what I went through. But more than anything, I’m proud of how I handled that chapter of my life.
It taught me that I can do hard things. It also taught me to appreciate even the smallest things in life and to push myself beyond what I think I’m capable of.
A few years ago, I visited Norway and hiked to Pulpit Rock. Getting to the top was tough enough, but then I challenged myself to sit on the edge of a cliff nearly 2,000 feet high! I was terrified, but I did it. Experiences like that remind me just how much going through cancer changed my perspective on what I’m capable of.
KLR: What “words of wisdom” and/or advice would you give any person facing cancer or another life-threatening illness?
KW: As difficult as it may feel in certain moments, my advice is to try to find something to be grateful for every day, even if it seems incredibly small. A grateful heart doesn’t erase what you’re going through, but it can change how you move through it.
There were certainly hard days, but looking for something good helped keep the difficult days from becoming my entire story.
KLR: Kristin, I want to thank you for sharing your cancer journey with BK Nation today. You serve as a beacon of hope for those who are going through their cancer journey and an inspiration to those who are now cancer survivors. As a small token of my appreciation for spending time with us today, you will be receiving my book, “A Time for Courage,” compliments of yours truly. On behalf of BK Nation, I wish you continued success in your business and perfect health both now and in the future.
KW: Thank you so much, Ken. I really appreciate it!
Historical Events in October
October 1, 1908 - Henry Ford's Model T, a "universal car" designed for the masses, went on sale for the first time.
October 2, 1935 - Mussolini's Italian troops invaded Abyssinia, beginning an occupation lasting until 1941.
October 3, 1974 - Frank Robinson was hired by the Cleveland Indians as baseball's first African American major league manager.
October 4, 1957 - The Space Age began as the Russians launched the first satellite into orbit. Sputnik I weighed just 184 lbs. and transmitted a beeping radio signal for 21 days. The remarkable accomplishment by Soviet Russia sent a shockwave through the American political leadership resulting in U.S. efforts to be the first on the moon.
October 5, 1877 - Following a 1,700-mile retreat, Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce Indians surrendered to U.S. Cavalry troops at Bear's Paw near Chinook, Montana. "From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever," he declared.
October 6, 1981 - Egyptian President Anwar Sadat (1918-1981) was assassinated in Cairo by Muslim fundamentalists while watching a military parade. He had shared the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize with Menachem Begin of Israel. He had signed an American-sponsored peace accord with Israel, but had been denounced by other Arab leaders.
October 7, 1765 - The Stamp Act Congress convened in New York City with representatives from nine colonies meeting in protest to the British Stamp Act which imposed the first direct tax by the British Crown upon the American colonies.
October 8, 1998 - The U.S. House of Representatives voted 258-176 to approve a resolution launching an impeachment inquiry of President Bill Clinton. It was only the third time in U.S. history the House launched a formal impeachment inquiry of a sitting president. (The other two: Andrew Johnson and Richard Nixon).
October 9, 1962 - Uganda achieved independence after nearly 70 years of British rule.
October 10, 1973 - Spiro T. Agnew (1918-1996) resigned the office of Vice President of the United States amid charges of income tax evasion on illegal payments allegedly received while he was governor of Maryland and after he became Vice President. He was later given a $10,000 fine and sentenced to serve three years probation. He was succeeded as Vice President by Gerald R. Ford, who went on to become President after the resignation of Richard M. Nixon.
October 11, 1939 - Albert Einstein warned President Franklin D. Roosevelt that his theories could lead to Nazi Germany's development of an atomic bomb. Einstein suggested the U.S. develop its own bomb. This resulted in the top secret "Manhattan Project."
October 12, 1492 - After a 33-day voyage, Christopher Columbus made his first landfall in the New World in the Bahamas. He named the first land sighted as El Salvador, claiming it in the name of the Spanish Crown. Columbus was seeking a western sea route from Europe to Asia and believed he had found an island of the Indies. He thus called the first island natives he met, 'Indians.'
October 13, 1775 - The United States Navy was born after the Second Continental Congress authorized the acquisition of a fleet of ships.
October 14, 1912 - Former President Theodore Roosevelt was shot by a fanatic while campaigning in Milwaukee. Roosevelt was saved by his thick overcoat, a glasses case and a folded speech in his breast pocket, all of which slowed the bullet. Although wounded, he insisted on making the speech with the bullet lodged in his chest and did not go to the hospital until the meeting ended. Roosevelt, a rugged outdoorsman, fully recovered in two weeks.
October 15, 1991 - The U.S. Senate confirmed Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court by a 52-48 vote following several days of tumultuous hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee concerning sexual harassment charges made by a former aide. Thomas became the second African American to sit on the Court, replacing retired Justice Thurgood Marshall, an African American.
October 16, 1853 - The Crimean War began after the Turkish Ottoman Empire declared war on Russia, Britain, France and portions of Italy allied with the Turks against Russia. It became the first war observed up close by newspaper reporters and photographers. One of the battles was immortalized in Tennyson's poem, The Charge of the Light Brigade. Amid poor sanitary conditions, disease killed many wounded French and British troops. British nurse Florence Nightingale then pioneered modern-style sanitation methods, saving many lives.
October 17, 1777 - During the American Revolutionary War, British General John Burgoyne and his entire army of 5,700 men surrendered to American General Horatio Gates after the Battle of Saratoga, the first big American victory.
October 18, 1945 - The Nuremberg War Crimes Trial began with indictments against 24 former Nazi leaders including Hermann Göring and Albert Speer. The trial lasted 10 months, with delivery of the judgment completed on October 1, 1946. Twelve Nazis were sentenced to death by hanging, three to life imprisonment, four to lesser prison terms, and three were acquitted.
October 19, 1781 - As their band played The World Turned Upside Down, the British Army marched out in formation and surrendered to the Americans at Yorktown. More than 7,000 British and Hessian troops, led by British General Lord Cornwallis, surrendered to General George Washington. The war between Britain and its American colonies was effectively ended. The final peace treaty was signed in Paris on September 3, 1783.
October 20, 1944 - During World War II in the Pacific, General Douglas MacArthur set foot on Philippine soil for the first time since his escape in 1942, fulfilling his promise, "I shall return."
October 21, 1805 - The Battle of Trafalgar took place between the British Royal Navy and the combined French and Spanish fleets. The victorious British ended the threat of Napoleon's invasion of England. British naval hero Admiral Horatio Nelson was mortally wounded aboard his ship Victory.
October 22, 1962 - President John F. Kennedy appeared on television to inform Americans of the existence of Russian missiles in Cuba. The President demanded their removal and announced a naval "quarantine" of Cuba. Six days later, the Russians announced they would remove the weapons. In return, the U.S. later removed missiles from Turkey.
October 23, 1942 - British General Bernard Montgomery launched a major offensive against German forces under Erwin Rommel at El Alamein, Egypt.
October 24, 1861 - The first transcontinental telegram in America was sent from San Francisco to Washington, addressed to President Abraham Lincoln from the Chief Justice of California.
October 25-30, 1983 - The Caribbean island of Grenada was invaded by the U.S. to restore "order and democracy." Over 2,000 Marines and Army Rangers seized control after a political coup the previous week had made the island a "Soviet-Cuban colony," according to President Ronald Reagan.
October 26, 1881 - The shoot-out at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, occurred between the feuding Clanton and Earp families. Wyatt Earp, two of his brothers and "Doc" Holliday gunned down two Clantons and two others.
October 27, 1787 - The first of 85 Federalist Papers appeared in print in a New York City newspaper. The essays argued for the adoption of the new U.S. Constitution. They were written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay.
October 28, 1949 - Helen Anderson became the first woman ambassador, appointed by President Harry Truman to be Ambassador to Denmark.
October 29, 1618 - British explorer Sir Walter Raleigh was executed in London for treason on orders from King James I.
October 30, 1938 - The War of the Worlds radio broadcast panicked millions of Americans. Actor Orson Welles and the Mercury Players dramatized the story by H.G. Wells depicting a Martian invasion of New Jersey. Their script utilized simulated radio news bulletins which many listeners thought were real.
October 31, 1941 - Mount Rushmore National Memorial was completed after 14 years of work. The memorial contains 60-foot-tall sculptures of the heads of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt - representing America's founding, political philosophy, preservation, and expansion and conservation.
PARTING THOUGHTS
While doing some fall cleaning at my parents’ house, I came across books that brought back wonderful memories. My parents bought my sister and me a set of encyclopedias, and I spent countless hours turning those pages. Along with classics like Robinson Crusoe and The Three Musketeers, they helped spark my lifelong love of reading.
I hope the next generation discovers that same joy. This October, consider giving a young person a book—or sharing a favorite story with them. You never know which page might open up a whole new world. Together, we can put a dent in high school illiteracy by purchasing a book for our children and encouraging them to read. October is a good place to begin. Until next time, enjoy this festive month and look out for my next newsletter in November.