Women's Health Over 40 and FemAging with Denise Pines

denise pines femtech

https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/7ffxfv/denisefinal_-_3_21_22_520_PMbitna.mp3

EPISODE SUMMARY:

Denise Pines is an expert on menopause who is using her extensive knowledge to advocate for and help midlife women find the right medical care, resources, and education. In today’s episode, we sat down with Denise to discuss Femaging, investor responses to menopausal women as consumers, the lack of education about midlife in the medical field, and Wisepause.

First, we asked Denise how she became inspired to start Femaging. She explained that over the years, she has read numerous articles about femtech, the combination of money and brands pertaining to women’s health. Denise noticed right away that although there were many technology solutions geared towards women of childbearing age, none were made to accommodate midlife women. Wanting to change the narrative, Denise coined the term femaging, defined as innovations focusing on the needs of women 40 years and older, and began working on a report. She created a report as an innovator for companies and investors to invest in midlife women. In the report, menopausal women shared what products were most important to them, what products they wanted, and in what areas marketing was lacking in advertising to women in midlife. For example, over 30% of midlife women reported using voice-enabled devices, yet research found that there are no femtech solutions that are voice enabled. The midlife women group is nearly as large as the group of women who are childbearing age, and Denise said she wants to show investors that midlife women are a viable group to market to. She has been promoting femaging for a while now, and luckily has been met with little resistance. Denise even mentioned that she has become so used to and open about discussing menopause that she will often have conversations with the males in her life or even strangers trying to educate them on the topic.

Dealing with investors can be a challenge, and when asked what her biggest obstacles have been, Denise spoke about convincing investors to see the cause. The first step is educating them on the large market size midlife women make up and the symptoms and issues of menopause that could be solved with more funding for products. However, an issue that comes with negotiations is the investors themselves. Many of them are either very young men or midlife men, and both groups are disconnected from the issues of menopause. They either have yet to see their mother go through it or may have a wife who hides her discomfort. Without direct exposure, investors are less likely to connect with the cause and in turn want to invest their money. To avoid this, Denise emphasized the importance of doing research on brands that either cater to midlife women specifically or who are popular amongst midlife consumers. Going directly to brands known to help midlife women helps make more of a difference, since they already have the awareness and drive to help midlife women.

A common issue that arises when discussing midlife is the lack of education on menopause in the medical field. We asked Denise her thoughts on the problem, and she told us that in a study conducted with doctors who had just graduated from medical school, only 26% of them could accurately answer questions about menopause. If doctors are not taught about the complexities and specifics of menopause, then they cannot give midlife patients the treatment and resources they need. Denise is currently trying to help increase education on menopause in the medical field. Through partnering with the current president of the Menopause Society to survey doctors in California, they can gather data on the knowledge gap in midlife treatment and work to improve the education system. With her efforts, Denise said she hopes to recreate the medical school curriculum surrounding women’s life stages to add emphasis on the midlife stage and menopause.

Finally, we spoke to Denise about Wisepause, a platform she founded to give midlife women a place for connection and education. When asked what prompted her to want to create Wisepause, Denise told us that she was inspired by her own menopause journey. After being taken off guard by the ferocity of her own symptoms, she empathized with other midlife women. She even began working with her doctor to create Tea Botanicals, teas to help alleviate menopause symptoms. Denise wanted to give midlife women a place where they could meet other like-minded women and receive information from the top professionals. Denise created an all-day event to discuss midlife and menopause, with a round table conversation with doctors and specialists who are experts on midlife. For example, she had a fitness expert attend the event to discuss how exercise and diet plans for weight loss differ between forty and after forty. There will be another Wisepause event hosted virtually this March, and one held in person in September. Wisepause also lists all of Denise’s recommended doctors so that attendees can book appointments with them and get the care they deserve. Many midlife symptoms and issues aren’t discussed in medical settings, and one Denise brought to our attention is allergies. While many believe allergies are a symptom of menopause, that isn’t the case. When our bodies are already allergic to something we aren’t aware of, it has worse reactions as time goes on. By menopause, an undetected allergy may present as sudden cold or allergy symptoms, even though it’s existed within us the whole time. Denise also mentioned vitamin D and how important it is to get your Vitamin D levels tested. To learn more information about Denise and her companies, she told us that midlife women can visit her websites at wisepause.com, femaging.com, and teabotanics.com.

Denise Pines

As a successful entrepreneur, producer, and menopause expert, Denise Pines has established herself as a vital, trusted resource for midlife women. Through various brands and products, Denise is passionate about helping women not only survive but thrive as they go through midlife changes. She is founder, co-visionary and head task master for Tea Botanics, tea that helps menopausal symptoms. She is also the inspiration of Hot Flash Tea, a tea specifically designed to help alleviate the symptoms of hot flashes. Denise is the founder of Wisepause, a platform that educates on health and wellness associated with aging, and Femaging 2020, an online report that introduces the concept of femtech innovation for women in midlife. Denise is also a producer and has been part of 11 documentaries, including the award-winning film PUSHOUT: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools, and Anthony Fauci, which will air in Spring 2022. She is the past president of the Medical Board of California and serves on the Board of Directors of the Federation of State Medical Boards, Osteopathic Medical Board of California and the Martin Luther King Community Hospital Foundation board.