Are you an Ambitious Leader Living with a Chronic Condition? The Chronic Boss Collective is Here for You
Interview by Jennifer Cooper
Photo by Mariah Gale Creative
“Chronic conditions are often labeled as something that makes you weak. I refuse to accept that narrative.”
When Lilly Stairs was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis at 19, she had no idea she’d be diagnosed with an additional chronic condition just a few years later.
As awful as receiving those dual diagnoses were, they were also a catalyst. “From the moment I was in a hospital bed after being diagnosed with multiple autoimmune diseases, I unearthed my truest self and found a calling in dedicating my life to patient advocacy.”
Lilly is not alone. Nearly 60% of adults have at least one chronic disease, including conditions related to mental health and ADHD. And about 50 million Americans live with an autoimmune disease—80% of them women.
Now, after firmly cementing her place as a successful founder in the healthcare space, Lilly is launching a new venture: a first-of-its-kind Collective to create space for ambitious women living with chronic conditions. No longer will they have to go through the day-to-day at work or running their businesses without any true acknowledgment of what they’re navigating.
I recently chatted with Lilly about The Chronic Boss Collective, what she hopes people get out of it, and why this isn’t your conventional support group.
Why did you start the Chronic Boss Collective? I mean, you already have a successful career, you’re living with chronic conditions... Why take the risk?
This is a concept that has been on my heart for a long time. Throughout my career, I’ve met remarkable women whose lives have been turned upside down by a chronic condition, but they choose to keep going. They choose to give back. They choose ambition in the face of adversity. Every time I encountered a new woman who fit this profile, I couldn’t help but wonder how powerful it would be to get them in a network together.
Before I launched the Collective, I started and funded the Chronic Boss Scholarship which seeks to award women with chronic conditions who have preserved and succeeded. The scholarship is geared towards women who have an entrepreneurial spirit, whether that is in launching an initiative, a campaign, a startup, a blog, starting a club, organizing a fundraiser, or other endeavor. To date, 20 young women have been awarded and include published authors, entrepreneurs, inventors, and young philanthropists who have started nonprofits (while in high school!). In just two years, we’ve had over 1,000 applicants. I personally review every application and I am awestruck by these young women changing our world.
So why did I take the risk? I took the risk in service to the millions of women—from my colleagues changing our world presently to the Chronic Boss scholarship recipients who will shape our future—because they deserve a space that honors their health and their career.
But I’m not sure I would call it a risk. In fact, I’m confident in the Collective because I so fervently believe in the power of the women who will join it.
Because of my unique lens as an ambitious business woman living with chronic conditions and working in healthcare, I identified a gap that most people didn’t realize existed. For the past decade, I’ve had the privilege of watching extraordinary women transform their struggle into their strength. There’s an undeniable magic to these women living with chronic conditions who choose ambition. By harnessing that collective power, the Chronic Boss Collective is poised to take off like a rocketship. We will be unstoppable.
I love that you’re celebrating and supporting women who are wildly ambitious and career driven. Why is this framing/approach so important to you, as opposed to say, creating a general support group for people with chronic conditions?
It’s funny you say support group. When I was just getting Chronic Boss Collective off the ground people didn’t fully grasp the concept. They assumed the Collective was just another support group. Novel ideas are often misunderstood.
I’ve been a go-getter my whole life. My ambition never left me when I was diagnosed with my chronic conditions. From the moment I was in the hospital bed with bleeding ulcers in my small intestine from Crohn’s disease and total body psoriatic arthritis, I pulled out my laptop and started brainstorming what I could do to raise awareness about autoimmune diseases. Because that is who I am.
This approach is important to me because it is an authentic reflection of how I, and so many other women living with chronic conditions, show up in the world.
Chronic conditions are often labeled as something that makes you weak. I refuse to accept that narrative. My chronic conditions have certainly shaped who I am as a person today but they have not made me weak—they have made me strong, resilient, and fueled my drive to create change.
Chronic Boss Collective celebrates the women who have leaned into the narrative that they can be strong and ambitious while living with a chronic condition.
The Collective is not a support group because a support group is not what these women need. These women want professional development and networking through the lens of living with a chronic condition. They want a space where they can show up and the other women in the room instantly just “get it.” Where one minute you can chat health struggles and the next you can chat business opportunities.
What can I expect to get from joining?
Ultimately, you get a powerful network of other ambitious women who will help uplevel all aspects of your life.
Specifically, as a member you get a monthly virtual mastermind jam-packed with career-boosting initiatives such as intention-setting, networking, and brainstorming work challenges; Boss Boosts which are member-lead monthly professional development webinars; monthly in-person meet-ups that offer a mix of networking and fun; quarterly wellness events; features on CBC social media and the exclusive opportunity to contribute to the media arm of CBC; a private Facebook group community; and access to a curated library of proven methods, tools, and guides to help advance your career while maintaining your health.
None of us get anywhere by ourselves, right? Hence, the importance of the Collective. So, knowing that and celebrating it, who would you like to give a shout out to for their support?
There is a long list of women who have shaped the development of the Collective but there are four in particular I would like to give a special shout out to.
Amy Pocsik - Founder of Bold Moves and the Women’s Business League. I hired Amy as my business coach this year and it has been a game changer. Amy helped design the membership and supported me every step of the way.
Lauren Perna - Founder of the Mentally Fit Founder and Lauren Perna Communications. Lauren has been an outstanding advisor through the development of the Collective and serves as one of our community leaders.
Mariah Gale - Founder of Mariah Gale Creative and Level Up Collaborative. Mariah has helped to bring the Collective to life through her impeccable creative, design, and brand positioning.
Liz Carmines - Founder of Social with Purpose. Liz has been instrumental in shaping the voice of the Collective and cultivating community as our social and community manager.
What’s your ultimate goal or hope for the women who join? Let’s go all in on this vision together!
I want every woman who joins the Collective to have her soul fueled by a community of women cheering her on.
I want every woman who joins the collective to feel confident in managing her health.
I want every woman who joins the collective to level up in her career – to make more money, to get that promotion, to start that business, to make the impact on the world she so craves.
I want every woman who joins the collective to hold their hand out behind them and lift up the chronic bosses of tomorrow.
To learn more about the Chronic Boss Collective and sign up visit: chronicbosscollective.com
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