Why Modern Work Isn’t Working for Women — And What Thriving Female Leaders Are Doing Instead
Dec 11, 2025
Why Women Everywhere Are Questioning the Way We Work
If you’ve ever sat at your desk, stared at your screen, and quietly whispered to yourself, “This isn’t working,” you are far from alone. In this episode of This Mother Means Business, I sit down with business anthropologist and author Meghan French Dunbar, whose work uncovers the systemic reasons women are burnt out, overwhelmed, and questioning the traditional model of success.
Together, we explore why the professional world feels broken for so many women—and what the happiest, healthiest, most fulfilled leaders are doing differently. This conversation is packed with research-backed insight, deeply human storytelling, and a powerful reminder: your life and business should work for you, not the other way around.
The Rise of the “Business Anthropologist”
Meghan has one of the coolest job descriptions I’ve ever heard: business anthropologist.
Instead of studying wildlife like Steve Irwin, she studies the inner workings of business systems and how they shape the human experience. Through founding a nationally distributed print magazine, interviewing over 1,000 business leaders, building a media company, and now writing her book This Isn’t Working, she has spent her career exploring one core question:
Why are so many people suffering inside the traditional model of work—and how do we fix it?
Her curiosity isn’t academic. It’s personal. Meghan spent years burned out, exhausted, and entrenched in the entrepreneurial hustle before experiencing panic attacks, deep anxiety, and eventually a full breakdown of mental health that pushed her to ask: Is there a better way?
Spoiler: There is.
Why the Old Model of Work Is Failing Us
Through research, interviews, and her own lived experience, Meghan found an undeniable truth:
Most of us were taught to define success by external metrics that directly undermine our well-being.
Traditional work culture rewards:
- Constant urgency
- Excessive work hours
- Hustle over health
- Growth at all costs
- Productivity as identity
And yet, women—especially mothers—disproportionately feel the impact of this model. Rates of stress, depression, anxiety, and burnout are consistently higher for women. Meghan calls this “the dumpster fire of human suffering that is modern work.”
Instead of self-care bandaid solutions (“go take a bubble bath”), she goes deeper into the systemic causes.
What Happier, Thriving Leaders Have in Common
Meghan intentionally studied the outliers—the leaders who are successful and genuinely happy. These are people whose teams aren’t burnt out, whose businesses aren’t built on chaos, and whose lives actually feel good.
Across nearly 100 interviews, she found consistent patterns:
Authentic Leadership
Thriving leaders bring their full selves to work.
They reject the outdated belief that professionalism means emotional suppression or pretending to be someone they’re not.
Sustainable Habits
They prioritise the basics most people neglect:
- Sleep
- Exercise
- Boundaries
- Mental health support
- Time away from work
These aren’t luxuries. They’re non-negotiables.
A Clear Understanding of “Enough”
One of the most powerful stories Meghan shares is about Sharon Rowe, founder of EcoBags. Sharon intentionally defined her ideal life first—and built her business to support that life, not consume it. For 35 years, she lived her dream version of success without chasing endless growth.
It’s a radical question more entrepreneurs should ask:
What is enough for me?
Human-Centred Business
Leaders who prioritise connection, shared success, and collective well-being create stronger, more resilient companies. This is the opposite of hustle culture—and it works.
A New Definition of Success
After years of research, Meghan created a new framework for success—rooted entirely in human flourishing. It centres on three core elements:
1. Purpose & Meaning
Aligning your work with what matters most to you.
2. Passion & Growth
Doing work you’re excited to learn about and improve at.
3. Quality of Life
The most overlooked category—and arguably the most important.
Are you joyful? Rested? Healthy? Present with your family? Connected to people you love?
This isn’t a dream scenario. It’s a viable reality when we stop overidentifying with our businesses and start living inside the sweet spot where purpose, passion, and well-being overlap.
Meghan’s Story: How Rock Bottom Became Her Wake-Up Call
Meghan shares openly about:
- Running a national magazine
- Raising investment capital
- Experiencing crippling burnout
- Her first panic attack
- Becoming a mother
- Leaving the company she built
- Falling into deep depression
- Beginning therapy during the pandemic
Her honesty reminds us that so many women are silently suffering while believing their pain is “normal.”
It isn’t.
And it doesn’t have to be.
What If Work Didn’t Feel Like a Slog?
One of Meghan’s turning points came during a talk with Suzy Batiz (founder of Poo~Pourri). When Meghan asked how to manage the daily slog of running a business, Suzy replied:
“It’s not supposed to feel like a slog.”
At the time, Meghan resisted it. Years later, she realises Suzy was right.
Work can be meaningful and sustainable.
Success can be ambitious and aligned.
Business can be profitable and human.
The entire conversation is a permission slip for any woman who’s ever thought:
There has to be another way.
Because there is.
