Melissa Robertson shares her journey with peri-menopause (leading up to the menopause) that started to appear at the same time as she started her new role as CEO (at Dark Horses agency) around 5 years ago. This has a dual focus, on the personal but also professional impact (peri) menopause can have on her life and career.

Melissa is a portfolio NED and consultant with over 30 years of experience in the advertising and marketing industry.

She was a co-founder of the creative agency, Now; a Director of the women’s lifestyle platform, The Pool; and most recently CEO of Dark Horses, a creative agency focused on sport.

She is now Non-Executive Chair of Spike, the sports arm of W Communications, a Trustee of the Women’s Sport Trust, and a director of Menopause Mandate.

We chat about…

• Her erratic periods and wild dreams
• What life is life in perimenopause, waiting for The menopause
• The symptoms that hit like a train
• How they are selling menopause on Amazon - and raising awareness
• How businesses can support menopause
• How menopause showed up in her worklife
• How menopause has impacted her career
• How she was supported, and how partners can show up for those going through menopause

You review your menopause on Amazon here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/SellingMenopause/page/242CA1A9-DE7A-4685-BA6A-0D70AA9047C8

You can reach out to Melissa here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissarobertson29/

Wizz Selvey shares a really honest recount of how she discovered her early perimenopause, her symptoms, feeling overwhelmed and gaslit, then onto her road to properly understanding and managing her symptoms.

We talk about:

• What sleep is like, now and during perimenopause
• Puberty and early adulthood: the signs and the symptoms
• Ignoring her cycle and realisation to embrace it, work with it
• The real cost of questioning herself
• The very early signs of perimenopause that "hit hard"
• Thinking it was long covid, discovering it was perimenopause
• Perimenopause is a massive opportunity to reassess your life
• How she managed her symptoms naturally, thinking about HRT

More about Wizz

Wizz Selvey the Co-founder of Valerie. The company tackling one of the biggest health challenges of our time: the 1 billion women navigating peri/menopause. Their mission is bold - to revolutionise midlife healthcare and empower women to live fully and freely at every age.

Valerie is more than a product; we’re a movement. We’re here to help women reclaim their health, take back control, and turn midlife into maxlife.

Valerie have developed Daily Essential, a pioneering liposomal technology supplement with 12 nutrients and 90 health benefits.

Email her for partnerships and ambassador roles wizz@wearevalerie.com

Dr Claire Phipps is a highly dedicated GP turned menopause specialist based in London.

She works particularly close women and people with complex health histories or multiple medical conditions, and her approach combines evidence-based hormonal and non-hormonal therapies, as well as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

Claire is also deeply committed to advancing access to evidence-based menopause care for underserved and underrepresented populations. She holds the British Menopause Society Advanced Menopause Certificate, is a member of the International Menopause Society, and European Andropause and Menopause society.

In this episode, we chat through:

• The menopause basics
• How we should be thinking about menopause in our 20s, 30s and 40s
• Her trauma-aware approach and how oestrogen boxes up how we feel
• Unrecognised symptoms and how you should prepare for consultation with your doctor
• HRT basics - Not ready for HRT? There are alternatives
• The good news - menopause doesn’t have to be scary!

More on Dr Phipps

Dr Claire Phipps is a highly dedicated and compassionate GP with many years experience in providing comprehensive healthcare to all ages.

Claire also specialises in supporting women through menopause, particularly those with complex health histories or multiple medical conditions. Her approach combines evidence-based hormonal and non-hormonal therapies with a deep understanding of how existing health issues can influence menopausal symptoms and treatment choices. She focuses on personalised care, aiming to restore balance, improve quality of life, and empower women to navigate this transition with confidence and clarity.

Dr. Phipps holds the British Menopause Society Advanced Menopause Certificate, is a member of the International Menopause Society, and European Andropause and Menopause society. She a certified menopause and GP trainer providing education to healthcare professionals. She is also CBT trained and sits on the British Menopause Society medical advisory council. Claire believes that the perimenopause and menopause are opportunities to take back control of our health.

Claire is deeply committed to advancing access to evidence-based menopause care for underserved and underrepresented populations. She sits on the board of different community charities. Her areas of special interest include providing education around genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) treatment and within this supporting survivors of female genital mutilation (FGM).

You can find out more and get in touch with Dr Phipps via her website: https://themenopausegp.com/ or instagram @themenopausegp