Business With Chronic Illness:  Simple Sustainable Growth and Burnout Healing For CEO Women
Business With Chronic Illness:  Simple Sustainable Growth and Burnout Healing For CEO Women

Business With Chronic Illness: Simple Sustainable Growth and Burnout Healing For CEO Women

Nikita Williams

Overview
Episodes

Details

Running a business while living with chronic illness is not easy, and most business advice ignores the reality of burnout, living with autoimmune disorders, unpredictable energy, and navigating everyday health and wellness while starting and growing a business. That’s why this podcast is designed to help you build a business that works with your body, not against it. If you’re a woman entrepreneur, creative, or CEO navigating chronic illness, burnout, or healing and recovering from hustle culture, this show is for you. Every week, host Nikita Williams brings you simple, sustainable business strategies rooted in her four core content pillars: • Business Systems and Operations: capacity-first planning, automation, and flare-proof operations. • Sustainable Marketing and Sales: creative, voice-first strategies like podcasting that convert without social burnout. • Mindset & Life with Chronic Illness: stories, resets, and tools to honor your health and energy. • Empowering Entrepreneur Stories: real women building profitable businesses with chronic illness. Expect a mix of coaching insights, practical strategies, and inspiring interviews delivered with warmth, realness, and the reminder that rest is a strategy and you can be successful at whatever pace you have right now. As a globally-ranked podcast host (top 2.5%), award-winning business coach, and speaker, Nikita has built a six-figure business while navigating endometriosis, Hashimoto’s, Fibromyalgia, and chronic pain. She’s helped hundreds of women say yes to building profitable businesses that align with their health, life, and values. Featured guests include thought leaders like Jasmine Star, Danielle Bayard Jackson, Natasha Samuel, and more. Business With Chronic Illness is where women come to find support, clarity, and simple strategies to grow without the hustle. Follow the show now so you don’t miss an episode, and visit craftedtothrive.com to learn more, grab free resources, and join the community.

Recent Episodes

Why Most Businesses Break When You Need a Break (And How to Build One That Doesn’t)
DEC 19, 2025
Why Most Businesses Break When You Need a Break (And How to Build One That Doesn’t)
What if your business didn’t fall apart every time your life asked you to slow down?In this episode of Business with Chronic Illness, we’re naming a hard truth many entrepreneurs live with quietly: most businesses are built to work only on your best days.When you rest, everything stops.When life gets real, momentum disappears.And you’re left feeling like you’re starting over again.That’s not a you problem.It’s a systems problem.In This Episode, We Cover:• Why most businesses are actually self-powered machines• How hustle culture normalized over-functioning• Why consistency always requires capacity (and capacity isn’t constant)• The nervous system cost of tying income to daily output• Why businesses collapse during hard seasons• What it means to build a business that supports you• How long-form content (like podcasting) creates stability during low-capacity seasons• Why evergreen content keeps working even when you’re offline✨ Thank you for listening. Here's how to connect with Nikita, your host:→ Book A Sales Call Here→ Grab your Free Curated Podcast for Business Growth Playlist→ Grab the Podcast Planner + App to start and grow your podcast with ease.→ Grab Your Free 5-Day Private Podcast Series to Help You Make Sales with Ease with Long-Form Content and Nervous-System-Friendly Marketing Strategies for Women with Chronic Illness & Burnt-Out Entrepreneurs.⭐ Loved this episode? Leave a review and share it with a friend who’s ready to grow their business without burnout or sacrificing their well-being.📱 Stay connected: Follow me on Instagram.
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21 MIN
Why Your Marketing Collapses When Your Capacity Changes And How To Fix It
DEC 12, 2025
Why Your Marketing Collapses When Your Capacity Changes And How To Fix It
Does your marketing disappear every time you take a break? You're not alone, and it's not a consistency problem. It's a systems problem disguised as a marketing problem.In this solo episode of Business with Chronic Illness, I'm sharing why so many women entrepreneurs with chronic illness, burnout, or unpredictable capacity feel like they're constantly restarting their marketing from scratch. The truth? You don't have a marketing strategy; you have a performance schedule. And when you stop performing, your business stops breathing.In this episode, you'll discover:Why your marketing feels fragile (and it's not because you're inconsistent)The hidden cost of marketing that depends on you having good days all the timeHow long-form content creates business stability even when your life doesn't feel stableWhat happens when you anchor your business in a sustainable system instead of daily postsThree ways to build a marketing system that works when your capacity shiftsIf you're tired of feeling like you're rebuilding your marketing every three months, or you're scared to rest because your visibility will disappear, this episode will show you a different way. A way where your voice does the heavy lifting even when your body cannot.This episode is for you if:You disappear when you don't feel well and feel like you're starting over every time you come back.You want steady clients but can't keep up with posting or launching the way everyone says you should.You're scared to market because you don't know if you can handle leads on a flare week.You know you need to be consistent, but your energy just isn't predictable.You feel like you're working all the time but not seeing sustainable results.✨ Thank you for listening. Here's how to connect with Nikita, your host:→ Book A Sales Call Here→ Grab your Free Curated Podcast for Business Growth Playlist→ Grab the Podcast Planner + App to start and grow your podcast with ease.→ Grab Your Free 5-Day Private Podcast Series to Help You Make Sales with Ease with Long-Form Content and Nervous-System-Friendly Marketing Strategies for Women with Chronic Illness & Burnt-Out Entrepreneurs.⭐ Loved this episode? Leave a review and share it with a friend who’s ready to grow their business without burnout or sacrificing their well-being.📱 Stay connected: Follow me on Instagram.
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32 MIN
Late Bloomers in Business: Eldest Daughters, Chronic Illness, and the Four Skills That Protect Your Capacity | Nikkei Lamodi
DEC 5, 2025
Late Bloomers in Business: Eldest Daughters, Chronic Illness, and the Four Skills That Protect Your Capacity | Nikkei Lamodi
In this replay episode, I’m sitting down with certified coach and first-gen eldest daughter Nikkei Lamodi, to talk about what it really looks like to be an eldest daughter or late bloomer living with chronic illness and running a business.We get into the invisible pressure of being the “strong one,” why eldest daughters are so prone to people-pleasing, perfectionism, and over-responsibility, and how all of that bleeds into your business, your boundaries, and your body.Nikkei shares her story of caregiving, grief, chronic illness diagnosis, and the moment she realized she was sacrificing her time, money, and desires for everyone else. From there, she walks us through her four “eldest daughter skills” that help you protect your capacity instead of burning it out:Direct communication with graceBoundary care (boundaries that are for you, not rules for other people)Talking to yourself like a best friendAsking “What else is true? What else is possible?”If you’re an eldest daughter or late bloomer navigating chronic illness, family expectations, and the pressure to hold everyone together while growing a business… this conversation will make you feel so seen.🎧 Want to learn more about today’s guest?Visit CraftedToThrive.com for guest details, key takeaways, and extra links mentioned in this episode.🌿 If you’re navigating entrepreneurship and chronic illness, or simply craving a more sustainable way to grow your business without sacrificing your health, energy, or self-care priorities, explore Chronically You & Profitable (CYAP).CYAP is my voice-first business system designed for women entrepreneurs, creatives, and women with chronic illness who want sustainable growth and burnout support while keeping life and wellness first.It helps you use your voice and story to build a business with systems and strategies that run smoothly, so your work supports your life, not the other way around.⭐ Enjoyed this conversation? Leave a review and share it with another CEO woman or creative entrepreneur growing a health-first, sustainable business.📱 Stay connected: Follow me on Instagram.
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52 MIN
Planning 2026? Here’s Why Your ‘Small’ Audience Is More Powerful Than You Think
NOV 28, 2025
Planning 2026? Here’s Why Your ‘Small’ Audience Is More Powerful Than You Think
If you’ve been looking at your audience lately — your email list, your downloads, your Instagram following — and thinking, “It’s just not big enough,” this episode is your gentle reset.Today, I’m sharing an archived audio I originally recorded for my private client podcast. It’s a quiet reminder that the size of your audience has never been the thing that determines your success… the root system of your business does.Inside, I share a story about repotting one of my new plants (yes, your girl is officially a plant mama 🌿) and what it taught me about sustainable business growth, especially for creative CEOs living with chronic illness or navigating burnout.Whether you’re planning for 2026, feeling behind on your goals, or questioning whether your tiny audience can actually support a profitable, ease-filled business — this episode will remind you that small can be mighty, and depth can be more powerful than size.Because sustainable businesses don’t grow by getting louder… they grow by getting rooted.In this episode, we explore:Why your audience is not too small to support real growthHow tiny, intentional communities create long-term sustainabilityThe plant metaphor that changed how I look at business developmentWhat really matters more than list size or follower countHow to build a business that feels nurturing, easeful, and profitable (even in low-capacity seasons)Why creative women and entrepreneurs with chronic illness thrive in depth-first business modelsKey TakeawaysA tiny audience can lead to powerful, sustainable results when you focus on connection over volume.Growth that ignores your health, your energy, and your capacity isn’t actually growth — it’s burnout.Your 2026 plan doesn’t have to be bigger; it has to be deeper.Small but mighty businesses create the strongest root systems — the ones that quietly grow, flourish, and stay profitable long-term.Who This Episode Is ForCreative CEOs craving sustainable business strategiesEntrepreneurs with chronic illness who want growth without sacrificing their healthWomen navigating burnout who want to rebuild without pressureAnyone who feels behind on their 2025 goals and wants a calmer way to approach 2026✨ Thank you for listening. Your Next Step:→ Grab the Podcast Planner to start and grow your podcast with ease.→ Or, learn my Voice-First System — Chronically You & Profitable (CYAP): the signature method featured and practiced on Business With Chronic Illness Podcast: CEO Women for Sustainable Growth and Burnout Support.This system is designed for a woman entrepreneur, creative, a chronic boss, or a woman with an autoimmune illness who want simple business growth, sustainable sales, and burnout support, without sacrificing their health, energy, or self-care priorities.💛 Inside CYAP, You’ll Learn How To:Manage your health and business with confidence.Grow a health-first business that supports your wellness, creativity, and income.Create sustainable systems that let your business serve your life, not take away from it.⭐ Loved this episode? Leave a review and share it with a friend who’s ready to grow their business without burnout or sacrificing their well-being.📱 Stay connected: Follow me on Instagram.
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8 MIN
How to Start a Creative Business Imperfectly and Evolve Without Burnout | Margo Tantau
NOV 21, 2025
How to Start a Creative Business Imperfectly and Evolve Without Burnout | Margo Tantau
Tired of waiting for the perfect moment to start your creative business? Struggling with burnout from trying to follow cookie-cutter business advice that doesn't fit your life?In this episode, I talk with Margo Tantau: creative director, licensing agent, and host of Windowsill Chats Podcast, about building a sustainable creative business by following your gut instead of formulas. Margo shares her non-linear path from corporate to running her own licensing agency, and why starting imperfectly is actually the key to long-term success.We talk about why perfectionism keeps women entrepreneurs stuck, how to create a business that adapts to your capacity (not the other way around), and why vulnerability and connection beat marketing funnels every time. If you've been holding back because you're afraid of starting over or don't have it all figured out, this conversation gives you permission to begin—and evolve without burnout.In This Episode, You'll Learn:Why you're stuck waiting for "perfect" to start your creative business – and how to give yourself permission to begin imperfectly and evolve as you learn.How to recognize when you're actually evolving, not starting over – Your past work, pivots, and changes aren't wasted—they're building blocks for what comes next.Why your gut knows more than cookie-cutter formulas – How to trust your instincts to build a sustainable creative business that fits your life, not someone else's blueprint.What burnout is really telling you about your business approach – and how to create a capacity-first business that adapts to your energy and circumstances instead of draining them.How to reframe "I'm starting all over again" into "I'm recalibrating" – A simple mindset shift that helps you move forward without the weight of feeling behind.Where your creativity already shows up – even if you don't think you're "creative enough" to start a business.How to build connections and relationships instead of relying on perfect marketing – Why vulnerability and authenticity create sustainable growth for women entrepreneurs without burnout.🎧 Want to learn more about today’s guest?Visit CraftedToThrive.com for guest details, key takeaways, and extra links mentioned in this episode.🌿 If you’re navigating entrepreneurship and chronic illness, or simply craving a more sustainable way to grow your business without sacrificing your health, energy, or self-care priorities, explore Chronically You & Profitable (CYAP).CYAP is my voice-first business system designed for women entrepreneurs, creatives, and women with chronic illness who want sustainable growth and burnout support while keeping life and wellness first.It helps you use your voice and story to build a business with systems and strategies that run smoothly, so your work supports your life, not the other way around.⭐ Enjoyed this conversation? Leave a review and share it with another CEO woman or creative entrepreneur growing a health-first, sustainable business.📱 Stay connected: Follow me on Instagram.
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59 MIN