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The Autoimmune RESET
VJ Hamilton is a nutritionist, scientist, and autoimmune disease expert who founded The Autoimmunity Nutritionist Clinic, a Nutritional Therapy and Functional Medicine clinic specialising in autoimmune disease.
VJ combines her lived experience overcoming autoimmune disease symptoms with her knowledge of nutrition, health, biochemistry, and immunology to provide you with the most up-to-date research on autoimmune disease.
The Autoimmune RESET aims to provide you with the education and resources to empower you to take steps to transform your health and feel better than ever.
In each episode, VJ will share simple ways to uplevel your diet and lifestyle, key learnings from her own journey reversing autoimmune disease, and inspirational stories from those who have reset their autoimmune symptoms and are now thriving in life.
Health practitioners, mind and body experts, and scientists will be joining VJ as guests on the show, as well as those who have inspirational stories to share and are now thriving in everyday life!
And don't miss the short episodes every Friday, The Friday 5, in which VJ shares five healthy must-haves for you to explore over the weekend.
The Autoimmune RESET
How to Stay Ambitious Without Sacrificing Your Health with Lisa Johnson
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What does success really mean if achieving it comes at the expense of your health?
In this episode of The Autoimmune RESET, I’m joined by business strategist and entrepreneur Lisa Johnson for an honest conversation about chronic illness, ambition and the pressure to keep going—even when your body is asking you to stop.
Lisa shares what it was like to build an extraordinarily successful business while dealing with persistent health problems and the uncertainty of not always knowing what was wrong. Despite feeling mentally motivated and capable, her body was telling a different story.
We explore why financial success does not necessarily translate into happiness or wellbeing, and how Lisa began to reconsider what “enough” looked like—not only financially, but across her work, relationships and health.
Lisa also discusses the small but significant changes she made to create a more sustainable life, the importance of asking for help and why being open about what we are experiencing can deepen relationships rather than weaken them.
This is a thoughtful conversation about recognising when the way you are living is no longer working, listening to the signals your body is sending you and finding a version of success that leaves room for your health.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Lisa’s experience of managing chronic illness while building a multimillion-pound business
- The disconnect between feeling mentally well and being physically unwell
- Why ambition can make it difficult to recognise—or respond to—the body’s warning signs
- The emotional impact of unexplained symptoms and diagnostic uncertainty
- How stress, pressure and perfectionism can affect our health
- Redefining success beyond income, growth and external achievement
- The question Lisa asked herself when deciding what needed to change
- Why one strategic change can sometimes have a positive effect across your entire life
- Balancing ambition with health, relationships and happiness
- The value of authenticity, vulnerability and asking other people for support
- Lisa’s advice for anyone considering leaving employment and starting a business
Key takeaway
Your body can be struggling even when your mind feels ready to keep going. Sustainable success is not simply about what you can achieve—it is also about creating a life that your health can support.
Chapters
00:00 — Introduction to Lisa Johnson and her journey
Meet Lisa and hear how her experiences with health and entrepreneurship began to intersect.
02:08 — The intersection of health and ambition
Why being mentally driven does not always mean that your body has the same capacity.
06:08 — Navigating chronic illness and business success
Lisa discusses ongoing symptoms, diagnostic uncertainty and building a highly successful business alongside chronic illness.
12:00 — Redefining success and prioritising wellbeing
Why money and achievement alone were no longer enough—and what Lisa began to prioritise instead.
17:46 — Finding balance: What is enough?
A conversation about ambition, growth and recognising when continually striving for more comes at a cost.
23:57 — The power of authenticity and vulnerability
How honesty, asking for help and allowing other people in can strengthen relationships and create meaningful support.
30:04 — Helping others transition into entrepreneurship
Lisa shares her perspective on starting a business and creating success in a more intentional and sustainable way.
Listen now to discover how Lisa began redefining success, responding differently to her body and creating space for both ambition and wellbeing.
Connect with Lisa Johnson
You can find Lisa on Instagram at @lisajohnsonstrategist, where she shares more about business, success and building a career on your own terms. Lisa personally responds to her Instagram messages, so you can also contact her there with any questions.
📥 Ready for a more structured, personalised approach?
→ Apply to work with me
— we’ll create a clear, step-by-step plan tailored to your body, your symptoms, and your goals.
📥 New to the podcast or need a starting point?
→ Download my free The Autoimmunity Recovery Plan
— a simple guide that outlines the steps I recommend
The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider.
Thanks for listening! You can join The Autoimmune Forum on Facebook or find me on Instagram @theautoimmunitynutritionist.