What if the parts of your story you were most ashamed of turned out to be the very things that set you apart?
“Imagine if you switched your thinking to believe your most powerful years are still on the way.”
Inside the Episode
I first heard Laura Lee tell her story from the audience at a Women’s Leadership Conference a couple years ago, and I sat there crying. Two years later she was the MC, we found each other in the hallway, and I think we both realized we were long lost best friends. So of course I asked her to come on the podcast.
You know Laura as the 6 and 10 anchor on Northern News Now, an Emmy and Edward R. Murrow Award winning journalist. What you might not know is that she grew up first generation in inner city Minneapolis, one of eight kids, married at 18, and had two babies while finishing her degree at St. Thomas in four years. And somewhere in our chat she stopped and asked, “Wait, am I in perimenopause?” Oh honey. We had to talk.
KEY THEMES + TAKEAWAYS
Our hardest chapters often shape how we see and serve the world.
Perimenopause can start as early as 35, and it isn’t always hot flashes. Think mood swings, frozen shoulder, bone pain, or feeling like you’re suddenly “too sensitive.”
We prep our kids for puberty and celebrate the reproductive years, but almost no one talked about the chapter in between.
There are now up to 100 signs and symptoms linked to menopause, and women are leaving the workforce at the peak of their careers because of them.
Grandmothers exist for a reason. Orcas and elephants go through menopause too, and their elders carry the wisdom.
Community is the number one marker for brain health and longevity.
Start the conversation with your provider early, and jot down what you’re noticing before you go.
Chapter Markers
01:29 The stories we carry
06:02 The path nobody expected
14:03 Wait, am I in perimenopause?
30:26 Why grandmothers stick around
33:58 The hot flash at the board meeting
42:02 From 22 to 82 in one room
59:41 Start the conversation early
This week’s reflection:
What part of your story have you kept tucked away, and who might need to hear it?
Stay Connected
If today’s conversation resonated with you, I’d love for you to stay connected and continue the journey with us.
Connect with me on Instagram: ✨ Follow along for daily reflections, education, and community conversations around perimenopause, menopause, and holistic women’s health.
👉 Instagram: @kintopchiro https://www.instagram.com/kintopchiro/
Join Us In Person – The Women’s Symposium: A day created by women, for women—focused on health, healing, and empowerment through this season of life.
👉 Learn more & upcoming dates: https://www.kintopchiropractic.com/
Explore Holistic Support & Resources: From nutrition and movement to mindset and hormone conversations, you’ll find tools to support your whole self.
👉 Resources & offerings: https://www.kintopchiropractic.com/
⭐ Help This Podcast Reach More Women
If this episode supported you, informed you, or made you feel less alone, one of the most powerful ways you can help is by leaving a 5-star rating and review.
It helps The Healing Pause reach more women who are searching for these conversations—and it truly means so much.
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