Her Story
About Constance
Constance Franklin serves as a Public Health Analyst in Federal Public Health, where she has worked for the past 25 years. In her role, she focuses on the overall health and well-being of employees in her division, developing and implementing programs that address mental health, emotional health, physical health, and career health while promoting a healthy work culture. She fell into this lane of work following a shift in agency priorities toward healthier supervision and work environments. Franklin attributes her professional success to supportive leadership, noting that her supervisors' genuine concern for her well-being, rather than just deliverables, motivated her during challenging personal times such as the loss of a marriage and her mother. She advises young women entering the industry to lead by example, take care of themselves first, use their vacation time, and model the self-care behaviors they recommend so that others feel empowered to do the same, regardless of their personal circumstances as wives, mothers, caretakers, or professionals on a career trajectory.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Constance
01What do you attribute your success to?
My success is definitely attributed to people having supportive leadership. My immediate supervisor chain being supported, because if not, life is gonna happen. Knowing that my supervisor actually cared about me and my well-being made a ton of difference when I had so many life things happen at one time, including the loss of a marriage, loss of my mother. She never asked about reports but always about how it's going, which motivates me to get things done even when I feel like crap because they care about me.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Lead by example. You've got to take care of yourself. Start with yourself. Model the behavior that is ideal or recommend. Whether you're a wife, mom, dog mom, caretaker, or single woman on a career trajectory, use your vacation time and prioritize self-care so others see it's okay to do the same.
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