Imagine waiting 4.6 years for a diagnosis

WHAT’S ON DECK

• Tell Me More: 80% of Autoimmune Diseases Occur in Women

• Troublemaker Spotlight: Faye Iosotaluno, CEO of Tinder

• Dear FQ: From Corporate Employee to Entrepreneur

• Poll the Pack: How Do You Feel About Your Job Security?

TELL ME MORE

Studies show that women’s pain is taken far less seriously than men’s, and often dismissed entirely.

70% of the people impacted by chronic pain are women. Yet, 80% of pain studies are conducted on male mice or human men. Chronic pain is categorized as pain that lasts longer than three months and often accompanies health conditions like autoimmune diseases and fibromyalgia, all of which disproportionately affect women. 

Imagine a civil war happening inside your body, and your immune system turned against you, instead of protecting you. That’s the daily reality for as many as 40 million women in America with autoimmune diseases. A number of conditions fall under the umbrella of autoimmune diseases, and they can affect virtually any part of your body. From rheumatoid arthritis to Crohn’s disease to some thyroid conditions, autoimmune diseases take many forms and can have a dramatic effect on a person’s quality of life.

Here’s the reality: 80% of autoimmune diseases occur in women. 

Why? A complicated mixture of chromosomes, genetics, and environmental factors, and scientists are still trying to get to the bottom of this drastic gender imbalance. It traces back to the X chromosome. A molecule called Xist, which helps regulate the extra X chromosome in women, can also trigger immune responses by mistake—raising the risk of the body attacking itself.

In a breakthrough study by Stanford Medicine, male mice engineered to produce Xist developed autoimmune symptoms like females—but only when exposed to stress. This suggests that both biology and environment play a role.

We know that women already face a persistent gender pain gap in medical care. Despite being more likely to experience chronic pain conditions, women routinely have their symptoms dismissed or attributed to psychological factors rather than legitimate medical issues. 

The numbers at a glance: 

• Approximately 1 in 12 women in the U.S. has an autoimmune disease.

• It takes an average of 4.6 years to diagnose an autoimmune disease, and women wait even longer than men to get diagnosed.

• Across the globe, women are more likely to be misdiagnosed for autoimmune diseases. 

The numbers are only part of the story. Beyond a health issue, autoimmune diseases are a work issue, too. Many women with chronic pain and autoimmune conditions find themselves physically at work, but struggling to function at full capacity due to their symptoms. Coupled with the existing medical gender bias, they’re stuck in a cycle of feeling pressured to hide their pain and push through at work, which only worsens their conditions and accelerates exhaustion and burnout.

“It’s time we stopped treating women’s health like some kind of niche issue. We deserve to have our pain believed and relieved,” says Australia’s Premier of Victoria, Jacinta Allan.

The good news? There's growing awareness around autoimmune diseases, aided by celebrities like Selena Gomez openly discussing her struggles with lupus. Some research has even shown that health trackers like Fitbit, Apple Watch, Oura Ring, and Whoop can be powerful tools for managing autoimmune symptoms (though not diagnosing them). By automatically logging experiences like sleep, heart rate, and activity levels, health trackers can provide a convenient way to access data for appointments, and even indicate if there’s cause to see a doctor, for something like an elevated heart rate. 

Bottom line: You are your own health champion, even if your immune system didn’t get the memo. Document your symptoms, energy levels, and pain patterns, and speak to your healthcare provider with the data to back your symptoms. 

Remember, your pain is real. Your symptoms are valid. And your health matters—at home, work, and everywhere in between.

TROUBLEMAKER SPOTLIGHT

Faye Iosotaluno, CEO of Tinder

Growing up, Connie Chung was Faye Iosotaluno’s idol. As the daughter of Chinese immigrants, Faye didn’t see many women in power who looked like her. Fast forward to today, and she is making history as the CEO of Tinder. 

After a career in investment banking and digital media, Faye was captivated by the world of consumer tech, and jumped ship to what was a “small music startup in Berlin” at the time. The company was SoundCloud—now valued at around $1 billion. 

While Faye’s resume is more than impressive, it’s her impact that’s most striking. Fiercely dedicated to empowering Asian American women to step into leadership positions, Faye is committed to tipping the scale and pulling up a chair at the table for other women—in essence, becoming their Connie Chung.

FQ: What’s the worst career advice you’ve gotten?

FI: I started out in investment banking in the early 2000s, which was male-dominated to say the least, and I was told by a colleague: "Don't stand out, wear cute cardigan twin sets and slacks like everyone else."

But I hated those cardigan twin sets. It was a flag to me that the environment skewed towards conformity. It made me question for the first time that, if everyone looks similar, do you get real creativity out of people? And more importantly, does that create an authentic work environment if people can't show up differently.

What’s the best piece of non-obvious career advice you’ve gotten?

Talking gets attention. Listening gets insights.

It's easy as a senior leader to be the one who takes up space and is the loudest in the room. But that crowds out the people with the best ideas. As a leader, your listening should outweigh your talking. That’s listening to your team, listening to your users, and listening to your detractors. And when you do that active listening, it builds empathy and understanding.

What was a “heartbeat moment” for you in your career?

I started my career in investment banking, then moved into big media—10,000+ employee kind of big. And I loved it.

In 2014, I got an unexpected offer from a music startup—now known as SoundCloud. I knew nothing about music (aside from listening to the radio, which people still did back then). It was 200 people, based in Berlin. I was in New York.

Everyone said, “Why would you leave media? It's exciting, it’s glamorous. You’re on a path to big success.” But I took the leap.

It was a huge shift—and it kicked off the next chapter of my career: consumer tech. The experience was transformative. At a smaller company, you’re constantly proving your value to users. You wear every hat. You get scrappy. You lead your function and pitch in wherever you're needed.

That leap taught me what truly drives me: building teams and technology that make a real impact at scale. I wouldn’t be where I am today without it.

Who would you love to give flowers to from your career that influenced your journey? 

My husband, Pete, has been on the journey with me for my entire career since we met in college.

Being a female tech CEO can be really challenging, and there are things that have been said to me that would never be said to him as part of his professional journey, or inequitable situations that he would frankly never encounter. 

It's not enough for us women to be talking to each other about how great we are—and we are great—or the challenging situations we encounter. We need our allies in this movement for real change, and to me, Pete has been that consummate ally.

Where have you caused trouble?

The climate for LGBTQIA+ rights has been shifting in the last year and a half. Fortunately, I lead a company that believes everyone has the right to love who they want to love. And rather than shying away from that as the landscape evolves, I'm proud to have enabled our support of Thailand's legalization of same-sex marriage earlier this year.

This was a huge movement. Thailand is the first country in Southeast Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, and I'm hoping it spurs other countries to do the same. We were on the ground supporting same-sex couples who finally got to tie the knot, some of whom met on Tinder. And that was why it was so important for us to be there. 

Many people come out on Tinder first, before even coming out to family and friends. We choose to celebrate this incredible space we've created, and think of ways to support the community in meaningful ways.

Want to nominate a Troublemaker you admire? You can do so here.

DEAR FQ

Your burning career questions answered

Imani Ellis, Founder and CEO of CultureCon, weighs in:

Transitioning from corporate to entrepreneurship is a leap of faith—and a strategic pivot. 

When I left a decade-long career at a major media company, I had to unlearn the idea that my value was tied to someone else’s validation. I leaned on the support system I’d built and got comfortable with the unknown. 

My best advice? Look before you leap. Before officially quitting your day job, validate your idea while you're still employed. Build a small version of your idea or service and test it with real customers. Get feedback, make adjustments, and confirm there's real demand, not just enthusiasm from family and friends. 

And don’t skip the financial check-in. Assess your finances honestly. Understand your runway, your expenses, and how long you can sustain yourself as you grow your business. Financial clarity gives you freedom and reduces stress as you step into the unknown.

Entrepreneurship invites you to trust your voice, even when it feels quiet. Start with your why, stay rooted in your community, REMAIN consistent, and keep showing up!

You don’t need all the answers to begin—just the courage to start.

P.S. Got a burning career question? Serve it up here to Dear FQ to score advice from a powerhouse leader in our network.

POLL THE PACK

Job Security Is a Two-Way Street: Employers Provide Stability, Employees Own Their Growth

Job security isn’t just about a paycheck—it’s about peace of mind, growth, and being able to plan ahead. And while employers play a big role, employees can take action too.

Nearly 80% of employees across the U.S. are worried about losing their jobs. Economic uncertainty is a big factor, and younger workers are feeling it the most—with job anxiety up 91% in the past year. So, how do we create more stability together?

For employers:

• Be transparent about company goals and performance

• Give regular feedback and clear growth paths

• Invest in training and skill development

For employees:

• Keep learning and sharpening your skills

• Build a strong internal and external network

• Speak up about your achievements and stay informed on industry trends

The best security is knowing you're equipped to thrive, wherever the opportunity leads. 

Xo,

The FQ

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