Immune System — Chronics — A Chronic Entrepreneur

Michelle Irving is a gifted teacher, speaker, writer and mentor. Having been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition of the liver at age 35 and Migraine Associated Vertigo at 45, Michelle has learned to take in her experience with chronic illness throughout the years and use it to connect with herself in levels she never knew she could. Now, Michelle is determined to guide women around the world who are also experiencing illness and help them be able to reach new levels of inner-power, love, and acceptance for themselves.

A Chronic Entrepreneur: Daniel Tolson

Daniel Tolson is the successful Founder of The Tolson Institute. At the age of 11 Daniel was diagnosed with Linear Sequential Learning Disability and had severe allergies, Asthma and chronic migraines. Being so young he didn’t quite fully understand why in comparison to his peers he struggled so much. At the age of 16 Daniel was diagnosed with Epstein-Barr Virus and Chronic Fatigue. His resilience, work-ethic and goal-focused mindset have carried him through and allowed him to become a successful entrepreneur.

A Chronic Entrepreneur: Justine Martin

Justine Martin is a professional artist, art wellness teacher, author, and resilience consultant and speaker. Being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2011, her successful corporate life was turned upside down. She has since battled three primary cancers at once and since then has overcome a long list of medical conditions. Entrepreneurship came naturally to her as she broke free from her “survival mode” in order to achieve the big dreams and goals that she set for herself. It wasn’t until she was diagnosed with her chronic that the entrepreneurship path truly took on its full meaning in Justine’s life.

Cancer, Nervous System, Neurological System, Immune SystemDara Shashoua15 November 2021Multiple Sclerosis, Cancer

A Chronic Entrepreneur: Sayali Apte

Sayali Apte probably wouldn't have become an entrepreneur if it wasn't for her chronic illness. When she was 23, newly married, and working as a business consultant with a bright future ahead of her, she was involved in an accident which ended up leaving her blind in both eyes. But Sayali was determined to find a way to see again and turn her seemingly dire situation on it's head. Now, she is the proud and passionate founder of Mind Body Hope - where she has a mission to empower 10,000 women with the skills and strategies they need to confidently reclaim control of their physical, mental and spiritual health through hypnotherapy and health coaching.

A Chronic Entrepreneur: Ilana K

Ilana K is a kinesiologist who has gone on a long health journey since her early childhood. Since hitting “rock bottom” and having to completely upend her life to focus on recovery, Ilana’s career has taken a full 180 degree shift from being in the corporate finance industry as a financial analyst, to now practising kinesthesiology where she helps people reclaim their health, wellbeing, inner joy and sparkle for life.

A Chronic Entrepreneur: Mary-Anne Bennett

Mary-Anne Bennett is a Clinical Nutritionist who was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue in 2011. On her way to work one morning, she heard an advert on the radio about an open day for a natural health university, which had a course in nutrition. She went along, and enrolled on the spot. This was August 2014, 3 months before she turned 50. Fast forward to today, Mary-Anne has her own business, Adelaide Nutrition and Wellbeing, where she practices as a Clinical Nutritionist, and helps women heal from chronic illness.

A Chronic Entrepreneur: Grace Quantock

Grace Quantock is a multi-talented woman who has built her life on her core values: compassion, ethical living and the wild world of possibility. She is the founder of Trailblazing Wellness Coaching and works as a wellness coach, motivational speaker (watch her TEDx talk here and below), writer and teacher. She also helps others create bespoke ethical gifts through her social enterprise, Healing Boxes.

A Chronic Entrepreneur: Jay Crisp Crow

It’s no wonder Jay Crisp Crow works in words – when you land on her website, it’s a sassy, engaging and above all, real, story that takes you on a journey – a little like her life. Jay is a professional writer, copywriting teacher, speaker and self-identified #fullsickbusinesschick.

Immune System, Endocrine SystemMeirav Dulberg9 December 2020Chronic Fatigue

A Chronic Entrepreneur: Kerrie Mercel

Kerrie Mercel has taken many leaps in her life – she’s a qualified chef, a scuba diving centre owner, award winning property developer, and now the founder of Clarity – a range of products to help people tap into their desires, release feelings that are holding them back, and embrace abundance.

Muscular System, Immune SystemMeirav Dulberg5 December 2020Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis

A Chronic Entrepreneur: Achim Schlemmer

Achim Schlemmer was 29 years old when he was diagonosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Shortly after, he began working as an entrepreneur and hasn’t looked back. Now working in consultancy, project management and strategy for online projects, Achim lives his life in a small provincial town in Germany, doing what he loves. Read his story here.

Nervous System, Immune SystemMeirav Dulberg12 November 2020MS

A Chronic Entrepreneur: Khadine Aharon

Khadine Aharon has always been an entrepreneur and she’s always been passionate about supporting others in living and feeling their best. Early on she founded her own massage therapy practice, however at age 25, she was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Fibromyalgia, which meant she could not longer continue providing the services she loved. Instead, she went on to study further in her mission to support, heal and empower others and 21 years on, she’s the founder of Embrace Empowerment – where she provides service sin energetic healing (such as Emotional Freedom Techniques) and colour therapy.

A Chronic Entrepreneur: Olivia Djouadi

Olivia Djouadi was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was just one year old. She was told she wouldn’t live past 30. She made decisions and lived her life, studying, marrying her husband and having children, but it wasn’t until she passed that milestone – the age of 30 – that she finally realised she was going to live and began to live her life in a different way because of it.

A Chronic Entrepreneur: CJ Scarlet

CJ Scarlet is a woman with an extraordinary story. In her career alone – she’s worked as a photojournalist and editor for the US Marine Corps, Executive Director for the Kids First Child Advocacy Center in the US, Director of Victims Issues at the NC Attorney General’s Office and been the CEO of three separate companies. She has worked as an advocate for victims of sexual abuse for years, drawing from personal experience to help support survivors of sexual violence. CJ was a victim of sexual abuse as a child, and again in her late teens and early twenties. The depression and anxiety she felt as a result, took its toll on her health – mental, emotional and physical. She developed two autoimmune conditions – lupus and scleroderma – and in 2004 was told her condition was terminal. At this point she was so ill that she could barely walk or hold a cup of tea.

Mental Health, Immune SystemDara Shashoua27 August 2018lupus, scleroderma, bipolar disorder

A Chronic Entrepreneur: Renate Halleen

Learning about Renate Halleen’s story, it’s clear that Renate has had a difficult life. She has been diagnosed with a number of chronic illnesses over the last 15 years – most recently being diagnosed with hypersomnia – a condition that affects those who have it by making them extremely sleepy, with the ability to fall asleep at any time. It was when she had fallen asleep unexpectedly that Renate suffered a bad ankle sprain. Throughout it all, Renate approaches life with strength and courage. She founded her business – A Tight Knot Massage – where her mission is to inspire good health, naturally, and give to others a sense of wellness and joy.

A Chronic Entrepreneur: Tami Stackelhouse

Tami Stackelhouse is not only an entrepreneur, but an entrepreneur who embraced her chronic as part of that business. After being diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, Tami reassessed her life and it lead her to start her own business as a Fibromyalgia Coach – helping others living with the illness to live their best lives.

Immune System, Muscular SystemDara Shashoua18 February 2018Fibromyalgia

A Chronic Entrepreneur: Dara Shashoua

Dara Shashoua is the founder of Byzantine Design – a Melbourne-based store that curates tiles from across the globe to service Australia. She is also the founder of A Chronic Entreprenuer – which began out of her passion to share the stories of those living with chronic illnesses and how they’re thriving each and every day, by living their lives and doing what they love. Here, Dara shares her story of discovering her chronic – multiple sclerosis – how it’s changed her life and how she lives with it today.

Neurological System, Nervous System, Immune SystemDara Shashoua31 December 2017Multiple Sclerosis

Stories.