Business With Chronic Illness: Women Entrepreneurs Navigating Burnout & Autoimmune Conditions
Business With Chronic Illness: Women Entrepreneurs Navigating Burnout & Autoimmune Conditions
Nikita Williams | Sustainable Sales & Business Restructuring Coach
How Freelance Writers with Chronic Illness Can Make Full-Time Income on Part-Time Hours
53 minutes Posted Oct 3, 2025 at 5:00 am.
Prioritizing Health in Business Decisions
Starting a Business with Chronic Illness
Episode Introduction
Meet Amanda Bourbonais
The Health Crisis That Changed Everything
The Awakening: "I Don't Want This Anymore"
Googling "How to Make Money Writing Online"
Early Days: Resistance and Foundation
The Biggest Misconception: You Have to Work Harder
The Beauty of Freelancing: Deliverables Over Hours
Why Blog Writing Works: Zone of Genius
Working Through Brain Fog and Low Energy
Navigating Health and Writing
Health Journey as Business Advantage
AI: From Resistance to Embracing the Tool
Navigating Health and Freelancing
Managing Fear: What If Health Falls Apart Again?
Finding Balance: Health and Business
Redefining Success Without Burnout
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53:06
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Show notes

Think you need to work 60-hour weeks to build a successful freelance business with chronic illness or burnout? Amanda Bourbonais proves otherwise. After a severe chronic Lyme disease crisis forced her to leave corporate life, she built a six-figure copywriting business working just 20-25 hours per week, and she's maintained that rhythm for five years.

In this episode, Amanda shares how she turned rock bottom into a business foundation, why "I started my business so I could take naps" became her guiding principle, and how she prices projects based on deliverables (not hours) to create sustainable income. If you've been told you need to hustle harder or wait until you're "healthy enough" to start your business, this conversation will change how you think about capacity, pricing, and what's actually possible.

What you'll learn:

  • How to structure a freelance business that generates full-time income on part-time hours (20-25 hours/week) and supports you as you heal
  • Why pricing by deliverables instead of hours is the key to sustainable growth for freelancing with chronic illness
  • How to turn your health journey into a business asset and find clients who value your unique perspective

Perfect for: Freelance writers, consultants, and creatives with chronic illness who want to build sustainable businesses without sacrificing their health.

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