Hot Flashes & Cool Topics Podcast

https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/eeqejd/Stacy_London_final_-_5_18_21_500_PM8nfs9.mp3

EPISODE SUMMARY: 

For many of us, Stacy London has been a household name for years. From her work as a style expert on What Not to Wear to now being the CEO of the company State of Menopause, Stacy has made a voice not only for herself but for those in society who frequently feel unheard. Now, with State of Menopause, she’s using that voice to offer products and a platform for midlife women, a demographic that is too often left out of the health and wellness conversations. In today’s episode, we spoke with Stacy about her personal experience with menopause and how State of Menopause is changing the game for midlife women and menopause.

First, we talked to Stacy about her journey to taking control in midlife and becoming the CEO of a company. She explained that her journey with State of Menopause began when Stacy was a beta tester for their products. As a midlife woman herself, she wanted to offer authentic and useful feedback for her demographic. After becoming a vocal and vital part of their product production, Stacy was eventually approached by State of Menopause and asked to become the company’s CEO, a job which she nervously but readily accepted. When considering the position, Stacy told us that she realized that despite her career not revolving around menopause previously, her jobs have always entailed helping people realize their sense of self and accepting their flaws. The desire to help and connect with others while getting to share her own story is what drew her to the CEO position, and now, she not only promotes the products but has a hand in making every single one to ensure they truly cater to the needs of midlife women.

We then talked to Stacy about her personal experience going through perimenopause and menopausal symptoms. Initially, she said that she had no idea she was even in perimenopause. After experiencing a major spinal surgery and the death of her father, Stacy assumed that her symptoms were simply her body’s way of trying to cope with outside circumstances. She spoke on how a lack of resources and education prevented her from seeking help from her doctor and even her gynecologist. Since she didn’t realize she was going through perimenopause, she didn’t know how to ask for help to alleviate symptoms such as acne, fatigue and mood swings. The lack of resources made her feel invisible, and after finally realizing what was going on with her body, she was frustrated that so many other women must be feeling the same way she does. As a CEO, Stacy told us that she sees how this lack of resources for midlife women extends outside of the medical field and into products and entertainment. Executives view menopause as “unsexy” and refuse to approach the subject with proper care and humor, and with State of Menopause, Stacy is striving to change the conversation and make menopause information and resources more accessible for current and future generations.

For State of Menopause’s products, Stacy raved about the cooling spray, telling us its numerous benefits. The cooling spray can also act as a toner that balances pH and, when paired with the cooling gel, can help with cystic acne. For State of Menopause’s other products, they are separated into four categories: state of cool, state of hydration, state of rest and renew, and state of strength. Stacy talked about how each category looks at menopausal symptoms and offers products that are easy and accessible for midlife women to use. All of the products are clean and vegan and help target symptoms such as joint pain, hot flashes, anxiety, fatigue, and more. Stacy then emphasized the importance of products acknowledging how women experience menopause differently. She spoke on how the rare conversations surrounding menopause often solely focus on the experiences of white women, when in truth, white women and women of color have different midlife and menopausal journeys. Stacy believes these differences should be discussed so that more resources can be made available.

Finally, we asked Stacy about her initial mindset when taking the position as CEO of State of Menopause. She told us that even now she still struggles with feeling overwhelmed by the responsibilities. However, she enjoys the challenge and learning new information to help other menopausal women.

Stacy London

Stacy London is one of America’s foremost style experts. She is best known as the co-host of TLC’s iconic show, “What Not to Wear.” Following that success, she hosted and executive produced 3 seasons of “Love Lust or Run.” Stacy has written two books, Dress Your Best, which was published to stellar reviews, and The Truth About Style, a New York Times bestseller. In 2020, she hosted a podcast discussing mental health, Could Be Better, tbh, in collaboration with the Crisis Text Line and The Jed Foundation (JED). In 2021, Stacy became the founder and CEO of State of Menopause, a holistic product line for women which addresses the symptoms associated with menopause and perimenopause. In this new phase of her career, Stacy is doing what she has done her entire career as a stylist: help people from suffering silently, raise their confidence and self-esteem by alleviating external symptoms, and removing the shame that surrounds them.

Stacy’s symptoms started around age 47. She experienced every single symptom associated with menopause from body aches and insomnia to memory loss and mood swings. She thought she was going crazy and even consulted a therapist to see if she had Alzheimer’s disease.

Over the last five years, Stacy has been creating and pitching content and stories about women in their 40s but consistently was told that ‘it wasn’t sexy’ and no one would watch.

When she was approached to be a beta-tester for this product line, it finally felt like a brand was talking to her. The opportunity to take over the company was her way of pivoting in middle age to speak to and evangelize the audience she was told she could not reach in any other way.

As CEO of SOM, Stacy is doing what she has done her entire career as a stylist:  help people from suffering silently, raise their confidence and self-esteem by alleviating external symptoms, and removing the shame that surrounds them. And that’s why, when she got the chance, she went from being one of a hundred peri-menopausal beta-testers for these products to running the company.

In this episode, we discuss…

• [0:01] Introduction
• [0:24] Guest Introduction
• [2:25] Start of Interview
• [3:23] Stacy’s Experience with Taking Control in Midlife
• [12:52] Stacy’s Menopause Experience
• [31:56] State of Menopause’s Products
• [46:35] Stacy’s Mindset When Becoming CEO
• [48:56] Closing Thoughts
• [49:45] Outro

Useful Resources:

State of Menopause I [https://www.stateofmenopause.com/]

State of Menopause’s Facebook I [https://www.facebook.com/shopstateof]

State of Menopause’s Instagram I [https://www.instagram.com/shopstateof/]

State of Menopause’s Pinterest I [https://www.pinterest.com/shopstateof/_saved/]

Stacy’s Facebook I [https://www.facebook.com/stacylondonofficial]

Stacy’s Twitter I [https://twitter.com/stacylondon]

Stacy’s IMDb I [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1518642/]

Stacy’s Instagram I [https://www.instagram.com/stacylondonreal/?hl=en]

Dress Your Best I [https://www.amazon.com/Dress-Your-Best-Complete-Finding/dp/0307236714]

The Truth About Style I [https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-truth-about-style-stacy-london/1109473330]

State of Menopause Products

Cooling Facial Moisturizer I [https://www.stateofmenopause.com/products/cooling-facial-moisturizer/]

Cooling Spray I [https://www.stateofmenopause.com/products/cooling-spray/]

Evening Primrose Oil Supplement I [https://www.stateofmenopause.com/products/evening-primrose-oil-supplement/]

Rich Facial Moisturizer I [https://www.stateofmenopause.com/products/rich-facial-moisturizer/]

Whipped Body Cream I [https://www.stateofmenopause.com/products/whipped-body-cream/]

Rejuvenating Face Oil I [https://www.stateofmenopause.com/products/rejuvenating-face-oil/]

CBD Body Oil I [https://www.stateofmenopause.com/products/cbd-body-oil/]

Arnica Hand & Joint Cream I [https://www.stateofmenopause.com/products/arnica-hand-joint-cream/]

Lavender Bath Salts I [https://www.stateofmenopause.com/products/lavender-bath-salts/]

Turmeric Supplement I [https://www.stateofmenopause.com/products/turmeric-supplement/]

Hydrogel Face Mask I [https://www.stateofmenopause.com/products/hydrogel-face-mask/]

Skin, Hair & Nails Supplement I [https://www.stateofmenopause.com/products/skin-hair-nails-supplement/]

Can’t Get Enough? Find Us Here!

Website I [http://hotflashescooltopics.com/]

Mail I [[email protected]]

Instagram I [https://www.instagram.com/hotflashesandcooltopics/]

Facebook I [https://www.facebook.com/hotflashescooltopics]

Twitter I [https://twitter.com/CoolFlashes]

Pinterest I [https://www.pinterest.com/hcooltopics/]