Game-changer Dr. Lynae Canales balances life as a physician, entrepreneur and family woman.

By: Jessica Dusek
Photos by: MC Studio Workz

“Women come from the place of passion and heart. I think women can be game-changers,” says local pediatrician and executive Rodan + Fields independent consultant, Dr. Lynae Canales. Her dual career has allowed her to spend more time with family and do what she loves.

“I really love people,” she says endearingly. With her medical background, she became impressed with Rodan + Fields products, their business model and their mentoring approach. Joining the company in 2011, she’s successfully grown her business alongside her medical practice.

“I’ve learned more about business with Rodan + Fields than I have my entire medical career,” she laughs. Rodan + Fields has gained a reputation as a woman-owned skincare powerhouse, landing a spot on the Forbes list in 2016. “It’s an empowering line of work,” Canales adds.

Both attention to detail and organization have helped drive Canales’ entrepreneurial efforts and mentorship. “I like to help other people find balance,” she says. “I’m a little on the type-A side. Women tend to be all things to all people,” she explains candidly. “Truthfully, one of the things I love most about mentoring people is you watch them grow and evolve as a person. It’s baby steps.”

“There is something that happens to people when they start a new business – they get excited all over again!” she adds about the road to personal business growth. “You start to dream bigger.”

Growing up on the East Coast, she graduated from Dartmouth College in 1995. “I was always a math and science person,” Canales explains. Planning on a career in engineering and science, her sights shifted when she began considering the medical profession. “What introduced me to medicine was my husband,” she explains. “His grandmother was a known physician.” Dr. Clotilde Garcia was one of the first Mexican-American physicians in the state of Texas, an inspiration and role model to so many women in medicine.

“I really liked that balance of people and science,” she explains. As a pediatrician, she found she loved not only the work, but also connecting to her patients and their parents. In 2002, Canales completed her graduate coursework and residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

She and her husband moved to Corpus Christi soon thereafter. “I love being a part of families,” she adds with sincerity. “That’s one of the things I love about pediatrics: I feel like a member of the family.” As pediatrics has evolved over the years, she empathizes with the parents of her patients.

For her personally, the demands of her fulltime position started to take over, causing her to become a bit off-kilter. “I was working long hours and feeling extremely stressed,” she explains. “The level of stress in my life was extremely high, and I wasn’t able to be present for my family.”

While working to regain her balance, a business opportunity was presented to her with Rodan + Fields. She didn’t realize it would evolve to where it is today. “I saw a great company and quality product, and I decided to jump in,” she says. “It’s an empowering business. It’s a part of health.”

“Being able to make a change later in life is so daunting – but so fun! Women don’t usually branch out into business and entrepreneurialism. It can feel overwhelming.”

Seven years later, Canales has been able to restore balance and develop her other talents in working with people. “It’s really incredible,” she says of building up and coaching other consultants. “You don’t fully understand all of the obstacles that other people face.”

Working with young, stay-at-home moms and professionals, she helps navigate others toward their potential. She plays an instrumental role in coaching others, guiding them toward a close look at their own internal business obstacles. “I work with so many women who fear failure,” she explains.

Some wisdom she has picked up along the way (and didn’t mind sharing with us):

• Learn to teach others and help them reach their potential.

• Get comfortable with goal-setting, getting out of your comfort zone and growing within your industry.

• Make time to read the book, “Miracle Morning.”

• Discipline. The buck stops with you – you have to be disciplined.

• Add a reflective practice to reduce stress, such as meditation, journaling or positive personal affirmations.

The doctor is in.

In Canales’ medical practice, health remains a continual focus. As a parent of three teenage boys, she remains empathetic toward her patients and their parents. As she describes, “learning healthy lifestyles” reinforces healthy habits from early childhood stages.

“As we are seeing the health deteriorate (in many cases), those patterns are set up from early childhood,” she explains. “People don’t often take it as a priority. Over the long term, their exercise, nutrition and emotional well-being are so critical to their health.”

Always curious to learn and improve the lives of those she treats, Canales is an asset to the community of Corpus Christi. Her due diligence in studying and learning valid methods is a continual process. Pursuing a recent culinary medicine course, Canales shares her latest interest: researching how nutrition can be used to achieve optimal health.

“Let’s really put some effort in prevention,” she says enthusiastically. “I think that is the direction we need to move in medicine, instead of just treatment of disease. We need to focus an effort on helping people prevent disease through healthy lifestyles and nutrition.”

Maintaining integrity in all aspects of her life, personally and professionally, Canales continues to keep her eyes on the next goals. “The thing that has guided me throughout my whole life is I do work hard. I’m a little stubborn, and I don’t give up.” Her tenacity and perseverance have demonstrated her success in several aspects: tools for herself and those she mentors.

Above all, as a mother, entrepreneur and medical physician, Canales divulges the keys to her success and happiness all go hand-in-hand: “being a present parent, a present spouse and present in your community.” In a nutshell.