Joan Friedlander

Joan has spent the last 12 years developing programs for and coaching independent entrepreneurs and business professionals in a wide range of industries and professions. Many of her clients have needed to address health and family challenges that command at least as much attention as their businesses requires.

She has written 2 books that offer encouragement and guidance to career-minded women and independent entrepreneurs who have been impacted by a significant illness. Her first, Women, Work and Autoimmune Disease (Demos Health, 2008) was written with chronic illness coach, Rosalind Joffe, about what it takes to stay on the career track when dealing with an autoimmune disease (such as Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, Crohn's Disease, etc.). Her second, Business from Bed: 6-Step Plan to Keep Yourself Working after a Health Crisis, is a solo venture and is due out in January 2013.This book focuses primarily on the issues that face men and women in business for themselves.

Both books - and Joan's coaching work - are heavily influenced by her own experiences dealing with the intermittant, often painful symptoms associated with Crohn's Disease, an adventure that started 20 years ago.

When Joan was derailed from her career at age 36 after a sudden flare up of intestinal distress changed the course of her life, her sensitivity to the challenges associated with managing multiple, often conflicting and confusing priorities was born. Happily, after 14 years of trial and trial and error, she was able to “put her symptoms into remission.” If you are interested in reading more about Joan's work, check out Joa Friedlander.com.