This episode explores how to thrive in business when menopause hits by embracing physical and emotional changes, gaining knowledge, and redesigning your business and lifestyle to support long-term wellbeing.
Let’s have a heart-to-heart ❤️
If you're a middle-aged woman in business who’s suddenly finding it all… a lot harder, you’re not imagining it. You're not broken. You're not lazy. And no, you haven't lost your edge 💪
You’re likely experiencing the profound impact of menopause or perimenopause
Navigating menopause as a business owner can feel like trying to run a marathon in heels 👠🏃♀️ You’re expected to keep performing, but there seem to be obstacles around every corner.
As businesswomen, what we did day after day, year after year without a blink of an eye, suddenly feels impossible, despite our best efforts. Because our bodies, our brains, our energy, our priorities; it all changes without much notice. And the worst, nobody told us about this! Not even our mothers or our GP’s.
But here's the good news: menopause isn’t the end. As Dr. Wendy Sweet, menopause coach and specialist, and my guest on the podcast, says, it’s time to embrace it, not resist it 💖
But with all the ignorance and lack of knowledge surrounding menopause, that feels easier said than done.
Dr. Wendy’s Own Wake-Up Call 🚨
Dr. Wendy Sweet is the founder of My Menopause Transformation (MMT), a woman with a PhD, decades of experience in the health and fitness industry, and now a global educator helping hundreds of thousands of women transform their lives during menopause.
But even Wendy wasn’t immune.
In her early 50s, while juggling a demanding job, study, and motherhood, she hit a wall. Fatigue, sore joints, brain fog, sleepless nights… sound familiar? At first, she thought it was burnout. Turns out, it was menopause.
That turning point not only changed how she lived. It reshaped her entire life. She dived headfirst into women's health research. Now, in her 60s, Wendy is running a thriving global online business that reaches women in over 55 countries 🙌 . And she’s not slowing down, just doing it differently.
Her story is a great reminder of how to thrive as a business owner when menopause hits. Not by pushing through, but by pivoting wisely.
Why Menopause Is a Business Reality 📉➡️📈
Menopause is a health transition, yes.
But it’s also undeniably a business reality for female entrepreneurs and professionals. A brutal shift in energy, productivity, motivation, and mental clarity forces us into a different kind of leadership; from ourselves, and for ourselves.
It’s easy to feel like you just have to keep up appearances and figure it out on your own. But you don’t have to.
Sometimes we just need to hear, “You’re not crazy. This is a real phase, and you’re doing brilliantly.” 🧘♀️✨
But Dr Wendy stresses that (accurate) knowledge is power. Which is exactly why she launched her program, MyMT™ (short for “My Menopause Transformation”).
The Menopause Quiz is a first step to help you understand what’s really going on in your body beyond just hot flashes. (It’s free, and it’s not about selling supplements.)
👉 Take the quiz today so you gain an understanding into how menopause symptoms are affecting you.
But understanding is one thing. Doing something about it is the next.
Embrace the Shift: 8 Practical Tips from Wendy Sweet 🌿
How to thrive as a business owner when menopause hits? Start here:
1. Prioritise Rest and Recovery
You can’t outrun fatigue. Sleep is everything. If you’re waking at 3am and lying there for hours, your circadian rhythm is off, and that impacts EVERYTHING.
Wendy’s tip: Reset your body clock with consistent sleep and wake times. Avoid screens before bed. And stop overexercising. More isn't better at this stage of life.
2. Rebuild Your Energy Through Food
No, you don’t need to fast for 16 hours or follow a high-protein diet.
Wendy’s tip: Ditch the fads. Follow a Mediterranean-style diet rich in vegetables, healthy fats, and whole grains. Eat regularly to fuel your brain. And yes, stop listening to the so-called-experts on Facebook! 🍳🥑🍓
3. Manage Inflammation, Not Just Hormones
Wendy explains that menopause isn't just about oestrogen. It’s about inflammation. Your symptoms are about stress, poor sleep, poor diet, or overtraining and go beyond just hormone levels gone mad.
Wendy’s tip: Focus on reducing stress, eating anti-inflammatory foods, and supporting your gut and liver health. Absolutely, HRT can help, but it’s not the magic bullet.
4. Stop Trying to Be Everything to Everyone
Many of us feel we need to "do it all": be the strategist, marketer, service provider, admin assistant... AND also be mum, daughter, friend, partner.
Wendy’s tip: Delegate, delegate, delegate; both at work and at home. Get the right people around you. Build a team you trust so you can focus on where you shine. But ALSO enlist help at the home base. Get the cleaner, get other family members to take their turn in cooking, start bulk cooking food in the weekend.
5. Educate Yourself About What’s Really Going On
Wendy is all about education. In her words: “Knowledge is power. Learn about what’s happening inside you. It’s not a disease, it’s a stage of life.”
Wendy’s tip: Do a masterclass, read the research, listen to experts who have studied this phase of life. (Not just the overnight Instagram gurus who see a gap in the market and happen to have 3 clients who are going through menopause.)
6. Redesign Your Business Around You
This is your chance to build a business that works for your life, not one that drains it.
Wendy’s tip: If you’re feeling pulled to slow down, don’t fight it. Get the help from a business coach to figure out your strategy. Create recurring revenue products, run online programs, build in rest days. Your business can still thrive without you grinding 24/7. This tip alone can be transformational for navigating menopause as a business owner.
7. Create and Lean Into Community
Wendy has built a Facebook group of over 2,500 women from around the world. Why? Because connection matters.
Wendy’s tip: Find your people. Create or join spaces where you can share, laugh, learn, and lean on each other. Menopause can feel isolating, but it doesn’t have to be. 💬💕
8. Think Long-Term: Women’s Healthy Aging
Wendy is now focused on longevity, not just symptom relief. Her mission is to help women move through menopause and set themselves up for a vibrant, healthy next 30 years. Yes, 30! 🎉
Wendy’s tip: Start thinking beyond the hot flashes. Cardiovascular disease is the biggest health risk for women post-menopause. Prioritise movement, nutrition, sleep, and stress management now, so you can thrive well into your 60s, 70s, and beyond.
These shifts are at the heart of how to thrive as a business owner when menopause hits.
Evolving, Not Ending 🔁
Menopause is not a cliff. It’s a curve in the road.
And as Wendy’s journey proves, it’s entirely possible to grow your business, expand your reach, and find even deeper meaning in your work during this time.
Wendy now runs certified education programs for health coaches and practitioners, collaborates with her daughter, and reaches audiences from Kazakhstan to the Bahamas. She’s thriving, and loving it.
So… What About You?
What needs to change in your business or lifestyle so that you can thrive again?
➡️ Do you need more rest?
➡️ Better boundaries?
➡️ A new rhythm of work?
➡️ A business coach to help you stay focused and supported?
➡️ More community? Better food? A new approach to stress?
Navigating menopause as a business owner doesn’t mean giving up your ambitions. It means realigning your strategy to match your new reality.
Start with one thing. Take one step. Because this isn’t the end of your best years. It’s the beginning of a wiser, more aligned, more powerful you.
How to thrive as a business owner when menopause hits? You start by listening to your body and building your business around what really supports you now.
Your business will thank you for it.
