Menopause, Leadership & the Mental Load: A Midlife Balancing Act: E12

In this episode of the Go Slow to Go Fast Lifestyle Podcast, Kendra Chapman discusses the challenges and experiences of navigating menopause while leading as a school principal. She emphasizes the importance of intentional living, authenticity in leadership, and the need for community support among women. Kendra shares her personal journey, including the impact of menopause on her confidence and clarity, and encourages listeners to embrace their experiences with grace and curiosity. The episode also highlights the significance of health check-ins and resources available for women going through similar transitions.

Shownotes 

Welcome to the Go Slow to Go Fast Lifestyle Podcast, where we explore the art of intentional living. Whether you're juggling life as a working parent, leading in your profession, or simply seeking more meaning in your everyday, My fellow ladies in leadership- this is for you…

Working moms, women running businesses and schools, I see you … I know you are making the world a better place… keep leading and let me know if you resonate with my message today.

I’m your host, Kendra Chapman, and today, I’m stepping into a conversation that I’ve been thinking about bringing to the podcast for a while. It's one I’ve felt deeply in my body, my mind, and my leadership—and honestly, I wasn’t sure how to talk about it until recently.

After watching the recent Oprah episode on menopause and hearing Marie Forleo’s powerful interviews with medical professionals, I decided to stop holding it in and start talking.

Because this shift—this season of menopause—has brought with it more than just hot flashes. It’s impacted my confidence, my clarity, and how I lead. So, if you’ve ever found yourself forgetting a word mid-sentence, sweating through your sheets at night, or second-guessing your once razor-sharp instincts—you are not alone.

In this episode, I’m sharing what this transition has looked like for me, how it’s shown up in my daily leadership, and what I’m learning about giving myself grace in the midst of it all.

So if you're ready to slow down and embrace the beauty of an intentional lifestyle—even in the hormonal haze—grab a cozy drink, join me on the couch or in your car, sit back, get comfortable and let's get started.

 

Segment 1: What’s Bringing Me Hygge This Week?

What’s bringing me Hygge this week is honesty. And surprisingly, it's the act of naming what’s been hard. I didn’t realize how much I’d been carrying until I heard someone else describe it.

Frozen shoulder? Yep.
Brain fog that makes me wonder if I’m losing my edge? Check.
Mood swings, ADHD-like distraction, word recall issues in the middle of conversations with parents and staff?

Let me tell you, when you're responsible for hundreds of decisions a day—when you’re constantly responding, evaluating, disciplining, coaching, guiding—having your hormones hijack your ability to think clearly is no small thing.

But here’s the Hygge: giving myself permission to slow down and talk about it. That cozy comfort of realizing I’m not the only one. And neither are you.

 

Segment 2: Hygge Highlight for Main Topic — “The Confidence Curve”

Let’s talk about confidence.

I’ve always prided myself on my ability to think quickly, communicate clearly, and adapt on the fly. It’s part of my identity as a leader. But in this season? I’ve had moments where I’ve literally lost words in a conversation. Not big academic terms—just everyday words. And when that happens in front of a parent or during a staff meeting? It chips away at your sense of control. It starts to feel personal.

And then… you start questioning yourself.

You wonder:
“Am I still good at this?”
“Did I just sound unsure?”
“Do they notice something’s off?”

All of that creates a cycle. You try harder. You over-prepare. You stay up later. And all of it leads to—you guessed it—decision fatigue.

I’m making nearly 300 decisions a day—from how to handle a student conflict to what data means for our school’s future. And when your brain is already working overtime just to function through the fog, it’s exhausting.

But here’s where I’ve found my Hygge highlight:
Instead of trying to hide it, I’ve started to name it. I say it out loud. I take a breath. I even laugh about it when I blank on a word. Because shame thrives in silence—and peace lives in truth.

I’m learning that leadership doesn’t mean pretending to be invincible. It means leading with authenticit