Welcome to Badass with a Bad Ass — your go-to roundup for bite-sized brilliance at the intersection of chronic illness, career, and personal empowerment. Whether you’re navigating a flare, scaling your side hustle, or just trying to make it through Monday, these thoughtfully curated listicles are here to serve up practical insights with a side of bold, bossy real talk.
Written by Katie Connelly, a Chronic Boss with a love for bullet points and big dreams, each listicle breaks down the complicated into the doable — blending hard-earned wisdom, lived experience, and a little humor to help you thrive with your whole self in mind. Expect themes like health hacks that actually work, mindset shifts to carry you through chaos, and productivity tips that honor your body, not just your to-do list.
Katie Neu
The Badass Brief
Chronic illness insights, advocacy tips, and no-filter advice from Katie, founder of Badass with a Bad Ass.
Badass with a Bad Ass is a social media community I created back in 2020 when my own Crohn's Disease left me feeling isolated and without people in my life who "got it." The tongue in cheek name is a reminder to myself, and everyone else, that just because we have chronic illness does NOT make us any less than.
I have had Crohn's Disease for the last 21 years, and it has felt like I have earned more of a degree in being a patient, and how to advocate for myself, than the Business Admin degree I have in Global Supply Chain Management.
After being apart of the corporate medical device world (and then my quick stint in retail) my desire to be a full time patient advocate and consultant outweighed my love for supply chain.
Badass with a Bad Ass has become more than a social media community, and has become a full fledge consulting business. I have had many opportunities to share my patient experience with different pharmaceutical companies to help them incorporate the patient voice into their clinical trials.
Being able to share my story, and my view on the current gaps in IBD medical care, with the people and experts who are working behind the scenes on treatments--it has set my soul on fire.
Finding my voice with public speaking and through sharing my Crohn's disease story, has had a larger ripple effect than I ever could have imagined. Every day I now get to help patients learn how to advocate for themselves while also dropping the veil for them on the BTS of the medical system. Knowing how the system and the companies involved, help empower patients to continue fighting for just and equal care.
When I am not spending my time advocating, I can be found with a book in my hand, and my cat Katara on my lap. My husband Nolan and I just moved back home to Boston from NH and are enjoying newlywed life.
