Women of a Certain Stage

In this episode, I sit down with Bridgette — known to everyone as Bee — for an honest, heartfelt, and deeply inspiring conversation about what happens when multiple sclerosis and perimenopause collide. Bee shares her remarkable journey from being completely bedbound to completing the Great North Run, and how lifestyle changes, community, and a refusal to give up transformed her life.
We unpack the frustration of being told "you're too young" for perimenopause while already managing an MS diagnosis, and why the medical system so often fails women when two complex conditions overlap. We explore how nutrition, movement, hydration, and self-compassion became Bee's most powerful tools — and why consistency beat intensity every single time.
We also talk about Bee's transition from dog groomer to menopause coach, the creation of her group coaching programme The Hive, and why she believes no woman should have to navigate menopause — or MS — without a community around her.
And if you've ever struggled to say no, invest in yourself, or ask for help… this episode is for you.

00:00 Introduction
00:37 When MS and Perimenopause Hit at the Same Time
03:00 Getting the MS Diagnosis First — and Perimenopause Being Overlooked
04:25 What Support from the MS Team Actually Looked Like
05:08 Disease-Modifying Treatments and the Quality of Life Cost
07:26 Going Medication-Free and What Made the Difference
09:11 The Psychological Impact of Chronic Illness
10:00 Duvet Days, Fatigue, and Learning to Rest Without Guilt
12:07 MRI Results and Where Bee Is Today
13:15 The Decision to Train as a Menopause Coach
15:34 From Fence-Sitting to Full Commitment
16:30 Finding Fulfillment Beyond the Dog Grooming Salon
20:36 Lifestyle Changes Before and During the Diploma
22:16 Small, Consistent Changes That Moved the Needle
23:43 From Bedbound to the Great North Run
26:19 Running for MS and Menopause — Raising Money and Awareness
28:00 The Power of Atmosphere, Community, and a Good Partner
29:15 Building The Hive — A Group Coaching Programme
31:00 Why Community at Midlife Is So Powerful
32:44 What Makes the Women of a Certain Stage Diploma Stand Out
36:57 What's Next — Events, Radio, and Marketing the Hell Out of It
40:42 It's Okay Not to Be Okay — Invest in Yourself
43:05 The NHS Mindset and Why We Struggle to Pay for Our Own Health
44:28 Why the Menopause Plan Matters Whether You Take HRT or Not
45:03 Hydration, Energy Protection, and Learning to Say No
47:44 Closing Thoughts

Connect with Bee:
LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridgette-lowe-a9912869/

Connect with Lauren:
LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenchiren/
Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/themenopausecoach/
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/WomenOfACertainStage
YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/@womenofacertainstage
Twitter/X | https://x.com/LaurenChiren

About Women of a Certain Stage
We are committed to transforming the menopause experience — both for individuals and the organisations that support them. Our mission is to empower people through education, advocacy, and expert-led training, ensuring menopause is no longer a barrier to confidence, health, or career success.
Find out more: https://www.womenofacertainstage.com/

In this episode, Lauren sits down with Viola, a Singapore-based menopause coach and IT sales professional, for a fascinating and eye-opening conversation about what menopause looks like in Asia — and why so many women there are suffering in silence.
Together, they explore how cultural attitudes, diet, lifestyle, and limited access to menopause-specific healthcare are shaping the experience of women going through perimenopause and menopause in Singapore and across Southeast Asia. Viola shares her personal journey — from discovering perimenopause through her research into anti-inflammatory nutrition, to completing the Menopause Coach Diploma and now supporting women in her community through education, coaching, and workplace advocacy.
We dive into the fascinating differences in symptom profiles between Asian and Western women, the role of a high-carb diet in menopause experiences, and why joint pain — not hot flashes — tends to top the list for women in Singapore. We also explore the healthcare landscape in Singapore, from the role of GPs and specialists to the Women's Hospital Wellness Centre, and why MHT remains largely out of reach for many women without specialist referral.
Viola also opens up about the generational silence around menopause, the dual pressures of work and family life, and why she believes it takes courage and wisdom to age well. And she shares some brilliant advice for men — both partners and line managers — on how they can show up and truly support the women in their lives.
00:00 Introduction
01:03 Viola's journey into menopause awareness and coaching
02:13 How perimenopause sparked a passion for nutrition and lifestyle
03:25 Working in IT sales and connecting with HR professionals
04:28 Bringing menopause into the workplace — and the men who dial out
05:13 Menopause symptoms in Singapore vs. the West — joint pain, sleep, and anxiety
06:39 Diet differences — high-carb Asian diets and the impact on menopause
08:07 How Viola is using her Menopause Coach Diploma in practice
09:00 Offering 15-minute clarity calls and pro bono coaching
10:11 Collaborating with nutritionists and doctors for International Women's Day talks
12:20 Healthcare in Singapore — GPs, specialists, and the Women's Wellness Centre
13:39 Standard health checks, DEXA scans, and the cholesterol conversation
15:52 MHT in Singapore — how it's accessed and viewed
16:31 Testosterone — available for men only (for now)
17:08 Key takeaways from the Menopause Coach Diploma
18:24 Average age of menopause in Singapore — and the juggle of work, family, and symptoms
19:01 Viola's dream for menopause advocacy in her own workplace
20:09 What men need to know about menopause — and Viola's husband's response
22:19 Advice for male line managers and the case for flexible work arrangements
23:53 Comparing lifestyles across generations — Viola's mum cycling 80km a day
25:12 Genital urinary symptoms and the silence of older generations
26:12 Viola's big dream — and why she coaches pro bono for now
27:38 Closing wisdom: it takes courage and wisdom to age well

Connect with Viola:
LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/viola-yau-v0500y/
(Please update with Viola's actual social media links)

Meet your host Lauren Chiren
Lauren Chiren is a leading voice in menopause awareness and workplace inclusion, dedicated to ensuring no one navigates menopause alone.
As the Founder and CEO of Women of a Certain Stage, she works with organisations worldwide to create menopause-savvy and supportive environments.
With a background in psychology, sports therapy, and nutrition, and an extensive suite of coaching certifications, Lauren is on a mission to train 20,000 Menopause Coaches and Champions, equipping them with the tools to support individuals and workplaces through this transformative life stage.
Join her as she breaks the silence, challenges the stigma, and empowers people to thrive at midlife and beyond.

About Women of a Certain Stage
We are committed to transforming the menopause experience — both for individuals and the organisations that support them.
Our mission is to empower people through education, advocacy, and expert-led training, ensuring menopause is no longer a barrier to confidence, health, or career success.
Join us and our global network of professionals dedicated to breaking the stigma, improving workplace culture, and ensuring no one navigates menopause alone.
Find out more here: https://www.womenofacertainstage.com/

Connect with Lauren
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenchiren/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themenopausecoach/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WomenOfACertainStage
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@womenofacertainstage
Twitter/X: https://x.com/LaurenChiren

In this episode, I sit down with Sam Anderson for an honest, warm, and often laugh-out-loud conversation about what it's really like to support a partner through perimenopause — from the male perspective. Sam, a lecturer, menopause champion, and author of The A to Z Guide for Us Idiots, shares how his partner's experience with brain fog sent him on a journey of training, learning, and ultimately writing one of the first books on perimenopause written by a man, for men.
Together, we unpack why communication is the single most powerful tool a man can have, why so many men make it about themselves when it really isn't, and how showing up without trying to fix everything can completely transform a relationship during this stage of life.
We explore the dynamics of male menopause support groups, where intimacy and sex dominate the conversation, and why the men who communicate openly with their partners fare so much better than those who don't. We also talk about the importance of early education, the growing menopause market, and the very real problem of misinformation — from Instagram influencers to menopause-branded chocolate bars.
And yes — there's a blooper moment tucked in there too, because even the most important conversations come with a little real life thrown in.

00:00 Introduction to the Podcast
01:16 Sam's Personal Journey into Perimenopause Awareness
02:22 Becoming One of Scotland's First Male Menopause Champions
06:59 Writing The A to Z Guide for Us Idiots
09:01 Self-Publishing and Finding the Right Title
12:03 Sex, Intimacy, and Staying Close When Everything Feels Different
13:50 Support: Showing Up Without Acting Like a Hero
17:38 Inside Male Menopause Support Groups
20:13 Communication as the Key to Getting Through It Together
25:15 Hormonal Decline in Men — and Why Nobody Wants to Talk About It
27:17 What Should Have Been Taught Earlier — Education and Awareness
29:49 Menopause in the Classroom and the Workplace
31:22 The Menopause Market, Misinformation, and Menowashing
36:13 The 10 Do's and Don'ts Every Partner Needs to Read
41:19 Sam's Next Projects — Including a Children's Book Series
45:08 Final Thoughts and Where to Find Sam's Book

Connect with Sam:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-anderson-822480a9/

Meet your host Lauren Chiren
Lauren Chiren is a leading voice in menopause awareness and workplace inclusion, dedicated to ensuring no one navigates menopause alone.
As the Founder and CEO of Women of a Certain Stage, she works with organisations worldwide to create menopause-savvy and supportive environments.
With a background in psychology, sports therapy, and nutrition, and an extensive suite of coaching certifications, Lauren is on a mission to train 20,000 Menopause Coaches and Champions, equipping them with the tools to support individuals and workplaces through this transformative life stage.
Join her as she breaks the silence, challenges the stigma, and empowers people to thrive at midlife and beyond.

About Women of a Certain Stage
We are committed to transforming the menopause experience — both for individuals and the organisations that support them.
Our mission is to empower people through education, advocacy, and expert-led training, ensuring menopause is no longer a barrier to confidence, health, or career success.
Join us and our global network of professionals dedicated to breaking the stigma, improving workplace culture, and ensuring no one navigates menopause alone.
Find out more here: https://www.womenofacertainstage.com/

Connect with Lauren
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenchiren/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themenopausecoach/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WomenOfACertainStage
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@womenofacertainstage
Twitter/X: https://x.com/LaurenChiren

In this episode, Lauren sits down with Jayne, an executive business partner and newly qualified Menopause Coach, for an honest and uplifting conversation about navigating menopause in the workplace — and why the best chapter of your life might still be ahead of you.
Jayne shares her deeply personal story of being plunged into surgical menopause just weeks after her 40th birthday, and the years of confusion, isolation, and inadequate medical support that followed. Together, Lauren and Jayne unpack why so many high-achieving women are silently struggling — and what it really takes to feel confident, capable, and supported at this stage of life.
They explore the critical importance of workplace awareness, why line managers don't need to be menopause experts (just good listeners), and how coaching can bridge the gap that the medical system so often leaves wide open. Jayne also shares how becoming a Menopause Coach has transformed not just her clients' lives, but her own — and why she's on a mission to support the men around menopausal women too.

00:00 Introduction
01:19 Weather, Mood & Menopause
03:29 Movement, Confidence & Safety
06:43 Becoming a Menopause Coach
07:05 Jayne's Surgical Menopause Journey
09:11 Navigating the NHS & Finding Support
10:18 The Impact of Brain Fog & Memory Loss
11:41 Misinformation in Online Communities
13:00 Women's Health: A History of Being Dismissed
14:17 The Importance of GP Relationships
15:59 Group vs One-to-One Coaching
16:13 Jayne's Practice Clients & Transformations
20:22 Why Women of a Certain Stage?
23:28 Juggling a Corporate Career & Menopause Coaching
24:29 Opening Up Menopause Conversations at Work
25:34 Coaching, ADHD & the Workplace
26:10 Menopause Is Not a Women's Problem
29:09 Supporting Male Colleagues & Partners
32:49 What Makes a Good Menopause Ally
36:17 Balance, Movement & a New Exercise to Try
37:46 Nutrition, Hydration & Ageing Strong
41:28 Combining Nutrition Training with Coaching
44:53 Menopause Is Not the End — It's Your Next Chapter

Connect with Jayne:
LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayne-hill-6565871/

Meet your host Lauren Chiren
Lauren Chiren is a leading voice in menopause awareness and workplace inclusion, dedicated to ensuring no one navigates menopause alone.
As the Founder and CEO of Women of a Certain Stage, she works with organisations worldwide to create menopause-savvy and supportive environments.
With a background in psychology, sports therapy, and nutrition, and an extensive suite of coaching certifications, Lauren is on a mission to train 20,000 Menopause Coaches and Champions, equipping them with the tools to support individuals and workplaces through this transformative life stage.
Join her as she breaks the silence, challenges the stigma, and empowers people to thrive at midlife and beyond.

About Women of a Certain Stage
We are committed to transforming the menopause experience — both for individuals and the organisations that support them.
Our mission is to empower people through education, advocacy, and expert-led training, ensuring menopause is no longer a barrier to confidence, health, or career success.
Join us and our global network of professionals dedicated to breaking the stigma, improving workplace culture, and ensuring no one navigates menopause alone.
Find out more here: https://www.womenofacertainstage.com/

Connect with Lauren
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenchiren/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themenopausecoach/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WomenOfACertainStage
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@womenofacertainstage
Twitter/X: https://x.com/LaurenChiren

In this episode, I sit down with Stephanie, a former primary school teacher turned menopause coach, for an honest and deeply moving conversation about living with undiagnosed endometriosis, navigating hormone imbalance for decades, and finally finding relief — and purpose — on the other side.
Stephanie shares her journey from being put on the pill at 14 for "bad periods," to receiving her endometriosis diagnosis at 40, to discovering that HRT was the first time in her life her hormones had ever truly been balanced. Together, we explore how years of dismissal by medical professionals shaped her drive to educate and empower other women — and why she chose to train as a menopause coach.
We discuss the overlap between endometriosis, perimenopause, and menopause symptoms, the power of cycle tracking, and why women so often need permission to put themselves first. Stephanie also shines a light on the very real challenges faced by teachers navigating menopause in the classroom — and what workplaces, including schools, must do better.
00:00 Introduction
01:03 Stephanie's Journey into Menopause Coaching
02:29 Living with Undiagnosed Endometriosis
04:32 Years of Dismissal by Medical Professionals
06:10 Finally Getting a Diagnosis at 40
08:05 Why Menopause Coaching — Making the Leap
09:00 Finding Relief Through HRT
11:18 What is Endometriosis? A Clear Explanation
12:27 The Role of Oestrogen and Progesterone
13:15 Identifying Symptoms Without a Period
16:30 Researching the Market — What Support Exists?
17:45 What Women Really Want from a Coach
18:02 Giving Women Permission to Put Themselves First
20:26 Discovering Women of a Certain Stage
21:37 The Training Experience and Cohort Community
23:41 Cycle Tracking as a Game-Changer
24:34 Takeaways from the Menopause Coach Diploma
26:03 Ongoing Support After Qualifying
26:57 Five-Year Vision: Coaching, Community & a Café
28:43 Working with Schools and Educational Settings
31:19 The Reality of Teaching Through Menopause
34:40 Closing Thoughts and Encouragement

Connect with Stephanie:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-page-64366223a/

Meet your host Lauren Chiren
Lauren Chiren is a leading voice in menopause awareness and workplace inclusion, dedicated to ensuring no one navigates menopause alone.
As the Founder and CEO of Women of a Certain Stage, she works with organisations worldwide to create menopause-savvy and supportive environments.
With a background in psychology, sports therapy, and nutrition, and an extensive suite of coaching certifications, Lauren is on a mission to train 20,000 Menopause Coaches and Champions, equipping them with the tools to support individuals and workplaces through this transformative life stage.
Join her as she breaks the silence, challenges the stigma, and empowers people to thrive at midlife and beyond.

About Women of a Certain Stage
We are committed to transforming the menopause experience — both for individuals and the organisations that support them.
Our mission is to empower people through education, advocacy, and expert-led training, ensuring menopause is no longer a barrier to confidence, health, or career success.
Join us and our global network of professionals dedicated to breaking the stigma, improving workplace culture, and ensuring no one navigates menopause alone.
Find out more here: https://www.womenofacertainstage.com/

Connect with Lauren
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenchiren/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themenopausecoach/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WomenOfACertainStage
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@womenofacertainstage
Twitter/X: https://x.com/LaurenChiren