September 24, 2023 • 17 mins
Prepare to have your perceptions of menopause challenged as we sit down with Heather Jackson, co-founder of Gen M and proud Disruptor for Good at the Northern Power Women Awards. We dive into the amazing work she's doing with Gen M, a platform empowering women to take charge of their menopause journey instead of feeling overlooked and underserved.
Tune in to listen to Heather's powerful insights on how she’s flipping the script, encouraging brands to better serve this demographic, and ultimately, creating a safe space for women to make informed decisions about their health. This episode is an inspiring listen for anyone going through menopause, those who know someone who is, or simply those interested in creating a more inclusive society.
Listen to Learn:
🎙 The importance of shifting the media narrative surrounding menopause
🎙 How to live life to the fullest in spite of societal pressures
🎙 Heather's approach to winning business support for menopause-friendly products
🎙 How to take charge of your own menopause journey
Listen now through the link in our bio
Find out more about We Are PoWEr here. 💫
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
The Northern Power Women podcast for your career
and your life, no matter whatbusiness you're in.
Hello and welcome to theNorthern Power Women podcast.
My name is Simone and this isour winner season, where we get
to chat to some of thoseremarkable individuals and
organisations who talk home atrophy in this year's 2023
Northern Power Women Awards,where we'll find out exactly
(00:41):
what it is like to win one ofthose fantastic, beautiful glass
trophies sculpted and createdby the wonderful Gemma Truman
and, more importantly, we'd loveto find about the story behind
these victories, what theseamazing humans have been up to
since March.
This week, I am delighted tochat even though we've had the
best part of what feels like anhour chat and a long overdue
(01:02):
chat before we got chatting tothe incredible and she is
incredible Heather Jackson, whowas the co-founder of Gen M, who
you will undoubtedly have heardabout and was commended for
Disruptor for Good at thisyear's awards.
And Heather is such a disruptorI couldn't have thought of a
better title for you to takehome as a disruptor for good.
(01:23):
But you are.
You've been that serialentrepreneur.
You've got that passion itnever goes away for gender
equality social movement.
You've got experience acrossall the fields of gender balance
, business and talent management, and much more.
Let's get into it, heather.
Welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Thank you very much for having me, simone, and
honestly, it's a privilege to behere.
It was a privilege to be at theawards anyway.
You know I've been a greatadvocate of following you, but
actually to get on that stageand actually presented with one
of them blows me away every time.
So yeah, disruptor, you've gotmy.
You've now given me a word formy epitaph and I always think,
you know, if I ever get agravestone or a kid, that's up
(02:01):
to the kids If it's gotDisruptor on it and despite my
mum, we turned out all right,I'll be happy on that.
So you know, but Disruptor is agreat word, but I think
Disruption is about how youdisrupt.
We can all be disruptors, butit's how we do it and it's about
collaborating and we're twowomen who know how to
collaborate and bring out thebest in people and I think
(02:22):
there's lots of people who wantthe things that we actually go
out to deliver but just haven'tdone it in the right way.
And actually, politeness,persistence and absolutely
passion and purpose open sourcedoors for you to actually drive,
drive, collaboration and, yes,in a disruptive way.
So let's move that conversationon, because it's been a great
year for you and it's been agreat year for Gen M as well.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
So absolutely and we talk about.
If you've listened to thepodcast, you'll always talk
about the fact that I hear thesegreat soundbites that I always
want to post onto a t-shirt oronto a tote bag, and you've just
given me there was a wholeilliteration of peas there,
wasn't it?
With you know politeness andpurpose.
I love that.
They're right there now.
They're tattoos, they're totebags, they're everything.
(03:04):
There's the next.
We'll be careful with thetattoo.
Let's get back here.
Let's talk about Gen M.
Where did this come from?
Where did the whole idea ofthis come from and what is it?
For those who don't know, wherehave you been?
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Well, gen M is the menopause partner of Brands and
we've built the biggest brandstogether to unite, to actually
commit to serve the menopausalaudience better, including
consumer and including workcolleague.
And why have we brought thesebrands together?
Because my co-founder, sam, andI, as two perimenopausal women
entering menopause, we feltwoefully let down by the brands
(03:40):
that we'd actually supported allour lives.
We wanted to find climatecontrol bedding for our for our
hot sweats, you know and nightwear.
We wanted to find a makeup thatdidn't run down our face, you
know.
I wanted to find shampoo for mythinning hair.
And actually it was like goingon the deep dark web three,
three, four years ago when westarted to look into this that
actually, you know.
And so we felt underserved,overlooked and quite invisible
(04:03):
really, and we didn't knowwhether this was a period of our
lives and we were just twomorning minutes or, you know,
did every other woman in thisperiod of life feel like this?
So, sam and I, being businesssavvy but not wanting to do
something that actually, withoutthe stats there, we actually
went to the, got our bankaccounts out, committed a
certain amount of money eachinto a research report and we
(04:24):
called it the invisibilityreport and so GenM created.
This was before GenM.
We created the invisibilityreport and it came out that 89%
of women in menopause feltoverlooked, underserved and
invisible.
They felt that brands needed todo better for them.
They wanted to be seen, theywanted to be heard, but equally,
they also wanted to have abetter way of shopping and
(04:45):
searching and sourcing.
Basically, back to live, simone,and everything you and I have
done in the talent management.
They wanted choice.
They wanted choice to actuallyown their menopause their way
and they wanted options, and anywoman right now who sees
menopause will actually, throughthe media and everything else,
our research in 2023 turned outthat more women are fearful of
(05:05):
menopause now than they were in2020 because the dialogue's been
very all about the symptomsthat will absolutely knock us.
Not everybody's menopause isdebilitating 15% of women, and
that's a bad number, but 15% ofwomen may have a bad menopause,
but 85% of women the worst statis 85% of women say their
(05:26):
menopause isn't that bad.
I'm going to ask you now,simone how many symptoms of
menopause do you think there are?
Signs and symptoms?
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Oh well, I know we've chatted about this before, so I
know I know that this, but Ithink I'll rephrase that how
many could you name?
Speaker 2 (05:41):
How many symptoms of menopause could you name?
Oh, it doesn't, it doesn't.
Yeah, and well, you're aboveaverage, simone, congratulations
.
Goes to the top of the charts,because the average.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
A peri-meta-poser.
That's my.
It's my own personal list.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
The average woman, never mind man and I don't mean
average derogatory, I just meanthrough our own education,
society and everything else canonly name between three and five
symptoms.
So whilst ever we can only namethree and five symptoms and
there are actually 48, how do webetter prepare, understand,
support it?
And so menopause we needed toraise that awareness because no
(06:22):
matter what companies areputting menopause policies in,
if you've got the best policy ina company, it doesn't mean to
say if the woman doesn't knowshe's entering in it or got it,
she's going to be able tounderstand where to use it.
So one as a society we neededto raise the awareness better.
And why do I say as a society?
Because menopause impacts alldirectly or indirectly.
And when I say that I don't sayit lightly.
(06:43):
The highest rate of womenleaving the workplace, we know
is in this period of time.
It's a period of time when thehighest rate of women entering
the workforce we've never had itas big as women over 40
entering it.
So we know that we're needed inthe industry and we need to
thrive in there.
The highest rate of suicides,unfortunately, is suggested.
(07:03):
It's in this period of timewhen the highest rate of
relationship breakdowns.
Whether you're with, whetheryou're partners, man or a woman,
the highest rate ofrelationship breakdowns is in
this period of time, so let'sjust not think about this as a
gender issue.
Anyone who's around a womanwho's in menopause and suffering
and not being as supported aswell as you could and you're
suffering from your work, youreconomy going your family budget
(07:26):
, going your actual you knowit's impacting us all.
So I googled how many, how manyvegans in the UK are there?
So three and a half percent.
Equally, I really love the waythat business has respected
veganism.
You look at the signposted inthe merchandise, in the
marketing, the online andoffline experience.
You wouldn't put a vegancounter next to a meat counter
in the store.
Everything's been thought aboutas how to embrace the vegan and
(07:49):
how to actually give them theirbest life but equally serve it
in a commercially purposeful way.
But then you look at thepercentage of women who in the
UK, at any one moment, aremenopausal it's 20%.
So business has created thisincredible model and support for
a three and a half percentaudience and yet 20% of women
(08:11):
have no life choice.
Every one of us is going toenter it and actually, where's
our signposting?
Where's our marketing?
Where's our customer experience?
Where's our seeing as feelingas hearing as?
So?
Again, we just said Sam, and Isaid right Gen M, menopause,
partner of brands.
We're going to ignite brands tounderstand this better, but
we're going to ask them tocommit to treating menopause as
the new vegan.
(08:31):
Give it the same respect, giveit the acknowledgement that goes
across your business.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
It's been such a whirlwind of a journey and I
know it probably doesn't feellike to you, but everything that
you've achieved on thismenopause chapter, if you like,
if you're entrepreneurialjourney, so talk to me about
M-Tic, because this is thesymbol that you've created, a
bit like suitable for vegans onpackaging.
You've campaigned to have thisput on menopause friendly
(08:57):
products.
Tell us, how did you getbusiness to follow through and
support this?
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Basically back to politeness, back to persistence,
back to passion, back topurpose.
We actually built a model on anA4 piece of paper and then I
did what I always do.
I actually vention the fundcompanies up and got meetings
and I say it lightly, butactually when you do nurture
relationships, people people doopen other doors for you.
They know that you've got agood idea and it's worth a
(09:26):
listen.
So basically we pitched over acall to Boots and actually Boots
, marks and Spencer's are nextwith the first three of Bransen.
No one said no, they came onboard.
They came on board with moneyand they came on board with
commitment and desire tounderstand this audience better.
Emtick going on products.
Going on signage we've gotBoots putting it in their sign.
(09:47):
They trialled it in a thousandstores on 150 products last
October.
It's now going bigger this year.
Holland and Barrett are doingthe same in changing their
stores around.
We've got 750 products in thelast eight weeks.
Actually, we'll be coming upwith the Emtick on it.
Now.
It's only small in the world ofthis, but this isn't about
menopause specific products.
(10:07):
This is about menopausefriendly products, because the
change changes everything.
You know.
This is about getting the rightproducts for us.
We all have shampoo, we all getconditioner, we all put body
creams on usually and everythingelse.
So find the one that works forus and menopause friendly is
asking brands who've got greatproducts that they know could
work for some of our symptoms.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
To highlight it, you talk about thriving, don't you,
heather?
You know we've talked about somuch today already and you can
clearly hear the passion withwhich you are driving this
menopause agenda.
But what would be yourrecommendation for our listeners
out there is to how women canthrive during menopause, not
just tolerate and just go withthe flow.
(10:50):
How do we thrive through it?
Speaker 2 (10:51):
If you are a woman who's entering perimenopause,
don't wait for everything to bedone for you.
Look to what you can do foryourself.
We've got this one life tothrive and actually I want women
swinging from the chandeliers.
You know, someone said ajourney, said to me the other
day what's your biggestdocumentary or whatever that you
think has made the most impacton menopause?
I said, you know what, thelmaand Louise?
(11:12):
I said because, thelma andLouise, they never mentioned
menopause, but that was thejourney of two menopause women
going out there and going.
I've had enough of my life andeverything else.
This is how I'm gonna live it.
Unfortunately, they went offthe cliff.
I'd like to do a new version ofthe Gen M Thelma and Louise,
heather and Sam where we turnthe car around and go.
(11:33):
This is our time.
This is our time to thrive, andwe don't go off the cliff.
We go reaching into thesunlight, actually having the
best life ever, and that's whatwe need women to feel at this
moment and be the best.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Thelma and Louise, louise you can be One of my
favourite films.
And actually just one finalquestion, heather.
Right, you are.
We talked about adventure.
You've talked about you being arunner, so what is your sort of
fuel for you?
You've not long come back froma trek in Peru.
You know you're an adventurer.
You're a woman that makesthings happen through your
(12:08):
businesses.
You know people listen, mayremember the Better Balance
Forum which you created andbuilt into the PURLS program.
Amazing things you've done.
You've now thrown everythingyou know sort of you're doing
that energy drive that you haveinto Gen M.
But what's Heather?
What's Heather's off time?
Like trek in Peru?
Just something easy, heather.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Well, do you know what it's about?
Being authentic to yourself?
Whatever I've put into mybusiness and my purposeful
business models has been me fullstop of my.
You know you can't split it up.
You know we've built businessesand we've got the best teams
around us, and I always thinkit's about growing those teams
around you as well.
No one individual can makethings happen.
But, equally, what you see witheverything that I've ever
(12:48):
created is actually a snippet ofme.
You know I'm not a differentperson offline to online and my
kids will back me up here.
It's just about lives to bechallenged, lives to be enjoyed
and lives to be pushed to thehills.
And you know whether it'sexercise I'm doing or, you know,
being a great.
Well, I'm not gonna say being agreat mother.
I've been an unconventionalmother but they've turned out
(13:09):
all right, as they say.
But equally, it's about doingwhat you can at the moment in
time and actually recognizinglive that moment in time.
I think as well because you'rethe same, simone, you're really
busy and everything else, buteverything you do commit to that
moment and that's the best way.
That's me.
I commit to the moment andwhatever I'm doing in that
(13:29):
moment, I'll give it 120%,absolutely, if you're in, you
are all in.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
And what is your?
I know I said that was yourfinal question, but I kind of
lied.
It's okay.
So many things to chat about.
What's next for you?
You know, we know what GenM isliterally thriving in name and
in brand and getting thosebrands in.
But what's next?
What's a key goal?
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Well, for GenM, it's America.
So I go to Vegas to a bigconference in World Menopause
Month at the end of October andwe do a big presentation there
and then we take it to Americain 2024 because, again, that M
tick, the M symbol, the UK.
We have to be proud of whatwe're doing on menopause and
(14:11):
every other taboo.
We're leading the world.
They look at us with reverie.
They look at us wow, isn't thisgreat what you're doing?
And everything else, not justme.
You know, you divinas of thisworld, you doctors and
everything else.
But America needs the UK andAmerica needs GenM.
And I'm so excited to be takingit over and I don't it because,
as you know, simone, myprevious business, akash Den, I
(14:32):
was gonna have my time.
Thelma and Louise swing from achandelier.
This was all about guilt-free,guilt-free time.
But actually, as anentrepreneur, we're in an
incredible position.
I said to Sam the other daywhen the going gets tough, you
have to remind yourself, asentrepreneurs out there who
dream of having an opportunity,that you start with a blank
piece of paper.
You create a market opportunity.
(14:53):
Then you don't walk away fromit when it gets too hard.
There's other players out therewho give the right arm to be in
our position.
So for the next three, fouryears I have committed ourselves
with Sam and the team toabsolutely drive GenM to the
hilt, because if we thrive inmenopause, the world thrives,
and that's not anunderestimation here.
And money makes the world goaround, let's not forget.
(15:16):
Menopause has a commercialopportunity here for businesses,
but that builds an economy.
But also it's got a purposefulopportunity to make great
societal change.
And I just want to actuallyhave women looked at in the
future, where it's only themenopause that go in through.
Wow, that woman is absolutelyincredible and let's just move
it on.
And let's look at old age.
(15:37):
When we get to 90, not before,then the jury's out on how we
need to change.
What age becomes middle age andI think, simone, you'll agree
with me.
You start looking at those tickboxes of surveys and you go God
, I've gone down another box inthe age group.
It's like no, no, no, no, no.
This isn't about age, it'sabout how you feel at the time
(15:58):
and there's no way that I feellike a midlife woman.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
It's just a number.
It's just a number and it's allthat experience that comes in
that and all the adventures thatwe yet to have.
Heather, thank you so, so much.
We have packed so much intothat.
You can find out everythingaround GenM.
Follow the link in the shownotes if you want to kind of
find out more and do.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Please, if you're working for a brand who you know
should be involved with us,please go to CEO, go to CMO, go
to CFO, go to your line managerand just give them the direction
and say talk to them.
We're open for business withanyone and we look forward to
you coming on board with us.
So thank you very much, simone.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Heather, thank you so much.
Thanks.
It's always great to catch up.
We could have made that go onfor at least an hour, I'm pretty
certain.
But anyway, we'll have that onthe reprise and thank you all of
you for listening.
Remember, these are our weeklyepisodes.
Please do subscribe so youdon't miss an episode and you
can find out about our webinars,podcasts, insights and all of
that on our digital platform.
But we are loving this season.
(16:57):
This is our awards.
It's all the stories behind theevening we always talk about,
not just being for one night.
So thank you so much, heather,for joining us, and if you would
like to join us on this missionof professional personal
development, empowering eachother, paying it forward,
collaboration all of that goodstuff Not as many pieces as
what's on Heather's tote bag,but then please do get in touch
and leave us a review, becausewe love hearing from you.
(17:19):
And thank you so much for allyour support.
My name is Simone.
This is the Northern PowerWomen's Podcast and we're
watching what goes on media.
The Northern Power Women podcast for your career
and your life, no matter whatbusiness you're in.
Hello and welcome to theNorthern Power Women podcast.
My name is Simone and this isour winner season, where we get
to chat to some of thoseremarkable individuals and
organisations who talk home atrophy in this year's 2023
Northern Power Women Awards,where we'll find out exactly
(00:41):
what it is like to win one ofthose fantastic, beautiful glass
trophies sculpted and createdby the wonderful Gemma Truman
and, more importantly, we'd loveto find about the story behind
these victories, what theseamazing humans have been up to
since March.
This week, I am delighted tochat even though we've had the
best part of what feels like anhour chat and a long overdue
(01:02):
chat before we got chatting tothe incredible and she is
incredible Heather Jackson, whowas the co-founder of Gen M, who
you will undoubtedly have heardabout and was commended for
Disruptor for Good at thisyear's awards.
And Heather is such a disruptorI couldn't have thought of a
better title for you to takehome as a disruptor for good.
(01:23):
But you are.
You've been that serialentrepreneur.
You've got that passion itnever goes away for gender
equality social movement.
You've got experience acrossall the fields of gender balance
, business and talent management, and much more.
Let's get into it, heather.
Welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Thank you very much for having me, simone, and
honestly, it's a privilege to behere.
It was a privilege to be at theawards anyway.
You know I've been a greatadvocate of following you, but
actually to get on that stageand actually presented with one
of them blows me away every time.
So yeah, disruptor, you've gotmy.
You've now given me a word formy epitaph and I always think,
you know, if I ever get agravestone or a kid, that's up
(02:01):
to the kids If it's gotDisruptor on it and despite my
mum, we turned out all right,I'll be happy on that.
So you know, but Disruptor is agreat word, but I think
Disruption is about how youdisrupt.
We can all be disruptors, butit's how we do it and it's about
collaborating and we're twowomen who know how to
collaborate and bring out thebest in people and I think
(02:22):
there's lots of people who wantthe things that we actually go
out to deliver but just haven'tdone it in the right way.
And actually, politeness,persistence and absolutely
passion and purpose open sourcedoors for you to actually drive,
drive, collaboration and, yes,in a disruptive way.
So let's move that conversationon, because it's been a great
year for you and it's been agreat year for Gen M as well.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
So absolutely and we talk about.
If you've listened to thepodcast, you'll always talk
about the fact that I hear thesegreat soundbites that I always
want to post onto a t-shirt oronto a tote bag, and you've just
given me there was a wholeilliteration of peas there,
wasn't it?
With you know politeness andpurpose.
I love that.
They're right there now.
They're tattoos, they're totebags, they're everything.
(03:04):
There's the next.
We'll be careful with thetattoo.
Let's get back here.
Let's talk about Gen M.
Where did this come from?
Where did the whole idea ofthis come from and what is it?
For those who don't know, wherehave you been?
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Well, gen M is the menopause partner of Brands and
we've built the biggest brandstogether to unite, to actually
commit to serve the menopausalaudience better, including
consumer and including workcolleague.
And why have we brought thesebrands together?
Because my co-founder, sam, andI, as two perimenopausal women
entering menopause, we feltwoefully let down by the brands
(03:40):
that we'd actually supported allour lives.
We wanted to find climatecontrol bedding for our for our
hot sweats, you know and nightwear.
We wanted to find a makeup thatdidn't run down our face, you
know.
I wanted to find shampoo for mythinning hair.
And actually it was like goingon the deep dark web three,
three, four years ago when westarted to look into this that
actually, you know.
And so we felt underserved,overlooked and quite invisible
(04:03):
really, and we didn't knowwhether this was a period of our
lives and we were just twomorning minutes or, you know,
did every other woman in thisperiod of life feel like this?
So, sam and I, being businesssavvy but not wanting to do
something that actually, withoutthe stats there, we actually
went to the, got our bankaccounts out, committed a
certain amount of money eachinto a research report and we
(04:24):
called it the invisibilityreport and so GenM created.
This was before GenM.
We created the invisibilityreport and it came out that 89%
of women in menopause feltoverlooked, underserved and
invisible.
They felt that brands needed todo better for them.
They wanted to be seen, theywanted to be heard, but equally,
they also wanted to have abetter way of shopping and
(04:45):
searching and sourcing.
Basically, back to live, simone,and everything you and I have
done in the talent management.
They wanted choice.
They wanted choice to actuallyown their menopause their way
and they wanted options, and anywoman right now who sees
menopause will actually, throughthe media and everything else,
our research in 2023 turned outthat more women are fearful of
(05:05):
menopause now than they were in2020 because the dialogue's been
very all about the symptomsthat will absolutely knock us.
Not everybody's menopause isdebilitating 15% of women, and
that's a bad number, but 15% ofwomen may have a bad menopause,
but 85% of women the worst statis 85% of women say their
(05:26):
menopause isn't that bad.
I'm going to ask you now,simone how many symptoms of
menopause do you think there are?
Signs and symptoms?
Speaker 1 (05:32):
Oh well, I know we've chatted about this before, so I
know I know that this, but Ithink I'll rephrase that how
many could you name?
Speaker 2 (05:41):
How many symptoms of menopause could you name?
Oh, it doesn't, it doesn't.
Yeah, and well, you're aboveaverage, simone, congratulations
.
Goes to the top of the charts,because the average.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
A peri-meta-poser.
That's my.
It's my own personal list.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
The average woman, never mind man and I don't mean
average derogatory, I just meanthrough our own education,
society and everything else canonly name between three and five
symptoms.
So whilst ever we can only namethree and five symptoms and
there are actually 48, how do webetter prepare, understand,
support it?
And so menopause we needed toraise that awareness because no
(06:22):
matter what companies areputting menopause policies in,
if you've got the best policy ina company, it doesn't mean to
say if the woman doesn't knowshe's entering in it or got it,
she's going to be able tounderstand where to use it.
So one as a society we neededto raise the awareness better.
And why do I say as a society?
Because menopause impacts alldirectly or indirectly.
And when I say that I don't sayit lightly.
(06:43):
The highest rate of womenleaving the workplace, we know
is in this period of time.
It's a period of time when thehighest rate of women entering
the workforce we've never had itas big as women over 40
entering it.
So we know that we're needed inthe industry and we need to
thrive in there.
The highest rate of suicides,unfortunately, is suggested.
(07:03):
It's in this period of timewhen the highest rate of
relationship breakdowns.
Whether you're with, whetheryou're partners, man or a woman,
the highest rate ofrelationship breakdowns is in
this period of time, so let'sjust not think about this as a
gender issue.
Anyone who's around a womanwho's in menopause and suffering
and not being as supported aswell as you could and you're
suffering from your work, youreconomy going your family budget
(07:26):
, going your actual you knowit's impacting us all.
So I googled how many, how manyvegans in the UK are there?
So three and a half percent.
Equally, I really love the waythat business has respected
veganism.
You look at the signposted inthe merchandise, in the
marketing, the online andoffline experience.
You wouldn't put a vegancounter next to a meat counter
in the store.
Everything's been thought aboutas how to embrace the vegan and
(07:49):
how to actually give them theirbest life but equally serve it
in a commercially purposeful way.
But then you look at thepercentage of women who in the
UK, at any one moment, aremenopausal it's 20%.
So business has created thisincredible model and support for
a three and a half percentaudience and yet 20% of women
(08:11):
have no life choice.
Every one of us is going toenter it and actually, where's
our signposting?
Where's our marketing?
Where's our customer experience?
Where's our seeing as feelingas hearing as?
So?
Again, we just said Sam, and Isaid right Gen M, menopause,
partner of brands.
We're going to ignite brands tounderstand this better, but
we're going to ask them tocommit to treating menopause as
the new vegan.
(08:31):
Give it the same respect, giveit the acknowledgement that goes
across your business.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
It's been such a whirlwind of a journey and I
know it probably doesn't feellike to you, but everything that
you've achieved on thismenopause chapter, if you like,
if you're entrepreneurialjourney, so talk to me about
M-Tic, because this is thesymbol that you've created, a
bit like suitable for vegans onpackaging.
You've campaigned to have thisput on menopause friendly
(08:57):
products.
Tell us, how did you getbusiness to follow through and
support this?
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Basically back to politeness, back to persistence,
back to passion, back topurpose.
We actually built a model on anA4 piece of paper and then I
did what I always do.
I actually vention the fundcompanies up and got meetings
and I say it lightly, butactually when you do nurture
relationships, people people doopen other doors for you.
They know that you've got agood idea and it's worth a
(09:26):
listen.
So basically we pitched over acall to Boots and actually Boots
, marks and Spencer's are nextwith the first three of Bransen.
No one said no, they came onboard.
They came on board with moneyand they came on board with
commitment and desire tounderstand this audience better.
Emtick going on products.
Going on signage we've gotBoots putting it in their sign.
(09:47):
They trialled it in a thousandstores on 150 products last
October.
It's now going bigger this year.
Holland and Barrett are doingthe same in changing their
stores around.
We've got 750 products in thelast eight weeks.
Actually, we'll be coming upwith the Emtick on it.
Now.
It's only small in the world ofthis, but this isn't about
menopause specific products.
(10:07):
This is about menopausefriendly products, because the
change changes everything.
You know.
This is about getting the rightproducts for us.
We all have shampoo, we all getconditioner, we all put body
creams on usually and everythingelse.
So find the one that works forus and menopause friendly is
asking brands who've got greatproducts that they know could
work for some of our symptoms.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
To highlight it, you talk about thriving, don't you,
heather?
You know we've talked about somuch today already and you can
clearly hear the passion withwhich you are driving this
menopause agenda.
But what would be yourrecommendation for our listeners
out there is to how women canthrive during menopause, not
just tolerate and just go withthe flow.
(10:50):
How do we thrive through it?
Speaker 2 (10:51):
If you are a woman who's entering perimenopause,
don't wait for everything to bedone for you.
Look to what you can do foryourself.
We've got this one life tothrive and actually I want women
swinging from the chandeliers.
You know, someone said ajourney, said to me the other
day what's your biggestdocumentary or whatever that you
think has made the most impacton menopause?
I said, you know what, thelmaand Louise?
(11:12):
I said because, thelma andLouise, they never mentioned
menopause, but that was thejourney of two menopause women
going out there and going.
I've had enough of my life andeverything else.
This is how I'm gonna live it.
Unfortunately, they went offthe cliff.
I'd like to do a new version ofthe Gen M Thelma and Louise,
heather and Sam where we turnthe car around and go.
(11:33):
This is our time.
This is our time to thrive, andwe don't go off the cliff.
We go reaching into thesunlight, actually having the
best life ever, and that's whatwe need women to feel at this
moment and be the best.
Speaker 1 (11:45):
Thelma and Louise, louise you can be One of my
favourite films.
And actually just one finalquestion, heather.
Right, you are.
We talked about adventure.
You've talked about you being arunner, so what is your sort of
fuel for you?
You've not long come back froma trek in Peru.
You know you're an adventurer.
You're a woman that makesthings happen through your
(12:08):
businesses.
You know people listen, mayremember the Better Balance
Forum which you created andbuilt into the PURLS program.
Amazing things you've done.
You've now thrown everythingyou know sort of you're doing
that energy drive that you haveinto Gen M.
But what's Heather?
What's Heather's off time?
Like trek in Peru?
Just something easy, heather.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
Well, do you know what it's about?
Being authentic to yourself?
Whatever I've put into mybusiness and my purposeful
business models has been me fullstop of my.
You know you can't split it up.
You know we've built businessesand we've got the best teams
around us, and I always thinkit's about growing those teams
around you as well.
No one individual can makethings happen.
But, equally, what you see witheverything that I've ever
(12:48):
created is actually a snippet ofme.
You know I'm not a differentperson offline to online and my
kids will back me up here.
It's just about lives to bechallenged, lives to be enjoyed
and lives to be pushed to thehills.
And you know whether it'sexercise I'm doing or, you know,
being a great.
Well, I'm not gonna say being agreat mother.
I've been an unconventionalmother but they've turned out
(13:09):
all right, as they say.
But equally, it's about doingwhat you can at the moment in
time and actually recognizinglive that moment in time.
I think as well because you'rethe same, simone, you're really
busy and everything else, buteverything you do commit to that
moment and that's the best way.
That's me.
I commit to the moment andwhatever I'm doing in that
(13:29):
moment, I'll give it 120%,absolutely, if you're in, you
are all in.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
And what is your?
I know I said that was yourfinal question, but I kind of
lied.
It's okay.
So many things to chat about.
What's next for you?
You know, we know what GenM isliterally thriving in name and
in brand and getting thosebrands in.
But what's next?
What's a key goal?
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Well, for GenM, it's America.
So I go to Vegas to a bigconference in World Menopause
Month at the end of October andwe do a big presentation there
and then we take it to Americain 2024 because, again, that M
tick, the M symbol, the UK.
We have to be proud of whatwe're doing on menopause and
(14:11):
every other taboo.
We're leading the world.
They look at us with reverie.
They look at us wow, isn't thisgreat what you're doing?
And everything else, not justme.
You know, you divinas of thisworld, you doctors and
everything else.
But America needs the UK andAmerica needs GenM.
And I'm so excited to be takingit over and I don't it because,
as you know, simone, myprevious business, akash Den, I
(14:32):
was gonna have my time.
Thelma and Louise swing from achandelier.
This was all about guilt-free,guilt-free time.
But actually, as anentrepreneur, we're in an
incredible position.
I said to Sam the other daywhen the going gets tough, you
have to remind yourself, asentrepreneurs out there who
dream of having an opportunity,that you start with a blank
piece of paper.
You create a market opportunity.
(14:53):
Then you don't walk away fromit when it gets too hard.
There's other players out therewho give the right arm to be in
our position.
So for the next three, fouryears I have committed ourselves
with Sam and the team toabsolutely drive GenM to the
hilt, because if we thrive inmenopause, the world thrives,
and that's not anunderestimation here.
And money makes the world goaround, let's not forget.
(15:16):
Menopause has a commercialopportunity here for businesses,
but that builds an economy.
But also it's got a purposefulopportunity to make great
societal change.
And I just want to actuallyhave women looked at in the
future, where it's only themenopause that go in through.
Wow, that woman is absolutelyincredible and let's just move
it on.
And let's look at old age.
(15:37):
When we get to 90, not before,then the jury's out on how we
need to change.
What age becomes middle age andI think, simone, you'll agree
with me.
You start looking at those tickboxes of surveys and you go God
, I've gone down another box inthe age group.
It's like no, no, no, no, no.
This isn't about age, it'sabout how you feel at the time
(15:58):
and there's no way that I feellike a midlife woman.
Speaker 1 (16:01):
It's just a number.
It's just a number and it's allthat experience that comes in
that and all the adventures thatwe yet to have.
Heather, thank you so, so much.
We have packed so much intothat.
You can find out everythingaround GenM.
Follow the link in the shownotes if you want to kind of
find out more and do.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Please, if you're working for a brand who you know
should be involved with us,please go to CEO, go to CMO, go
to CFO, go to your line managerand just give them the direction
and say talk to them.
We're open for business withanyone and we look forward to
you coming on board with us.
So thank you very much, simone.
Speaker 1 (16:36):
Heather, thank you so much.
Thanks.
It's always great to catch up.
We could have made that go onfor at least an hour, I'm pretty
certain.
But anyway, we'll have that onthe reprise and thank you all of
you for listening.
Remember, these are our weeklyepisodes.
Please do subscribe so youdon't miss an episode and you
can find out about our webinars,podcasts, insights and all of
that on our digital platform.
But we are loving this season.
(16:57):
This is our awards.
It's all the stories behind theevening we always talk about,
not just being for one night.
So thank you so much, heather,for joining us, and if you would
like to join us on this missionof professional personal
development, empowering eachother, paying it forward,
collaboration all of that goodstuff Not as many pieces as
what's on Heather's tote bag,but then please do get in touch
and leave us a review, becausewe love hearing from you.
(17:19):
And thank you so much for allyour support.
My name is Simone.
This is the Northern PowerWomen's Podcast and we're
watching what goes on media.
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