Klyn Elsbury: Empowering Women With Chronic Conditions

Klyn Elsbury is exactly what I need in my life.

I am a loud, boisterous, elitist, complainer, and do not suffer fools and legalists. There are very few moments in life that have made me shut up. In Kashmir, watching the Himalayas next to the Jhelum river, being in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, spending time in Anne Frank’s house in Amsterdam, and finally being in The Grand Canyon.

The first time the German missionaries showed me a leper shook me to my core. At Derek Sequeira’s funeral, my friend from university made me wobbly.

There is a reason I go to Cuba so often. It reminds me to stop complaining and become grateful.

Every time I hear Nicholas Vujicic on YouTube, I shut up.

On 22 July 2020 Klyn Elsbury left a comment on my blog. As usual, I thank every individual who leaves a comment and also check out their website. Klyn in all her humility marked her website as Sickly Confidential. The mission statement of the blog was to empower women with chronic conditions to take back control of their lives during tough times through personal growth strategies.

I had to interview Klyn. I sent her an email and she replied. She agreed to an interview. She replied to my questions. Klyn was born with Cystic Fibrosis and was told she would not live past 14 and has spent much of her life growing inside hospitals battling CF. Klyn has been in hospital more than 67 times, has appeared in over 150 publications; including primetime debut on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt, has a full coaching practice, and is often the keynote speaker at conferences and association events.

Klyn is the author of the best seller  I AM The Untold Story of Success, which has been used throughout corporate America for five years. Klyn’s podcast (The Motivated Mind), online courses, and training reach 200,000 people a month.

How come such a busy woman with health issues has time for me? Klyn Elsbury is humble, beautiful inside and out, down to earth and one of the most sui generis human beings I have met.

In 2016, one of my best friends died of CF. I needed to hear Klyn’s video on YouTube which is one of the most-watched and judged the most encouraging and motivating messages.

I want you to do two things before you read her interview. I want you to watch her video  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhNSaU173lc&t=20s

Secondly, I want you to call, email, or text everyone you love and tell them how much you love them and what they did right.

Klyn, a privilege and honor to have you. I am inspired by your story and will never complain again. Walk me through some of the challenges you have faced in life? 

I’ve been hospitalized 67 times in 32 years, ranging in length from 4 nights to 6 months. The most common duration of hospitalization is 14 nights.

In my mid-twenties, I lost my 6 figure corporate career in recruiting and had to file for social security disability as I was labeled end-stage. Meaning, the disease progressed so badly that I didn’t have much time left.

That was when I decided to write my first book from the hospital, I AM The Untold Story of Success.

I was denied coverage for a new drug coming out that would halt the progression, so took the media exposure and got on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt. I got the drug along with other patients in California, and was immediately signed to an agent and started speaking on embracing change, resilience, and overcoming fears.

What is CF and how does it impact your day to day life?

This was a keynote I did that explains what cf is and how it affects many of us diagnosed day today.  https://youtu.be/ExIl1KKiQs4 for those who don’t want to watch the inspirational speech, cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition that fills my lungs with a thick sticky mucous I can’t cough out.

I love your attitude, Klyn. You are not a victim. Klyn you take whatever that is handed to you and make it into a positive experience? Talk to me about the highs and lows of that experience?  

The high was definitely when I got my first 5 figure contract to keynote at a national conference on how to overcome adversity.  I looked out at the audience, the lights beaming in my eyes, saw the camera about 35 feet in front of me and my fiance in the front row.  I was nervous.  And yet, I was the most calm I’ve ever been in my entire life.  So many people start their business wanting to reach that moment, where 1500 people cling to your every word.  For me though, I knew it was just the beginning.  I’ve been fired from multiple jobs, was pushed around 6 Flags on a family vacation in a wheelchair, I was told to give everything up and file for social security.  I lost everything in my mid-twenties, including a corporate career with benefits and a reliable salary.  To go from six figures to couch surfing off of Craigslist, while disabled, to that moment the stage was lit just for me, was surreal.  Never give up on your dreams.  Your dreams get you through.

You are unique and special in the way you connect with your audience. I truly believe it is because you are honest, real, authentic, and vulnerable. Please comment?

Yeah, I mean, the feedback I always get is how much I love my audience.  They are my “why”.  I know they say you’re supposed to believe in yourself and not seek validation from strangers, but to know I said something that set off a new trajectory for someone else’s life… that’s power.  And power comes from being real.  If it’s a bad day, I’ll tell you.  And I’ll also tell you I won’t be sitting in that pain for long.  That pain exists to teach me something and for me to take action on it.  I curse like a sailor on some of my videos, I love my audience like they are family because many become that, and I take you with me on this journey of life.  You’re going to see it all – and I need that to connect to you just the way you need that freshness to connect to your potential.

Talk to me about success, what does it mean to you?

Success means trusting your gut above others’ opinions.   It comes from Hawaiian principles, I studied under a 29 generation Kumu (teacher) and learned about how important it is to really hear your own message and think to yourself: is this what I want? Is this the life path for me?  And I trust that voice in my head now because I’ve learned how tragic the itty bitty shitty committee is in my head.  If I can trust the negative energy, I can trust the positive.  Then it becomes a choice I make.

You are the classic example of a modern empowered woman. What does woman empowerment means to you?

Empowerment means owning when I mess up and not letting it derail me.  These times are crazy, everyone has an opinion, nobody is willing to be wrong.  I’m empowered because I am wrong a lot and I don’t attach my self worth to being “right”.  I attach my self worth to learning all the facts, how they relate to the bigger picture, and then when I am right- it feels incredible.  When I am wrong, it feels incredible.  The value of empowerment doesn’t come from being right or validating your ego, it comes from being wrong and embracing the inevitable change.

I like when you say thousand of success stories, life-altering, fears ended, the perspective shifted, hope restored, what do you mean by it?  

I have a reach of about 250,000 people through my book, audible, The Motivated Mind podcast, coaching programs, and keynotes.    I’ve helped couples about to be divorced reignite that spark in their marriage, ended addictions of cigarettes, overeating, and drug use.  I’ve been blessed to help others eradicate their deepest fears, from rats in New York City to fearing the collapse of their business due to COVID.  Every day I am grateful for those who reach out to join the coaching program and learn how to eliminate childhood traumas and tap into their potential, over their excuses.

Many of my readers suffer from chronic conditions. What is your message for them? 

If you find yourself thinking you aren’t enough, or that you can’t do what others expect of you from your condition, I encourage you to seek out those who have what you have and have had some success in their life.  When I was in my mid-twenties I was on oxygen and in a wheelchair because of the progression of cystic fibrosis.  I could no longer work out the way my body use to.  But I never quit.  I pushed myself to work out to my max, not anyone else’s definition, but mine.  And over time, I worked up to becoming a Zumba instructor.  I raised my own standards, and it started with walking to the mailbox, then down the block, then going to the gym.  It wasn’t pretty. I wasn’t good.  And in some ways, I still have days where I can’t do what my mind wants me to.  I take those days with grace and push on.  Always push on.

What do you want your legacy to be?

I don’t believe in legacies.  I believe that we all are trying the best we can with the resources we have available.  And as long as every day we do something to help another human being (sometimes we are the ones we help), it’ll all be okay.  I believe in God and I believe in good.  Anything outside of those two forces, I don’t put a lot of credit or time into.  I hope I’m remembered as someone who taught others that the life circumstances did not determine the destination.  I hope to prove that what happened in my body wasn’t the end story.  I hope I lived in a way that inspired others to take the hard, uncommon road to show others it can be walked.  And I know, already, I’ve done that.

Women from 60 countries are reading this blog on women empowerment. This is your chance to inspire and empower them. Go ahead?

I would love for them to get a link to this video for that.  It’s a keynote that received multiple awards as the most inspirational female speech.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhNSaU173lc&t=20s