Clarissa has a doctorate in neuroscience, is an author on menopause (her book “Beyond Hormones” is available here), teaches mindfulness and qigong and frequently speaks at conferences, podcasts, and summits about women's health and well-being. Clarissa also holds certifications in nutrition, yoga nidra, acupressure and aromatherapy. Talk about a holistic approach! 

Find out more about her here https://clarissakristjansson.com/about

Clarissa and I cover the below (and so much more) in our conversation:

• The difference between brain and mind
• Pro vs anti ageing in mindset and society
• Two things you might notice way before skipping periods and hot flushes
• The quick fix trap 
• Menopause as a moneymaker
• Markers of long term health
• Where to start to find time to change (hint…scroll habits anyone :)). 

I think you’re going to get so much value from this one. 

Sign up here to get 4 additional resources to support you:

• Perimenopause phases and timing - check where you are right now
• Indicators of hormonal changes - use this as a tracker and support in conversations with your medical practitioners
• Perimenopause and “Imposter Syndrome” -  4 questions to unpack self-doubt along with some info around hormonal changes and ideas for support. 
• Menopause Experts - this is a list of the guests that spoke to me for this season. They are all awesome and might be helpful for you to connect with. 

Full details about working with me 1:1 are available here

Natalie is a licensed acupuncturist, author, and holistic health educator with a background in biomedicine, 20 years of experience in the field of Chinese medicine and a particular interest in menopause, midlife, and healthy aging. She has edited and co-authored “Menopause: A Comprehensive Guide for Practitioners” a textbook designed to help practitioners of Chinese and East Asian medicine support their clients through menopause. 

Natalie offers holistic menopause and healthy ageing coaching with a yangsheng twist. More about her here https://hsnholistic.com/about. Also, as a listener you get 50% OFF her online course “Embracing Menopause”. Just hit the link and use the discount code EMBRACE50 EMBRACE MENOPAUSE course.

Listen now to hear more about:

• Symptoms vs transitions
• 2 reframes on tea
• The thing to always look for in recommendations
• Guidance around a traditional Chinese medical approach 
• The benefits of acupuncture 
• Reclaiming excitement!

Download these 4 additional resources to support you:

• Perimenopause phases and timing - check where you are right now
• Indicators of hormonal changes - use this as a tracker and support in conversations with your medical practitioners
• Perimenopause and “Imposter Syndrome” -  4 questions to unpack self-doubt along with some info around hormonal changes and ideas for support. 
• Menopause Experts - this is a list of the guests that spoke to me for this season. They are all awesome and might be helpful for you to connect with. 

Full details about working with me 1:1 are available here

Dr. Maria Luque is a renowned fitness expert, menopause coach, former health science professor, and proud Air Force veteran. With over two decades of experience, she is deeply committed to empowering menopausal women to become stronger, healthier, and embrace a life full of adventure. Holding an M.S. and Ph.D. in health sciences, as well as a range of certifications, including Certified Health Education Specialist, ACE Certified Personal Trainer, and NASM Women's Fitness Specialist, she combines her expertise with a passion for transformation. Dr. Luque is the founder of Fitness in Menopause, a company dedicated to helping women navigate the challenges and rewards of midlife. 

Maria and I covered so much - we discuss all of the below and more!

• Body image, identity and mental health as spices in the menopause soup
• Belly fat and body composition
• The “fitness crisis” you might experience
• ONE thing you need to add to your training now
• Overtraining and the practice of ease
• Fasting and mixed messages

Do 10 squats as you listen to this one! 

Sign up for Maria’s newsletter here -: https://www.fitnessinmenopause.com/newsletter

Check out her website: www.fitnessinmenopause.com   www.drmarialuque.com

Download these 4 additional resources to support you:

• Perimenopause phases and timing - check where you are right now
• Indicators of hormonal changes - use this as a tracker and support in conversations with your medical practitioners
• Perimenopause and “Imposter Syndrome” -  4 questions to unpack self-doubt along with some info around hormonal changes and ideas for support. 
• Menopause Experts - this is a list of the guests that spoke to me for this season. They are all awesome and might be helpful for you to connect with. 

Lastly - full details about working with me 1:1 are available here

Kate is an ICF accredited Holistic Life Coach, Certified Menopause Doula and yoga teacher, a She Recovers Coach and an Addictive Behaviours Specialist coach and mentor, the author of two books and the founder of Love Sober and Love Sober Podcast.  She has supported women in their midlife from all over the world to  get off the hormonal rollercoaster and build happy, confident alcohol free-lives. ​You can find out more about her here. Kate Baily

This is a HOT topic and a conversation I am so grateful for. SO many nuggets of goodness here around mindset, context, behaviour and tools! Listen now to hear:

• How “gray area” drinking may not be serving you right now
• Some links between feminism, parenting and the wine times narrative
• The “perfect storm” our livers and lives are handling
• Shifts in social identity and community
• The power and practice of holding our boundaries for ourselves
• Some practical ideas to create change 

Download these 4 additional resources to support you:

• Perimenopause phases and timing - check where you are right now
• Indicators of hormonal changes - use this as a tracker and support in conversations with your medical practitioners
• Perimenopause and “Imposter Syndrome” -  4 questions to unpack self-doubt along with some info around hormonal changes and ideas for support. 
• Menopause Experts - this is a list of the guests that spoke to me for this season. They are all awesome and might be helpful for you to connect with. 

Want to work with me? You can see full details here

Ags is a qualified Nutritional Therapist with an MSc in Personalised Nutrition and an ICF-accredited coach who specialises in supporting women in perimenopause with a blend of nutrition and integrative health and behavioural change to tackle the unique challenges of this stage. More about Ags here https://agsgalland.com/ and you can sign up to get her protein and fibre rich breakfast recipes here. 7 Quick Breakfast Recipes for Energy and No Excuses

In this conversation Ags: 

• blows my mind with a fact about metabolism that changes everything
• Confirms that our 90s diet rules are not serving us!
• Talks us through protein, fibre, ultra-processed foods, supplements, wine and more!
• Helps us simplify our plates

Download these 4 additional resources to support you:

• Perimenopause phases and timing - check where you are right now
• Indicators of hormonal changes - use this as a tracker and support in conversations with your medical practitioners
• Perimenopause and “Imposter Syndrome” -  4 questions to unpack self-doubt along with some info around hormonal changes and ideas for support. 
• Menopause Experts - this is a list of the guests that spoke to me for this season. They are all awesome and might be helpful for you to connect with. 

Want to work with me? You can see full details here

Something that is often underplayed in menopause is the identity shift that can accompany us. The loss of a way we used to think or be able to cope with things. The worries about whether we can still add value. In our 40s we are often navigating bigger careers and businesses and responsibilities than ever before. Changes in how we feel, in our energy levels, in how we can remember things can deeply impact our confidence and clarity and feeling of self. 

In this solo episode I:

• Unpack self doubt or “imposter syndrome”
• Give you 4 questions to ask EVERY time you feel like a fraud
• Look at how what might be happening hormonally can lay over this
• Share some examples from my own coaching practice and leadership groups

I’ve made a resource to remind you of the 4 questions to unpack your self-doubt and show the phases of hormonal change, some indicators, ideas for support. 

Get it here:  Perimenopause and “Imposter Syndrome”

Download these 3 additional resources to support you:

• Perimenopause phases and timing - check where you are right now
• Indicators of hormonal changes - use this as a tracker and support in conversations with your medical practitioners
• Menopause Experts - this is a list of the guests that spoke to me for this season. They are all awesome and might be helpful for you to connect with. 

Want to work with me? Enrollment for my next female leadership programme EXPAND is OPEN - you can see full details here

Kellie is a somatic coach, facilitator and guide - a certified Developmental Coach and VITA™ Integrated Sexuality, Love and Relationship Coach. She holds post-graduate qualifications in Complex Change and Adult Development, has been an Executive Coach for 15 years and is also a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner as well as a mother and a cancer survivor.. 

Kellie works at the intersection of adult development, systems thinking, integrated sexuality, embodiment work, somatic experiencing, leadership and business to support people through big changes in their lives during parenthood, midlife and menopause, and elderhood rites of passage; and other life transitions like grief, divorce and big career changes.  You can access her free ebook here Magical Midlife and Menopause and see more about her here 

In this conversation we explore:

• some of the meh and restlessness that often shows up in midlife
• menopause getting “the blame” for midlife 
• ego and meaning, emotions and societal conditioning, truth
• the menopause “muse” and shapeshifting
• how we could create change on a micro level and where to start
• the radical act of listening to ourselves 
• some reframes around supporting our health 

And so much more!

Here are some of Kellie’s favourite resources:

Should we all be on HRT - Prof. Susan Davis and Simon HIll on the The Proof podcast

Demystifying HRT - Kellie Stirling and Dr Fatima Khan, Talkin about Midlife podcast

- Hormone Repair Manual - Lara Briden

- Menopause Brain - Dr Lisa Mosconi

- Menopause the wise woman way - Susan Weed 

- The Wisdom of Menopause - Christiane Northrup 

Download these 3 resources to support you:

• Perimenopause phases and timing - check where you are right now
• Indicators of hormonal changes - use this as a tracker and support in conversations with your medical practitioners
• Menopause Experts - this is a list of the guests that spoke to me for this season. They are all awesome and might be helpful for you to connect with. 

Want to work with me? Enrollment for my next female leadership programme EXPAND opens shortly - you can see full details here

Lauren is an entrepreneur and expert in menopause transition. She provides evidence to the UK Parliament, sits on the BSI committee that created the landmark Standard on Menstruation, menstrual health and menopause, is a regular

commentator in the media and is an award winning global motivational speaker, trainer & coach on executive women's wellbeing. As a trusted expert, Lauren has helped thousands of executives, celebrities and athletes globally. She is qualified in psychology, mental health, nutrition, coaching, personal training and many more human performance specialities!!

In this conversation we discuss 

• the challenges women face in the workplace during this stage of life. 
• Lauren’s personal experience of leaving her job due to menopause symptoms 
• the need for education and support and importance of creating menopause-savvy workplaces for individuals and businesses
• practical changes and solutions workplaces can introduce
• the importance of informed decision-making - Dr Vikram Talaulikar is a Dr that Lauren recommends following 

Connect with Lauren and follow her here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenchiren/

https://www.facebook.com/WomenOfACertainStage

Download these 3 resources to support you:

• Perimenopause phases and timing - check where you are right now
• Indicators of hormonal changes - use this as a tracker and support in conversations with your medical practitioners
• Menopause Experts - this is a list of the guests that spoke to me for this season. They are all awesome and might be helpful for you to connect with. 

Want to work with me? Enrollment for my next female leadership programme EXPAND opens shortly - you can see full details here

Why am I talking about perimenopause in the next season of conversations? Because if we are in female bodies our hormones will change in our 40s. Fact.  And hormones inform a lot of our biology and psychology (for all humans). So finding out more about what, when and how will help us in all aspects. Listen to this 25 minute introduction of season 2 of work family me to hear more about body awareness, timing, mindset, culture, lifestyle, inspiration (or dread) and the thing we need to STOP postponing for later. ALL the things. 

Download these 3 resources to support you:

• Perimenopause phases and timing - check where you are right now
• Indicators of hormonal changes - use this as a tracker and support in conversations with your medical practitioners
• Menopause Experts - this is a list of the guests that spoke to me for this season. They are all awesome and might be helpful for you to connect with. 

Want to work with me? Enrollment for my next female leadership programme EXPAND opens shortly - you can see full details here

And just like that...it is the closing episode of the first season of Work Family Me - a series of conversations with me, Maude. In this series of conversations I interviewed intelligent hard hard-working women from India to Sweden to Brazil who have both money-earning jobs out in the world and children at home. We chatted about managing work hours, family finances, domestic chores, childcare, planning, and health in a socio-economic structure that places enormous expectations on mothers. 

Listen to this 25 min closing and summary to hear:

- the two whys behind these interviews

- the BTS around who said no to these conversations

- the 6 themes that emerged as common in contexts where women felt resilient and able

- some questions to reflect on in your life 

I've loved having and sharing the conversations with you. Thank you for speaking to me, thank you for listening. If you have got value from the podcast please review it wherever you listen. 

I'll be interviewing subject matter experts around aspects of (peri)menopause in the next season (launches in March). It's going to be amazing!

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Join the next leadership group for women - more info here