When Motherhood, Cancer & a Bold Brand Collide: Alexandra Rutkay

What happens when life throws you cancer, a new baby, and a pandemic, all at once? If you’re Alexandra Rutkay, you build something beautiful anyway.

In this episode, Alex, founder of Citymouse, @citymouse_ny opens up about the chaos and clarity that came from facing a rare cancer diagnosis while navigating early motherhood in New York City. She shares how surviving the unimaginable inspired her to create a parenting brand that’s as stylish as it is practical and how an $8,500 investment turned into a seven-figure business in just two years, all while raising her kids and healing her body and mind.

Alex talks candidly about the messiness behind the highlight reel: finding strength in her support network, leaning into therapy, trusting her gut over business trends, and designing bags that help parents feel prepared and a little bit cool amid the daily chaos.

We dig into:

• How she balanced chemotherapy appointments with playdates and prototypes

• The behind-the-scenes of launching a brand from her living room

• Why community and authenticity are non-negotiables in business

• How fear can freeze us and what happens when we face it head-on

• Her hard-won wisdom on time management, mental health, and creating real moments of peace

Alex’s story is proof that it’s never too late to start over, dream bigger, or do motherhood on your own terms, with a diaper bag you actually want to carry.

If you need a reminder that reinvention is possible (and worth it), this one’s for you.

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