How to Grow a Business When Your Health Changes (Living with Type 1.5 Diabetes)

Jemi Crookes was misdiagnosed with type 2 diabetes for six months before she discovered she actually has type 1.5 (LADA). That diagnosis changed everything about how she runs her business — and why she left corporate to build something that honors her energy.

In this episode, Jemi shares the full story: chronic fatigue, unexplained weight gain, numbness in her hands and feet, and the moment she knew her doctor was wrong. She dug into medical journals, found a new endocrinologist, and got the right diagnosis. Then she had to decide: stay in corporate or build a business that works around her health.

Jemi is a leadership positioning strategist who helps women make themselves visible without burning out. She left a 15-year career in consumer packaged goods and executive recruiting to do this work full-time. Now she's navigating what she calls the honeymoon phase of type 1.5 diabetes while growing a business that doesn't ask her to choose between her health and her income.

We talk about building a business model that aligns with your boundaries, why leadership branding is your safety net when your job title is rented, and how to strip away all the voices telling you who you should be so you can finally hear your own.

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:54 Manifesting Generator Energy & How Jemi Works
9:14 Getting Sick: Chronic Fatigue & Misdiagnosis
11:59 The LADA Diagnosis (Type 1.5 Diabetes)
27:41 Leadership Branding as a Safety Net
37:00 Building a Brand vs. Being a Leader
42:00 Why You Can't See the Label From Inside the Jar

Work with Nikita: chronicallyyouseries.subscribepage.io

Connect with Jemi Crookes:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcrookes/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jemicrookes_official/

Listen to the full podcast: Business With Chronic Illness on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

Subscribe for more real talk about building a business when your body has other plans.

If you're navigating chronic illness while growing a business, or you've ever felt like your health forced you to pivot your career, this conversation is for you. Jemi's story about living with type 1.5 diabetes (LADA) and leaving corporate to build a sustainable business model is a reminder that your leadership brand matters more than your job title. Building a business with chronic illness requires flexibility, boundaries, and a team that can hold things down when you need to step back. This episode is for women entrepreneurs who refuse to choose between their health and their ambition.

#ChronicIllnessBusiness #Type15Diabetes #LeadershipBranding