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.
From Corporate To CreativeÂ
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 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 paleo and ancestral health movement.
With over 2,500 coaching hours and a background in philosophy, performance, teaching and health education, my work centers on reframing limitations, examining belief systems, and helping people get creative projects finished.
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 -Â IÂ 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, hanging at the beach in Malibu, or watching comedy. I live in Southern California with my wonderful husband, stepson, and our beloved dog, Cray.
