About Elle
Writer - Teacher - Speaker
Elle is the #1 bestselling author of The Paleo Thyroid Solution and Confident As Fu*k, and the screenwriter of the award-winning documentary film Headhunt Revisited.
Elle has been featured in Entrepreneur, Success Magazine, Podcasting Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, HuffPost, Mind Body Green, and more.
Early Career & Creative Foundation
Fresh out of college, I built a successful career as a top technical recruiter during the Silicon Valley tech boom, managing multiple Fortune 500 accounts and generating millions in revenue. That chapter ended abruptly when a repetitive strain injury resulted in a permanent hand and arm disability. California classified me as 40% disabled, effectively closing the door on traditional corporate work.
I shifted into performance and writing - training at San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater, performing at Chicago’s The Second City, and later becoming a mainstage performer at ACME Comedy Theatre in Hollywood. I wrote and performed sketch comedy, acted in television and film, and wrote the award-winning documentary Headhunt Revisited. Comedy, performance, and story structure became central tools - not side projects.
Author & Health Educator
In 2004, severe hypothyroidism upended my health, leaving me with more than 30 debilitating symptoms and zero support or help from conventional medicine. I immersed myself in research, self-experimentation, and recovery- an experience that informed my work as an author and educator.
I wrote the #1 bestselling book The Paleo Thyroid Solution (2016), followed by Confident As Fu*k, and created The Ultimate Thyroid Course, the most comprehensive thyroid education available with several MDs as students. I also coach clients globally and offer an all-inclusive Thyroid Care Rx telemedicine program for residents of the USA and Canada.
Coaching & Thought LeadershipÂ
In 2012, Mark Sisson invited me to join his company, The Primal Blueprint & Primal Kitchen, where for nearly a decade I helped shape the ancestral health movement.
With over 2,500 coaching hours and a background in philosophy, performance, and health education, my work centers on reframing limitations, examining belief systems, and helping people move with clarity and agency.
Over 10 years on the microphone...I host The Elle Russ Show, featuring solo episodes and interviews.
Comedy Writer/Performer
From The Second City to ACME Comedy Theatre - I’ve written and performed in over 100 live sketch comedy and improv shows. My portfolio also includes high-concept, character-driven sitcoms.
 Life Outside of WorkÂ
When I’m not working, you’ll find me hiking the Santa Monica Mountains, at the beach in Malibu, writing or watching comedy...or spending time with my husband and our family in Southern California.
