Dildos, My Aunt, and Girl Scouts: What Built a Million-Dollar Business That Changed Cancer Warriors

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to honor strength, courage, and resilience. It is also a time to spotlight the women who refuse to accept that healing has to be sterile, lonely, or clinical. Few stories capture that spirit better than that of Sherry Norris, founder and owner of Alala, a South Carolina-based post-surgical boutique serving women navigating life after breast cancer.

Her story begins in a place few would expect: a living room filled with laughter, curiosity, and adult novelty products. What started as a small side business selling sex toys became the spark that eventually ignited a company changing thousands of women’s lives.

Sherry’s story proves that purpose can come from anywhere and that sometimes the most surprising beginnings build the strongest missions.

The Unlikely Start

From the time she was a child, Sherry Norris was an entrepreneur. She laughs when she calls herself a “serial starter,” but it’s true. She sold dandelions from neighbors’ yards as “weeding services.” She joined Amway in high school. She sold Tupperware and Mary Kay when her children were young. Each venture taught her something new about sales, service, and people.

Then came the business that changed everything.

After attending a sex toy party her mother-in-law recommended, Sherry realized there was real potential in the idea. She started hosting parties herself, and within months, she was earning more than she expected. Eventually, she launched her own company, Freya, named after the Norse goddess of love.

But Freya wasn’t just about selling products. It was about helping women feel confident and comfortable in their own bodies. That sense of empowerment, the belief that women deserve to feel whole, would become the foundation for everything she built later.

A Trade Show and a Turning Point

While attending a trade show in Las Vegas, Sherry noticed a vendor selling breast prostheses for transgender clients. Curious, she started asking questions. That conversation changed her life.

She learned that many women who had undergone mastectomies had to buy their prosthetics in medical supply stores that felt cold, impersonal, and uncomfortable. Some fittings were done in cluttered back rooms or sterile clinics.

At that same time, Sherry’s aunt was quietly fighting breast cancer. The thought of her, a modest, private woman, being fitted in such conditions stuck with Sherry. She started researching what it would take to create something better. A space that was warm, dignified, and personal.

For two years, she studied the industry, spoke with survivors, and imagined what that kind of boutique could look like. The idea stayed in her mind until one hot South Carolina afternoon at a Girl Scout camp.

The Girl Scout Camp Conversation

Sherry’s daughter was at camp, and the director, Kim Neel, was wearing a pink sweatshirt in the middle of August. Sherry asked why. Kim explained that she was going through breast cancer treatment and couldn’t find a bra that fit or felt comfortable.

That simple moment changed everything.

Sherry and Kim went shopping together to look for options. What they found was shocking. One store owner smoked a cigarette as they entered. Another store had Kim undress in what was clearly a breakroom with a mini fridge in the corner.

Sherry’s reaction was immediate. “This is wrong,” she said. “We can do better.”

By the end of that summer, she and Kim had decided to build a company that would treat women with the compassion and dignity they deserved.

Founding Alala

In 2008, Sherry and Kim brought their idea to life with help from the USC Columbia Technology Incubator, where I was working at the time. They were the first woman-owned business to join the incubator. When I asked about Sherry’s business experience, she smiled and said, “Well, I’ve been running a company in the adult novelty industry.” It was honest, and it was perfectly Sherry: direct, self-aware, and unafraid of a little discomfort.

The name Alala came from Greek mythology. Alala was the feminine personification of a war cry, the cry Athena would shout before battle. It fit perfectly. The women they aimed to serve were warriors, not patients, and Alala would be their space of strength and restoration.

From the beginning, Alala focused on post-surgical products such as prosthetics, bras, camisoles, and compression garments. But the true difference was in the experience. The boutiques were designed with care and warmth. Women were welcomed as individuals, not medical cases. Every fitting was handled with empathy and respect.

From “Survivors” to “Warriors”

One of Sherry’s most powerful ideas is her refusal to call clients “survivors.”

“To survive something implies you just made it through,” she says. “But these women didn’t just survive. They fought from day one. They’re warriors.”

That mindset defines Alala’s culture. The company celebrates courage, resilience, and self-worth. The women who walk through the door aren’t defined by loss. They are recognized for their fight.

The End of a Partnership, the Start of Growth

After sixteen years, Kim retired, and Sherry took full ownership of the company. It was a major shift, but it became an opportunity for renewal.

Without a partner, Sherry leaned into her leadership role. She began holding weekly team meetings, inviting ideas, and creating an environment where everyone felt heard. She sent out anonymous surveys to learn what employees needed to feel valued and empowered.

That openness changed everything. The culture became collaborative and innovative. One young employee mentioned how difficult it was to find supportive bras for women with larger breasts. Instead of brushing off the comment, Sherry said, “Then let’s build something.”

That conversation became BBG by Alala, short for “Big Booby Girls.” What started as an inside joke became a real brand extension focused on comfort and confidence for women who had long been underserved by mainstream retailers.

The Visionary and the Balloon

Sherry describes herself as a “balloon.” Her ideas float fast and high, and it’s up to her team to grab the string and pull her back down. It’s part of her charm and her genius.

But over time, she’s learned to balance her visionary energy with focus. She surrounds herself with people who are strong in the areas where she isn’t. She values accountability as much as creativity and insists that kindness and professionalism can coexist.

“Make sure your people feel valued,” she says. “Treat them like business owners. Listen more than you talk. You can hold people accountable and still be kind.”

The Work of Healing

Today, Alala serves cancer warriors across South Carolina and beyond. The company uses 3D body scans to create custom breast prosthetics shaped precisely to each woman’s body. Clients can choose tones, textures, and even small details like freckles or veins for realism.

Alala also offers lingerie, swimwear, and compression garments, everything a woman might need to feel like herself again.

Still, Sherry is outspoken about the need for systemic change. “We can turn the world pink every October,” she says, “but too many insurance companies still don’t cover what women need. We have to keep fighting for that.”

Leadership and Legacy

When you talk with Sherry, it’s clear that Alala isn’t just a business. It’s a mission. It’s about reclaiming identity and joy after trauma. It’s about showing women that they are not alone.

“I want women to walk in as patients and leave as warriors,” she says. “I want them to feel beautiful again, to feel strong again, to know that they are seen.”

That mission has shaped not only the company’s growth but also its culture. Her employees describe working at Alala as being part of a family, one that listens, learns, and celebrates together.

The Book She Would Write

When asked what she’d call her book, Sherry didn’t hesitate.

“Dildos, My Aunt, and Girl Scouts: What Built a Million-Dollar Business That Changed Cancer Warriors.”

It’s honest, it’s funny, and it’s exactly who she is.

Because behind the humor is a deeper truth: every experience, no matter how unexpected, can shape who we become. What started as a sex toy business taught her how to talk about women’s bodies with comfort and confidence. What began as a conversation at Girl Scout camp led to a company that helps women feel whole again.

Her story is a reminder that life doesn’t follow a straight line. It zigzags through curiosity, courage, and compassion, and sometimes those turns create something extraordinary.

The Power of Purpose

This October, as the world turns pink, Sherry’s journey reminds us what breast cancer awareness is truly about. It is about visibility, care, and honoring the women who fight every day, as well as the people who build the spaces that help them heal.

Sherry Norris and Alala are doing exactly that. What began with laughter and a daring idea became a movement of empowerment, one warrior at a time.

Learn more about Alala
Website: www.alala.info
Phone: (803) 569-4373
Facebook: facebook.com/alalacancersociety
Instagram: instagram.com/alalacancersocietysc

Alala is headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, and continues to expand its mission to serve cancer warriors across the state and beyond.