Trusting the Vision: Alex's Journey to Confidence and Entrepreneurship
By Marcia Wall, MA, CCSP, GCDF, Work Proudly Program Manager
When Alex first connected with the Work Proudly Program, he was searching for a career path that would offer greater stability, flexibility, and hope for the future. Living with cystic fibrosis had made navigating traditional employment challenging, and Alex knew he needed to find work that better aligned with both his goals and his long-term well-being.
Initially, Alex was focused on exploring remote work and IT-related opportunities. But as the coaching process unfolded, something bigger began to emerge.
Through career coaching, assessments, and ongoing conversations, Alex began to recognize what had long been present beneath the surface: a strong entrepreneurial spirit, a creative mind, and a vision for building experiences that bring people together. What started as a search for a sustainable job gradually evolved into something far more transformational: the confidence to pursue the kind of future he truly wanted for himself.
Throughout his time in the program, Alex stood out as bright, ambitious, thoughtful, and deeply visionary. His entrepreneurial ideas extended beyond simply starting a business. He spoke passionately about creating engaging multicultural experiences rooted in food, creativity, nightlife, and community connection. One of those ideas, Later Tater, a food truck concept he began developing during the program, became an exciting symbol of that growing confidence and momentum.
For Alex, one of the most meaningful parts of the experience was realizing that the instincts and ambitions he had carried for years were not unrealistic dreams, but strengths worth trusting and pursuing. Reflecting on the experience, Alex shared that receiving validation from a career professional helped confirm “that what I have felt in my soul for years now of being an entrepreneur, that that is true.”
That personal growth quickly translated into real-world opportunities.
During his time in the Work Proudly Program, Alex accepted two new positions, including a role with Costco, a company he had long hoped to work for because of its strong health coverage benefits. He also accepted an opportunity to help expand a friend’s business, opening the door to an exciting new professional and personal chapter.
Perhaps even more importantly, Alex began to see himself differently. The uncertainty and self-doubt that had once shaped much of his thinking gave way to greater confidence, direction, and belief in his future. By the conclusion of the program, he described feeling highly confident about his career path and optimistic about what lies ahead.
Today, Alex is continuing to pursue his entrepreneurial goals while building a life that better supports both his ambitions and his health needs. Looking back on the experience, he reflected that without the support of Claire’s Place Foundation and the Work Proudly Program, he might still be “trying to figure out what to do with my life and how to make something out of it professionally.”
His story reflects what the Work Proudly Program is all about: helping individuals living with cystic fibrosis recognize their strengths, build confidence, and pursue meaningful and sustainable futures on their own terms.
This program is made possible, in part, by funding from The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Viatris Pharmaceuticals and The Open Hearts Foundation.
About the Author
Marcia Wall, MA, CCSP, GCDF, serves as Program Manager for Claire's Place Foundation's Work Proudly Program. With extensive experience in career development and workforce readiness, Marcia helps adults living with cystic fibrosis and caregivers identify their strengths, build confidence, and pursue meaningful employment and educational opportunities.