How I Actually Built a Sustainable Business While Living with Chronic Illness
What I've built:
Over the past five years, I’ve built two sustainable businesses: Career and Chronic which supports individuals, and Chronic Illness At Work which delivers corporate programs.
What they deliver:
On the B2C side, you can enter the full ecosystem through free content in the Chronic Library, super accessible practical tools like the Emotional Map for Chronic Illness for $7 and the Career and Chronic Map, group programs like Ambition and then perfectly bespoke private immersion with me in Sovereignty.
On the B2B side, both businesses license content and have funded partnerships (including with patient orgs across the US and Australia). Packages range from USD $25K to USD $100K.
How to not burn out...
This ecosystem is designed to be generous without depleting me.
The funded work allows individuals to access meaningful support without requiring me to offer unpaid labour or sacrifice my own capacity. That structure protects the integrity of the work, sustains me, and ensures the entire system can continue long term.This didn’t happen by accident.
There are no hacks. But there is strategy.
The keys have been strategic investment, deep listening to my own inner guidance, backing myself, building products I wished existed, and integrating everything with my body’s wellbeing at the centre.
In this behind-the-scenes post, I want to share what I’ve actually invested to create this
1. Strategic mentorship and training
Over 5 years, I’ve invested over USD $50,000 in business mentoring. None of it addressed the chronic experience. I had to adapt everything, or reverse how I implemented it. No hustle. Only ease.
When I worked in salaried roles with a professional development budget, it was unimaginable to me that anyone could be “worth” $10,000 as a mentor. What I now know is that each year this saved me thousands of dollars by not wasting my time going down the wrong track and getting the most efficient systems from someone who had already done the lived research.
2. Branding, focus groups, and comms
As my business matured, so did my investment in branding, messaging, and communication strategy. I’ve spent over USD $50,000 on branding, health communications, market research, and focus groups.
That said, you don’t need this at the start. You can build a website with Canva, ask a friend to take your photos, and connect a basic booking calendar with Stripe.
3. Trusting what I was building, even when I doubted it could be real
Five years ago, no one thought a chronic illness business was even a thing. And the truth is, it wasn’t. Like others I built every program, every piece of content, and every marketing approach from my own creativity.
Many people approach me for a “coffee” or to “pick my brain.”
What I’ve learned is that I’m of no use to you in that setting.What we need is a one-off strategy container where I can be fully present to your vision, your unique talents, and your inner wisdom.
If you’re building or leading something and want high-level strategic clarity with your health at the centre, and you need one hour of powerful strategy and support, you're welcome to step into The Inner Room.