Yup, it’s true! I founded Get Your Shit Together in 2013 as a personal project, then in 2015 I co-founded GYST.com. GYST.com is going to live with Cake – ‘What Matters Most’ and getyourshittogether.org isn’t going anywhere, and I’m just getting started. Read the story and official press release…
Once upon a time.Two female founders, from different backgrounds on opposite sides of the country both founded new companies to help remove as much of the pain and unnecessary suffering from our lives when someone dies. Well, with the same goal and mission and having had crushes on each other’s sites for years (and honestly, I saw they were doing some very cool things and offered features we hadn’t been able to build at GYST) so I/we realized/agreed that joining forces was the best way to get more good things done for more people.
Yeah, it won’t be exactly the same, but nothing really ever is. Right? And, an exciting new chapter is ahead of us, I hope you stick with me (and Suelin) and see where the story takes us.
What happens next. If you are on the Get Your Shit Together email list, as in, my personal, free, no-strings, will never sell, email list (you sign up here, on this site) then absolutely nothing changes (unless or until you unsubscribe). If you *also* signed up for the newsletter or registered by creating an account at GYST.com (separate emails, separate lists) you can start using Cake’s (free) online service anytime or just sign up as a first-timer and check them out.
Why Cake, you ask? Lots of reasons, really. But these are a few of the big reasons why I like them and hope you will too:
- Save & Edit Your Documents: You will now have be able to save, update and print your plans from your account.
- Store Important Stuff: Store your documents! In one place! Share them with others – which is the whole point!
- Share Contact Info: this one is HUGE for me, I talk about it all the time.
Here is the Official Press Release
Cake Expands Reach of End-of-Life Planning Platform with GYST.com Acquisition
PUBLISHED ON: 4/4/2019
Boston, MA, Release: 4/8/19. For Immediate Release
Cake (joincake.com), a Boston-based digital end-of-life planning platform, has acquired the GYST website (gyst.com), an online end-of-life planning resource.
Founded in 2015, GYST’s mission is helping people address end-of-life planning by securing wills, living wills, and life insurance. The acquisition of GYST.com will bring additional content and a set of engaged users to Cake, reaching more people actively looking for comprehensive planning solutions.
Phil Shigo, CEO of GYST, commented that “as a result of this acquisition, we feel GYST users can have their cake and eat it, too. Our mission is aligned with Cake — by joining resources, we can better help people get these important documents completed.”
Cake offers a free, comprehensive end-of-life planning platform that guides users to document and share their wishes for healthcare, estate, funeral, and legacy decisions. Users can create, store, and organize critical documents, then grant 24/7 digital access to their family members and loved ones.
“Since we began Cake, we have been talking with the team at GYST to collaborate and help people across the US tackle end-of-life planning,” said Suelin Chen, CEO of Cake. “Cake aims to empower people to live in accordance with their values all the way to the end of life. This can only happen if we document and share our end-of-life decisions with our loved ones. This acquisition will provide an even stronger base of services for our combined set of users.”
By acquiring these resources, Cake strengthens its position as the leading disruptor of the end-of-life planning industry by supporting consumers with free digital planning solutions. Learn more at joincake.com.
About GYST
GYST was founded in November of 2015, by Chanel Reynolds (founder of Get Your Sh*t Together in 2013), Jessica Ostrow and Phil Shigo to help people plan their will, living will/advance care directive, manage account and passwords and find life insurance. A leading online end-of-life planning resource, GYST offers its users reviews, hassle-free quotes and free to affordable options for legal services. GYST makes it easy with checklists, guides and weekly nudges to keep you on track.
About Cake
Cake (joincake.com) is the easiest way to discover, share, and store your end-of-life preferences. Founded by Suelin Chen, an MIT-trained engineer, and Mark Zhang, a Harvard-trained palliative care doctor and technologist, the Cake team is passionate about empowering people to live their best lives, all the way to the end. Cake’s technology is trusted by some of the biggest companies in healthcare, financial services, and insurance.
# # # #
If you’d like to reach out to Suelin, the CEO of Cake, and say “hi” or introduce yourself, her email is: suelin@joincake.com – you can also check out the press release on the Cake website here.
And, of course, holler at me via the ‘contact’ page.
More soon on this soon, but for now, I wanted to share the news!
Best,
Chanel