Jason Pinchoff (PINCH NYC & The Linda B. Pinchoff Foundation)
Dealing with a health crisis or the death of a family member is never easy, but for Jason Pinchoff, tragedy struck all at once. In 1992, Pinchoff lost his father and sister in a car accident. Later that year, he lost his mother to breast cancer. This series of personal misfortunes led Pinchoff to found the Linda B. Pinchoff Foundation, an organization named for his mother and dedicated to supporting and "bringing a voice" to families affected by cancer.
"My first approach was to work 80 hours a week and not tell anyone what was going on," Pinchoff said. "I realized so many people become silent due to disease-related issues, which is one of the main reasons I launched the foundation. It gave me a chance to use my history to help others."
Through his journey of self-healing, Pinchoff recalled the lessons he learned from his family. He was raised to keep fighting and never allow any situation to stop him, he said. This instilled perseverance, helping him push past his fears and follow his passion — which ultimately led him to start a clothing company, PINCH NYC, to help support the Linda B. Pinchoff Foundation.
"Being an entrepreneur is one of the greatest highs, but it comes with a lot of stress and a lot of worries," Pinchoff said. "You have to be ready for the good and bad ... and never let any of that stop what you believe in and what you are doing. I see too many people who want to start a small business but [fail] because they don't truly have that heart, which no book can teach you. You have to be willing to risk several hard years for great years ahead."