How A Cancer Diagnosis Changed This Mom Entrepreneur’s Definition of Success
May 21, 2026
There are certain conversations that stay with you long after they end.
My conversation with Lianne Cawley on the podcast was one of those conversations.
Lianne is the founder of Chapter 35, a branding and graphic design studio based in Edmonton, Alberta. She’s also a mom, a creative, and a leukemia survivor. And when I first heard her speak at an event in Edmonton, I remember sitting there thinking, “More women need to hear this story.”
Not because it’s shocking.
Not because it wraps everything up in a neat, inspirational lesson.
But because it’s deeply honest.
It’s a conversation about ambition, motherhood, identity, survival, boundaries, and what happens when life forces you to completely reevaluate how you’re spending your time.
And honestly? I think every entrepreneur needs that reminder sometimes.
Success Looks Different When Time Stops Feeling Unlimited
Before Lianne’s cancer diagnosis, her definition of success looked a lot like what many of us are taught to chase in entrepreneurship:
- growth,
- scaling,
- recognition,
- credibility,
- and constantly wanting more.
And listen, I understand that mindset deeply because I think a lot of ambitious women do.
There’s this pressure to prove ourselves.
To build quickly.
To maximize every opportunity.
To keep growing.
Especially after motherhood.
I think many women reach a point where they feel like:
“Okay, now it’s my turn again.”
And while there’s absolutely nothing wrong with ambition, what struck me during this conversation was how quickly a major life event can force you to ask:
“But at what cost?”
When Lianne was diagnosed with leukemia in 2023, everything stopped.
She went through six weeks of inpatient chemotherapy followed by nearly a year of outpatient treatment — all while raising two small children and running a business.
And suddenly, the things that once felt urgent no longer mattered in the same way.
The Lie of “One Day”
One of the things that really stayed with me from our conversation was this underlying realization that time is not renewable.
We talk about our future lives constantly.
The trips we’ll take one day.
The boundaries we’ll set one day.
The slower mornings we’ll create one day.
The family time we’ll prioritize one day.
But traumatic experiences have a way of forcing you into the present.
They strip away the illusion that there will always be more time later.
And while most of us thankfully will never experience what Lianne went through, I do think there’s something incredibly important in the way she now approaches her life and business.
She became more intentional.
More protective of her energy.
More selective about the people and work she allows into her world.
Not because she became less ambitious.
But because she became more clear.
Building a Business Around Life Instead of Sacrificing Life For Business
One of my favourite parts of the conversation was hearing how Lianne completely restructured her business after treatment.
Not just visually through a rebrand — but operationally.
She talked about:
- implementing stronger boundaries,
- automating more processes,
- creating protected time,
- limiting unnecessary communication,
- and designing her business in a way that allows her to actually be present with her children.
And I think this is such an important conversation for women specifically.
Because so many of us were taught that entrepreneurship requires constant availability.
That being “good” at business means:
- responding immediately,
- always being on,
- sacrificing evenings,
- and saying yes to everything.
But what if sustainability matters more?
What if the goal isn’t to build the biggest business possible at the expense of your health, relationships, or peace?
What if success actually looks like creating a business that supports your life instead of consuming it?
Boundaries Are Not a Lack of Commitment
I think one of the most powerful shifts Lianne described was learning to trust her team and release control.
And honestly, I think this is one of the hardest transitions for entrepreneurs.
Especially women.
Especially mothers.
Especially founders who built something from the ground up.
But when she got sick, she no longer had the option to micromanage every detail. She had to allow other people to step up.
And what she discovered was that letting go created space:
- for her team to grow,
- for creativity to evolve,
- and for her business to function differently than it had before.
I think there’s a lesson there for all of us.
Sometimes the systems, boundaries, and support structures we resist are actually the things that create sustainability.
Your Business Is Allowed to Evolve
One of the things I appreciated most about this conversation is that it wasn’t about abandoning ambition.
Lianne still loves business.
She still cares deeply about her work.
She still wants to grow.
But now her business growth comes from a different place.
A more aligned place.
A more intentional place.
A more human place.
And I think that matters.
Because there’s a version of entrepreneurship that tells women they must constantly choose between:
- ambition or presence,
- growth or family,
- success or peace.
But I don’t think it has to be that binary.
I think we’re allowed to redefine success as we evolve.
And I think some of the strongest businesses are built by women who stop trying to prove themselves and start building businesses that genuinely support the life they want to live.
Final Thoughts
This conversation reminded me that while business is important, it is still only one part of a life.
And when everything gets stripped back, most people are not wishing they answered more emails faster or took more evening calls.
They’re thinking about:
- their family,
- their health,
- their peace,
- and the people they love.
Lianne’s story is a powerful reminder that success is not just about growth.
It’s about building something that still allows you to fully live your life while you have it.
