Meet the Woman Behind the Mic: From Hospital Bed to CEO with Lilly Stairs

In this episode of Chronic Boss Unfiltered, our host Lilly Stairs opens up about her journey from chronic illness patient to powerhouse advocate and entrepreneur. With colleague and friend Lauren Perna stepping in as interviewer, listeners get a raw, honest look at the experiences that shaped Lilly’s mission-driven career.

Lilly’s story begins with early diagnoses—psoriasis at age seven and OCD during her teen years—and takes a life-altering turn when she is diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis and Crohn’s disease at 19. These challenges sparked her passion for patient advocacy at a time when the field was still largely undefined.

Throughout the episode, Lilly traces the evolution of her career: establishing herself in advocacy, launching her consultancy Patient Authentic to elevate patient voices in healthcare, and creating Chronic Boss, a community for ambitious women navigating chronic conditions while pursuing big goals.

The conversation highlights core themes of Lilly’s work—owning your narrative, prioritizing mental health, recognizing burnout, and redefining ambition through a chronic illness lens. It’s a powerful reminder that resilience and drive can coexist, and that women with chronic conditions deserve space to lead, build, and thrive.

Themes: 

• OCD is widely misunderstood and often hidden in plain sight.
• A lack of autoimmune awareness propelled her into patient advocacy.
• Patient advocacy remains an emerging—and deeply needed—field in healthcare.
• Lilly founded Patient Authentic to help organizations meaningfully engage patients.
• Daily routines and boundaries are essential for chronic illness entrepreneurs.
• Chronic Boss was built to empower ambitious women living with chronic conditions.
• Owning one’s story creates personal and professional strength.
• Burnout awareness is crucial for protecting mental health.