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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
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/
View all episodes
By Lilly Stairs“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
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/