Women of a Certain Stage

In this episode, Lauren sits down with Susan, a former secondary school teacher of nearly 30 years turned menopause coach, for an honest and eye-opening conversation about what it's really like to navigate perimenopause and menopause in the classroom. Together, they explore the unique and often overlooked challenges that teachers face — from hot flushes mid-lesson and brain fog affecting lesson prep, to joint pain from standing for hours and the impossible reality of skipping toilet breaks.
Susan shares her deeply personal experience of being one of the first teachers in her school to openly name menopause as the reason for her struggles — and the dismissive, damaging response she received from her head teacher. They discuss why the education sector has a long way to go in creating truly supportive environments for menopausal staff, why generic workplace menopause policies often fail teachers, and why experienced menopausal educators are leaving the profession in numbers that go uncounted.
They also explore how menopause coaching — offered proactively from the late thirties and early forties — could transform retention, reduce absences, and help teachers maintain their identity, dignity, and confidence through this life stage. Susan shares what drew her to train as a menopause coach with Women of a Certain Stage, how she is making the transition from teacher to coach, and why her lived experience gives her a unique and powerful connection with the women she now supports.

00:00 Introduction
01:20 Susan's background — nearly 30 years as a languages teacher in Glasgow
02:16 The unique challenges of managing menopause symptoms in the classroom
02:56 Hot flushes, holding onto the filing cabinet, and carrying on
03:38 Going on HRT — and what it did and didn't help with
04:03 Joint pain and the reality of standing for seven hours straight
04:53 Noise sensitivity, constant interruptions, and the impact on anxiety and brain fog
06:26 Brain fog and the loss of identity — when your sharpness disappears
07:10 The hidden workload of teaching that people don't see
09:08 Why Susan decided to train as a menopause coach
09:45 The wellbeing meeting that went badly wrong
11:10 How far workplaces have come — and how far they still have to go
12:12 What Susan looked for in a menopause coach training programme
13:11 Why Women of a Certain Stage felt like a proper educational setting
14:05 Making the transition from teacher to coach — holding silence and asking better questions
15:46 Working with three teachers and finding her coaching voice
17:01 What Susan would add to nutrition education for menopausal women
20:22 Susan's plans — reaching the women themselves, not just writing policies
23:24 The culture in schools — pushing through and not showing weakness
24:40 How experienced teachers are being pushed out of the profession
27:25 The missing statistics — how many teachers are leaving because of menopause?
29:03 Naming the menopause — why calling it what it is matters
30:06 Preparing women for perimenopause the way they were prepared for periods
30:43 Susan's poster campaign for school staff rooms
31:44 Menopause in the education curriculum — progress and what's still needed
33:19 What Susan would say to teachers sitting on the fence about coach training
34:50 The power of support — and why talking lightens the burden

Connect with Susan:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-bremner-099018326/

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 Nicole, a personal trainer based in the Peak District with over 11 years of experience, who has recently completed her Menopause Coach certification with Women of a Certain Stage. Together, they explore how perimenopause can shake an active woman's identity, training motivation, and mental wellbeing — and how the right support can help her find her way back to strength, confidence, and herself.
They dive into the shift from telling clients what to do to truly coaching them, why strength training is non-negotiable during the menopausal transition, and how building real connection with clients unlocks results that go far beyond the gym floor.
Nicole also shares her own perimenopause journey, her transition from a corporate career to personal training, and her exciting plans to build an online community for active women navigating this life stage — plus a wonderfully candid moment about farming, six-packs, and dating advice between bench press sets.

00:00 Introduction
01:04 Nicole's Background and Journey into Personal Training
06:37 Life in the Peak District and the Power of the Outdoors
07:02 How Perimenopause Affects Motivation and Training
09:06 The Shift from Telling to Coaching
12:09 Creating Space for Clients to Open Up
13:24 Who Nicole Works With and What They're Really Looking For
17:36 What Drew Nicole to Menopause Coaching
19:21 Why She Chose Women of a Certain Stage
21:52 Key Takeaways from the Diploma Programme
24:20 The Impact on Practice Clients — Mindset Breakthroughs
28:20 From Corporate to Personal Trainer — Nicole's Story
34:26 The Many Skills Nicole Brings to Her Clients
36:11 How Nicole Structures Her Week and Business
37:37 Nicole's Vision for the Year Ahead
39:15 Why Strength Training Matters During Perimenopause
41:53 Closing Thoughts and Where to Find Nicole

Connect with Nicole: (Add Nicole's website, Instagram, and any other relevant links here)

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 Catherine — communications professional, newly accredited Menopause Coach, and passionate advocate — for an honest and inspiring conversation about what happens when perimenopause hits fast, hard, and without warning. Catherine shares how a deeply personal health crisis became the catalyst for a powerful new direction, and how she's already making waves in her workplace and beyond — before she's even officially launched her coaching business.
Together, Lauren and Catherine explore the importance of proper training and certification in an unregulated industry, the courage it takes to share your story publicly, and how one intranet article led to BBC Radio, national press, and a 400-person webinar. They also dig into the real value of community learning, the power of visibility, and why workplaces have a critical role to play in supporting women through menopause.
Whether you're considering menopause coaching as a career, navigating perimenopause yourself, or looking to create a more menopause-aware workplace, this conversation is packed with practical insights, warmth, and a few laughs along the way.

In This Episode We Cover:
00:00 Introduction
01:19 How Catherine discovered perimenopause — and why it changed everything
03:07 Why lived experience alone isn't enough: the case for proper training
04:27 The appointment that sparked a career pivot
05:01 Choosing the right menopause coaching certification
06:10 The power of cohort learning and global community
08:01 Bringing menopause awareness into a 4,000-person organisation
09:47 Writing your story publicly — and the ripple effects that follow
12:16 BBC Radio, Metro Online, and a 400-person webinar: visibility in action
13:19 How to build your presence before you're ready to launch
16:41 Menopause Action Plans, workplace legislation, and what's coming next
17:57 Visioning the future: what does success look like in 18 months?
23:33 The unexpected richness of a career in menopause coaching
27:12 Making the coaching scripts your own
28:28 Why coaching practice matters — even when it's hard

Connect with Lauren Chiren
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
Women of a Certain Stage is committed to transforming the menopause experience — both for individuals and the organisations that support them. Their 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/

Interested in becoming a Menopause Coach?
Lauren is on a mission to train 20,000 Menopause Coaches and Champions. If this episode has sparked something in you, find out more about the Menopause Coach Diploma at https://www.womenofacertainstage.com/

In this episode, Lauren sits down with Deidre — health coach, radio host, community builder, and chronic pain warrior — for a warm, honest, and deeply inspiring conversation about navigating endometriosis, surgical menopause, and a Functional Neurological Disorder diagnosis, all while building a life and career she loves in the Scottish Highlands.
Deidre shares the raw reality of spending nearly seven years fighting to be believed by the medical system, despite arriving in Scotland with an existing endometriosis diagnosis. She opens up about the hysterectomy that pushed her into early menopause, the devastating mental health impact that followed, and the moment she realised she needed to find a new way forward.
Together, Lauren and Deidre explore how lived experience can become a powerful coaching superpower, why women's health continues to be dismissed and underfunded, and how pacing, joy, and community can be genuinely life-changing tools for people living with chronic pain and invisible illness.
We also hear about Deidre's brilliant creations — the Wellon (a wellness triathlon she pioneered in Scotland), her Friday Dance lives, and her Keep Well radio slot — proof that even on the hardest days, it's possible to bring light to others.
And if you've ever talked yourself out of starting something because someone else is already doing it — this episode is for you.

00:00 Introduction
01:15 How Lauren and Deidre first connected
02:22 Moving from Michigan to Scotland — a tacky romance novel
04:46 Deidre's background: theatre, special needs teaching & coaching
05:45 Living with endometriosis — fighting to be believed
06:57 Hysterectomy, early menopause & the mental health impact
08:20 The state of endometriosis care in Scotland today
10:23 Why women's health research has been left behind
11:00 The Wellon — a wellness triathlon like no other
14:17 The Friday Dance & Keep Well on local radio
17:35 Retiring from teaching & diving into coaching
19:27 What coaching really means — and how it overlaps with teaching
20:15 Deidre's chronic pain coaching program & the four pillars
22:40 Shifting towards wellbeing — joy, events & community
23:02 Why there is always room for more menopause coaches
27:09 Year three of the Wellon — what's coming
29:44 What's next: website refresh, 14-day cleanse & retreats
32:03 Top tip for anyone living with chronic pain 35:42 The invisibility of chronic illness — and how to talk about it 35:51 Deidre's favourite thing about living in Scotland

Connect with Deidre:
Website | www.freedomcoaching.live
Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/deidre.christensonmain
LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/deidre-christenson-main-ab4365207
Instagram | https://instagram.com/deidrechristensonmain
Email | [email protected]

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 Melanie — menopause coach, personal trainer, and former corporate sales manager — for an honest, energising conversation about movement, menopause, and reclaiming your confidence.
Melanie shares her deeply personal journey: seven years of being dismissed by doctors, hitting rock bottom at 46, and finally finding the support and focus she needed — including rediscovering her love of running after debilitating joint pain she didn't realise was a menopause symptom.
Together, Lauren and Melanie unpack why common exercise approaches can actually work against women during perimenopause and menopause, and why shifting your mindset from exercise to movement can be the game-changer you didn't know you needed.
They explore the real barriers women face — time, energy, bladder weakness, injury, and lost confidence — and offer practical, accessible strategies for every fitness level, whether you're a lifelong athlete who needs to adapt, or someone who hasn't moved in years and doesn't know where to start.
Melanie also shares what's behind her newly developed fitness app and 12-week progressive strength program, designed specifically for menopausal women — no gym required.
In this episode, we cover:
Why "pushing through" during menopause can lead to injury — and what to do instead
The surprising menopause symptom that stopped Melanie from running
Why strength training is non-negotiable at this life stage
HIIT, low-intensity movement, yoga, and walking — what works and when
Bladder weakness and impact exercise — the honest conversation we need to have
How 10 air squats an hour can match the benefits of a 30-minute walk
The power of community and connection in navigating menopause
Why workplaces need to step up for menopausal women

Timestamps
00:00 Introduction 00:37 Melanie's Journey After Qualifying as a Menopause Coach
02:09 Finding Focus: The Corporate Side of Menopause Support
03:53 Melanie's Background in Male-Dominated Industries
05:17 Rebuilding Confidence and Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
07:40 How Lauren and Melanie First Connected
08:22 Seven Years of Being Dismissed by Doctors
09:51 Discovering Lauren's Course and Saying Yes
11:27 Key Takeaways from the Menopause Coach Programme
15:11 Melanie's Running Story: Joint Pain, HRT, and Getting Back Outside
17:58 Introduction to Melanie's Fitness App and Online Programmes
19:08 Why Movement (Not Exercise) Matters in Menopause
20:57 HIIT Explained: What It Is and Why It Helps
22:51 Bladder Weakness and Impact Exercise — The Honest Truth
24:07 Pelvic Floor Health: Seeking the Right Support
25:04 Lauren's Marathon Mistake During Perimenopause
25:48 Low-Intensity Training and Listening to Your Body
26:13 The Power of 10 Squats an Hour
27:34 Yoga, Flexibility, and Long-Term Health
28:19 Adapting Your Training as Your Body Changes
29:05 Starting From Scratch: Simple Movements for Every Woman
30:14 Dance in Your Kitchen — Movement Can Be Joyful
30:41 What Melanie Is Working On Now
31:00 Making Menopause Support Accessible to All Women
31:48 A Word for the Partners Standing Beside Menopausal Women
Connect with Lauren Chiren
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 — 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/