About Elle Russ
Author/Writer - 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.
From Corporate To Creative
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 most careers due to the inability to use my hands 8 hours a day.
I still had my voice, so I shifted into performance and writing - training at San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater (ACT), training and performing at Chicago’s The Second City, and later becoming a mainstage performer at ACME Comedy Theatre in Hollywood. I wrote and performed in over 100 sketch comedy and improv shows, acted in television and film, and wrote the award-winning documentary Headhunt Revisited. Comedy, performance, and story structure became my new path.
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 (2018), 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. An updated and expanded version of my thyroid book will be published in 2026.
Coaching & Thought Leadership
In 2012, Mark Sisson invited me to join his company, The Primal Blueprint (which became Primal Kitchen Foods, where for nearly a decade I helped shape the paleo and ancestral health movement.
With over 2,500 coaching hours and a background in philosophy, public speaking, teaching and health education, my work centers on reframing limitations, examining belief systems - helping people reclaim their health and get creative projects finished.
Comedy Writer/Performer
From The Second City to ACME Comedy Theatre - I wrote and performed in over 100 live sketch comedy and improv shows. My portfolio includes high-concept, character-driven sitcoms and films.
Life Outside of Career
In my free time, you’ll find me hiking the Santa Monica Mountains, enjoying the beaches of Malibu, watching comedy, or hanging with my friends. I live with my wonderful husband, our teenage son, and our beloved dog, Cray.
