Work Family Me - Conversations with Maude

Xoli Madlala is the founder of Redefining Menopause Africa, which seeks to amplify the African experience of menopause, the author of The Perimenopausal Globetrotter, a TEDx speaker and a policy advisor who is working on multiple levels from governance to grassroots to change the menopause narrative in South Africa. I'm so pleased to have her voice and experience in these conversations. Take...

Gabriela Ramírez Rey is an Argentinian researcher and communications strategist based in Sweden and has explored perimenopause and menopause through the lens of digital communities, care, and resistance. With over 15 years of experience in journalism, digital strategy, and feminist advocacy across Latin America and Europe, Gabriela joined me in a recorded conversation where we talk about the  inte...

This is such a needed conversation in the stress management and the menopause education space. Heidi True and I discuss sexuality, bodies and intimacy in the menopausal transition and beyond - the challenges, the benefits, the practices. Heidi is a certified sex, love and relationship coach, yoga instructor and creative teacher with 20 years of embodiment experience. She holds certifications in bo...

Kath Berry (BHSc, MSc, acupuncturist and female health specialist) and I (a women’s burnout prevention and leadership coach) discussed a range of topics around the transition to menopause from confidence to hot flushes and I am so grateful for her time, expertise and amazing metaphors. Kath has a BA in Traditional Chinese Medicine, 25 years of clinical experience, and is the co-author of “Menopaus...

Midlife is often a time of re-evaluating our relationships and transitioning out of a marriage can be a big part of that. Sharri combines 30+ years of legal wisdom with strategy, nervous system regulation, mindset coaching, and subconscious trauma healing and energetics to guide women through relationship endings and divorce with calm. You can find out more about her here https://www.potomaccoachi...

This is such a rich conversation about hormones, trauma, neurodivergence, burnout and menopause - all of which feel really relevant in our 40s and 50s! In this episode I speak with Paula Rastrick about: “Sensitive nervous systems” and her research into early life stress, adverse childhood experiences, ADHD, AuDHD and Highly Sensitive People and how that can emerge and impact perimenopausal hormona...

Clarissa has a doctorate in neuroscience, is an author on menopause (her book “Beyond Hormones” is available here ), teaches mindfulness and qigong and frequently speaks at conferences, podcasts, and summits about women's health and well-being. Clarissa also holds certifications in nutrition, yoga nidra, acupressure and aromatherapy. Talk about a holistic approach!  Find out more about her he...

Natalie is a licensed acupuncturist, author, and holistic health educator with a background in biomedicine, 20 years of experience in the field of Chinese medicine and a particular interest in menopause, midlife, and healthy aging. She has edited and co-authored “Menopause: A Comprehensive Guide for Practitioners” a textbook designed to help practitioners of Chinese and East Asian medicine support...

Dr. Maria Luque is a renowned fitness expert, menopause coach, former health science professor, and proud Air Force veteran. With over two decades of experience, she is deeply committed to empowering menopausal women to become stronger, healthier, and embrace a life full of adventure. Holding an M.S. and Ph. D. in health sciences, as well as a range of certifications, including Certified Health Ed...

Kate is an ICF accredited Holistic Life Coach, Certified Menopause Doula and yoga teacher, a She Recovers Coach and an Addictive Behaviours Specialist coach and mentor, the author of two books and the founder of Love Sober and Love Sober Podcast.  She has supported women in their midlife from all over the world to  get off the hormonal rollercoaster and build happy, confident alcohol free-lives. ​...

Ags is a qualified Nutritional Therapist with an MSc in Personalised Nutrition and an ICF-accredited coach who specialises in supporting women in perimenopause with a blend of nutrition and integrative health and behavioural change to tackle the unique challenges of this stage. More about Ags here https://agsgalland.com/ and you can sign up to get her protein and fibre rich breakfast recipes here....

Something that is often underplayed in menopause is the identity shift that can accompany us. The loss of a way we used to think or be able to cope with things. The worries about whether we can still add value. In our 40s we are often navigating bigger careers and businesses and responsibilities than ever before. Changes in how we feel, in our energy levels, in how we can remember things can deepl...

Kellie is a somatic coach, facilitator and guide - a certified Developmental Coach and VITA™ Integrated Sexuality, Love and Relationship Coach. She holds post-graduate qualifications in Complex Change and Adult Development, has been an Executive Coach for 15 years and is also a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner as well as a mother and a cancer survivor..  Kellie works at the intersection of adult...

Lauren is an entrepreneur and expert in menopause transition. She provides evidence to the UK Parliament, sits on the BSI committee that created the landmark Standard on Menstruation, menstrual health and menopause, is a regular commentator in the media and is an award winning global motivational speaker, trainer & coach on executive women's wellbeing. As a trusted expert, Lauren has help...

Why am I talking about perimenopause in the next season of conversations? Because if we are in female bodies our hormones will change in our 40s. Fact.  And hormones inform a lot of our biology and psychology (for all humans). So finding out more about what, when and how will help us in all aspects. Listen to this 25 minute introduction of season 2 of work family me to hear more about body awarene...

And just like that...it is the closing episode of the first season of Work Family Me - a series of conversations with me, Maude. In this series of conversations I interviewed intelligent hard hard-working women from India to Sweden to Brazil who have both money-earning jobs out in the world and children at home. We chatted about managing work hours, family finances, domestic chores, childcare, pla...

In this conversation of Work Family Me I chat to Lisa, a Scottish former BBC television director who moved to SA to study a Masters in Marine science with the hope of making David Attenborough documentaries but instead became an accidental entrepreneur and founder of Lilah's Kitchen, a plant-based manufacturing company in a country dominated by meat eaters! And a mother at almost 45.  We talk...

In this conversation of Work Family Me I chat to Erika - an ocean lover, marine ecologist and cartographer, committed wife, optimist, and fun-loving mother of two adventurous boys (as well as several beloved pets). Also my sweet friend! Erika is happiest in a fluid environment and talks us through some of the shifts, changes, and behind-the-scenes of her life in that. Erika approaches life with a...

In this conversation of work family me I chat to Kelly Geoghegan, a Maternity Nurse, EMT & Registered Paediatric Sleep Consultant about work and sleep. Two very important aspects of our day to day that are often hugely impacted when we become parents. As a burnout prevention coach I often come back to baseline physical health over and over again - are we sleeping, are we moving, are we nourish...

In this episode of Work Family Me, I speak with Anita Nesbit - a connector and content strategist, living and working in Cape Town with her husband and two children. She works to create impactful content that drives brand engagement and growth, liaises with clients and teams, does the school drop and finds moments to walk on the beach and breathe. How does she balance it all?  Listen to hear us di...

We often read snappy articles that instruct us to "manage our stress". Hmm, that can be irritating to read as a highly educated smart adult human who needs to earn money and care for small humans (or big ones). What does it actually mean? How do we do that in a busy life?  As a burnout prevention and leadership coach I spend a lot of time working with people around managing their stress...

In this episode of Work Family Me, I speak with a former colleague who has moved across and lived in many countries with her husband, children and dog and works long days as a regional manager for a busy team. In this conversation she shares some of her experience around balancing work and life and health.  We talk about prioritising. delegating, (over)working, saying no and so much more. Listen t...

In this episode of Work, Family, Me, I sat down with Allison Wimalasuriya from Australia.  Allison Wimalasuriya is an Australian woman in her thirties who works in the corporate world as a manager of employees, deadlines, and clients, studies pilates, parents an active toddler, exercises every day and is in an intercultural marriage. Hmm. How do these things fit into a life?  Let's ask her. ...

When we are in the day to day it feels hard to raise our heads and look at the big picture. We're IN the school drop offs, the rushing to get on a call, the pressure of the project. One of the things that I found so valuable about this conversation with Fiona Moguenot is her perspective of looking back on working and parenting from the vantage point of adult children and grandchildren. Fiona...

We talk A LOT about work life balance at the moment and one key of this is being intentional about separating out work time vs not work time. SO many of my 1:1 clients have very blurry lines - or no lines at all - around what work is and with hybrid flexible working, constant e-mails, multiple time zones and pressures that is no surprise. Not having mental, emotional or physical separation from wo...