Community Highlights: Meet Sonya Jury of BusinessSherpa

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sonya Jury

Hi SONYA, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story is now a book that I authored and published in April called “Mom Forgot My Birthday: A Daughter’s Journey Through Alzheimer’s.”

It takes readers through my caregiving journey with my mother, Dean, who was diagnosed with dementia and eventually Alzheimer’s in 2012. At the time, I didn’t know anything about the disease and there weren’t a lot of resources available.

The title of the book comes from my birthday (May 28th) that year. I would go to the mailbox to check for a card from my mom on the days leading up to my birthday. I was looking forward to the brightly colored envelope, the birthday stickers that she would decorate it with, seeing my mom’s cursive handwriting. But the card never came. It was the first time in my 47 years that my mom had forgotten my birthday and, at the time, it was very hard for me to understand. I knew things were going to be different, but I didn’t realize how different they were going to be.

The book is broken up into three parts:
Early-stage Alzheimer’s (mild)
Middle-stage Alzheimer’s (moderate)
Late-stage Alzheimer’s (severe)

I organized the stories that way because I want people to understand the evolution of the disease and the impact it can have on their caregivers and loved ones.

This is not a “how-to” book, but a “how-not-to” book. It highlights the lessons I learned along the way, many of which are relevant in any caregiving situation.

My mother lived with late-stage Alzheimer’s for one year before she passed away in April of 2017. When I think back on those five years, a lot of it is still hard to believe.

In 2022, I went out with some friends to dinner and I told my friend, Mona, that I thought I should write a book and she said, “Do it!” She then introduced me to Lisa Allen who helped me through the process. Writing the book was therapeutic, but the real reason I did it is to help others. I want other caregivers to know that they are not alone and they need help.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There were countless challenges throughout my caregiving journey. Here are a few lessons from those obstacles that I highlight in the book:

-When you create a legally binding durable power of attorney document, ensure you also grant power to someone other than your significant other and give them copies.

-Speak to your family, your entire family, about your wishes. Don’t be shy. Let them know exactly what you do and don’t want. Let them know your definition of quality of life.

-Don’t leave your life for someone else to pick up the pieces.

Some of the things that I found most challenging when I became a caregiver were around not knowing what to do and, in some cases, not having the authority to do it. If you talk to your loved ones about these things before a situation arises, it makes it much easier on them and they can feel more confident that they are doing the right thing. Caregiving comes with a lot of guilt and having these things in place can help alleviate some of it.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about BusinessSherpa?
I’m a recovering architect and six years ago I made the career leap to become an EOS Implementer. I help Leadership Teams clarify their vision, drive healthy growth, and live more balanced lives using the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). In 2019, I became an EOS Implementer to help entrepreneurs get everything they want from their business.

Now I’m an entrepreneur, again, and my business is called Business Sherpa. I have clients across the U.S. and I’m always looking to partner with organizations to help them operate more efficiently.

What does success mean to you?
From a caregiving perspective, success is your personal well-being. Your loved one will have good days and bad and you need to make sure that you are taking care of yourself first, so you can be a good caregiver to them. As I say in my book, “Put on your oxygen mask first.”

From an EOS perspective, success is getting what you want from your business and taking it to new heights. I help business owners bring clarity, focus, prosperity, and health back into their entrepreneurial journey.

From a personal perspective, it’s helping others. Helping other caregivers. Helping other entrepreneurs. I’ve learned so much and I think it’s important to share that knowledge and the “how-not-to” knowledge with others.

Pricing:

• Book: $17.95
• EOS Services – Schedule a call on my website

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.businesssherpa.org/
• Instagram: @sonyajury
• Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Mom-Forgot-Birthday-Daughters-Alzheimers/dp/B0CYMZTDW2
• Other: https://www.eosworldwide.com/sonya-jury