I want to say a thank you to the patron saint of vulnerability, Brené Brown. Thank you for making it acceptable to talk about our feelings and share our experiences, especially in the workplace.

I know we still have a long way to go, but I get very excited when I hear a story of someone opening up about something personal at work and having it go well for them.

Many of us have to put on a shield when we go to work. Keep our personal lives to ourselves and show no weakness, am I right? God forbid someone would think we were unreliable or couldn’t handle pressure… or that we might be human beings with needs.

I am so lucky to know my guest today.

Christine Rich is in the process of writing a book right now titled Chronic. In the book, she’s sharing her story of navigating life with an auto-immune disease aka chronic illness aka Chron’s disease.

In this episode, Christine shares with me how Chron’s disease affects her life and how it affected her at work. I’m so grateful to see this book come to life so that people who are suffering in silence can see themselves in Christine’s story.

If you’ve ever felt like you had to hide a part of yourself at work—or anywhere, really—you’re going to want to listen to this conversation.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• 
  
• Christine’s decades-long journey from getting her diagnosis to accepting the impact and role her autoimmune disease has in her life
  
• How writing Chronic has helped Christine process her experience with Chron’s disease
  
• Christine’s breaking point and how a change in perspective helped her rise above it
  
• The essential importance of loving yourself—even, yes!, the “broken” parts of you
  

Learn more about Christine Rich:

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Rebelle Shout Out:

Learn more about Shannon Siriano Greenwood: