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/

You’re Going to Love Today’s Guest!

This week, I’m beyond honored to welcome the magnificent Katherine Rhadans to the podcast!

You may know her as the brilliant and HILARIOUS mind behind “No Wine in the Carpool Line” (don’t worry—we get into how that gem came to be), but there’s so much more to this fierce, funny, and fearless woman. Katherine is almost 12 years sober, a mother of five, a prominent voice in the quit lit community, and living proof that you can rewrite your story—even after addiction and a traumatic divorce.

In one of the darkest chapters of her life, Katherine entered rehab while her children remained with their father. Her worst fears had come true—but instead of giving up, she chose to dig in and do the work. And that decision changed everything.

Today, Katherine is thriving. With her husband Matthew by her side and five incredible kids—Sumner, Witt, Woods, Waylon, and Macklin—she’s built a life rooted in recovery, authenticity, HUMOR, and deep, unwavering love. In this conversation, Katherine shares how sobriety not only saved her life, but gave her the tools to inspire others and turn pain into purpose.

In this episode, we talk about marriage (and divorce), shame, second chances, and what it really means to reclaim your life from the grip of addiction. Prepare to laugh, cry, and walk away feeling deeply inspired.

Where to find Katherine:

Follow Katherine on Instagram @katrhadanswhere you can stay up to date on everything this queen is doing, including a book in the works!

Head to her new website! Katrhadans.com

Need  getaway? Katherine is hosting an AMAZING retreat this Fall! See below for details:

🌟Palm Springs, CA
17 October 10-12th, 2025
Visit: sundrenchedandsoulful.com

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts—trust me, you don’t want to miss this one.

Welcome to the show! Today we’re joined by Dr. Jacci Tomsic, a highly accomplished oral and maxillofacial surgeon who’s blazing trails in a field still largely dominated by men.

Dr. Tomsic is passionate about serving her community (Cleveland, OH)!) —not just through surgery, but through genuine connection. Oral and maxillofacial surgery isn’t just about fixing jaws or removing wisdom teeth. It’s about helping people heal both physically and emotionally. Many of her patients are navigating trauma, facial differences, or deep-rooted confidence issues, and Dr. Tomsic approaches each case with empathy, precision, and care.

And we have to say—she was an absolute joy to talk to. Warm, funny, and full of heart—not always what you expect from a surgeon, but such a refreshing and inspiring surprise.

We’re thrilled to have her with us today. Please welcome, Dr. Tomsic!

You can learn more and connect with Dr. Tomsic below!

Instagram: @doctorjacci

Website: https://www.jaclyntomsic.com/about-jacci

🎓 Dr. Tomsic's Education and Training:

Dr. Tomsic trained at the Detroit Medical Center, gaining extensive experience across several Level I trauma hospitals, including Detroit Receiving, Henry Ford, and Children’s Hospital of Michigan. She earned her medical degree from Wayne State University, and completed both her general surgery internship and chief year in oral and maxillofacial surgery in Detroit.

She then completed a prestigious fellowship at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., specializing in jaw reconstruction, orthognathic surgery, facial plastic surgery, and sleep apnea surgery under Dr. Jeffrey Posnick.

Her surgical journey continued at Washington Hospital Center, D.C.’s busiest Level I trauma center, and at the Oral Facial Surgery Institute in St. Louis, where she focused on facial cosmetic and TMJ surgery. In 2017, she was proudly inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

This is a re-release from my badass friend, Andy Matthews Helander — and trust me, it’s a MUST LISTEN.

Lies, deceit, gaslighting, and then Andy’s life was flipped upside down -- her husband announced they were getting divorced. What followed? — the kind of emotional chaos that feels more like a true crime series than real life. But Andy didn’t stay down for long.

She made a bold decision to reclaim her power and applied to the Wonderwomen coaching program. After a rigorous application process, she was accepted — and that’s when the real transformation began.

In this episode, Andy shares the raw truth behind her story:
 💔 The heartbreak and betrayal
 🔥 The fight to get her voice and identity back
 💪 The healing and personal power she’s now owning unapologetically

Her journey is messy, real, and unbelievably inspiring. If you’ve ever felt stuck, betrayed, or like your past is defining you — this one’s for you.

💡 Key takeaway: You are not your old story. You are who you choose to be today.

📲 Follow Andy on Instagram: @im_andy_matthews

Below is a little blurb from a recent post from Any on her Instagram: 

"Looking in my mirror the other day, I was struck hard by how different I feel now when I see my reflection, than I did most of my life. I actually REALLY LOOK, without seeing a fun-house distortion as I used to. Finally, after nearly 60 yrs, I can look objectively at my reflection & see me, the real me; the good, the bad & ugly too, w/out turning away & making myself a million promises of how I would change from that moment on."