Let’s dive into our super fun mini-series that’s all about celebrating a few cool entrepreneurs! PaSH is centered around sharing inspiring stories, breaking down stereotypes, and sharing the authentic, behind-the-scenes moments that make entrepreneurs so amazing. Let’s dive into, “How This Publicist Built Her Business Through Chemotherapy”.
Meet Lindsey A. Walker
Lindsey A. Walker is the CEO and lead publicist of Walker + Associates Media Group, an Atlanta and St. Louis-based public relations firm. As a 13-year entrepreneur, she has built her company to work with founders, visionaries and creatives in a plethora of sectors.
At age 27, Lindsey was diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Demonstrating remarkable resilience, she continued running her flourishing PR firm throughout six months of chemotherapy treatment at Siteman Cancer Center. Today, she is cancer-free and uses her experience to inspire others.
Lindsey is the author of “Thriving Through The Storm,” a memoir chronicling her cancer journey. A Jackson State University alumna, she serves as a keynote speaker on entrepreneurship, cancer survivorship, and leadership. She is passionate about encouraging Black women entrepreneurs to prioritize self-care and is on a mission to spread hope and faith to others facing life’s challenges.
Take us back to the moment you were told, “You have cancer.” What went through your mind?
When I first heard the words “stage four cancer,” I was stunned. It didn’t feel real. I had just started hitting my stride as an entrepreneur, and suddenly my world was turned upside down. I couldn’t process it. I had no idea what this meant for my future or how I was supposed to keep moving forward. There were so many unknowns, and I felt overwhelmed. I wasn’t prepared for the physical, emotional, or spiritual battle ahead and in that moment, all I felt was confusion and frustration.
What was your life like before the diagnosis (personally and professionally)?
Before my diagnosis, life was nonstop. I was running a fast-growing agency, and professionally, things were taking off. I was landing clients, booking opportunities, and doing everything I could to build something impactful. I was hungry for success and willing to work around the clock to get there.
But personally? I was barely making time for myself. I wasn’t slowing down, I wasn’t resting, and I definitely wasn’t prioritizing my health. I was so focused on building the business that I didn’t realize how much I was neglecting me. From the outside, everything looked like it was on track but inside, I was running on fumes. I just didn’t know it yet.
How did your identity as a publicist and entrepreneur shape how you faced your diagnosis?
My identity as a publicist and entrepreneur absolutely shaped how I navigated my diagnosis. I knew I would not be able to show up the same way, especially on social media, so I made the decision to share my diagnosis publicly. I posted on Facebook and let everyone know what was happening, but I also declared that I believed God for my healing.
That moment was therapeutic. It created space for so many people to speak life over me. I still have the messages, the DMs, the texts. Sometimes I go back and read them or watch the live videos I shared during that time. Even while I was going through, I was still encouraging others. I was still praying for people. That experience helped me build a deeper sense of community, and it reminded me that even in the middle of pain, you can still pour into others and be poured into.
Were there moments when you felt like giving up? What helped you hold on?
There were definitely moments when I wanted to give up. I remember telling my mother that I was tired. Treatment was a lot. Being poked and prodded constantly took a toll on me. I even have a scar on my left arm from a phlebotomist who was negligent. It was painful physically and emotionally.
But what kept me going was knowing there was an end in mind. I believed I was going to beat the diagnosis. I had an incredible oncology team who supported me every step of the way. My family and friends showed up for me in ways I will never forget. And most of all, my faith carried me. I prayed. I cried out. And even in those hard moments, I was still able to see the goodness and the glory of God. That is what helped me hold on.
What role did your faith play during your treatment and recovery?
My faith was and is everything. It was the foundation that kept me grounded when everything around me felt like it was falling apart. I leaned on God in a way I never had before. I prayed constantly. I cried out. And even in the middle of the pain, the fear, and the uncertainty, I could still see His hand on my life.
There were moments when I felt like giving up, but I held on because I believed there was purpose on the other side. I trusted that God was going to heal me. I declared it early on, even publicly, because I needed to speak life over myself. And He surrounded me with the right people: doctors, family, friends who helped carry me through.
Faith reminded me that I was not walking through this alone, and it gave me the strength to keep showing up. Not just for myself, but for others too. I was still praying for people and encouraging them while I was going through my own storm. That is the power of faith. It helped me survive, and more than that, it helped me thrive.
How did your battle with cancer redefine your idea of strength?
Having a Stage IV cancer diagnosis completely redefined what strength means to me. I used to think strength was about pushing through, always showing up, always being “on.” But I learned that real strength is much quieter than that.
Sometimes strength is crying out to God in the middle of the night. Sometimes it is sitting in silence, trying to catch your breath. Sometimes it is making the decision to walk into treatment when every part of you wants to run the other way. Strength is not about how loud you are—it is about the quiet choices you make to keep going, even when it is hard, even when it hurts.
That kind of strength comes from a deeper place. It comes from knowing that what you are facing is part of your journey, and that on the other side of the pain, there is purpose.
What inspired you to keep building your business while undergoing treatment?
Continuing to build my business during treatment gave me a sense of purpose and normalcy in the middle of so much uncertainty. It helped me feel like myself. I needed to see myself still living, still creating, still moving forward even when my body felt weak.
I was used to working nonstop, and while I had to adjust my pace, I could not let go of the vision God gave me. My business was not just about me it was about the people I was called to serve. It reminded me that there was still more for me to do.
There were days I was exhausted and hurting, but the work kept me grounded. It became a form of resistance and hope. I believed I was going to make it through, and building while healing was my way of declaring that I still had something to live for, something to fight for, and something to finish.
What does the phrase “thriving through the storm” mean to you now?
“Thriving through the storm” means choosing to live, not just survive, in the middle of life’s hardest battles. It means deciding that your circumstance will not have the final say. It is holding onto faith when everything feels uncertain, and trusting that there is purpose in the pain.
For me, thriving looked like continuing to build my business while navigating chemo. It looked like encouraging others, even while I was struggling myself. It meant believing that God would heal me and declaring that healing out loud. Thriving was in the quiet moments of surrender, in the prayers, in the tears, and in the choice to keep going.
Now, thriving through the storm means showing up for myself fully, spiritually, emotionally, physically and helping others do the same. It is about wholeness, not just survival. And it is proof that even in the middle of the storm, there is still life, there is still joy, and there is still victory.
What made you decide to turn your story into a documentary?
I knew I had to turn my story into a documentary because I wanted people to see what thriving really looks like, not just surviving, but truly living beyond the diagnosis. I wanted to create something that showed others what’s possible. For so long, I carried the weight of my journey quietly, but I realized that sharing it could give someone else hope.
This film is my way of saying: you are not your current circumstance. Your pain, your storm, it’s a setup for something greater. I believe God uses our lowest moments as a launching pad for the next level. And if my story can be a reminder that there is better on the other side, then it was worth putting it all on camera.
Thank you for reading this addition to our mini-series. To read more amazing Q & A’s click here or check back next month.
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