The JoziStyle Cancer Project

I’ve started a new campaign called The JoziStyle Cancer Project.

This project was born from my own experience with cancer. When I was diagnosed in 2023, I genuinely believed I was going to make a quick recovery and carry on with life as usual. I can’t tell you how wrong I was.

Those treatments stretched over eight gruelling months, and recovering from the side effects has taken even longer, and counting. I was very fortunate, though. I had so many people reaching out with messages of support. Not quite condolences—but if they did, maybe that was just wishful thinking on their part?

No one was actually wishing me condolences (thankfully), but what really stood out was the number of people who privately reached out to tell me they were going through their own cancer journey – silently. They were too afraid to speak up. And do you know what the number one fear is when people are diagnosed with cancer?

Losing their job.

I always thought that fear was irrational until I lived it. Discrimination is very, very real. Especially in the workplace. And it struck me as more than just odd. It struck me as morally wrong. At the time people need the most support – physically, emotionally, and financially, they often feel completely abandoned.

Worse still, they’re forced to hide their illness, their side effects, their vulnerability. Instead of focusing on recovery, they’re focused on pretending everything is fine. Cancer doesn’t just affect your body. It hits your career, your relationships, and your mental health. And being forced to suffer in silence just makes it all worse.

So, that’s why I launched the JoziStyle Cancer Project. It’s an awareness campaign using all of my media platforms – blog, radio, and social media, to create real conversations. The kind of conversations we need in our communities, especially in our workplaces. Not just for people with cancer, but for anyone facing a personal crisis.

I’ll never forget one woman I met during radiation. We had to go in daily, five days a week, for five weeks. And she was desperately trying to reschedule all her treatments around her job. I remember thinking shouldn’t it be the other way around? Shouldn’t her job be working around her radiation schedule?

And that’s what this project is about: early detection, prevention, and more importantly, supportive workplaces.

I’ll be creating free, downloadable toolkits and online training materials. I’ve been researching topics like “cancer in the workplace,” and I realised I can make these resources freely available online. Not just for people with cancer, but for the HR teams and CEOs who need to understand how to support them. From the boardroom to the break room.

If you’d like to get involved, I’ve set up a BackaBuddy fundraising campaign. No donation is too big or too small—it all goes directly towards creating high-impact, accessible resources.

I know I can’t be everywhere or everything to everyone. But digital materials can be. They’re global, and they’re always accessible. Still, I also want to go further. I want to host in-person workshops and events, especially for HR professionals, team leaders, and staff, because sometimes a face-to-face conversation can be life-changing.

Support doesn’t always mean money. It means time. It means being available.

Two things I recommend every business puts into policy:

1. Offer flexibility. Let people work from home, start late, and leave early. Whatever they need. With modern technology, there’s no excuse for not being adaptable.
2. Recognise energy fluctuations. Some days, getting out of bed is an achievement. But it doesn’t mean someone can’t reply to an email or attend a Zoom call.

When I was in treatment, my sleeping patterns and energy levels were constantly shifting. Sometimes I needed to ease into the day. Sometimes radiation was delayed. And radiation isn’t just “15 minutes and you’re out.” Sometimes it’s waiting, or being poked and positioned into the right angle.

And you shouldn’t feel guilty for being late, or taking an extra 30 minutes for lunch, because, newsflash, cancer patients still need to eat. A little grace goes a long way. Better yet? Just say, “It’s fine.”

Some companies, shockingly, are still rigid. And we need to talk about that.

Because here’s the truth: when you support someone through a life-threatening illness, you earn their loyalty forever.

I also want to roll out digital activations and awareness campaigns: short, punchy, targeted content to push early detection and prevention. I’ve looked at countless cancer organisations (as one does at 2am), and they’re doing incredible work. For a moment, I thought, “What could I possibly add?”

But then I remembered – I’ve got a voice. I’ve got platforms. I’ve got a different way of talking about things. People keep telling me, “You need to speak up.” So maybe that’s my contribution. Maybe I reach a different audience. Or a bigger one. Or maybe just one person who hears something, gets tested, and catches their cancer early.

If we can do that – just one person – then we’ve made a difference.

I’m also looking for corporate sponsors, because there are so many ways we can raise awareness, especially about cancer in the workplace. I’ve got big goals. Huge ambitions. One suggestion that came up again and again was, “Why not do a corporate training video?”

I did a Udemy course on content marketing, and honestly, it was a mission. Filming, editing, re-filming—it’s labour intensive. But this – this is worth it.

So, I’m planning a series of professionally produced training videos. One version for people living with cancer, and another for HR professionals. These will be freely available online, on Udemy, YouTube, my blog – everywhere.

It’s not about creating content. It’s about making it freely accessible.

And proudly South African, of course. Proudly JoziStyle, I might add.

Naturally, there will be a media launch. Public. Loud. Open to all. Because this is just the beginning of something bigger.

Someone once said to me, “You should do motivational speaking. You should be a corporate trainer.” And I laughed because honestly? I just want to go for facials, sip cocktails, and eat good food. But when enough people tell you the same thing, you start to listen.

They told me, “You’ve got a presence. You’ve got authority.” I don’t know about that. I have opinions. Which is not quite the same thing. But apparently, that’s what resonates.

So that’s where we are. This is my JoziStyle shift from lifestyle to lifeline.

And I’m excited.

Excited for what we’re building.

Excited to do it with you.

If you’d like to support The JoziStyle Cancer Project, visit BackaBuddy. Whether it’s a donation, a share, or simply spreading the word, it all helps.