"Advocating for oneself does not ever end," with Guest Liz Benditt, Founder of The Balm Box

07/06/22 • 56 min

3 Listeners

This week’s guest is Liz Benditt, founder of The Balm Box and part-time professor at the University of Kansas.

She earned her undergraduate degree in Broadcast Film Communications. Following school, Liz worked at Disney before pursing her MBA at to USC. During her career, she has worked for major retailers and the Lyric Opera of Kansas City.

Four cancer diagnoses and recoveries over the course of 8 years launched her company. After receiving gifts that were well-intentioned but not useful, she wondered if other people felt the same. Though the idea came to Liz back in 2017 but it wasn’t until the pandemic that she had time to explore it. In 2020, The Balm Box launched. The unique site provides shoppers with practical gifting options for cancer patients.

Throughout her life Liz has also been involved in her community but in 2016, her political advocacy started after the election of Donald Trump. In 2017, in response to a school superintendent’s view of the safety pin movement, Liz and others founded Education First Shawnee Mission, and advocacy group for her local school district. She’ll also be on the board of the National Charity League.

Hear about where she found her positivity in adversity and more in this episode. She also shares advice on self-advocacy regarding health and otherwise.

Note from Rabiah (Host):

I say it a lot but I’m really fortunate to get the chance to speak with the people I do while creating More Than Work. Liz is an extraordinary woman. There are many gifting website that people can visit of course but not all have been created so thoughtfully. After seeing close friends and family go through cancer and thinking of what I could do to help, I can say a site like hers is invaluable. We chat about service and her community involvement politically and otherwise. We also delve into acknowledging our own privilege. Lastly, as someone who has had to advocate for my health, I am truly inspired by how she has fought so hard for hers. Liz is so honest and grounded and I hope you love listening as much as I did.

+++++

Find Liz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBalmBox

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BalmBoxIG

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/BoxBalm

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/balm-box-llc/

+++++

Mentioned in this episode:

Hallmark: https://www.hallmark.com/

National Charity League: https://www.nationalcharityleague.org/

Education First Shawnee Mission: https://educationfirstshawneemission.org/

+++++

More than Work Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @morethanworkpod Please review and follow anywhere you get podcasts. Thank you for listening. Have feedback? Email morethanworkpod(at)gmail.com!

Mentioned in this episode:

Tragic SCOTUS Ruling on Roe v Wade

Help those impacted by the overturning of Roe v. Wade. https://www.podvoices.help/speak-up

This week’s guest is Liz Benditt, founder of The Balm Box and part-time professor at the University of Kansas.

Hear about where she found her positivity in adversity and more in this episode. She also shares advice on self-advocacy regarding health and otherwise.

Note from Rabiah (Host):

+++++

Find Liz

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBalmBox

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BalmBoxIG

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/BoxBalm

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/balm-box-llc/

+++++

Mentioned in this episode:

Hallmark: https://www.hallmark.com/

National Charity League: https://www.nationalcharityleague.org/

Education First Shawnee Mission: https://educationfirstshawneemission.org/

+++++

More than Work Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @morethanworkpod Please review and follow anywhere you get podcasts. Thank you for listening. Have feedback? Email morethanworkpod(at)gmail.com!

Mentioned in this episode:

Tragic SCOTUS Ruling on Roe v Wade

Help those impacted by the overturning of Roe v. Wade. https://www.podvoices.help/speak-up

Previous Episode

"You deserve a voice at the table," with School Board Candidate and Activist Andrew Taban

This week’s guest is Andrew Taban, school board candidate and activist.

Andrew grew up in Santa Clarita, CA, a community north of Los Angeles. Some may recognize it as the home of Magic Mountain. He is now running for William S Hart Union School District Trustee Area 2.

Andrew’s participation in his community started at age 13. He became an activist in response to school budget cuts taking away the chance for kids to take part in a promotion ceremony from junior high to high school.

In high school worked in the GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) and joined board of PFLAG. He has worked as an education advocate and youth-based non-profits including Lifeworks in Los Angeles which is part of the Los Angeles LGBT Center. We talk about all of this work and how he was impacted by the homeless youth who had come out and has helped facilitate conversations with parents.

During State Assembly person Christy Smith’s term, Andrew worked as the education liaison in the State Assembly. His current platform for his school board campaign is three-pronged focusing on representation, funding and student wellness.

Learn more about Andrew and may spark your own activism along the way!

Note from Rabiah (Host):

It’s Pride Month and I’m very proud to have had the chance to speak with Andrew for this episode. He is one of the people I thought of when I started the podcast because he has been so authentic in how he lives his life and pursues his goals since that first day. This episode is also my way of honoring the LGBTQIA+ this month which is very important to me. Happy pride.

At the top of the show, you’ll hear a pre-roll which indicates I support a woman’s right to choose. I do, wholeheartedly. The decision made by SCOTUS last week was appalling and is scary. I stand 100% in opposition to it and was proud to participate in the project to add this pre-roll in support of women to my podcast. Thank you to Arielle Nissenblatt from Squadcast for thinking of this and getting the project started.

+++++

Find Andrew

Website: https://www.andrewtaban.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndrewTabanCA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewtaban.ca/

+++++

Mentioned in this episode:

Christy Smith: https://www.christyforcongress.org/

PFLAG: https://pflag.org/

LifeWorks : https://lifeworksla.org/

Betty White: https://www.facebook.com/bettymwhite

Dolly Parton: https://dollyparton.com/

+++++

More than Work Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @morethanworkpod Please review and follow anywhere you get podcasts. Thank you for listening. Have feedback? Email morethanworkpod(at)gmail.com!

Mentioned in this episode:

Tragic SCOTUS Ruling on Roe v Wade

Help those impacted by the overturning of Roe v. Wade. https://www.podvoices.help/speak-up

Next Episode

Feed Drop - Creativity Found Podcast with Rabiah as the guest

1 Recommendations

For the first time on More Than Work, the podcast is doing a feed drop! This means that another podcast is dropping into this feed. Welcome Creativity Found podcast! The host and creator of Creativity found interviewed the host of More Than Work, Rabiah Coon, and that episode is featured here this week. We get into a few things I don’t get to dive into much like why I started comedy, where my creativity stems from and why I started this podcast!

Note from Rabiah (Host):

I have enjoyed meeting and getting to know Claire over the past year or more. She has a special podcast that gives a lot of inspiration and it was an honor to be her guest. I am glad to share this episode with you and will be back with a regular interview next week!

+++++

Find Claire and Rabiah

Creativity Found: creativityfound.co.uk

Rabiah Coon: https://www.rabiahsaid.com

+++++

Mentioned in this episode:

New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine

+++++

More than Work Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @morethanworkpod Please review and follow anywhere you get podcasts. Thank you for listening. Have feedback? Email morethanworkpod(at)gmail.com!

More Than Work - "Advocating for oneself does not ever end," with Guest Liz Benditt, Founder of The Balm Box

Transcript Summary

In this episode featuring guest Liz Benditt, the founder of The Balm Box, a gifting site for cancer patients, the high costs of advertising and shipping in her business are discussed. Liz Benditt actively manages shipping costs and adjusts prices, utilizing the freedom that comes with working for herself. Her company was born out of her personal experience with cancer, and she talks about being her own advocate in the medical system. Liz shares her involvement in political advocacy and community work, emphasizing the importance of gratitude and service. The episode also delves into her multiple cancer diagnoses and the challenges she faced in navigating treatment options. Overall, this episode highlights the importance of self-advocacy and finding supportive networks in one's journey, making it a compelling listen for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, healthcare advocacy, and personal resilience.

Transcript

00:00:08.070

Rabiah Coon (Host): This is More Than Work, the podcast reminding you that your self worth is made up of more than your job title. Each week, I'll talk to a guest about how they discovered that for themselves. You'll hear about what they did, what they're doing and who they are. I'm your host, Rabiah. I work in IT, perform standup comedy, write, volunteer, and of course podcast. Thank you for listening. Here we go!

00:00:34.271

Hey everyone, welcome

"Advocating for oneself does not ever end," with Guest Liz Benditt, Founder of The Balm Box Top Questions Answered

How does Liz Benditt manage shipping costs in her company?

Liz actively monitors changes in shipping costs and adjusts charges accordingly.

Why did Liz Benditt start her company, The Balm Box?

Liz started her company due to her personal experience with cancer, having experienced it multiple times.

How did Liz Benditt validate her idea for The Balm Box?

Liz launched a survey that went viral and received over 600 responses, indicating a disconnect between what cancer patients need and want versus what people typically buy for them.

What industry background does Liz Benditt have?

Liz's career background is in marketing, and she has worked in various roles on both the client and agency side.

How did Liz Benditt's corporate career prepare her for owning an e-commerce retail store?

Liz's corporate career served as a platform to prepare her for owning an e-commerce retail store.

What role did the pandemic play in Liz Benditt starting her own business?

The pandemic provided Liz with the opportunity to start her own business, as it aligned with other factors like teaching part-time at a university and having older children who can drive themselves.