Chronic Boss Unfiltered

How A Life Changing Diagnosis Sparked a Clean Beauty Empire with Indie Lee

“I was told I had six months to live after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. Instead, that day became the beginning of my life’s purpose.”
Episode Overview
Indie Lee shares her extraordinary journey from multiple chronic illness diagnoses—including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s, and a brain tumor—to founding one of the pioneering clean beauty brands. She opens up about entrepreneurship with illness, setting boundaries, losing everything while building her business, and how vulnerability became her greatest strength.
What You’ll Learn
How Indie transformed a devastating brain tumor diagnosis into her life’s mission.
The tough realities of entrepreneurship with chronic illness (including going 10 years without a salary).
Why vulnerability and storytelling are powerful leadership tools.
How to set boundaries and build support systems that protect healthy.
Why “failure” is often a catapult forward.
Timestamps
(00:00) Introduction – Lilly introduces Indie and her inspiring story.(01:22) Diagnosis Journey – Living with RA, Crohn’s, and ovarian failure.(04:16) Brain Tumor Diagnosis – A six-month prognosis reframed as a turning point.(07:26) Spark for Clean Beauty – From greenhouse calendula to skincare.(09:30) Launching Indie Lee Skincare – Funding with jewelry sales and 401k cash-outs.(11:52) Surgery on Earth Day – A life-saving moment that shaped her mission.(12:21) Leading with Vulnerability – How transparency became a brand strength.(16:09) Entrepreneurship with Chronic Illness – Travel, boundaries, and hospitalizations.(19:27) Asking for Help as a Superpower – The role of support systems.(22:20) The Hustle Culture Trap – Rejecting “do it all” culture.(26:11) Pioneering Clean Beauty – Ignorance is bliss and blocking out doubters.(28:27) Reality of Building a Business – Ten years without a salary, losing her house.
(31:41) Redefining Failure – Turning setbacks into lessons.(33:02) Secret Sauce – Blending branding, writing, and vulnerability.(35:47) Reconnecting with Self – Baking, gardening, and writing.(42:58) What Being a Chronic Boss Means – Perseverance and purpose.
 
Connect with Indie: 
✨/ https://indielee.com/ 
✨/ https://www.instagram.com/indielee/ 
✨/ https://www.instagram.com/indie_lee 
✨/ https://indielee.substack.com/ 
 
Connect with Chronic Boss:
🖤 / https://chronicboss.com/ 
🖤 / instagram.com/chronicbossco/ 
🖤 / https://www.linkedin.com/company/chronic-boss/ 
🖤 / https://www.tiktok.com/@chronicbossco
 
Connect with Lilly
🖤 / https://lillystairs.com/ 
🖤 / https://www.linkedin.com/in/lillystairs/ 
🖤 / https://www.instagram.com/lillystairs 
Show Mentions
✨ / Relaxed Woman Book: https://www.amazon.com/Relaxed-Woman-Reclaim-Empowered-Joy-Filled/dp/0593719301
✨ / Michelle Irving and the Chronic Economy: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7370584158756302848/ 
 

Isn't It Crazy That People Can't Say The Word Vagina? -- The Knowledge Gap In Women's Health with Priyanka Jain

30% of women are experiencing a vaginal infection at any given time—yet most are more likely to be misdiagnosed than correctly diagnosed. Priyanka Jain is on a mission to change that.
Episode Overview
Evvy co-founder & CEO Priyanka Jain shares her personal journey with chronic conditions and why she’s determined to close the gender health gap. She explains how Evvy is building the largest dataset on the vaginal microbiome, the surprising links to conditions like infertility and PCOS, and the vital role of community in breaking stigma.
What You’ll Learn
Why vaginal health is central to closing the gender health gap.
How the vaginal microbiome connects to conditions like infertility and endometriosis.
What it takes to build the largest dataset in women’s health.
Why community is critical in breaking stigma and advancing research.How resilience and balance fuel Priyanka’s leadership.
Timestamps:
 (00:00) Introduction – Lilly introduces Priyanka and Evvy’s mission. (00:52) Meet Priyanka – Forbes 30 Under 30 and vaginal health pioneer. (02:00) Lilly’s Story – Recurrent UTIs and silence around vaginal health. (03:19) Breaking the Taboo – Why vaginal health remains stigmatized. (06:42) What Evvy Does – Using metagenomic sequencing for diagnostics. (09:00) The Vaginal Microbiome – Good bacteria, pH balance, and disruptions. (11:06) Priyanka’s Patient Journey – Chronic conditions and dismissal in care. (14:42) Why the Vaginal Microbiome Matters – The tipping point moment. (16:49) Largest Dataset Built – 75,000 patients, 2,000 doctors, 98% consent. (18:20) Surprising Insights – Links to infertility, endometriosis, PCOS. (23:21) Building Community – How the Facebook group empowers and fuels research. (27:58) Imposter Syndrome & Leadership – Turning doubt into a strength. (31:20) Advice for Founders – Resilience and the chronic illness edge. (34:03) Balancing Health & Entrepreneurship – Priyanka’s non-negotiables. (37:05) Solidarity & Research Day – Equal Research Day and the power of community. (39:38) Breaking Silence – Normalizing vaginal health conversations. (42:25) What Being a Chronic Boss Means – Picking yourself up again and again.
Connect with Evvy:
✨/ https://www.evvy.com/ 
✨/https://www.instagram.com/evvy  
✨/ https://www.tiktok.com/@evvybio 
✨/ https://indielee.substack.com/ 
Connect with Chronic Boss:
🖤  / https://chronicboss.com/ 
🖤  / instagram.com/chronicbossco/ 
🖤  / https://www.linkedin.com/company/chronic-boss/ 
🖤  / https://www.tiktok.com/@chronicbossco
Connect with Lilly:
🖤  / https://lillystairs.com/ 
🖤  / https://www.linkedin.com/in/lillystairs/ 
🖤  / https://www.instagram.com/lillystairs 
Links Mentioned
/ https://www.equalresearchday.com/

The Truth About Work, Sex and Chronic Illness with Ali DiGiacomo

Diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at 15, Ali thought her athletic career was over. Instead, she built a global following by embracing authenticity, humor, and resilience.
Episode Overview
Ali DiGiacomo—known as Another Day with RA—shares how she went from teenage athlete to patient advocate, trainer, and creator of the “Fuck It, Let’s Slay” fitness app. She opens up about building a 160K+ social following, freelancing struggles, intimacy and pelvic health, and why humor and resilience are her superpowers.
What You’ll Learn
How Ali turned her RA diagnosis into a platform for advocacy and empowerment.
Why authenticity and humor resonate more than “perfect” highlight reels.
The realities of freelancing and health insurance with chronic illness.
Tips for traveling and working while managing RA.
Why breaking the silence around intimacy and pelvic health matters.
Timestamps
 (00:00) Introduction – Lilly welcomes Ali to the podcast. (00:46) Meet Ali – From “Another Day with RA” to trainer and advocate. (02:07) Diagnosis at 15 – Balancing RA with competitive swimming. (05:24) Losing Swimming, Finding Fitness – Rediscovering movement through inspiration online. (07:39) Becoming a Personal Trainer – The path back to fitness. (08:14) Launching “Fuck It, Let’s Slay” – Creating workouts for chronic illness. (11:35) Community Feedback – Stories of transformation from users. (12:53) Building a Social Following – Growing to 160K with raw honesty. (14:48) Authenticity & Dark Comedy – Why humor resonates online. (18:27) Setting Boundaries – Managing DMs, burnout, and online pressure. (22:47) Freelancing Realities – Wearing many hats and navigating insurance. (32:19) Nomadic Lifestyle – Living in an Airstream and traveling with RA. (38:13) Travel Hacks – Meds, injections, and business on the road. (42:14) Attitude as a Superpower – Resilience and rolling with the punches. (47:29) Getting real about sex & intimacy – Talking openly about pelvic health. (55:46) Authentic Women’s Health Conversations – Breaking taboos. (57:18) What Being a Chronic Boss Means – Ali’s empowering definition.
 
Connect with Ali: 
✨/ https://www.instagram.com/anotherdaywithra/ 
✨/ https://www.tiktok.com/@anotherdaywithra 
✨/  https://www.anotherdaywithra.com/  
 
Connect with Chronic Boss:
🖤  / https://chronicboss.com/ 
🖤  / instagram.com/chronicbossco/ 
🖤  / https://www.linkedin.com/company/chronic-boss/ 
🖤  / https://www.tiktok.com/@chronicbossco
 
Connect with Lilly:
🖤  / https://lillystairs.com/ 
🖤  / https://www.linkedin.com/in/lillystairs/ 
🖤  / https://www.instagram.com/lillystairs 
 
Links
Ali’s Fitness App: https://my.playbookapp.io/ali-digiacomo 

Welcome to Chronic Boss Unfiltered

Welcome! Chronic Boss Unfiltered is the podcast where ambition meets women’s health. Hosted by Lilly Stairs—two-time founder and three-time autoimmune patient—this show dives deep into what it really takes to build a business or climb the career ladder while living with chronic illness. Each week, Lilly sits down with powerhouse women who are chasing big dreams while navigating flare-ups, fatigue, and everything in between. Expect raw, unfiltered conversations that move from the hospital bed to the boardroom, giving you both inspiration and practical insights to balance health and ambition.
 
Connect with Chronic Boss:
🖤  / https://chronicboss.com/ 
🖤  / instagram.com/chronicbossco/ 
🖤  / https://www.linkedin.com/company/chronic-boss-collective/ 
 
Connect with Lilly:
🖤  / https://lillystairs.com/ 
🖤  / https://www.linkedin.com/in/lillystairs/ 
🖤  / https://www.instagram.com/lillystairs