I love to share my knowledge and help raise awareness of all things menstruation to menopause, to help others avoid the needless pain and suffering so many people experience with their hormones throughout their life.
I love that I get to offer this for free, through being invited to other people's podcasts, my newsletters and blogs, my free webinars and courses.
Equally, I get to work on my own terms, running a business that helps employers across the world learn about all things menstruation to menopause, train others to become certified Menopause Coaches and Menopause Champions.
I get to step out on stage and deliver my story, to inspire others and show that menopause really can be a new beginning. I guest emcee at events welcoming incredible speakers and panels at conferences, here and overseas.
Just ten years ago, I would not have believed that any of this was possible. But there you go!
Ten years ago, few businesses were talking about menopause, let alone thinking about the impacts on people in the workplace and how they can support those directly and indirectly.
Now, my team and I work with my clients to ensure menopause is routinely considered at every stage of the colleague journey.
We train managers so that they have the skills and knowledge to notice the potential signs of menstrual and menopausal issues, and have effective, supportive, confident and competent conversations with their team members.
Without adequate training managers are ill equipped around menopause.
Without training, they don't have the awareness or confidence to know when to step in to offer support to team members. Without training, they lack competent and confident listening and communication skills.
This can lead to their people suffering in silence, presentee-ism and absenteeism, people moving sideways, avoiding promotions or leaving their jobs.
This lack of menopause training leads to time consuming performance management processes which rarely result in a positive outcome, leaving everyone struggling as team members leave the business, gaps needing to be filled and the rest of the team carrying the burden whilst a replacement is sought.
Same goes for Occupational Health, HR, Mental Health First Aiders and Wellbeing colleagues; with menopause training, they can understand what being menstruation to menopause savvy AND supportive really means.
Too often, when these roles are not effectively trained around menopause at work, assessments lead to a sticking plaster approach.
People are labelled 'stressed' and 'depressed', sent to their doctors for associated treatment pathways, which don't address the underlying cause, resulting in an ever ending cycle of despair for all involved.
It doesn't have to be this way.
Employees want to do well.
People want to do a good job.
But we need to be in an environment, culturally to be able to thrive.
Equally, we need the right built environment. We work with architects, so that they get to design buildings that are fit for purpose for people who menstruate.
This can include toilets that have showers, and toilet cubicles which also feature a sink so that if someone has a heavy bleed, uses a menstrual cup, or has urinary leakage, they can wash in privacy without having to step outside of the cubicle to use a public sink.
Providing private cubicles to store a change of clothes or a wash bag is incalculably useful for staff who work on site, as is a cupboard with access to different sizes of clothes, wash bags and period products.
Ensuring period products of all sizes and types in all toilets is key. Our transgender, non-binary and gender questioning colleagues also need access to those very same facilities.
Many of my corporate and business clients have now enabled Women of a Certain Stage to train and certify their people as Menopause Champions and Menopause Coaches. This boosts the culture change and truly embeds their investment in bringing me and my team in to work with them, to run training, talks and toolkits.
These specialist roles are key to support managers, MHFA's, Occupational Health and Wellbeing staff and can aid the conversations that are so pertinent to supporting staff, enabling them to do their work and helping them feel like they truly belong to the organisation.
You see, my background is in change management. I truly get the whole change cycle and what it really takes to make a difference. So I work with my clients to create meaningful programmes that support their business to boost the bottom line, by doing the right thing by their people.
Menopause Awareness in 2024
Let me know how I can help you in 2024 and beyond, to make a difference in your workplace.
To help you help your people who are suffering in silence through lack of access to the right knowledge and support on the impacts of the key hormones that drive our menstrual cycle.
To stop the self doubt and loss of confidence that can arise with menopause, leading people to leave, avoid promotions or reduce their hours.
Because, it is all unnecessary suffering.
Simply building knowledge and empowering people how to access the right support, means that we can flourish through every stage of our lives and work.
I look forward to working with you,
CEO & Founder: Women of a Certain Stage
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