What happens when the career that defined you for decades is suddenly no longer who you are?

In Episode 23 of Beyond the Corporate Ladder, I sit down with Francine Julien, also known as Princess Francie, to talk about navigating major life changes, rebuilding your identity, and figuring out what you actually want your next chapter to look like.

After 33 years as a military and civil-service aircraft electrician, Francine faced her own difficult transition. Retirement wasn't simply about leaving a job, it meant questioning an identity she'd carried for decades.

Drawing from her experience in change management, Francine eventually developed a six-step process for personal change, adapting tools she'd used professionally to help people understand and navigate change in their own lives.

• Why major career changes can trigger an identity crisis
• Francine's six-step personal change process
• How to identify what's really making you uncomfortable
• Why collecting data matters before making a major change
• How past experiences can influence present-day habits
• Why your new story should focus on what you want rather than what you're trying to avoid
• How small changes create momentum
• Why mistakes can be treated as useful data instead of failure
• How Francine's work evolved from helping adults to teaching children emotional and self-regulation skills

[00:00] Introduction [01:05] Career Change & Identity Crisis [04:25] How Childhood Experiences Shape Adult Behavior [08:55] Step 1: Identify the Real Problem [13:05] Step 2: Collect the Data [16:30] Step 3: Find the Root Cause [20:25] Step 4: Write Your New Story [24:25] Step 5: Implement the Change [26:10] Why Mistakes Are Valuable Data [28:05] Step 6: Monitor & Adjust [30:05] Finding Your Next Career Direction [32:05] The Butterfly Who Changed Everything [33:25] Teaching Kids Confidence & Self-Regulation [35:45] Francine’s Clarity Starter Pack [36:40] Final Thoughts

We also explore something I hadn't thought about this way before: childhood isn't only a constant process of change for children. Parents are changing alongside them.

Francine also shares the story behind The Butterfly Who Changed Everything, the Camp Confidence children's series, Sparkle Feathers TV, and her free Clarity Starter Pack.

If you're at the point where you're thinking, “I can't keep doing this anymore,” this conversation offers a framework for figuring out what comes next.

🎙️ Get a chance to share your side of the story here at Beyond the Corporate Ladder. Apply to be a guest: https://beyondthecorporateladder.com/podcast-guest-booking