By Desiree Williams
From losing her husband to moving back home to starting a new job, Amanda Clark has been through a lot in the last six years.
It all began in 2011 when her husband, Joe, was diagnosed with colon cancer two months before their wedding. Together, they started Cocktails and Chemo, a blog where they could tell their story how they wanted it to be told and connect with others going down a similar path.
“We thought it was really important to share with other people what really happens when someone has cancer and how it affects the whole family,” Clark said. “We were very raw and very personal through all of it.”
In 2013, Clark left her job as a TV news reporter in Florida to care for her husband. After he died in 2014, Clark turned the blog into a nonprofit in his memory. The nonprofit is dedicated to supporting caregivers through care packages, events and grants.
“Not only has (the foundation) allowed me to have this whole network of people and do this, but also to get a new job and have a fresh start,” Clark said. “(My husband) prepared me for all that. The way he supported me, oh my gosh, he’d be so proud of me.”
Clark joined THE PLAID AGENCY, a marketing, advertising and public relations firm in Carmel April 10 as the communications specialist. She handles public relations for clients.
Samantha Schwartz, CEO of THE PLAID AGENCY, followed Clark’s journey online and mutual friends allowed them to meet when Clark moved back to Indiana one year ago.
“Our business is really rooted in life, team, grit, and so that whole personality of each of our PLAIDmates is so important and the way that she has demonstrated those things throughout her personal life is so critical, so it’s just the best,” Schwartz said.
Clark said it was the perfect time to jump into something new, and the position is an ideal blend of her skills from working in TV news and developing a nonprofit.
“I’m basically restarting my entire life, and this has been a really good step so far,” Clark said.
