Patients Getting Paid

On the wall of Health Union's offices in Philadelphia is written CEO Olivier Chateau's favorite saying - "If you believe your dreams are achievable, they are too small. Dream bigger." No one could accuse Olivier of doing anything else!

Since founding Health Union in 2010, Olivier has been dedicated to integrating the power of human connection and technology, bringing people together in the shared experiences of living with chronic health conditions. Olivier and Health Union believe that the voice of personal experience from people impacted by a complex health condition is the most important voice in healthcare. Today, the Health Union family of brands includes online health communities for over 40 separate conditions.

Olivier's passion and enthusiasm for Health Union is contagious, inspiring the team to think bigger, be creative, and to constantly do what hasn't been done. In this interview, he talks about the ways that patients can advocate for themselves and have a real impact on the healthcare industry through Health Union's communities, all while getting paid! 

In this episode:

• Health Union's mission and where it came from
• The roles that patient leaders play in Health Union's online health communities - and, what constitutes a "health leader"
• Olivier's definition of "Social Health" and why it's such an important concept for patients and the healthcare industry to understand
• What Olivier thinks the healthcare industry can do to better integrate the patient voice
• Health Union's future plans

Full notes and resources at https://patientsgettingpaid.com/blog/paid-experience-health-union

Kathy visits with a PGP member to get their take on what has been most valuable about the PGP membership for their business.

This time she catches up with Kathy Chester, who was previously heard on Episode 16 (Making Your Passion Your Chronicpreneur Business). A valued member of the PGP community, Kathy C. says that the coaching sessions inside the membership can "breathe life back into you". 

If you've been debating whether to join the PGP Community, visit PatientsGettingPaid.com for more information, but don't forget that there's a price increase right around the corner! 

In this episode:

• A quick recap of how Kathy's career as a physical trainer was derailed by her double diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis
• How she first heard about PGP
• The things that she has gained through being a member of PGP
• Details of how people with MS can take part in Kathy's upcoming fitness seminar

Full notes and resources at https://patientsgettingpaid.com/blog/kathy-chester-membership-testimonial

If you're thinking about creating a new career that can be done remotely, a great option is being a Virtual Assistant (VA). It's certainly something that I've wanted to share with PGP'ers for a long time because it can fit into the chronicpreneur lifestyle perfectly.  

But what is a VA, and what kind of things do they do?

To answer that and many other questions, my guest today is Tawnya Sutherland, one of the pioneers of the VA industry. Tawnya was working as a VA when she wanted to join a social network to support her work-at-home business. When she couldn't find one, she set up a forum of her own and invited a couple of friends to hang out there to socialize and talk shop (VA shop that is). In 2003 Tawnya founded VAnetworking, the largest and most active Virtual Assistant network today, with thousands of members worldwide.

If you've ever considered working as a VA, this episode contains a ton of information, including the full range of support that VAs can offer. Most interestingly, the riches are in the niches - so if you can offer more specialized skills (for example, in social media) you can get paid more!

Tawnya also talks about her FREE Virtual Assistant Summit and the upcoming course that she'll be holding exclusively within the PGP community. So if you haven't joined the membership yet, now's the time!

In this episode:

• How Tawnya began working as a Virtual Assistant
• The benefits that Tawnya sees in working freelance as a VA over being an employed 'secretary' - for the Virtual Assistant AND the employer 
• The different roles that a VA can undertake
• Why Tawnya set up her VA membership and training course in 2003
• The importance of having an online presence
• Details of Tawnya's Virtual Assistant Summit, and the forthcoming workshop she'll be holding within the PGP Community

Full notes and resources at https://patientsgettingpaid.com/blog/virtual-assistant-tawnya-sutherland

If you know me or have been following these episodes, you'll know that tech is… not my favorite thing, shall we say. But if you're embarking on a chronicpreneur journey, especially one that includes working remotely, you will need to grapple with tech at some point. And believe me, if I can do it, so can you!

I could not be more thrilled that Jackie Zimmerman, Queen of Getting Shit Done and previous podcast guest, is going to be working alongside me on Patients Getting Paid! And in these special Tech Talk episodes, we're going to be taking a deep dive into all the different technological bits and pieces that you're going to want to think about as you begin your life as a chronicpreneur.

Jackie received not one but two chronic illness diagnoses in her 20s (Multiple Sclerosis and Inflammatory Bowel Disease) and turned to the internet as a way to cope and build a support system. Through the process of blogging and developing communities, Jackie honed her skills in digital communications by learning to design websites, create brand recognition and build online courses. She has now turned those into a full-time career in her digital marketing company Queen of GSD. 

In this first Tech Talk episode, we're covering different pieces of software that can manage your schedule. You might say that you already have a calendar, but programs like the two we focus on here - Calendly and Acuity - can do so much more, including taking payments!

Don't forget, Jackie is now working alongside me on the Patients Getting Paid Community. So if you join up you'll be able to get her input on schedulers or any of the things we're going to be covering in the Tech Talk podcasts. Visit PatientsGettingPaid.com for more information, but don't forget that there's a price increase right around the corner!

In this episode:

• Why Jackie believes that scheduling software is a key thing to get organized right from the start of your chronicpreneur journey
• My own experiences of using Calendly to organize my two podcasts, my advocacy work, and the PGP community
• An overview of the various things that these programs can do for you, aside from managing your calendar
• A comparison of Calendly and Acuity, two of the major players in this game

Full notes and resources at https://patientsgettingpaid.com/blog/tech-talk-scheduling-software 

I can hardly believe it, but today's episode marks the first anniversary of the launch of Patients Getting Paid!

This community has long been a dream of mine - I've spent years learning how to find work that replaces a regular paycheck, but fits around my health condition. And once I found it, I knew I had to share it with my chronic illness community!

In this episode, I talk about my own chronicpreneur story and the birth of PGP, before we hear from a handful of people from within PGP about what they've loved about being part of the community.

Thank you for being a part of the Patients Getting Paid story so far. And if you're sitting on the fence about becoming a full member, check out what people currently inside the community are saying. And bear in mind that there's a price rise on the horizon! Now really is the best time to invest in yourself and begin living the chronicpreneur dream of work that fits around your health needs and that PAYS. 

In this episode:

• How Kathy's first steps to a chronicpreneur lifestyle grew out of monetizing her blog
• What led to her decision to leave full-time work
• How Patients Getting Paid was born the moment she realized that she was making more money than when she was employed by someone else
• An overview of the different aspects that make up the PGP Community
• Messages from a number of PGP Community members

Full notes and resources at https://patientsgettingpaid.com/blog/patients-getting-paid-first-anniversary

My aim in these podcasts and the PGP Community is to expand the minds of people with chronic illnesses about the kinds of paid work that are available. All of this took me years to learn, so I'm here to save you the time. It isn't solely for people that need to make the leap right now, but some of the things we talk about could lead you to an interesting side gig or a whole new direction.

Well, my guest today will blow your minds with her proven ideas of how your side gig could replace your regular income - and more!

Elena Saris is a semi-retired criminal defense attorney, a former stand-up comic, and a 7-Figure E-commerce seller. She walked away from a career she once loved to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams of personal and financial freedom. She is a sought-after speaker on how to break into the online business world based on her unique career path, her online success, and her incomparable ability to entertain while educating. She is the co-founder of the Create Profits Online Mastermind, an active community of online sellers who are starting and growing their own online businesses with 7- and 8-figure mentors showing them the way.

Elena shares so many nuggets in this interview, which is why we went long. But if you can believe it, she has EVEN more tips to share. So she is holding a LIVE workshop within the Patients Getting Paid Community - make sure you join today to avoid the price increase!

In this episode:

• Elena's work history and how she got started in online business
• The message that helped her make the leap - "It's called Chapter Two, and you're allowed"
• The three key elements of Print On Demand (POD), with Shopify, Amazon, Etsy and more
• Information about Elena's books
• Learn more about the Create Profits Online Mastermind community

Full notes and resources at https://patientsgettingpaid.com/blog/online-selling-7-figures  

There's a definite hierarchy of needs when it comes to creating your chronicpreneur lifestyle. First, you want to find a way to work that fits around your health condition. Secondly, you want to get PAID. That's why you're here, right? 

As we've seen in the past, a lot of chronicpreneurs end up working in ways that can ultimately make life better for other people living with chronic illnesses.

Well, my guests today do all of those things. And on top of all that, they offer workshops through their business that can help individuals, groups and corporations learn about, communicate with, and be more accessible to people with disabilities.

Lainie Ishbia and Estela Lugo are friends, business partners - and chronicpreneurs.  Using their own experiences of living with chronic illnesses, they created the EmBRACE It podcast and workshop series to empower people with disabilities and chronic conditions to look and feel their best and ultimately live their best lives. 

Lainie and Estela are helping individuals living with physical challenges to improve their quality of life, while cultivating a true chronicpreneur business and lifestyle. You're gonna love meeting them!

In this episode:

• Lainie and Estela's diagnosis stories
• The work they did previously, how they transitioned to become chronicpreneurs, and the work that they do now
• The kind of workshops that Lainie and Estela offer to companies
• Information about their upcoming Disability Badass Academy
• Lainie and Estela's tips and tricks for any budding chronicpreneurs

Full notes and resources at https://patientsgettingpaid.com/blog/paid-chronic-experience-workshop 

Over the course of these podcasts - and within the PGP community - the topic of Patient Advocacy and how to get paid for sharing your patient experience comes up repeatedly. People can be a little shy in naming their price - I know I certainly was!

But now I say that you should not be shy about charging what your time and experiences are worth. Patient advocates have valuable skills and information in how they live their lives. And people will pay for it! 

I'm pleased to say that today's guest agrees with me. Jenna Green is a patient advocate, content creator, consultant, and speaker living with Multiple Sclerosis, Dystonia, and IBS as well as depression and anxiety. As you'll learn, Jenna is an overachiever in all areas of her life!

Since her MS diagnosis in 2016, she has used her 20 years of experience in marketing, and a decade of self-employment to help bring awareness, support, education, and community to those who live with invisible illnesses, chronic pain, and fatigue. She’s dedicated to helping disabled and chronically ill people live their best lives and also works with companies that want to engage with the community.

At various times over the years, Jenna has had to rethink how she wants to define success or what her idea of a good life looks like. In our chat, she has a ton of advice on how to shift your career or side hustle into a new stage. 

In this episode:

• The story of Jenna's pre-diagnosis career and how her numerous chronic illnesses changed her working life
• How the term 'passive income' doesn't reflect how much work it takes!
• Why working for herself with numerous chronic illnesses forced Jenna to redefine what success looked like to her
• The reasons why undercharging for patient advocacy work can harm the whole community 
• Details of a very generous discount for the PGP community on Jenna's Business Brainstorming Planner

Full notes and resources at https://patientsgettingpaid.com/blog/patient-advocacy-paid-work

Being diagnosed with a chronic illness is hard at any age. But my guest today was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the age of 15!

Following her diagnosis, Melody Sapien has been managing her symptoms through nutrition and lifestyle practices. She now views it as her life's mission to teach others how to do the same, becoming a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner in 2019 and a Wahls Protocol Health Professional in 2021. Today, she works with clients to help them create a formula for vitality that is sustainable for a lifetime.

Listen in to find out how the pandemic was the kick-start that Melody needed for her business, how she uses social media to find all of her clients, and how she is able to work in a way that supports her health.

As we say in this interview, entrepreneur life can be a rollercoaster, with or without a chronic health condition. Get support by becoming a part of the Patients Getting Paid community. 

In this episode:

• The story of Melody's diagnosis at the age of 15, and why she felt relief when her symptoms were given a name
• Why Melody chose to manage her condition with nutrition and lifestyle, and how she was able to turn this into her chronicpreneur business
• How Melody uses social media to grow her business, and how she works with her clients
• Melody's novel workaround for getting full health insurance coverage
• Why she recommends getting a legal structure in place from the start
• Where you can find Melody

Full notes and resources at https://patientsgettingpaid.com/blog/nutrition-lifestyle-wellness-business

The medical establishment has finally realized that if you want to know how patients feel about their lives, you need to speak to them! And they recognize that our patient experience is VALUABLE, so they're willing to pay for our time.

But it can feel like you're only there to share your complaints and problems. And you are more than your health condition!

My guests today work at Merakoi, an agency that enables healthcare companies to collaborate with patient experts and their communities across multiple diseases and geographies. 

For me, the key word in that description is collaborate. 

Merakoi recognizes that patient advocates are highly skilled professionals with lived disease experience. So by getting to know their community, Merakoi ensures patients are enabled to deliver real-life insights and creative solutions to the projects that they work on. It's not just about sharing your problems, you get the opportunity to bring your skills across the entire product development lifecycle! 

I think Merakoi is offering a uniquely human-centric way for patient advocates to work with health solution providers. So I'm proud that they are working closely with Patients Getting Paid, posting many of their opportunities with the PGP Community. It's another reason to join today!

In this episode:

• Where the idea for Merakoi came from
• Kathy's early experiences of patient advocacy, and why working with Merakoi is different 
• How patient experts are recruited, and how they are selected for each project
• The big question! How much do patient experts get paid?
• Details of Merakoi opportunities inside the Patients Getting Paid community

Full notes and resources at https://patientsgettingpaid.com/blog/getting-patients-paid-merakoi