We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Keisha Greaves a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Keisha, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One deeply underappreciated facet of entrepreneurship is the kind of crazy stuff we have to deal with as business owners. Sometimes it’s crazy positive sometimes it’s crazy negative, but crazy experiences unite entrepreneurs regardless of industry. Can you share a crazy story with our readers?

I was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy at age 24. Back then, I had never thought of how the lives of people living with chronic illnesses felt. I was a fashion student at the time of my
diagnosis, and I lived and breathe fashion. The opportunity to learn about adaptive fashion was
not there because no one was thinking in that direction. Living with Muscular Dystrophy
changed my life and I have incorporated my story of surviving and living with Limb-Girdle
Muscular Dystrophy into my fashion brand. I have made it a point to pass the message that
Girls Chronically Rock.
My fashion brand is currently a t-shirt line that has given inspiration to many people within the
disability community. We are spreading the message of strength and the unique beauty of
every individual including those living with chronic illnesses. Being a Muscular Dystrophy
warrior myself, I understand first-hand what members of the disability community are going
through especially when it comes to getting dressed every day. Adaptive Fashion is a necessity
and until it gets into mainstream fashion and in stores, and people within the disability
community would continue to feel discomfort and a sense of exclusion from fashion and life.
Therefore, Girls Chronically Rock is working on her own adaptive clothing line to create
adaptive clothing of all types for people who have muscular dystrophy and other disabilities.
The company is also teaching current fashion students about adaptive fashion. We are trying to
add our voice to the fashion worries of wheelchair users and other members of the disability
community. Girls Chronically Rock is telling the story of this need from a personal perspective.
We understand the urgency attached to not feeling stuck while trying to get dressed.

We have entered partnerships to bring this voice to the table. We are currently collaborating
with Framingham State University to teach fashion students in the fashion department about
adaptive fashion. Achieving the results that would change the clothing game for the Muscular
Dystrophy community require concerted and intensified efforts of everyone. The more people
who make adaptive clothing available, the easier to access and the more fashionable they
would be. But there is a challenge.

Keisha, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Girls Chronically Rock is a fashion brand for the disability community. The word "chronic" in its name is a reference to people living with chronic illnesses. The fashion line is a collection of

apparel items for people living with disability with clothing specially designed for men and
women.
The company’s mission is to create, motivate, encourage, inspire, and let people know that you
rock and can accomplish anything you put your mind to. GCR ADAPTIVE PROJECT is on a mission
to let people know that even chronic illness cannot stop them. You can be chronically ill and
awesome.
It is not enough to say this to people. We must get them to feel amazing. Achieving that in the
disability community involves understanding their peculiarities, their needs, their challenges,
and their worries. Being a member of the community herself and someone living with chronic
illness, Keisha Greaves, founder of Girls Chronically Rock understands that much of this has to
do with getting dressed in ease each day. With the Girls Chronically Rock Adaptive Project,
Keisha aims to make men and women with disability feel more confident. Through clothing
specially made for them, they would understand that they rock but beyond that they would feel
that awesomeness because now they do not have to worry about appearing different in the
larger society. The Girls Chronically Rock Adaptive fashion line would make adaptive clothing
more accessible and popular in mainstream fashion.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

You’d be surprised what you take for granted. Those things you don’t even think of but are naturally a part of life. In elementary school, I spent afternoons on the softball field swinging
my bat and gleefully whizzing from base to base until I stole home. Stealing bases turned into
stealing glances at crushes as I ran between floors for classes at my rather large high school. I
found my second home at Framingham State University where I spent my days in fashion and
merchandising classes, sewing pieces for the runways, planning Fashion Club events and making
tons of friends a long the way, especially in Black Student Union. My nights were equally
eventful as my girls and I got dressed up and made our way to parties and events.
I loved to sew, modelling my designs from the liked of Kimora Lee Simmons and Betsey
Johnson – my favorites. I’d always been recognized for my style, a casual yet chic mix, often
times pairing a creative tee with a blazer or strutting with an eye-popping dress.
I’d be living my life on my terms and I was loving it. I was Keisha Greaves: agile, loving,
creative daughter, sister and friend. Born and raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, I felt tied to
home as I continued into college. My beloved university sat just thirty minutes outside my home
town and after graduation, I found myself back there once again to earn my MBA.
While in school, I put my bachelor’s degree in Fashion Merchandising to work. I was an
independent merchandiser for a company, travelling from store to store to ensure that brands
were represented accurately in their respective places in department stores and boutiques. Having

this job was a dream come true. It was something I’d love to do, and the flexibility allowed me
time to still make it to my classes and study for my second degree.
One day, I’d been walking around the supermarket with my mother and sister. We’d been
chatting and shopping basking in the quality time of the necessary task, when out of nowhere I
tumbled onto the floor. It took everyone by surprise, including myself. As I sat on the cold
grocery ground, I recounted that my legs had seemed to have left the rest of me. They just gave
out and gave up on holding me. It felt like they’d betrayed me, and it seemed that the rest of my
body was upset about it. It became dead weight. I couldn’t lift myself. I needed two others to
help bring me to my feet.
My new life is my life. I’ve accepted my new normal. I’ve regained my
bubbly personality and have become a source of positivity and support for others in the disabled
and diseased community through my organization and clothing line, Girls Chronically Rock. My
smile has returned, knowing that I am still fulfilling my dreams. My path looks a little different
than I envisioned but I am happy. I still hang out with friends at bars and restaurants and enjoy
my favorite foods and reality TV. I have no problem belting out my favorite Beyoncé songs. I
am a business owner who loves the work that I do. I’m happy. I’m loved. I’m whole. I won’t
take where I’ve come for granted. Not one bit!
There’s no cure or pill that will fix it. My MD isn’t going anywhere. It has it’s way of
controlling some of my life, but it isn’t who I am. I’m still Keisha Greaves: loving, creative
daughter, sister and friend. I’ve even gained a few more titles: graduate, survivor, entrepreneur,
speaker and advocate. This didn’t take my life, it gave me purpose behind all that I do. Pressing
on after my diagnosis is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I’m much stronger for doing it. My
will and support of my family keeps me going.
To anyone reading this, I want to remind you to never underestimate the power of your
desire. If you want to do anything badly enough, you can. Everyday, I ask myself “How do I
decide I want to live?” My PCA helps me from my bed, gets me ready for the day then I conquer
it, with a smile. That’s how I choose to live now, each and every day.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

When I was first diagnosed with muscular dystrophy I felt like I had no one. I knew I wanted to reach out to others who were going through the same thing as me. I first started blogging about my journey and posted it on social media and that was a great way that I connected with others. I then went to my social media platforms, such as; Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and I used different hashtags like, #Disabilityawareness #MuscularDysothrophy#ChronicIllness, and more. Using those hashtags connected me with a whole new range of people in the disability community and I started to feel connected.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://girlschronicallyrock.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlschronicallyrockclothing
• Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/girlschronicallyrock
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/KeishaGreaves
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/girlschronical1
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@keishagreaves6070