Let’s get real: not all entrepreneurs start their day with a latte and a color-coded calendar. Some of us start it from bed—with heating pads, pill bottles, and a to-do list that flexes with our energy. In this episode, I’m sharing how I run a business while managing chronic illness, why “business as usual” doesn’t work for spoonies, and how to create a work rhythm that honors your body. If you’ve ever felt like you can’t be both sick and successful, this episode will remind you—you absolutely can.

Memorable Quotes:

• “My bank doesn’t care if I earn money from bed. Neither do my customers.”
• “You don’t need to wait until you feel better to start.”
• “You might be building something beautiful from a place of pain. But it’s still yours. And that’s freaking powerful.”

Links Mentioned:

• Kit.com (Tools I use to run my business from bed) 👉 https://partners.kit.com/h70utcpvblfb?utm_campaign=poweredby&utm_content=form
• ClickUp (My task management ride-or-die)👉 https://bit.ly/42rOX80
• Tailwind (Pinterest + Instagram scheduler I swear by)👉 https://tailwind.sjv.io/QO3yOx

Follow me at:

• Instagram: instagram.com/the_invisibleillnessclub
• TikTok: tiktok.com/@theinvisibleillnessclub
• Facebook: facebook.com/theinvisibleillnessclub
• Website: www.theinvisibleillnessclub.com

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Transcription

Hey friend, welcome back to The Invisible Illness Club Podcast. Today we’re talking about something that used to make me feel super embarrassed, but now? I’m owning it:

I run a business from bed, at least some of the time.

Not from a co-working space. Not from a picture-perfect home office. But from under a weighted blanket, surrounded by pill bottles, water bottles, planners, and (Let’s be honest) probably a snack.

And if you’re doing the same—or dreaming of starting something but worried you don’t have the stamina for “business as usual”—this episode is for you.

Let’s just say it: Entrepreneurship has a major image problem.

Everywhere you look, it’s the girlboss aesthetic—cute clothes, lattes, 6 a.m. routines, perfectly curated vision boards. But when you live with a chronic illness, that version of hustle is not just unrealistic—it’s dangerous.

Because if you try to keep up with that, while your body is begging for rest, you’ll burn out so fast it’ll make your last flare-up look like a spa day.

Success isn’t about how early you get up. Or how much you do in a day. It’s about what works for you—in your body, in your life, right now.

So here’s what my some of my actual “workdays” look like when I’m not able to sit in my home office:

•I have a lap desk. Essential. Life-changing.

•I work in short bursts—like 30-45 minutes—then rest. No shame.

•I automate everything I can.

•I use ClickUp, Kit.com, and scheduling tools like Tailwind like I’m running a Fortune 500 company… from under a fuzzy blanket.

I used to feel bad about this. Like I was doing it “wrong.” Like I needed to apologize for not having a desk or doing the daily “hustle”.

But you know what? My bank doesn’t care if I earn money from bed. Neither do my customers. And I’m guessing yours won’t either.

If you’re already running a business (or thinking about starting one), here are a few things that made this whole “business from bed” possible for me:

•Saying goodbye to perfection. You don’t need to launch with 14 funnels and a 90-page business plan. Done is better than perfect.

•Creating “low energy” workdays. I batch tasks. I pre-plan content. And I give myself permission to move slow.

•Letting go of guilt. Because guilt doesn’t pay the bills—or your medical co-pays.

There’s something really powerful about building a business that’s shaped around your body—not in spite of it. It’s the opposite of toxic productivity. It’s aligned entrepreneurship.

Here’s what I wish I knew sooner: You don’t need to wait until you feel better to start.

Read that again. You don’t need to wait until you feel better to start.

Your business can grow alongside your body. It might look different. It might be slower. It might be messier. But it can still be yours.

And you don’t need to prove your worth with your productivity. You are worthy as you are—bedhead, brain fog, and all.

So if you’ve ever felt like you can’t be both sick and successful, let me just say: You absolutely can.

You might be building something beautiful from a place of pain. But it’s still yours. And that’s freaking powerful.

If this episode encouraged you, would you share it with a fellow spoonie entrepreneur? Or leave a review? After all, your reviews help me grow my business from bed.

Until next time—rest well, dream big, and keep running your business from wherever you need to.