Women of a Certain Stage

In this episode, Lauren sits down with Letizia, a multilingual sales and marketing executive who spent 18 years at the top of the luxury goods industry — before menopause, burnout, and a moment of radical honesty changed everything.
Letizia shares her deeply personal journey from a high-pressure corporate career to becoming a certified Menopause Coach, unpacking how years of unrecognised perimenopause symptoms — from brain fog and sleep disruption to anxiety she never even identified as anxiety — quietly eroded her performance, her confidence, and ultimately her career.
Together, Lauren and Letizia explore the dangerous silence that surrounds menopause in the workplace, even in large, progressive multinationals with strong wellbeing and diversity policies. They discuss why Southern Europe is lagging behind in the menopause conversation, how women can be empowered to advocate for themselves with their doctors, and why the beauty and cosmetics industry represents a massive untapped opportunity for menopause awareness.
Letizia also reflects candidly on her experience going through the Women of a Certain Stage Menopause Coach Diploma — what surprised her, what transformed her, and why she'd do it all again. And in a moment of real-life resilience, she shares how she's been recovering from a broken ankle and kneecap — and still showing up.
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
00:37 Meet Letizia — Languages, Background & Career
02:38 What Brought Her to Coaching
03:48 The Peak of Her Career — and Her Menopause Symptoms
06:45 Burnout, Brain Fog & Mistaking Menopause for ADHD
07:59 The Decision to Leave Her Job
08:43 The Sabbatical That Changed Everything
10:13 Going Down the Rabbit Hole — Discovering Menopause Education
11:28 Finding Women of a Certain Stage
13:20 The Discovery Call That Wasn't a Sales Call
16:17 Inside the Menopause Coach Diploma — The Cohort Experience
19:42 What Made the Programme Stand Out
23:35 Advocacy in the Workplace — The Missing Conversation
25:18 The Menopause Gap in Italy and Southern Europe
34:22 What Menopause Coaches Can and Can't Do — and Why It Matters
35:05 Empowering Women to Talk to Their Doctors
36:29 A Hospital Stay with No One Asking About Menopause
41:19 Where Letizia Is Headed Next

Connect with Letizia
https://www.linkedin.com/in/letiziamontani/

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: 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 Brenda from Omagh, County Tyrone in Ireland for a deeply honest and moving conversation about her personal journey through perimenopause — and how it nearly cost her her identity, her confidence, and her career.
Brenda shares how years of experience in banking and mental health and wellbeing coaching couldn't prepare her for the silent unraveling that came with perimenopause. From brain fog so severe she couldn't remember how to order a checkbook, to panic attacks, self-doubt, and a devastating mistake at work, Brenda opens up about hitting rock bottom — and how she found her way back.
We explore the powerful role of coaching, community, and self-reflection in navigating menopause, and how Brenda turned her lived experience into a mission to support other women who feel lost. We also talk about the importance of consistency in building community spaces, the value of grassroots connection, and why it's never too late to reinvent yourself.
And yes — there's a classic brain fog moment mid-episode that will make you smile, laugh, and nod along in recognition.
00:00 Introduction to the Podcast
01:19 Brenda's Background and What Lights Her Up
04:03 A Journey Into Coaching — From Freddie Mercury to Postnatal Support
08:11 When Perimenopause Hit — and Nobody Had Answers
10:05 Brain Fog, Self-Doubt, and Fearing the Worst
12:08 Going on HRT, Antidepressants, and Leaving the Bank
13:17 Founding It's A Duck — Helping Women Recognise Their Symptoms
13:37 Joining the Menopause Coach Diploma
15:10 The Aha Moment — Turning the Lens on Herself
19:54 Working With Practice Clients and Seeing Real Transformation
23:01 What's Next — One-to-Ones, Group Coaching, and Corporate Talks
25:17 Who Brenda Works With — The Woman Who Feels Lost
28:34 Advice for Anyone Considering the Menopause Coach Diploma
30:55 The Power of Looking in the Mirror — and Truly Seeing Yourself
Connect with Brenda:
It's A Duck | (add link) Instagram | (add link) Facebook | (add link)

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 Ali Smith — a former HR professional turned menopause coach — for a raw and deeply honest conversation about what happens when the healthcare system fails women at their most vulnerable. Ali shares her two-year journey through misdiagnosis, dismissal, and dead ends before finally getting the support she deserved.
Together, Lauren and Ali unpack the gaps in medical training and awareness that leave so many women without answers, and explore how proper education, coaching, and community can make all the difference. They dig into the realities of perimenopause symptoms beyond hot flushes, the emotional toll of feeling lost in your own body, and why workplaces so often get it wrong when it comes to supporting women through this transition.
Ali also shares the powerful moment she realised she knew more about menopause than the specialist she had waited two years to see — and how that became the turning point in her own journey and the catalyst for her coaching career.

00:00 Introduction
01:19 Ali's background and personal history
07:22 The road to menopause coaching
09:41 First steps seeking help — and what was missing
12:05 Blood tests, coming off contraception, and the crash that followed
20:25 Debilitating symptoms, brain scans, and a two-year wait
25:21 The menopause specialist clinic experience
31:11 Finally finding the right GP — and what that felt like
35:03 Key takeaways from the Menopause Coach Diploma
39:00 Why workplace conversations need to go beyond awareness
41:19 Ali's coaching vision: one-to-one, group, and workplace support
43:16 Closing thoughts and what's next
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: 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 Ellie — HR professional, menopause coach graduate, and founder of Herself — for an honest and inspiring conversation about navigating midlife, menopause, and the courage it takes to build something new while still showing up fully in your day job.

Ellie shares her personal journey through perimenopause, how it collided with a pivotal career crossroads, and how discovering the Women of a Certain Stage Menopause Coaching Diploma gave her a framework to bring together her passions for people, health, and workplace wellbeing.

Together, Lauren and Ellie explore why menopause is not just a personal health issue — it's a workplace issue with a compelling business case behind it. They talk about the real cost of unsupported women in the workplace, upcoming legislative changes, and why experienced women in senior roles deserve better.

This episode is also a masterclass in stepping out of your comfort zone — from doing a global talk with barely any notice, to recording a podcast without a script. If you've ever talked yourself out of doing something because you didn't feel ready, this one's for you.
In This Episode We Cover:
00:00 Introduction
01:19 Ellie's background in HR and marketing — and the pivot that changed everything
03:27 The manifestation book that kickstarted Ellie's goal-setting (and why it wasn't too woo woo)
06:13 Launching Herself — a female coaching space built around the Art of Self
10:19 What is a biohacking studio and why Ellie is obsessed with one
15:50 How the Menopause Coaching Diploma aligned with Ellie's passions
19:09 Taking two weeks unpaid leave to fully immerse in the diploma — and why it was the best decision she made
25:08 Cohort magic — what made this group of learners so special
29:02 Where Ellie wants to be in 12 months
36:03 The nervous system, cortisol, and why calming your adrenal health matters in menopause
38:18 The workplace menopause conversation — legislation, data, and the business case
41:01 Ellie's advice for anyone sitting on the fence about the diploma

Key Takeaways:
One in ten women leave their jobs due to unmanaged menopausal symptoms — and around 70% report feeling unsupported at work. The cost to business is significant.
Upcoming changes to the Employee Rights Bill (expected 2027) will require businesses to report on their menopause support.
The nervous system is central to menopause health — when cortisol and adrenaline are chronically elevated, inflammation rises and symptoms worsen.
You don't have to feel ready to start. Doing the thing — the talk, the podcast, the diploma — is how confidence is built.
The Menopause Coaching Diploma isn't just for menopausal women. As Ellie puts it, it's a whole self audit — relevant to everyone.

Connect with Ellie:
Herself — coming soon
Resources Mentioned:
Women of a Certain Stage Menopause Coaching Diploma — womenofacertainstage.com
Oura Ring — ouraring.com

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 Founder and CEO of Women of a Certain Stage, she works with organisations worldwide to create menopause-savvy and supportive environments.

Find out more: womenofacertainstage.com
Connect with Lauren:
LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter/X

In this episode, Lauren sits down with Sarah — a former gardener turned academic turned menopause coach — for an honest and inspiring conversation about burnout, brain fog, and finding your way through menopause while doing a PhD.
Together, they explore how nature and the outdoors can be a powerful tool for managing menopause symptoms, and why giving women agency — through workplace menopause plans and access to outdoor spaces — can be truly transformative. Sarah shares her deeply personal journey through perimenopause, loss, and exhaustion, and how all of it ultimately led her to train as a menopause coach with Women of a Certain Stage.
They also dig into the real difference between academic study and coach training, why authenticity matters when building your coaching practice, and how small, considered steps — not big dramatic leaps — are often the most powerful way forward.
And yes — there's a moment early on involving an ironing board and some kitchen utensils that perfectly captures the spirit of getting the work done, whatever it takes.
00:00 Introduction & Behind-the-Scenes Chaos
01:12 Sarah's Background: From Gardener to PhD
02:17 Experiencing Menopause During Academic Study
03:25 The Woman Who Worked Outside — and Why It Stuck
04:30 Discovering Menopause Coaching as a Career
05:16 Why Sarah Chose Women of a Certain Stage
06:38 Taking Time to Be Ready: No Pressure, No Rush
07:57 The Decision-Making Journey
08:52 Burnout, Grief & Mental Bandwidth
10:00 Comparing PhD Study with the Menopause Coach Diploma
13:08 Advice for Anyone Sitting on the Fence
15:04 Flexibility, Autonomy & Reaching More People
15:28 What's Next: Website, LinkedIn & Getting Out There
16:19 Showing Up Authentically in Your Practice
17:28 Johari's Window & Self-Awareness in Coaching
18:27 Brain Fog, the Woods & Talking to Yourself Like a Coach
19:49 Working with Businesses: Outdoor Menopause Plans & Legislation
20:41 The Science Behind Nature & Menopause
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