Podcasts · Paring Down: Realistic minimalism, decluttering, & intentional living

193: Building an Empire of 10 Million Followers While Living with Chronic Illness with Rachel Farnsworth

5 Aug 2026 · 1 h 01 min

Rachel Farnsworth is an absolute force with over 10 million social media followers and her wildly successful brand, The Stay at Home Chef. But her chronic health journey is a story so wild it's hard to believe it's real.

She gives us an inside look at her struggle with Addison’s disease, how she lost the ability to walk and swallow, and what’s led to her recent recovery.

Rachel shares why she chose to build her business to spite her illness rather than in spite of it, and how "spoon theory" helped her fiercely prioritize her time and energy during her hardest years

If you've ever needed a reminder that resilience doesn't have to look like constant positivity, this conversation is raw, hopeful, and full of hard-won wisdom on what it really means to keep going.

RACHEL FARNSWORTH:

Website: https://thestayathomechef.com/

Instagram: @thestayathomechef

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheStayAtHomeChef

PARING DOWN (SHANNON LEYKO):

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Links in the notes 20

• https://thestayathomechef.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/thestayathomechef/
• https://www.facebook.com/TheStayAtHomeChef
• https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/829125/dont-save-the-good-stuff-by-shannon-leyko/
• https://shannonleyko.com/shannon-leyko-book-waitlist
• https://shannonleyko.com/decluttering-newsletter
• https://shannonleyko.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/shannonleyko/
• https://www.tiktok.com/@shannon_leyko
• https://www.youtube.com/@shannonleyko
• https://www.facebook.com/shannonleyko.paringdown
• https://shannonleyko.substack.com/p/free-trial
• https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/66a97ce1c0f8b76af57aaf1c
• https://www.instagram.com/positivenewsuk/
• https://stan.store/Shannon-Leyko
• https://www.wayfair.com/
• https://www.quince.com/women/best-sellers?utm_source=veritone&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=paring
• https://bollandbranch.com/paring
• https://zenni.com/PODCAST
• https://greenchef.com/50paring