Muscular System — Chronics — A Chronic Entrepreneur

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: Ainslee Hooper

Ainslee Hooper is committed to making the lives of disabled people easier, by consulting with providers of services to make the experiences of consumers with disability free of stigma and ableism. After suffering a nervous breakdown due to bullying at work, Ainslee realised that she needed to start doing things her way - and starting her own business allowed her to achieve so much more for herself and her clients than she felt she was able to achieve at a traditional job. Ainslee is now a consultant anthropologist specialising in disability inclusion with her business Ainslee Hooper Consulting. Read on to learn more about Ainslee’s inspiring story.

A Chronic Entrepreneur: April Dawn White

April Dawn White took what she thought would be a short medical leave of absence from her job as a pharmacist in January 2016, after experiencing symptoms that she thought she would be able to quickly resolve. Little did she know that she would be unable to return to work as her health declined rapidly and she was diagnosed with a rare neuromuscular disorder. Through this period of grief, she found solace in journaling and writing, which helped her process her thoughts and emotions. White was eager to “name it, claim it, and move on” from her past… But little did she know that she would eventually return to her old life again through authorship.

Now, April Dawn White is a writer at aprildawnwhite.com and other publications, and author of the new book, ‘Destination Hope: A Travel Companion When Life Falls Apart (Ambassador International, Sept. 2021)’ which ‘offers camaraderie and a beacon of hope for women who feel alone in loss, struggle, or change of circumstance.’ Read on to learn more about April Dawn White’s inspiring story.

A Chronic Entrepreneur: Sophie

Sophie’s diagnosis took place whilst she was working in a demanding corporate role - where she had to manage the guilt of feeling like a slacker due to her need to take sick days off work, combined with the frustration of being in an unempathetic work environment and the confusion of not yet having a diagnosis. Through the process of being diagnosed, Sophie realised the problem was never her illness, but rather the environment she was in; an organisation that always expected “overtime and more.” After being diagnosed, Sophie quit her job and then switched to freelancing as a social media manager, which helped her build on her existing skills and eventually lead her to start her own business, Kitsune Creative Co, where she now has the ability to create a successful and rewarding career, but also put her needs first when required.

A Chronic Entrepreneur: Melissa Pepers

Melissa Pepers describes herself as ‘a business designer and a futurist.’ She’s the founder of Bonbo – where she makes businesses that have never existed before. Melissa has a metabolic myopathy which is a metabolic muscle disorder which can result in muscle weakness, severe pain and exercise intolerance. She also has interstitial cystitis.

Urinary System, Muscular SystemDara Shashoua20 September 2021Metabolic Myopathy, Interstitial Cystitis

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: 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: Elana Marlo

Elana Marlo’s chronic illness has progressed and evolved over her life. First diagnosed in 2004, her symptoms grew as she moved through life. As she so beautifully articulates below, when she decided to accept where she was and what she needed and stopped trying to be anything else, she finally came to a place of self-love, energy and calm.

Muscular SystemDara Shashoua1 October 2020CPEO+

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: Veronica Fil

Veronica Fil has a no bullshit approach to life, health, work, love and everything in between. When discussing chronic illness with Veronica, in her words, she’s been ‘collecting conditions since birth’ – among them the overarching Mixed Connective Tissue Disorder, as well as Type 1 Diabetes, Lupus and Narcolepsy.

A Chronic Entrepreneur: Erin Jackson

Erin Jackson is many things – a woman who loves life, a woman with multiple degrees, an attorney and managing partner at Jackson LLP: Healthcare Lawyers, which she co-founded with her husband, a published author who focused her scholarship on the intersection of women’s health and human rights and the founder of Inspire Santé.Inspire Santé is a not-for-profit that works to destigmatise pelvic pain by opening up the conversation and supporting women experiencing pelvic pain through education and advocacy. Erin herself was faced with severe chronic pelvic pain for almost ten years, consulting multiple doctors until she finally began her road to recovery. Now, she’s helping others in that situation because she knows how lonely and frightening that journey can be, and how valuable and validating it can be to not only receive support but be part of a community of people who share similar stories.

A Chronic Entrepreneur: Kelly Northey

After years of building her business, alongside being a mother and managing her chronic, Kelly now works as a full-time entrepreneur across her businesses and loves every second of it (challenges and all). Kelly’s journey to entrepreneurism happened simultaneously with her diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis which happened after the birth of her son.

Muscular System, Skeletal SystemDara Shashoua24 June 2018Rheumatoid Arthritis

A Chronic Entrepreneur: Susanne Gervay

So many people diagnosed with Chronic Illness have a moment where we decide that the disease won’t beat us, that it will no longer be the story the defines us. Instead, it becomes part of our story. It is also the part of our story that leads to so many wonderful adventures that perhaps we wouldn’t have had if it weren’t for our Chronic Illness. Today’s Chronic Entrepreneur is Susanne Gervay, a prolific children’s author whose books deal with many of life’s challenges including bullying, inclusion, humanity and refugees.

Muscular System, Skeletal SystemDara Shashoua20 May 2018Rheumatoid Arthritis

A Chronic Entrepreneur: Tina McDonald

Tina McDonald is the founder of Avalanche Coaching where she offers services in professional coaching and mentoring for businesses and individuals wanting to explore and reach their potential. When she was in a car accident that further aggravated her conditions, she realised something had to give. That’s when Tina made the decision to prioritise her family and her health, and left her job. What followed was her entrepreneurism which allowed Tina, in her words, to work alongside her conditions, not against them. Now, she makes time for her rewarding career in coaching, alongside making time for her family and listening to her body. Find out more and read Tina’s story below.

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

Stories.