On the wall of Health Union's offices in Philadelphia is written CEO Olivier Chateau's favorite saying - "If you believe your dreams are achievable, they are too small. Dream bigger." No one could accuse Olivier of doing anything else!

Since founding Health Union in 2010, Olivier has been dedicated to integrating the power of human connection and technology, bringing people together in the shared experiences of living with chronic health conditions. Olivier and Health Union believe that the voice of personal experience from people impacted by a complex health condition is the most important voice in healthcare. Today, the Health Union family of brands includes online health communities for over 40 separate conditions.

Olivier's passion and enthusiasm for Health Union is contagious, inspiring the team to think bigger, be creative, and to constantly do what hasn't been done. In this interview, he talks about the ways that patients can advocate for themselves and have a real impact on the healthcare industry through Health Union's communities, all while getting paid! 

In this episode:

• Health Union's mission and where it came from
• The roles that patient leaders play in Health Union's online health communities - and, what constitutes a "health leader"
• Olivier's definition of "Social Health" and why it's such an important concept for patients and the healthcare industry to understand
• What Olivier thinks the healthcare industry can do to better integrate the patient voice
• Health Union's future plans

Full notes and resources at https://patientsgettingpaid.com/blog/paid-experience-health-union

Kathy visits with a PGP member to get their take on what has been most valuable about the PGP membership for their business.

This time she catches up with Kathy Chester, who was previously heard on Episode 16 (Making Your Passion Your Chronicpreneur Business). A valued member of the PGP community, Kathy C. says that the coaching sessions inside the membership can "breathe life back into you". 

If you've been debating whether to join the PGP Community, visit PatientsGettingPaid.com for more information, but don't forget that there's a price increase right around the corner! 

In this episode:

• A quick recap of how Kathy's career as a physical trainer was derailed by her double diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis
• How she first heard about PGP
• The things that she has gained through being a member of PGP
• Details of how people with MS can take part in Kathy's upcoming fitness seminar

Full notes and resources at https://patientsgettingpaid.com/blog/kathy-chester-membership-testimonial

If you're thinking about creating a new career that can be done remotely, a great option is being a Virtual Assistant (VA). It's certainly something that I've wanted to share with PGP'ers for a long time because it can fit into the chronicpreneur lifestyle perfectly.  

But what is a VA, and what kind of things do they do?

To answer that and many other questions, my guest today is Tawnya Sutherland, one of the pioneers of the VA industry. Tawnya was working as a VA when she wanted to join a social network to support her work-at-home business. When she couldn't find one, she set up a forum of her own and invited a couple of friends to hang out there to socialize and talk shop (VA shop that is). In 2003 Tawnya founded VAnetworking, the largest and most active Virtual Assistant network today, with thousands of members worldwide.

If you've ever considered working as a VA, this episode contains a ton of information, including the full range of support that VAs can offer. Most interestingly, the riches are in the niches - so if you can offer more specialized skills (for example, in social media) you can get paid more!

Tawnya also talks about her FREE Virtual Assistant Summit and the upcoming course that she'll be holding exclusively within the PGP community. So if you haven't joined the membership yet, now's the time!

In this episode:

• How Tawnya began working as a Virtual Assistant
• The benefits that Tawnya sees in working freelance as a VA over being an employed 'secretary' - for the Virtual Assistant AND the employer 
• The different roles that a VA can undertake
• Why Tawnya set up her VA membership and training course in 2003
• The importance of having an online presence
• Details of Tawnya's Virtual Assistant Summit, and the forthcoming workshop she'll be holding within the PGP Community

Full notes and resources at https://patientsgettingpaid.com/blog/virtual-assistant-tawnya-sutherland