From cancer to consulting success, Christiane Constantineau proves resilience is the ultimate business advantage.
When the world came crashing down around her, Christiane Constantineau didn’t just survive — she built an empire of purpose from the rubble. Diagnosed with Stage 3C breast cancer in 2019, the Canadian entrepreneur, mother, and global business strategist faced a battle that would push her far beyond the boardroom. But instead of stepping back, she leaned in — transforming her personal crisis into a powerful framework for entrepreneurs seeking balance, strength, and sustainable success.
What emerged from that defining moment was not just recovery, but reinvention. Christiane’s story isn’t one of survival alone — it’s the story of how hardship can become the raw material for greatness.
From Limits to Leadership
Christiane’s entrepreneurial spirit didn’t begin with global boardrooms or bestselling books — it began in a small town near Ottawa, fueled by ambition and an early lesson in resilience. Diagnosed with rheumatic fever as a young woman and warned against having children, she defied medical predictions and chose motherhood anyway. That choice would define not only her personal courage but her leadership philosophy: don’t let circumstance dictate your destiny.
As a single mother of two, Christiane entered the male-dominated world of finance manager and business consulting and quickly made her mark. When offered an assignment in Cape Town, South Africa, she didn’t hesitate. It was a bold move — leaving home, managing motherhood from across the world, and stepping into one of the most challenging markets imaginable. But that decision became her professional catalyst, propelling her into high-level negotiations and strategic leadership roles across five continents.
From negotiating multi-million-dollar contracts in Saudi Arabia to helping Canadian media giants break into Asia, Christiane became known for her global perspective — and her ability to lead calmly through chaos.
The Breaking Point That Built a Movement
By 2019, Christiane had already built a thriving consulting business, guiding entrepreneurs through growth, strategy, and finance. Then came the diagnosis that would change everything.
Cancer has a way of stripping away illusions — but for Christiane, it revealed a deeper mission. As she underwent chemotherapy, she ask her husband asked a single question that would reshape her path:
“If this is so hard for me, with all your experience and resources — how do other entrepreneurs manage such a crisis?”
That question became the foundation of her next chapter. While fighting for her life, she began documenting her experiences, turning her struggle into a guidebook for others navigating business and health crises simultaneously. Her debut book, Cancer Sucks…: The Journey of an Entrepreneur and Her Fight Against Cancer While Running Her Business, resonated deeply with readers and became an Amazon bestseller.
Christiane didn’t stop there. Her follow-up, Manage. Grow. Breathe., tackled a challenge all entrepreneurs face — burnout. Drawing from her own transformation, she offered a framework for achieving high performance without losing personal balance. The message struck a chord: that success without wellness isn’t true success.
The Ikigai of Entrepreneurship
At the heart of Christiane’s work lies ikigai— the Japanese philosophy that explores the balance between what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what sustains you financially.
Christiane believes that most business leaders fail not because of a lack of talent, but because they build their success on unstable foundations — chasing revenue, recognition, or external validation instead of alignment. Her coaching and CFO consulting practice now integrates ikigaiinto financial strategy, helping entrepreneurs design companies that are both profitable and purposeful.
Her approach is refreshingly holistic. “If you build a business that doesn’t serve your health, your relationships, or your joy,” she says, “you haven’t built success — you’ve built a trap.”
Resilience as a Competitive Advantage
Christiane’s methods aren’t built in theory — they’re battle-tested. She’s led businesses through economic crises, personal health battles, and global expansion challenges, all while maintaining a deep commitment to her clients’ human stories.
Her company, 6DT Consulting, became a trusted name in financial strategy and business transformation before she started the business transfer to her son in 2023 — not as an exit, but as a legacy. That handover represented the culmination of years of mentoring, not only as a mother but as a leader committed to creating generational wealth and wisdom.
Then came her next creation — LavaLife Jewelry, launched in 2024. Inspired by her meditation practice and symbolizing strength through heat and pressure, the brand offers yoga and mindfulness-inspired lava bead jewelry. Each piece carries a story — a reminder that beauty and resilience are born from transformation.
Redefining the Metrics of Success
Today, Christiane blends her business acumen with her Harvard X certifications in resilience and happiness management, offering a rare fusion of corporate strategy and emotional intelligence. Her frameworks teach CEOs and founders how to build enterprises that thrive without burnout, with strategies rooted in self-awareness, clarity, and mindful decision-making.
Her achievements have earned recognition, including Top 10 CashFlow Advisor (2022), Top 100 ProAdvisors (2019), and Resilient Business Coach of the Year (2025)by WomElle. Yet what she values most isn’t the accolades — it’s the entrepreneurs who rediscover their joy under her mentorship.
Christiane’s story reframes what it means to win. Success, she insists, isn’t about speed or scale — it’s about sustainability. It’s about designing a business and a life that can weather the storms.
The Legacy of a Life Reimagined
As Christiane continues to guide leaders across the world, her mission remains deeply personal: to show that adversity doesn’t have to derail your dreams — it can refine them. She helps entrepreneurs replace burnout with balance, chaos with clarity, and fear with focus.
Her journey stands as a testament to a truth every business leader needs to hear:
You are not defined by your hardest moments — you are shaped by what you build from them.
To learn more about Christiane Constantineau’s work, explore her books, or connect with her consulting and mentorship programs, visit her website or follow her onLinkedIn,Goodreads, andSubstack. Discover how resilience can be your greatest business strategy — and your most powerful legacy.
