About Kate Usher & Menopause in Business
My menopause in numbers…
The number of symptoms I've experienced so far
Years I've been experiencing symptoms so far
Years it took to identify my symptoms as menopausal
Years it took to access medical support
Number of solid nights sleep in four years
Why me, why menopause?
When I started my perimenopause, I was 42 and a mum to a toddler and a baby. No-one was talking about this phase in life, I had no understanding of what was happening to me or what was to come. I was isolated and frightened.
My menopause took me to a very dark place indeed. I struggled to work, look after my kids and hold my relationship together.
People would walk away as I sweated and flapped my face self consciously, mumbling that it was menopause.
I had to learn very quickly how to talk about what was happening to me, how to deal with poor behaviour and lastly, to show others how they should talk about and behave around menopause and me as a menopausal woman.
Many of those who walked away, came back to me and asked for more information and, in time, support. This was the start of what I do today.
We need change and we need it quicker
We have a perception that everyone is talking about menopause. After all it seems to be everywhere in the media. The reality is we aren’t.
Women are still finding that raising menopause as a subject at work is detrimental to their current and future career. Many choose to leave rather than deal with the fall out. This is catastrophic for both women and their employers.
This has to change.
My work focusses on creating menopause enabled workplaces that:
- Support women to stay in their careers and do great work.
- Enable managers to support their teams and role model positive behaviours.
- Create menopause positive cultures.
- Encourage allyship.
- Ensure the built environment is inclusive and frictionless.
It’s a win-win for everyone!
I enjoy working with people, relationships and organisational dynamics, it’s fun. I also like developing simple solutions to knotty problems.
Creating menopause enabled workplaces is one of those knotty problems that is unique to every organisation. The solution is a mix of awareness, training and multi platformed communication. It is also about processes, data and policy. I know that not everyone finds this interesting but I absolutely do.
My career in numbers
My journey to what I do and being a top voice in the menopause industry has been driven by my own menopause and many years implementing complex change projects around the world.
Years as a Global Project & Change Manager for FTSE 100 organisations.
Years as a coach working with women to support them in their menopause, career & relationships
Years working in menopause, focussed on enabling organisations to retain brilliant people.
Number of books published...
I understand the pressures of work and menopause
I had a big corporate career, that took me to far flung places. I worked long hours with early morning meetings with Australia, Africa and Europe during the day and North America in the evening. I managed project teams and implemented large reorganisation and IT projects.
It all came to an end when I was made redundant during the global banking crisis, while on maternity with my first daughter. I took it in my stride and stepped over into my coaching career which I had been building up in the background.
As my menopause symptoms started to make themselves known, I had to face my own insecurities about who I was and what I wanted to be. Sometimes I struggled, sometimes I succeeded. But I learnt at every turn.
Menopause doesn’t affect our ambition, how we and other people react does.
Today I work in menopause bringing together my menopause and corporate experience, to ensure that women can pursue their hard fought for careers and organisations can benefit from a more gender balanced and inclusive working environment.
Writing and talking about menopause at work and at home is where change starts and continues.