Women of a Certain Stage

In this episode, I sit down with Karen Tucker — author, menopause coach, keto enthusiast, jewellery maker, knitter, photographer, and proud self-described multipotentialite — for a wonderfully wide-ranging conversation that proves menopause support can come from the most unexpected places.
We explore Karen's fascinating journey from holistic wellness student to newly qualified menopause coach, and how she has woven her love of mindset work, nutrition, and alternative therapies into a coaching programme that is entirely, authentically her own. Karen shares how a ketogenic lifestyle transformed her energy, focus, and creativity — and why she now champions it as part of her approach to midlife health.
We talk about the power of community, the importance of niching, and why even an astrologer who initially dismissed menopause completely ended up pivoting her entire business after working with Karen. We also discuss the very real challenges women face in workplaces that are yet to take menopause seriously — and what's coming down the line legislatively that will change that.
And if you've ever wondered whether crystals, chakras, or tarot cards have any place in a menopause coaching conversation… Karen makes a pretty compelling case.
00:00 Introduction
00:37 Karen's background as a writer — and childhood dreams that have quietly come true
01:50 Crystal Companions: the book that teaches you how to use crystals, not just collect them
06:12 What it means to be a multipotentialite — and why Karen wears it proudly
09:13 The day job: eight years in hospital social care, and an early retirement on the horizon
10:15 The road into menopause coaching — and how Lauren's story played a part
13:03 What it means when your mum's entire description of her menopause is "terrible"
15:20 Karen's experience on the Menopause Coach Diploma
17:11 Key takeaways from the programme — and the joy of mutual coaching sessions
18:06 How Karen adapted the Menopause Plan to make it her own
19:17 Going keto in 2021: losing a stone and a half, running uphill voluntarily, and getting herself back
21:00 The next learning adventures (chakra and tarot coaching, anyone?)
22:42 Fast-forward to June 2027: what an ideal retirement day looks like
23:55 Practice clients — including the astrologer who completely changed her business
26:14 What the ILM Level 5 coaching qualification taught Karen about herself (and her family)
29:30 What Karen loved most about the diploma experience
31:50 The big dream: a country house, eco-homes, a farmstead, and a charitable foundation
35:23 Closing thoughts and where to find Karen

Connect with Karen:
Website | www.embrace-coaching.org
BOOK:
Crystal Companions by Karen Tucker Available on Amazon

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 Cherie, a biologist-turned-culvert inspector-turned-menopause coach, for a candid and deeply inspiring conversation about what happens when the medical system fails you — and what you do next.
Cherie spent six years visiting specialist after specialist, only to be dismissed because her tests came back normal. She knew something was wrong, but no one could name it. That experience of being unheard, undiagnosed, and left to figure it out alone became the fuel for a complete career pivot — and a mission to make sure other women never feel that way.
We explore how Cherie went from inspecting bridges under New York State's roads to building a business dedicated to menopause education and coaching. We talk about the gap between having personal knowledge and having the professional tools to truly help others, why certification matters in a space flooded with misinformation, and how the right coaching program can create life changes you never thought possible — including giving up the coffee and wine that bookended her days.
We also dig into why cultural change around menopause can't happen by only talking to women who are experiencing it. Families, partners, and employers all have a role to play — and Cherie is already planning how to reach them.
And if you've ever wondered what "whine nights" have to do with menopause coaching… listen in.

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction
01:25 Cherie's Unusual Career: Culverts, Biology & Life on the Road
04:11 Six Years, Six Specialists & Being Dismissed by the Medical System
05:23 Finding the Right Coaching Certification — and Why Others Fell Short
06:47 What Drew Cherie to Women of a Certain Stage
08:10 Reflecting on the Diploma: Key Takeaways
09:17 The Power of Community and Classmate Camaraderie
10:19 Trusting the Coaching Process
11:12 Life Changes She Never Expected — Coffee, Wine & Baby Steps
13:12 Expert Access and the Value of Asking Deeper Questions
14:25 What's Next: Website, YMCA Talks & Whine Nights
17:34 Who Cherie Wants to Help Most
18:54 Group Coaching, One-on-One & Working with Corporations and Families
19:39 Why Menopause Is Everyone's Business — Partners, Families & Employers
20:33 Closing Reflections & Words of Gratitude

Connect with Cherie
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherie-fetterman-86514541/

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.
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 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