Nonprofit Founder Talk with Lisa Norman

For the Love of Cups founder enjoying coffee

We were honored to partner with For the Love of Cups for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Through our BCA campaign, Kinflyte donated posture bras to the organization. Viv caught up with Lisa over a cup of coffee.

Personal Journey as a Breast Cancer Survivor

My mom is a two-time survivor. As a survivor myself, I've had an incredible support network, which includes my family, partner, and friends. When I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was troubled by the lack of information and loopholes in the medical system. At the time, I considered myself well informed given my family history.

So when I was diagnosed, I felt confused, alone, misinformed, and afraid. It was a hard reality check. I started to think about what other women must be going through. It lit a fire under me. I sought and collected information, which I knew I had to share with other women who are fighting for their lives.

I started For the Love of Cups because I believed in the power of collective knowledge and shared experiences.

For the Love of Cups, a 501(c)(3) organization  

I launched the organization in 2016, and originally started it as an online support group when I was unwell. I realized that an online community was the best way to connect with other survivors from all over the country. Initially, I pulled in my family and friends to build the group.

Inspiration behind the name For the Love of Cups

Love is a driving force of mine. It's the reason why I do anything. I wanted to help other women when it came to their wellbeing. Also, I have a small obsession with coffee and mugs. For the Love of Cups is a play on words in many ways.

Life is all about moments. We celebrate those moments around a beverage. It's how we celebrate things and how we quiet ourselves over a coffee, tea, or glass of wine. It can be a gentle reminder to slow down and savor the moment.

Vision behind Warrioresses Community

My vision is for our community of survivors to share their stories and show up for each other. When someone gets diagnosed or re-diagnosed it's important to connect these women in-person. It can be offering to drive someone to their next appointment, help with a meal, help with child care, or simply hold their hand.  

When support comes from another fellow survivor, women feel more accepting. Sometimes, survivors can feel like a burden to their own family and friends, and cannot always honestly share how they’re doing. They worry about "wearing out" the people closest to them. It can feel like you’re self-editing to those around you, even though it's all-consuming. Breast cancer becomes part of your life. 

For the Love of Cups Next Chapter 

When it comes to growth and expansion, I am working to pull in others that share the same mission and desires. There are two important things that need to happen. The first is the ability to reach more women with our message and community, which requires including more board members with a shared vision and passion. The second is alignment with more companies who can help us reach out to more women and get the word out. I want to build a large, meaningful community of supporters.

We are growing nationally. This year we blended the Warrioresses support community into the non-profit. We have an online network of over 6,000 women and have regular live meet ups in Florida, Seattle, Chicago, and here in California. 

How You Can Join & Support 
You can find us online and learn more about our organization at fortheloveofcups.org. There are different ways you can support, or you can join our Warrioresses community and connect with fellow survivors. We are on Facebook and Instagram, and you can direct message us.