Hot flashes. Brain fog. Sleepless nights. For too long, we’ve mislabeled midlife women’s health as burnout, anxiety, or a loss of ambition. But what if the real issue isn’t performance — it’s hormones?

In this episode of Hello Monday, Jessi Hempel talks with Joanna Strober, founder and CEO of Midi Health, about menopause, perimenopause, hormone therapy, and power at work. Together, they unpack how gaps in women’s healthcare during midlife are quietly pushing talented leaders out of the workforce at the exact moment they should be accelerating.

After struggling to get proper treatment for her own perimenopause symptoms, Joanna built Midi Health to deliver insurance-covered, expert virtual care focused on women in midlife. This conversation goes beyond hot flashes — it’s about workplace equity, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), ageism, health misdiagnoses, and why normalizing menopause could unlock a generation of leadership. Because menopause isn’t a road bump, with the right care, it can be a power surge.

Jessi and Joanna discuss:

The difference between perimenopause and menopause, and why the distinction matters for women’s health at work
Why 1 in 5 women in their 40s are prescribed SSRIs — and how hormonal shifts are often overlooked
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and non-hormonal menopause treatments
The workplace impact of untreated menopause symptoms, including research showing women may lose authority during visible symptoms like hot flashes
How employers can support midlife women through better insurance coverage
Ageism in the workplace — and why women in their 50s may be primed for peak performance
How normalizing menopause conversations can help women reclaim power

Follow Joanna Strober and Jessi Hempel on LinkedIn.

We will be launching the Hello Monday book club soon. If you’re interested in joining, send us an email at hellomonday@linkedin.com and let us know!

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Menopause at Work: Hormones, Leadership & Power in Midlife Careers