In 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic, I turned one of my side gigs into a full-time job. It wasn’t easy, but with hard work, some great support, and even a bit of luck, I managed to replace my income in short order.

I was one of the numerous people that found themselves without a job when COVID shut the world down.

It was tough, but I committed to finding a way forward. I was confident that I would find a way to replace my income.

In this article, I’m going to tell you how I turned one of my side gigs into a full-time job, and how I managed to replace my income when I suddenly found myself jobless in the middle of the pandemic.

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As I sat down in our tax accountant’s office, I looked down at the piece of paper I was holding in my hands. It was an important document that reflected what I’d paid in interest toward my student debt that year. 

I couldn’t believe the figure in front of my face, yet it was right there. 

In just one year, I’d paid roughly $3,000 of interest into my student loans. And that was only the interest for one year. It didn’t account for the amount I’d paid into the principal balances, or what my husband had paid into his student loans either. 

That $3,000 was all I was allowed to write off on our taxes.

I had just paid what accounted for a nice cruise vacation into my student debt interest, and it didn’t even help lower the balance. I would have rathered spent the money on that vacation instead, but here I was, holding the piece of paper that proved I’d done otherwise. 

That money was gone, wasted.

I shook my head before I handed the document over to the accountant.

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After I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, I feared I’d never be able to build a successful career, and it was a dream that greatly mattered to me.

After my diagnosis, it was hard to face the reality that I would likely live with a chronic illness for the rest of my life.

While I didn’t give up on my dreams, I knew that my plans would need to shift, at least to some degree.

When I was young I dreamed of becoming an astronaut. I went to college with that intent and by the time I graduated, I’d become quite familiar with astronaut requirements.

The requirements were strict and incredibly difficult to overcome, even for someone in perfect health, so I knew my chances of becoming an astronaut were essentially 0.

However, I knew I could still become a scientist, and I dreamed of building a successful career and making a difference through science.

As you’ll soon learn, my career didn’t go exactly as planned, and I never foresaw making a shift like I would eventually make, but I did manage to build a successful career. In this article, I’m going to tell you exactly what I did to build my career while managing Crohn’s disease.

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Investing 101 Introduction: A Pathway to Financial Freedom

It’s tough to balance a chronic illness with life demands, but somehow life finds a way.

(I know, I know. That was a terrible place for a classic Jurassic Park quote, but somehow it’s still fitting.)

In reality, you’re a warrior: a chronic illness warrior. Somehow, you do it all, and you and I know that life is tough even WITHOUT having to balance a chronic illness.

I get it, the last thing on your mind is probably your investing strategy. You have 1,000 doctor’s appointments, and you can’t quite remember when you last took your meds…

Speaking of which, I forgot to take mine. Hang on…

Where were we? Ah, yeah…

Your chronic illness takes a beating on you, and sometimes it’s incessant and unending. Sometimes your dreams feel impossible, especially when simply getting out of bed feels like you completed a marathon.

Yes, there are days when it’s a struggle, and there will be days when you feel like giving up. It’s totally understandable, and you absolutely deserve grace. 

You also deserve success, and success doesn’t get handed to any of us. You have to fight for it.

What does this have to do with investing 101, you might wonder? Keep reading on and you’ll find out.

In this investing 101 article, I’m going to provide you with 5 tips you can use to build a successful investing strategy, even as you balance the demands of your chronic illness.

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If professional development matters to you and you’re balancing a chronic illness, you’re in the right place.

It’s not easy to balance a chronic illness with your professional pursuits, but if career advancement matters to you then it’s important to consider your professional development.

So how do you balance your professional and health needs? It’s not an easy balance to achieve, and if you’re anything like me, then you probably have to make frequent adjustments on your journey.

You don’t need to sacrifice your health or your career, but achieving that balance is essential if you dream of advancing your career.

In this article, you’ll get 10 tips you can use on your professional development journey so that you can better balance your chronic illness and your career goals.

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If you’ve already started a side hustle, or if you’re considering starting one, then you know how difficult it can be to balance your health with your pursuits (personal, professional, or otherwise).

You might even be trying to balance a career on top of it, which might be a challenging act, one you may find is often out of sync.

But what if you want to grow a side hustle to a full-time gig? Perhaps your small business brings passion to your life in a way that your day job can’t, in which case you may dream of doing more with it.

It can seem daunting to turn your side hustle into your full-time career, but it’s definitely possible. With careful planning and execution, you can grow your business while still managing your chronic illness.

In this article, I’m going to give you 10 tips you can use to grow your side hustle into a full-time business while balancing the demands of your chronic illness.

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If you’ve already made a reasonable accommodation request from your employer, then good work! It’s tough to even have the guts to speak up about what you need (I speak from experience).

Ideally, your employer will approve your request outright, however, there is a chance that they may deny it. The law compels your employer to approve your request, assuming it follows ADA guidelines.

However, your employer may deny your request for one of the following reasons:

1. They have fewer than 15 employees and/or can prove the request causes an undue hardship
2. They are unfamiliar with ADA laws
3. Your request has nothing to do with a disability

Whether you’ve already made your request, or you’re preparing for what could happen if your request is denied, this article will give you 7 steps you can use to achieve a better resolution if your reasonable accommodation request is denied.

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Dream of turning one of your small business ideas into a profitable business?

If you have a chronic illness, it can be tough to make a living. You may not be able to work a so-called traditional job, or you may have to take time off work for doctor’s appointments or flare-ups. 

Even if you struggle to work, you can still start a business or side hustle and make some extra money. In fact, ramping up one of your small business ideas can be a great way to become your own boss and set your own hours.

In this article, I’m going to provide you with 10 key steps you can use to turn one of your small business ideas into a successful startup.

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Financial freedom may seem like a lofty goal, especially for a chronic illness warrior (i.e. someone that lives with a chronic illness). However, gaining financial freedom via the FIRE method holds immense and rising appeal.

After all, why wouldn’t you want to spend more time doing the things that bring you joy? You could spend more of your time enjoying the company of your loved ones, choose to work (or not) and live a more stress-free life.

It can be a financial challenge to live with a chronic illness. Between the cost of medical care, medications, and related fees, the expenses can rise rapidly. This can make it difficult to save for retirement or achieve other financial goals.

While it can be a challenge, there are ways to prepare for financial freedom, chronic illness or not. The FIRE method (Financial Independence, Retire Early) can provide structure and a plan to help you achieve your most ambitious financial goals, even if your income is limited.

In this article, I’ll provide a brief introduction to how you can start following the FIRE method, and I’ll give you 10 key tips you can use on your journey to financial success as a chronic illness warrior.

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Let’s be honest, life is tough without a chronic illness. Tack on a chronic illness and you get… chaos.

Whether you’ve been recently diagnosed, misdiagnosed, or living with a chronic illness for years, you may relate. But your dreams matter, including those that you have for your career. 

You might have well-meaning loved ones and doctors telling you that you should just let your dreams go, or that you need to change your plans for the future.

While they may have the best intentions at heart, ultimately only you can decide what is best for you, and you should never give up on your dreams.

It’s tough to struggle with a chronic illness, but sometimes your career can be the perfect distraction. It may be something you look forward to, and it may even provide fulfillment in your life.

If that sounds like you, or you think it might, then keep reading on. In this article, I’m going to provide you with 10 key tips you can use to help you navigate your career while managing a chronic illness. Use these simple tips and you’ll be well on your way to career success.

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