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Show Notes
Natalie Moore and Lisa Saunders are founders, coaches and lifestyle educators at their own business Own Your Health Collective. They have audacious goals in breaking taboos and shifting mindsets around issues about women’s health.
In particular, this relates to menstruation and menopause, specifically in the workplace.
Over the years, Natalie and Lisa have had their issues at work and realised that there is a real gap in knowledge and awareness regarding women’s cycles and phases. The knock-on effect impacts their careers and ability to show up in this world as they want.
Lisa started her career in property. She started a family and found the work was not accommodating for a working mother. She also experienced some health issues. The challenges encouraged her to pivot and retrain as a food and nutritional health coach before starting her own business. She found that she loved working for herself and the new industry. She is about real food and good health.
Through a mutual friend, Lisa met Natalie around 2019 and did a women’s health expo together. After this, they decided to set up their own business together. Their skills are complementary.
The pandemic period allowed them to finesse their purpose and network so that they emerged with a robust business model.
Natalie studied business at University before falling into sales in packaging. She started a family and struggled with the work requirements and the new demands of a young family. Natalie is a keen runner; therefore, her first business aimed to motivate people to run before morphing into a coaching business. The business focused on coaching, training, yoga and meditation.
Above all, Natalie’s purpose is to support and serve women, especially working mothers.
When Natalie and Lisa met each other, they compared stories and realised that, as a result of female physiology, there are so many life stages that women go through.
They realise that support can take on the form of education, spiritual and lifestyle issues.
Menstruation and menopause have not been talked about in the work environment. Recent research and initiatives out of the UK are paving the way for new levels of awareness and education around these critical health issues. The lack of knowledge and support, plus the impactful symptoms, result in women underachieving at work or cutting their careers short. Women are at a loss on where to go for help.
In a medical sense, many doctors and medical professionals have not been trained in perimenopause and menstruation.
Often, these decisions are made when women are at their most ambitious selves and looking for a deep sense of purpose and fulfilment. In most cases, they don’t want to leave the workforce.
The critical thing is that better medical and school education drives better outcomes for women and employers. Education for men, women, managers and team leaders is required in the workplace.
The What and Why in women's health need a sharper focus.
Taboo is a barrier, but the wall is slowly coming down. It is common to still whisper about menopause or menstruation in the workplace. A safe place is created in workshops to allow these discussions.
Lisa and Natalie also have a podcast, perimenopause power.
More broadly, the core issue is health and well-being in the workplace.
Lifestyle and nutrition are essential. Many people, men and women, enter different life stages and do not adhere to adequate dietary nutrition and lifestyle—the basics like sleep, movement, diet and reduced stress. For exercise, it's essential to do what you love. Everyone is different.
Stress is with us every day. Stress cannot be stopped. However, we can choose how we respond to stress. How can I respond in a healthier way that impacts health less?
The pandemic has increased the awareness of emotional intelligence in the workplace; employees are humans going through various life changes. A lot of change is still required to raise workplace empathy levels.
“For all that is seen, there is a lot that is not seen.” Anon. This is related to women’s health but also to physiological changes for all people as they move through life.
In summary:
The Future You is an aging person going through many physiological changes.
Convergence: both Natalie and Lisa came from different backgrounds, but their stories brought them together—a shared sense of purpose. Give adequate attention to your own stories and the possible intersection with others.
The need or the gap: Some topics are taboo, brought on by a lack of awareness and understanding. The lack of awareness creates a lack of engagement, communication and shortened careers.
Solution: use education to increase personal, cultural and professional awareness. Create a safe place for open discussion. It is about being the best that we can be.
Nutrition, lifestyle, sleep & stress are all aspects of handling physiological change.
Humans are not machines.