We were lucky to catch up with Leah Koskinen recently and have shared our conversation below.
Leah, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I’d say ultimately my purpose found me but it wasn’t as easy as that sounds! After my son was born, I decided that I would quit my job to focus on our family. Shortly after this decision, we moved our family from Michigan to Canada for 2.5 years for my husband’s job. I’ve always been a go-getter so quitting my full-time job that I started right out of college was a big adjustment for me and then on top of that moving to another country really through me off balance. But then a handful of months after our big move, I was diagnosed with Stage III Melanoma. Off balance then became an understatement. I received a call from the doctor in April of 2018 and was having surgery at University of Michigan to remove the cancer in May 2018. It all happened so fast, which I am grateful for but my mental health could not keep up with all the changes happening in my life. How did my identity go from career women to SAHM + cancer patient in under 2 years? After a cancer diagnosis there is no “getting back to normal life” there is only the person you were before cancer and the person you become after cancer. I knew I needed something in my day to day that would fulfill me beyond my mom duties because surviving a full-day at home was really starting to feel like a struggle. I have never once regretted the choice to stay home and I will be eternally grateful to my husband for the opportunity and that time with my son at a young age that I will never get back but for my mental health, I needed more in my days than baby talk and playing on the carpet. I dived into an online training course to become certified as a life + health coach to help other moms manage all the things in a day for their kid(s) while also making themselves a priority. It was exactly what I needed at that time as my cup gets filled when I’m helping others. I had scheduled talks with adults and it helped hold me accountable to my own health. I had numerous clients for a handful of years and then I took a break to focus on expanding our family. With a Melanoma diagnosis, it’s one of the few cancers that can get to the fetus so that pregnancy was incredibly stressful and I needed to slow down and focus on myself and my family for the time being. After my daughter was born and we received confirmation we all were healthy, I took a look at everything I had done in the years past and pulled out what I liked most about each aspect of the responsibility. Which lead me right into where my true purpose is: being a skin cancer advocate, educator and mentor. I’ve taken my diagnosis and used what I’ve learned and experienced to teach others (especially kids) the importance of sun safety and I’ve used my coaching background to be a mentor and patient advisor for other melanoma patients and survivors. While I wouldn’t be a skin cancer specific advocate if it wasn’t for my diagnosis, it’s because of me that I have chosen to get out of my comfort zone day after day and decide what feels central to my mission. For me, purpose wasn’t a direct route but a scenic route.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Almost 7 years ago, at the age of 24, shortly after my son’s first birthday, I was diagnosed with Stage III Melanoma. It was an event that completely shifted my perspective and changed the course of my life.
Through my @MakeDermSure Instagram account and community work, my mission is to turn my story into purpose—to advocate for skin checks, to empower families through sun safety education, and to raise awareness about Melanoma in a way that feels personal and actionable. I’m especially passionate about helping parents understand the importance of sun safety—not just for themselves, but for their children too.
If sharing my journey helps even one person pause to check a mole, schedule a dermatologist appointment, or apply sunscreen a little more often, then every part of this work has been worth it.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
In order to do anything well, there needs to be authentic passion.
Follow Your Curiosity – Pay attention to what excites you, what you keep coming back to, or what you lose track of time doing. Passion often starts as a spark of curiosity.
Reflect on Your Story – Think about the challenges you’ve overcome, the moments that have shaped you, and the issues you can’t ignore. Often, our passions grow out of lived experiences.
Experiment and Explore – Passion rarely arrives fully formed. Try new things, volunteer, learn, and say yes to opportunities. Discovery comes through action.
Notice Where You Feel Energy – Ask yourself: after doing this, do I feel drained or energized? Passion tends to give you energy, even when it’s hard work.
Connect Passion to Purpose – True passion often has impact. Think about how your interests can serve others or contribute to something bigger than yourself.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
Without books, I’m not sure I would have survived the thick of my cancer diagnosis + adjusting to life after. I’ve been a bibliophile ever since and with that in mind, I can’t pick just one book. So here’s a short quote from 2 books I vividly remember reading repeatedly and highlighting during the worst times.
Purpose fuels persistence. Reasons come before results. If you don’t have a stack of heart-based, compelling, true-to-you reasons why this must get figured out, it won’t.
— Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo
You need to let yourself wallow in it sometimes but you can’t stay there. Stand up and do a Celebration Blitz. Spend 3 minutes celebrating your tiny successes.
— Tiny Habits: BJ Fogg
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makedermsure/
Image Credits
Kylie Cupples Photography
