The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.  Vince Lombardi

Motivation and will power fascinate me. Maybe because I didn't have much of either when I was young and then they each blossomed.

Illness in my late 20's was transformational for me.  My gut response to devastating disease shaped how I responded to events from that time on.  From that dark place -- in which I saw parts of me I didn't know existed --   I was able to create intention.  It was an easy route to find motivation, direction and will power I didn't know I had.

Webster' s defines motivation as 'incentive or drive'.  It defines willpower as energetic determination.   In a recent The Boston Globe article, Goal Oriented,  Deborah Kotz explored new research on willpower.

"The reason for all this interest?  Willpower, it turns out, is one of the most important predictors of success in life."

Among other things, the article notes that research shows that those who scored highest on self control at age 3 were far more likely to be healthy and financially successful adults.  No way would I  have scored high on self control at age 3 -- or even 15 (not I who always read the end first and snatched the frosting from the all cupcakes in spite of my brother's wrath!).  It wasn't until I was in my 20's that any hint of who I would become started to emerge.

But I don't think I'm typical.  I've noticed in my coaching practice that those with a track record of success do better at marshaling the motivation and willpower they need to face the challenges of chronic illness.  Even if resilience and hope falters, they've already developed the muscle memory.

So, what's it been like for you?  Do you "hide under the covers" and collapse when the going gets tough?  Or is there some part of you, some voice, that always pulls you up to face the day?

How do you face tough times, difficult situations, your unhealthy body?  Do you think you always had the tools to 'push through'?

FYI - The header comes from this quote:  They can because they think they can. Virgil

QUERY:  HR Directors - We've got a grant to study the effects of a coaching intervention on people working who live with chronic illness.   Employees who participate would receive coaching services at no fee.  We ask nothing from a partner organization other than to communicate our message about this study to their employees.   Are you an HR Director or work within organization that you think would be interested in 'partnering' with us?  For more information:  Alyssa.McGonagle@Wayne.edu 

What does it take for a person with chronic illness to continue working ?  And, if possible, to do so in a rewarding way?  I've wrestled with  this personally for over 30 years, and more recently in my professional life as a coach/writer/activist of sorts in the past 10 years.

A recent New York Times article profiled a  self-described "high powered executive" with schizo affective disorder .  Against all odds, she discovered for herself that the best medicine for her is an intense work environment.  The very idea defied what everyone around her believed.

The article cites recent research on a small group of high achievers living with this diagnosis.   '“It’s just embarrassing,” said Dr. Stephen R. Marder, director of the psychosis section at U.C.L.A.’s Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. “For years, we as psychiatrists have been telling people with a diagnosis what to expect; we’ve been telling them who they are, how to change their lives — and it was bad information” for many people.

Sound familiar?  So what can the rest of us learn from this?

1. There's much to learn from others living with a chronic health condition.   Don't be fooled by a diagnosis.  In my coaching practice, working with more than 300 people living with all forms of chronic illness, I've found that most disease symptoms bring on some debilitating level of fatigue or pain.  And it's these defining experiences that hurt performance.  Isn't that what matters?

(If only researchers shared more of their findings among different disease and branches of medicine,  science would move much more quickly to finding sources and cures of disease. )

3.   You are responsible for figuring out what you can and cannot do, what is 'good for you' to do and what harms you. Yes,  that's hard.  When your healthcare practitioner (your psychiatrist, surgeon or acupuncturist, you name it)  tells you what you 'need' to do to 'take care of yourself', you should listen and try it.  But as you test this out keep an open mind to question if this is right for you.

3.   Stress comes in many forms and each of us has to figure out what it means .  We all  have different tolerance levels for stress.  It affects people differently and it can affect each of us differently at different times.   Let's say you believe that your job makes your health worse because it's  'stressful'.  Ask yourself:

• Does this mean that all work is "stressful"  for you?
• Are you working in a high stress environment (everyone finds it to be so) or is this your unique response to the stress that exists there?
• Is there another way to look at the 'stress' so it doesn't feel harmful?

Bottom line?  Life is a teaching opportunity.  What are you learning from it?

Building on her experience living with chronic illnesses, including multiple sclerosis and ulcerative colitis, Rosalind Joffe founded the career coaching practice, cicoach.com. Dedicated to helping others with chronic illness develop the skills they need to succeed in their careers, Rosalind firmly believes that living with chronic illness does not preclude living a full and successful life. 

Recently, my daughter, Lucy,  a legislative aide to a New York City Council Member, contacted another Council member's legislative counsel, Q.  When Lucy didn't hear back after a few days, she contacted another member of his office. Not long after, Lucy got an email from Q explaining why he had been unavailable.  He had been on a short sick leave because of multiple sclerosis (MS).

Would you tell a colleague, whom you don't know well, that you were unavailable because of a chronic illness?  I'll bet not.  Maybe you're even thinking: "Are you nuts?  Why not just sign me up for unemployment?"

Q didn't know that Lucy's mom lives with MS, blogs about chronic illness and is a chronic illness career coach. So I can only assume that he isn't worried about telling people.  I haven't spoken with him but I have a hunch that he feels secure that acknowledging that he has MS won't jeopardize what people think of him.  Or maybe he feels that even if it does, it's not worth hiding it.

Also in that conversation --  in which he shared his story with illness and Lucy shared that her Mom lives with the disease -- he asked Lucy to sign up to walk in the New York City Walk for MS with him.  And she agreed.  This is the first time that Lucy has raised $ for MS (she's focused on other equally important issues, notes her proud mom).

My point?   Not only did Q demonstrate that you can choose not to hide that you live with a chronic illness -- but when you don't, there might be other unintended, positive consequences.  He recruited another fundraiser!

FYI: I'm not ADVOCATING random disclosure.  Plan first.  Check out my booklet Are You Talking? on my website first for some good ideas.

Building on her experience living with chronic illnesses, including multiple sclerosis and ulcerative colitis, Rosalind Joffe founded the career coaching practice, cicoach.com. Dedicated to helping others with chronic illness develop the skills they need to succeed in their careers, Rosalind firmly believes that living with chronic illness does not preclude living a full and successful life. 

Living with chronic illness means that life's challenges become ...  even more challenging.

After more than 10 years of coaching people around living with illness and their work life, blogging on this topic,  and in my personal experience, I've decided that the basics matter.  The basics allow a person to thrive, not just survive.

Here are my top 3 thriving skills:

1. Communication
2. Communication
3. Communication

Yup.  It's that important.

Let's look at why.

First, most illness symptoms are invisible.  No one knows  what your symptom/health is today/ in this moment--  unless you tell them.  And even where some of effects are visible, that doesn't mean that others understand how this impacts YOU, unless you tell them.

Further, even if your boss or best friend lives with a chronic illness, it doesn't mean she's experiencing the same symptoms or having the same disease progression.  Even more importantly,  pain and fatigue (2 primary chronic disease symptoms) are subjective experiences.  What does it mean to rate it on a scale of 1-10?  Nothing other than to define how you experience it at this moment in time.  That means your herniated disc or ulcerative colitis symptoms impact you in a certain way.  Often it impacts you differently day to day.  Another person with the same clinical findings on an MRI or a Colonoscopy will likely have a very different response and experience.   That puts the burden on you to describe what's going on to others --  if you choose to.

Finally, although almost 50% of the adult population live with at least one chronic disease  (astounding isn't it?), having good health is greatly prized.  Even more importantly, acting like you have good health is prized even more!  Too often that means that although people might be empathic when you get a diagnosis, the empathy quickly wears thin if you can't pull your weight or if you're asking others to do things differently for you.

Here's a specific example of how talking about this can be such a problem that it truly gets in your way.

In a recent conversation, my client was reflecting  on what led him to stop working.  Five years ago, he left his job and went on disability.  He'd been able to continue working for over 10 years with  increasingly debilitating symptoms (he lives with Crohn's disease).  But he'd often had to do a 'work-around' - - do his job differently or at a different pace.

Now he finds that he needs more income than he's getting from his disability policy and he's sorely missing working.  His doctor suggested he seems depressed.  And his wife told him he has to find something to do. He's 52 years old.

Thinking back to his decision to leave  his job, he realized that it wasn't the illness or symptoms.  He was fed up trying to 'defend' himself to colleagues and bosses - he hated having to talk about it so much.

When we explored the conversations that bothered him at his last job and looked at how it's not all that different in his personal life, he saw how isolated he'd become since this disease had grown worse.

The interpersonal habits he'd learned over a lifetime had worked well enough and he'd felt successful in all the key areas of his life. But illness required different things of him and he wasn't prepared.

"I'm a man of few words," he said when he described himself.   So how's that going for you, I asked?

Are you struggling with one of the top 3 I mentioned above?  Here are some suggestions.

In my book, Women Work and Autoimmune Disease: Keep Working Girlfriend, there's a chapter, "Talking About Your Chronic Illness".   It identifies some specific tactics you can apply to your own situation.

My booklet, "Are You Talking" , part of the Career Thrive Series, goes into even more detail about how to tackle this issue in your work life.

Finally, I often use another resource in my coaching work , "You Are What You Say" by Matthew Budd and Larry Rothstein  -- particularly  the chapter on linguistic viruses.

Hmm, I seem to think in 3's, don't I? What's that about?

Do you have any suggestions for other resources?  I 'd like to hear what you've found useful  and I know readers would welcome them, too.

--

Building on her experience living with chronic illnesses, including multiple sclerosis and ulcerative colitis, Rosalind Joffe founded the career coaching practice, cicoach.com. Dedicated to helping others with chronic illness develop the skills they need to succeed in their careers, Rosalind firmly believes that living with chronic illness does not preclude living a full and successful life.  Thrive, Don't Just Survive While Living With Illness.

Debilitating chronic illness can lead to twisting career turns to accommodate waxing and waning symptoms.  Sometimes it means  "reinventing yourself"  to be able to keep working in some capacity.

That was my story.  After 25 years of working in multimedia  (photographer, producer, production company v.p. sales , public school communications teacher and college professor), I threw in the towel when I became too sick to work at any full time job.

When I wanted to return to work after a few years, I realized it had to be different.  I couldn't find work that could accommodate my health in my former career - not the early 1990's at least.   So at age 43, I set out to develop a new career.  I knew I had a wealth of experience that I could draw on --  even if I didn't have a clue what that meant.

But now you don't have to do it all yourself.  Here's one site that's devoted to this very idea: Encore Careers.  In a recent newsletter, Marci Alboher offers 5  Online Resources for Encore Career Seekers.  Although the suggestions focus on "retired" folks, you can learn a lot from reading this information.   Adapt it to your situation and 'mine' the gold that's there.

Check out the site because there's lots of good information.  It targets older workers who want to or need to find new career options.  But think about the issues that an older, unemployed worker faces: skills no longer relevant, negative stereotypes, employment gaps.  Do you see some overlap?

Let's face it.  Chronic illness is not a 'hot button' issue'. But, as boomers age in an increasingly difficult job market,  the older worker is going to become more vocal.   We might as well jump on and share the band wagon.

---

Building on her experience living with chronic illnesses, including multiple sclerosis and ulcerative colitis, Rosalind Joffe founded the executive career coaching practice, cicoach.com. Dedicated to helping others with chronic illness develop the skills they need to succeed in their careers, Rosalind firmly believes that living with chronic illness does not preclude living a full and successful life.

Some  would say that social media tools (e.g., Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin) have changed the world.  Hyperbole?  Maybe, but for many of us who live with chronic illness it's pretty darn close.

Why those who live with illness, in particular?  Well, everyone would agree that social media increases access, crossing boundaries and allows you to go deep into new territory.   It opens your world to new information and people.  Now consider how valuable this is when your physical resources are diminished and limited. 

For those of us who live with chronic illness and want to find jobs or build our business, the energy and efficiency of social media can't be beat.

Here's why I say that:

• Social media, when used strategically and wisely (read the posts listed below for more specifics), allows you to spread mounds of seeds in fertile,  targeted areas through one channel, the web.
• It's easy to increase the number of people in your network dramatically while managing what they know about you, whether you're looking for a job or a new dog.
• You can reach people whom you wouldn't have met otherwise, build a relationship based on mutual interests and talk to those you do know more frequently.
• You can do all this on your schedule without leaving your computer (or handheld), your house -- or  taxing your body.

Compare all of the above to what it takes to attend industry networking meetings and networking events or having numerous and fruitless interviews that lead to dead ends because it wasn't close to being a good match.

But when you live with chronic illness, certain issues must be explored more carefully.

1. Do you want people to know you live with illness in their first introduction to you? If yes, think about what words you use to describe this and be sure that it presents you as you want to be viewed. If no,  it's best to be prepared with an idea of wehn you would choose to discuss this. 
2. Do you identify yourself in the online chronic illness world?  Social media is vastly different from email and it's got a long life.  You might choose to join online forums but remember that if they're not private groups, this information and your words will come up in a search.
3. Are you developing your online 'brand' to include living with illness? Once again, there isn't a right or wrong but note the permanence in the web. These days, we're seeing that what you say and post online can come back to bite you.   Consider what you want people to know about you and how much you want to control that information.

Ten years ago, I launched my website as cicoach.com. I branded myself as an expert in working while living with chronic illness.  I've spent my online life developing that persona.  When I consult to organizations or work with individuals, my life as a chronically ill person is open for display.   I've carefully honed my persona so that anyone looking to hire me knows what they get .

Obviously, this approach isn't going to work for most people.  If you choose to be specific about living with illness, make sure you know why you're doing so and understand how it could impact what you want.  I think that most of the time it's best not to put this in your "profile."  However, you can mention that you've faced challenges that have made you a mature, responsible and a dedicated worker.

Bottom line?  Social media offers an ideal tool for the growing number of people working while living with chronic illness,  and, in particular, those who are looking for jobs.   But like all tools, know the strengths and limits of what you're working with and use it wisely.

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After all when you have limited energy, you have to be strategic and use it wisely.  Isn't that what I suggest here?

Maybe I'm wondering  more this week because I'm taking a week vacation with my husband and I'm sick with a miserable chest cold.   It's not an MS flare, eye disease,  allergies, no broken bones.  Just the kind of sick even healthy people get  -- coughing my brains out.  But as is typical for MSer's, a virus wipes me out.  My kayak lies quiet on the dock as my husband paddles away.

But don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining because it's been lovely to be here together and mostly unplug from the routine and work of  life.  Then today,   I remembered I had a blog to get out. Typically, I write it in advance so it goes out scheduled  - -  but I ran out of time last week.

So I tore myself away from reading  The Bridge: the Life and Rise and Barack Obama (terrific - have you read it?)   Which led me to the question I posed at the opening of this post. Why do I do this? And that's when I figured I'd share what I realized in this process.

I write because I have heaps to say on the topic of work while living with chronic illness from decades of doing so.   And I write because it's a source of personal empowerment when my body disappoints.

I have a hunch that living in a debilitated state so much of the time can leave you needing to juice your sense of impact  --  your personal power -- maybe more than you would have had you been healthy.  And I know I'm not alone.   Here's a paraphrase from an email I got this week:   "No matter how badly my body disappoints me, working gives me a sense that I still have something to add. I never realized how important it is until I got sick."  He's a father, grandfather and happily married.  But satisfying work is what makes the difference when his body slides down.

I don't glorify work - -  it can be toxic or just a slog. But when it's even just satisfying, that can be enormous.   And there are many ways to create satisfaction and a sense of competence even with a body that's a source of dissatisfaction.

Do you know what gives you that juice?  Can you tap into it?

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Building on her experience living with chronic illnesses, including multiple sclerosis and ulcerative colitis, Rosalind Joffe founded the executive career coaching practice, cicoach.com. Dedicated to helping others with chronic illness develop the skills they need to succeed in their careers, Rosalind firmly believes that living with chronic illness does not preclude living a full and successful life.

If you've been reading this blog for the past 9 months, you know that I had a bad health setback.  Last August, I had a bad fall which left me with broken ribs and a banged up shoulder. It took months to figure out the cause/treatment of on-going pain which turned out was a torn rotator cuff.  Meanwhile, blurry vision in one eye led to a new diagnosis in my disease list, Possner Schlossman.  I had a history of eye disease and had been up close with pain.  And, as always happens, these things seem to trigger the multiple sclerosis symptoms -- banding, fatigue, etc.

Whine, sigh.  I 'd been living this life for 30+ years in which my health could get really bad.  But, I was Ms. Optimism holding onto the faith that I'd deal with whatever came up.

The thing is, this time felt different.  I'm turning 60 in a few months and maybe that plays a part.  But the physical injuries/raw pain + another chronic issue left me off kilter - - out of balance.    After months of physical therapy and two cortisone shots, the pain was getting worse.   I wondered -- maybe the years of illness were catching up and my body wasn't as resilient.

I  couldn't find anything resembling my usual sense of hope.  Even when I "Focused" (do you know about focusing???  It's better than therapy and meditation -- ask me about it) with my Focusing partner, I couldn't find it.  OR resilience.  Funny thing . . . hope and resilience aren't something anyone can see in you.  I just knew it wasn't there.

When my business slowed with several clients ending and no new ones in the pipeline, I didn't look for new work projects as I typically do.  The juice just wasn't there.  Do you know what I mean?

I told myself I wasn't depressed.  I was realistic.  Really?

About two months ago, I went back to my physical therapist to see if he could help me.  I didn't think it would help but he suggested another exercise to strengthen my motion.  I literally had to push myself to add it to my exercise plan.  Desperate, I also started doing the Tai Chi form after 35 years for my balance.   Hmmm, maybe there's still some place called hope in there.

Whatever the reason, within a few weeks the pain changed and improved.  Each time I did the new shoulder exercise, my shoulder seemed to move better.  As the pain receded, physical and psychic energy built.

Maybe you recognize this syndrome:  I'd gotten used to feeling lousy and it was hard to redefine myself and remember that even if I was a little tired, I could probably push through it. There were many days I had to remind myself that I was getting better.   I could push myself harder again -- that I had to do it.

Slowly the nerve pain and the "banding" that came on with the shoulder pain, disappeared.  A month ago, I cooked for several hours at a time over a few days, something I hadn't done since last summer.  I could walk  the dogs again without worry if they pulled.   This past weekend, I  gardened hard for two days in a row.  I'm planning to kayak again if it ever gets above 60 here.  These were all on my list of things I thought I'd have to let go.  Not now.

Funny thing,  I have an abundance of new clients and prospects in the pipeline and some really interesting projects, even a speaking gig that requires travel.  And I'm looking at this with excitement.  Amazing.

I didn't think I'd feel this good in my body again.  I'm not sure I feel the same resilience, though, that's for sure.  Maybe that's part of  what my Dad used to call the  "aging process".  But it sure is  good to know that my ability to heal hasn't left completely.

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Building on her experience living with chronic illnesses, including multiple sclerosis and ulcerative colitis, Rosalind Joffe founded the executive career coaching practice, cicoach.com. Dedicated to helping others with chronic illness develop the skills they need to succeed in their careers, Rosalind firmly believes that living with chronic illness does not preclude living a full and successful life

At a recent dinner event, our table of 10 was sharing what we do professionally.  When I shared my business, career coach for people living with chronic illness, one person excitedly piped in that she was exploring how to reinvent her career. Another said he'd done it five years ago.  I've noticed that this has become a hot topic in just about any group - from young mothers, the unemployed in their 40's and baby boomers wanting to try something new.

Why?  My guess is because we can.  Jobs and careers are more fluid these days -- for good and for worse.

What's true for the healthy people is even more true for those of us with chronic illness.  I'd bet that if that dinner table was made up of people with chronic illness, the number wishing for career change would be closer to 80%.  I've seen it in my own coaching practice.

Some people living with illness are able to redefine how they work in their jobs and don't need a big move.  But for many, as illness becomes more debilitating, the job they've been doing becomes increasingly more difficult.

Which is the time you start to think, "I can't keep doing this. I've got to leave this job?"

Do you imagine that if only you could find another job, you'd have a clean slate where they don't know you and don't resent your lowered performance?   But how likely is it that you'll repeat the same story?  Maybe you can convince yourself you just need a clean slate-- and the time and energy to look for a new job or figure out a new career.

Then you realize you can't afford to be unemployed.  Even if you have some savings, you know how hard it is to find a new job, especially if it's work you don't have experience doing.  So, you give up and keep doing what you're doing, hoping you don't get fired -- and you don't lose your mind from the stress this is causing you.

But there is another choice.  You can choose to take what energy you can muster to do this  strategically. Yes, it will take planning and resources.  It means that you have to carve time out in your life - both personally and at your current job.  I know that it can feel too hard - you don't have it to give.  But do you?

Ask yourself:

1. What keeps me in my current job?
2. Do I like/enjoy my current job - why or why not?
3. What don't I like about this job and is there any way to change that here?

What did you learn about yourself? If you're thinking it's time to do something else, then you might start with a simple career analysis:

1. List your likes /dislikes regarding the tasks and jobs you've held thus far.
2. List your interests and what you value in an organization.
3. List your job, task, or organizational dislikes

List Your Strengths:

1. What are my skills (the specific things you've learned how to do)?
2. What am I competent at (what makes you special at your job)?
3. What do I shine in - excel in?

Now, list your symptoms and their impact on what you can and can't do.

1. What disabling symptoms do you experience?
2. How does each symptom impact your performance at work?  If it doesn't impact you at work, write NA.
3. To what degree does each symptom impact your performance and if possible, specify how often this happens.  You might differentiate those that are constant and those that are periodic symptoms.

What did you learn about yourself?  Create a snapshot of what you've learned. Write it down.  If you find that this energizes you to do more, then find the resources you need to help you.  From what you've written, what do you believe is possible and what is not?  If you decide to work with a career coach, you've got some valuable information to start with.

The above steps are the critical foundation to the transition process.  Briefly the next steps are generally:

1. Take what you've learned about yourself and research what jobs/careers are available to you?  Use online resources, the library and talk to colleagues and friends, telling them what you've learned.
2. Once you've come up with a few solid ideas, research the job market to find out what it would take to get such a job.  One really terrific and comprehensive online resource is my fellow blogger, Job-Hunt.org . You want to learn what you need to know.   My workbook, Keep Working with Chronic Illness, assessments and more, including goal setting,  networking and interviewing  specifically focuses on issues with chronic illness.  But there are many similar assessments and resources online.
3. Your resume from a decade ago needs to be revised to display your strengths and speak to your new market.  A resume writer (there are many great ones in the collective list below)  is particularly worth investing in when you've got an unusual resume - either due to employment gaps or changes.

I've seen first hand how critical it is to get help around illness and life changes.

As Tom Landry, a famous football coach said, "A coach is someone who tells you what you don't want to hear, who has you see what you don't want to see, so you can be who you have always known you could be." Find the help that will work for you and get it if career change is what you need.

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Here are some things to consider:

1. Behave like you have a job. When you're unemployed,  and particularly living with illness, it's easy to get into a rut --- sleeping late and not having a schedule.  Maybe once you were someone who didn't need a plan or to work by a clock. But illness and unemployment can mangle even our strongest traits.  Create a daily schedule that you can meet and that gives you the framework you need in to focus on your job goals.
2. Continually re-examine your resume and your online presence with fresh eyes to see that they match the person you are now.  Chronic illness often means that you're more limited.   But for sure there are things you can do that add value to a job.  Maybe you're still that go-to, team player.  Or maybe you're independent and a self starter.  Take the time on a routine basis to examine how you're presenting yourself.  Be sure the focus is squarely on what you can do rather than what you can't.
3. Take risks. Chronic illness makes even the strongest among us afraid and vulnerable.  We know that our worst fears can happen.  Often we're more dependent on others to get things done. But you can't find a job that will lead to a sense of success if you're wrapped in fear.  Ask yourself how you can push your boundaries and stretch a little further.
4. Find support with your efforts. I can't tell you the number of people who have told me they can't spend money on career help because of their illness.  I understand the fear and even guilt in putting money toward a job search or developing your career when you fear that illness will prevent you from ever getting what you want.  I know I felt that way for too long a time.  But if doing it alone isn't working, ask yourself if you're worth the investment.  You have to believe that before anyone else will.
5. Make your knife sharpening a daily routine.  I use high quality Japanese knives because I'm a serious cook and I know that I have to take care of my tools.  The knives I use require  careful and precise sharpening before each use.  I have to pay attention to what I'm doing or I'll ruin the blade. If I'm inconsistent, I'll forget when I did it last and my expensive knives will become dull and useless.  How can you keep your mind, your skills and your networking that sharp?

We have to work with what we've got -- and what we don't have.  What are you doing to maximize your tools?

If you believe someone would enjoy and benefit from this post, please share it. Just click on the + Share button and you will see lots of options for sharing it with friends including email, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Thanks!

Building on her experience living with chronic illnesses, including multiple sclerosis and ulcerative colitis, Rosalind Joffe founded the executive career coaching practice, cicoach.com. Dedicated to helping others with chronic illness develop the skills they need to succeed in their careers, Rosalind firmly believes that living with chronic illness does not preclude living a full and successful life.