We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Francine Juhlin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Francine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I loved my career as an aircraft electrician fixing aircraft for the military. The work felt alive in my hands. I thrived on the precision, the problem solving, and the purpose that came with keeping aircraft safe. When my health declined, everything shifted. Being a female aircraft electrician for the military was my identy. When my health declined, everything shifted. I was no longer able to do the physical work that defined me. I was fortunate that I was allowed to work at a desk job, but it was torture. I watched the job I loved move on without me. I tried to adjust, but every day at that desk felt like a reminder that I had lost a part of myself. Although the job was sucking my soul dry, it was safe and comfortable to know that I had a steady paycheck.

Until, I became sick and tired of being sick and tired. The first step toward change was to get healthy because I knew nothing in my life would improve until I reclaimed my strength and energy.

Retiring early was not the easy choice, but it was the right one. I knew I had to chase my joy before I lost even more of myself. The transition was not instant. It took years of healing, learning, and evolving. I tried new paths. I outgrew old ones. Slowly, I found my way into a life filled with creativity, storytelling, and service. Today, I love the flow of creating something meaningful and helping people grow. The journey was long, but every step led me to the work that lights me up from the inside.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Francine Juhlin is a retired military aircraft electrician who transformed her life after facing a crossroads in her career and health. After years of high stakes work on military aircraft, declining health forced her into a desk job that drained her spirit. Choosing early retirement became an act of courage, giving up the security of a life-long career. It opened the door to a long journey of healing, personal growth, and rediscovering her joy.

Today, Francine’s mission is to build strong and confident children today so we do not have to fix broken adults later. She helps kids and families grow through storytelling, creativity, and simple mindset tools that make confidence feel fun and achievable. Through her character Princess Francy, she brings a magical guide to life who shows children how imagination, courage, and kindness can help them believe in themselves. Using the same imagination, courage, and kindness found in her children’s programming, she also helps adults find the confidence to tell their stories in books and on the stage, giving them the tools to grow, heal, and inspire others. Her work inspires children to embrace what makes them unique, helps parents break old patterns, and creates a future where every child knows they are worthy, capable, and able to shine.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Creative collaboration opens doors that no one can unlock alone, and it fuels a level of inspiration that grows when ideas are shared, supported, and celebrated. When people come together to create, they lift each other higher, spark new possibilities, and build a community where every voice matters. Society can support artists by encouraging these spaces of connection, investing in programs that bring creatives together, and valuing the stories that emerge when many perspectives blend. Francine is a founding member of the Believe You Can anthology, a project that gives creators a place to be seen, heard, and uplifted. When we support collaborative spaces like this, we strengthen the entire creative ecosystem and empower more people to believe they can, and then they do.

Have you ever had to pivot?

My whole life has been one long pivot, each turn shaped by a mix of grit, curiosity, and the quiet question of what else is possible. I dropped out of college and joined the Navy because I needed structure and purpose, and I found both while fixing aircraft and learning who I was under pressure. When that chapter closed, I pivoted again and joined the Army, building on the skills I loved while growing into a stronger version of myself. Years later, when my body could no longer keep up with the demands of military and technical work, I faced another crossroads. Early retirement was not a dream, it was a necessity, yet it opened the door to discovering my passion for personal growth, creativity, and helping others. Every pivot felt like a disruption at the time, but each one carried me closer to the work I was meant to do, guiding children and families toward confidence and self belief while living a life that finally feels aligned and joyful.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sparklefeathers.fun/ https://pentopublished.fun/authors
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/princessfrancyandfriends/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PersonalChangeWarriors
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francine-juhlin-b9839578/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@francinejuhlin
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/@TheConfidenceClubForKids