In this exclusive interview with CanadianSME Small Business Magazine, Lyne Frank, a renowned educator and leadership coach, shares her insights on the importance of wellness, boundaries, and self-empowerment in leadership, particularly for women. As the founder of The Mindset Revolution and a bestselling author, Lyne brings a wealth of experience in helping women navigate the pressures of leadership and entrepreneurship. From her transformative keynote, Resilience Redefined, to her research on women in midlife, Lyne discusses how organizations and leaders can shift away from burnout culture and create inclusive, values-aligned workplaces. Her advice encourages leaders to model wellness, prioritize authenticity, and make empowered decisions to disrupt outdated systems.
Lyne Frank is the only active classroom educator in Ontario who travels province-wide to deliver wellness keynotes and workshops to thousands of teachers, ECEs, and educational assistants across 15+ school boards and three union groups. With 23 years of experience, a Master of Education, and five years of research on women in education and midlife, she blends evidence-based strategies with compassionate leadership. A certified life coach and bestselling author of Lost and Found, Lyne also founded The Mindset Revolution. Her keynote Resilience Redefined made her an award-winning international speaker featured on CP24, CTV, TVO, and more.
In your experience, what are some of the hidden personal and professional costs of the pressure to “have it all” as a woman in leadership? How can organizations better support women leaders without expecting them to sacrifice their well-being or authenticity?
The pressure to “have it all” as a woman in leadership carries hidden personal and professional costs that are rarely acknowledged. In female-dominated professions like education and healthcare, women are conditioned to do more and ask for less, avoid conflict, and put their own needs last. This often results in burnout, emotional exhaustion, and a deep disconnection from their purpose and identity. Professionally, it can lead to a reluctance to take risks or apply for leadership positions. Instead women too often feel the need to take more courses and overwork to prove their worth delaying the application process. A study published by Organization Science shows that women must often be overqualified to be considered for the same roles offered to men.
Organizations must stop treating wellness as optional and start embedding it into their culture. Organizations need wellness frameworks that address the lived experiences of women, models of leadership that center humanity over hustle, and support systems that prioritize mental health and emotional safety. When women are empowered to lead authentically and sustainably, they thrive and so do the the systems they’re part of.
What are some of the most limiting labels you’ve seen women internalize in their careers, and how do these labels impact their confidence or decision-making? What strategies do you recommend for shedding outdated labels and redefining success on your own terms?
Some of the most limiting labels women internalize in female-dominated professions include selfless, committed and people-pleaser. These labels, often praised, are actually rooted in systems that condition women to overwork, avoid conflict, and put themselves last. In my two decades in education and through my work coaching women in midlife, I’ve seen how these roles erode confidence and lead to burnout. They make it difficult for women to set boundaries or advocate for their own needs without guilt.
To shed outdated labels, I teach the practice of intentional interruption; pausing to intentionally think about the thought you are having and the decision you are about to make -ask yourself Is this me or my conditioning? This challenges ingrained beliefs and creates space to rewrite inner narratives. Reclaiming power starts with redefining personal and professional success: not as doing more, but doing what matters most to you. My keynotes and workshops guide women to reconnect with their purpose, embrace compassionate self-leadership, and build community. These small yet radical shifts allow women to make empowered decisions, honour their wellbeing, and disrupt the systems that profit from their silence and self-sacrifice.
Why do you think society continues to undervalue essential professions that are largely staffed by women, such as education and healthcare? What tangible actions can individuals, institutions, or policymakers take right now to begin shifting this funding disparity?
Society continues to undervalue essential, female-dominated professions like education and healthcare because they are built on the backs of women being conditioned to overwork, avoid conflict, and put themselves last. These fields rely on the invisible labour and emotional burden women have historically provided without fair compensation or recognition (like motherhood). Cultural narratives equate caregiving with selflessness, allowing institutions to exploit this labour under the guise of service and dedication.
To shift this imbalance, it starts with individuals who must disrupt the cycle by practicing intentional interruptions, which lead to setting boundaries, prioritizing wellness, and advocating for themselves. Every time a woman finds the courage to advocate for herself she is self-empowered and she models the possibility for other women to do the same -the ripple effect creates collective power, which leads to systemic change.
Institutions can start by embedding wellness into workplace culture, offering wellness centered leadership opportunities for women, and policymakers must invest in these sectors with equitable wages, mental health resources, and inclusive policies that reflect the value of this work.
It’s time to reclaim power in professions that sustain our society but have long relied on the burnout of those who serve within them.
You’ve shared how a midlife awakening and a pivotal career shift led you to empower educators and women. What was the most surprising lesson you learned during this transition, and how has it shaped your approach to wellness and leadership?
I had always known we carried too much, but it wasn’t until I stepped outside the system and began listening to the stories of hundreds of educators and women in midlife that I realized how normalized burnout had become. That realization fundamentally changed my approach to both wellness and leadership, so I stopped trying to “fix” women with more strategies for balance and started helping them interrupt the beliefs that got them there in the first place.
Sis, staying stuck burned out, overwhelmed, and exhausted is possible. But so is this:
Changing your thoughts and actions will change your life.
The decision is yours. No one is coming to rescue you. You are the hero.
When you stop living trying to meet unrealistic outdated social expectations and start living for according to your own internal expectations, this is what happens:
You free up your energy
You reclaim your time
You rediscover joy
You open doors to new people, new experiences, and a whole new you.
It’s not magic. It’s mindset.
It’s not luck. It’s work.
And it’s worth it.
Reclaiming our power, reclaims power in professions that sustain our society. Nothing changes, unless you change something.
What advice would you offer to small business owners and leaders—especially women—who are striving to create healthier, more empowering workplaces for themselves and their teams?
My advice to women small business owners and leaders is this: prioritize intentional interruptions daily, multiple times a day because true leadership starts with modeling wellness and boundaries. When you pause to assess what’s draining you, what you’re tolerating, and what no longer aligns with your values, you create personal and professional goals
As an educator, wellness expert, speaker and workshop facilitator, I’ve seen the transformational impact of small, consistent changes. Build a culture where rest is respected, conflict is navigated with compassion, and emotional well-being is non-negotiable. Empower your team by making space for honest conversations and shared values and that begins with collaborative leadership; lead with not over your colleagues. Your business can be a place where women thrive, not survive.
Let’s stop confusing burnout with dedication.
