Welcome to the podcast — I’m so honored to welcome April Day Garcia.

April is the author of the breathtaking memoir The Room to Be Brave, a book built around one powerful question:
What if healing meant walking back into the rooms you’ve spent your whole life trying to escape?

In Room to Be Brave, April invites us into the invisible house we all carry — the one made of memories that shaped us, moments that broke us, and rooms we’ve kept locked for far too long.

Because every memory lives in a room.

The apartment where Child Protective Services came.
 The stranger’s couch where she woke up filled with shame.
 The living room where she decided to leave California for good.

Some rooms hold laughter and light. Others hold grief, fear, and the kind of shame we’re convinced we’ve buried forever.

For a long time, April believed healing meant closing doors.
Now she knows it means opening them — slowly, honestly — and letting the light in.

Through surviving a brush with death, recovering in a body she didn’t recognize, living with chronic illness, navigating addiction, divorce, and a deeply complicated relationship with her mother, April has learned something profound:

Bravery isn’t about feeling brave.
It’s about showing up for yourself again and again — even when you’re exhausted.

This memoir isn’t about perfection or resolution. It’s about the messy, ongoing work of piecing yourself back together — room by room, breath by breath — and finding the courage to step into the very spaces you once believed would break you.

I cannot wait for you to hear this conversation.

Please follow April on Instagram @theroomtobebrave

You can also pre-order her book on Amazon (launches JANUARY 27!)

And you can visit her website https://www.aprildaygarcia.com/

Consider this book as a gift for friends or propose reading it for your book group. This is a memoir that will be in your thoughts for a long, long time.

xoxo,

Heather

Today’s episode is an important one — and an honest one.

Fliss Hoyle is back for her second conversation with me, and this time she’s sharing a story that far too many women are living quietly: surgical menopause.

Fliss is the founder of Lived Experience Inspires, a company dedicated to bringing the patient voice and lived experience into the heart of healthcare, education, and workplace culture. Her mission is simple yet powerful: to break the stigma, build compassion, and empower people — from students to senior leaders — to create environments rooted in understanding, well-being, and genuine human connection.

In this episode, Fliss opens up about her hysterectomy and the sudden hormonal crash that followed. While the world is finally starting to talk about menopause — often framed as “natural menopause” — very few conversations address what happens when a woman is thrust overnight into surgical menopause.

There is no “peri.”
There is no gradual transition.
There is just a crash. 

A crash of estrogen.
A crash of progesterone.
A crash of identity, well-being, and stability — often without adequate education, support, or hormone replacement offered.

Fliss speaks candidly about what it feels like when hormones are abruptly removed, the impact on mental health, physical health, relationships, and self-trust, and how historically, women in this situation were expected to cope — silently.

This conversation matters.
 Because surgical menopause is menopause.
 Because hormone loss is not benign.
 And because lived experience deserves to be heard, believed, and acted on.

If you’ve ever felt dismissed, confused, or blindsided by your body — or if you care about creating safer, more compassionate systems for women — this episode is for you.

This is Sharing Out Loud.
And this is a conversation every woman deserves to hear.

Please follow Fliss @fliss_livedexperienceinspires

And visit her brand new website! https://www.livedexperienceinspires.com/

And let's keep the conversation going by SHARING THIS EPISODE!

xoxo,

Heather

Because midlife doesn’t need a makeover; it needs a microphone! And it also needs LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of women talking about it, sometimes for hours at a time😘.

So, what happens when women drop the polite, watered-down version of midlife and finally say what’s actually going on?

Magic. Truth. Relief. And a whole lot of “Why did no one tell me this sooner?”

That’s exactly what unfolded during the very first Midlife Table Talk—a raw, unrushed, radically honest roundtable hosted by me and Angela Burk, speaker, midlife blogger, and author of the new book, The Real Girls Guide to Midlife! We are joined by three powerhouse women who work on the front lines of midlife every single day:

• Cris Amato, RN, MSN, RNFA, APN-C, founder of Grace Concierge, and an expert in hormones and women’s health. Committed to treating women differently by treating them as individuals with unique symptoms and issues.
• Amy Johnston, founder of Amy Johnston Fitness. She’s been a fitness and wellness expert over 30 years and helps midlife women rebuild strength, metabolism, and confidence through her private fitness group where she focuses on workouts best suited for women over 40 (WEIGHTS!).
• Heather Dillavou, PT, MS, a pelvic floor specialist who brings clarity (and hope!) to the parts no one ever talks about. Heather has been doing this for 25 years... where was she when I had my 2 kids???

Together, we dive into the unfiltered reality of hormones, aging, identity shifts, pelvic floor challenges, strength changes, brain fog, energy fluctuations—and the empowering truth that midlife isn’t the end of anything. It’s the beginning of understanding your body, your power, and your voice on a whole new level.

If you’ve ever felt confused, dismissed, or alone in your midlife experience, pull up a chair.

This is the conversation every woman deserves to hear.
Listen on a walk, in the car, on your lunch break—however it fits into your day. You don’t even have to listen all at once.

But trust me… the information is that good.
You won’t want to miss a single minute.

Please be sure to SHARE THIS EPISODE WITH FRIENDS and, of course, follow these amazing women on social media (except for Heather D., who is not yet active for her professional life).

Cris: @graceconcierge and graceconcierge.com

Amy: @amyjohnstonfitness and amyjohnstonfitness.com

Angela: @realgirlsguide55 and realgirlsguide55.com

xoxo,

Heather

In this enlightening episode, I had the privilege of speaking with the brilliant Dr. Kim Johnson Hatchett, a board-certified neurologist, author, and motivational speaker. Together, we dove into the fascinating interplay between brain health and hormonal changes during menopause, uncovering how this life stage impacts cognitive function and overall well-being.

Dr. Hatchett shared her expertise on how hormonal shifts during menopause influence brain chemistry, potentially affecting memory, focus, and emotional resilience. She emphasized the importance of understanding these changes to empower women during this transformative phase of life.

We also explored the profound role lifestyle choices play in maintaining brain health. From the benefits of regular exercise and balanced nutrition to the importance of stress management, Dr. Hatchett provided actionable insights to help listeners nurture their brains earlier so they can thrive through menopause and beyond.

This conversation is a must-listen for anyone curious about the brain-hormone connection and how intentional changes (including HRT) can lead to a healthier, sharper mind, and maybe even reduce your risk for Alzheimer's and Dementia. 

Be sure to follow Dr. Kim on Instagram @drkimneurodoc

And check out her website: drkimberlyjhatchett.com, where you can learn more about Dr. Kim, listen to other media interviews, AND sign up for her FREE newsletter!

If you haven't yet started to educate yourself about the impact of hormones on your overall health, consider grabbing the following books and find a qualified doctor today to discuss your symptoms and options:

ESTROGEN MATTERS

THE MENOPAUSE MOMENT

THE PERIMENOPAUSE SURVIVAL GUIDE

Find a doctor here:

THE MENOPAUSE SOCIETY

Other Instagram Doctors to follow:

@askdrnoor

@dunnewithmenopause

@menopause_doctor

Meet Kelli O'Dell, a 67-year-old woman on FIRE to talk about menopause and HRT, because "no one is ever too old to rise". 

In this episode, we sit down for an intimate, no-nonsense conversation about what it really means to start hormone replacement therapy later in life. From gaslighting in the medical system to the moment she finally said enough, her story is raw, honest, and wildly empowering.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re “too old” to ask for what your body needs, this conversation will change your mind—and maybe your life.

Share this episode!
Menopause may seem noisy, but too many women—young and old—are still suffering in silence.

Let’s change that. 

Give Kelli a follow @kellikind. Have questions? She would be happy to answer your DM's and give you any support you need when trying to find a doctor, or helping you feel empowered before going in for your first appointment.

Today’s conversation is one you won’t forget. I’m sitting down with Andryea Natkin — a 73-year-old ceramic artist who’s fighting for her right to access the hormones she deserves. 

Andryea is on a mission — a fierce, unapologetic mission. She’s tenacious. She’s brave. And she’s absolutely not taking no for an answer.

Because here’s the truth: whether you’re just beginning your perimenopause journey or you were denied hormones years ago because of the falsely reported WHI study — you deserve to live a full, healthy life.

Let’s be clear: vaginal estrogen does not cause blood clots, breast cancer, or dementia.
And transdermal estradiol does not increase the risk of blood clots, stroke, or breast cancer.

This is about facts. It’s about choice. And it’s about reclaiming the health and vitality that should never have been taken from us.

Andryea’s story is proof that it’s never too late to demand better care, ask harder questions, and refuse to be dismissed.

Please share this episode with all of the peri/menopausal women you know!

You can find Andryea on Instagram @andryeanatkin

And on her website: https://andryeanatkin.com/

Let's cheer her on! Drop her a note or send her an email through her website. Women encouraging women, isn't that how things should be?!

Dr. Noor Al-Humaidhi, aka Dr. Noor, is a women’s health physician who offers menopause treatment and wellness services tailored specifically to women. Driven by her own experience, she founded Lifestyles to empower women through perimenopause and menopause with real education, data-backed strategies, and personalized care. 

She is breaking barriers and speaking loudly about a topic that has been brushed aside, minimized, and misdiagnosed for far too long. She is also a firm believer in treating women earlier — because you don’t have to wait for the “magic day” when you’re officially one year beyond your final period. Women deserve support and intervention before they lose years of feeling like themselves, and before their bodies, including the brain, start to decline (heart disease, osteoporosis, brain changes).

Dr. Noor also pushes back on the idea that it’s “too late” for the women who were scared away by the WHI (Women's Health Initiative) report. Age 60, 65, 70? She believes women still have time to improve how they feel and the quality of the years ahead. Longevity isn’t just for the young — it’s for every woman.

Her biggest, most important piece of advice? GET EDUCATED. Purchase a copy of Estrogen Matters and bring it to your doctor's appointment!

We all need to help change the narrative around women’s hormones, so give her a follow on Instagram and share her content! @askdrnoor 

You can also visit the practice website at https://www.lifestylesbynoor.com/ and, if you are local, make an appointment!

🎙️ The Real Girls Guide to Over 55 with Angela Burk

I met Angela in the comments section of Instagram while going down the rabbit hole of everything menopause. Something about her instantly stood out — her humor, her honesty, her unapologetic confidence. Within minutes, I knew I didn’t just need to talk with her — we needed to be friends.

Angela is the real deal — smart, funny, and unfiltered. She’s here to spill the truth about everything from her own menopause journey — what she’s learned, what she would have done differently (hint: educated herself sooner about the decrease in hormones), and how she’s navigating what she calls Phase 3 of menopause mayhem. 

A little more about Angela:

She’s survived C-suite meetings, single-parent mayhem, and red-eye flights from San Francisco to Melbourne, so yes — Angela has stories and strategies, all of which she’s poured into her blog on Substack, The Real Girls Guide to Over 55, AND soon to be a book (DECEMBER 2025!) — where she’s rewriting the narrative of what life after 50 really looks like.

Each segment of The Real Girls Guide to Over 55 blog dives into the raw, relatable, and ridiculously funny truths of midlife:
💬 How to parent adult kids without duct-taping your own mouth shut
💼 Why un-retiring might be your best career move yet
❤️ Love that spans time zones and rule books
🔥 Health, hormones, and embracing your glorious, saggy-kneed self
💰 Money, power, and finally taking the damn mic

Subscribe, share, and join Angela as she helps rewrite the script on midlife — because the second half? Spoiler alert: it’s going to be badass!

Substack: @realgirlangela

Instagram: @realgirlsguide55

Website: https://www.realgirlsguide55.com/

Interested in participating in our upcoming LIVE Midlife Table Talk, where we will have Menopause experts there to answer your questions? Shoot Angela or me a note via Instagram, or send us an email:

[email protected]

[email protected]

Meet Fliss Holyle, born and raised — and still living — in the UK. At just 17, her world was turned upside down after a horrific car accident that set off a chain reaction of mental and physical health challenges. What followed was years of battling depression, anxiety, panic disorder, and an eating disorder — and later, a severe medication reaction that triggered bipolar disorder and led to her first stay in a psychiatric hospital.

For the next sixteen years, Fliss had to rebuild herself, piece by piece, while facing new diagnoses like seizures, PMDD, and IBS. But instead of giving in to despair, she found purpose in helping others. Fliss discovered that the best way to quiet her own struggles was to lift others through theirs.

Today, Fliss used her lived experience to train teachers, healthcare professionals, and businesses on how to better support people living with mental health disorders. She’s also a sought-after inspirational speaker, sharing her story at universities and nurse training programs across the UK.

In this episode, Fliss shares what it really takes to rebuild your life from the ground up, how empathy can transform pain into purpose, and why hope is never lost — even when everything seems broken.

Questions? Need help navigating your mental health issues? Reach out to Fliss (and follow!) on Instagram @fliss_thepatientadvocate

Need urgent, IMMEDIATE HELP in the UK? Visit https://hubofhope.co.uk/ to search for crisis support services near you or call one of the numbers below:

NHS

Call 111 and select option 2
(service available across England, Wales, and Scotland, open 24 hours)

Lifeline | Lifeline helpline

Call 0808 808 8000
(service available across Northern Ireland, open 24 hours)

Give Us A Shout

Text SHOUT to 85258

Hormones and sobriety — guess what they have in common?!!! You've got just me talking today from a recent Instagram LIVE. Let's dive in!

1. Just like sobriety, hormone health requires ongoing attention, monitoring, and support. Ignoring either one can set us back.

2. Our bodies change, our needs shift — which means treatment and support must evolve too.

3. Community, education, and ongoing care are the pillars of both hormone health and sobriety.

4. Neither is a quick fix. Both are lifelong journeys that deserve respect and commitment.

5. The more we talk about this, the more people will understand that tending to hormones and sobriety is health care, not weakness.

Taking care of ourselves isn’t a one-and-done deal. It’s an ongoing investment in living our fullest, healthiest lives. 💪✨

Do you still need a menopause doctor? Visit the National Menopause site to search for docs in your area: https://menopause.org/

Need help with over-drinking? Try non-AA meetings with She Walks Canada! https://www.shewalkscanada.com/coaching/