As I waved goodbye to my youngest this week as she headed off to school without me for the first time, a moment that brought on ALL the feels after 11 years of school runs, I realised it was time to introduce my newest baby to the world.

Deep breath… here goes:

The physical symptoms of perimenopause and menopause are finally being talked about (thanks Davina!), but the cultural impact still lingers largely in the shadows. Far too many women leave their careers, relationships, or, heartbreakingly, take steps to end their lives during this stage of life.

While some extraordinary high-profile women have recently found the courage to stand up and challenge social expectations (Hi Pammy!), most older women still feel unseen and unheard in workplaces and public life, their struggles only whispered among close friends out of fear of judgment.

It’s not *just* hot flushes and brain fog, it’s about how society labels us: Witch, Hag, Crone, Biddy. Words meant to silence and sideline women as we grow older and bolder, daring to start breaking the rules set by a patriarchal world.

The Hagnificent podcast, my “new baby”, was born when I found myself uncertain and lost, facing the transition into my fifth decade and searching for direction for the first time since college. Seeking stories of hope and renewal from women in midlife and beyond, I realised that if these voices helped me, they might help others too, and the Hagnificent Podcast was born.

During the soft launch phase, I’ve been fortunate enough to record interviews with three incredible women who are thriving in midlife in very different and inspiring ways, and I have more exciting guests coming up.

Now I need you: Join me and my guests as we embrace the names meant to diminish us and wear them with pride; listen via the links below, share with friends and colleagues who you feel will resonate with the Hagnificent mission, and drop names in the comments below of the Hagnificent icons in your life that you’d love to hear interviewed on the show.

Together we can change the narrative. We’re Hagnificent, and here to stay, with so much more to say, and a F*** of a lot more to give.

🎧 Listen on Spotify: http://bit.ly/45ZRtFA
🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/4mgFecF
📸 Follow Hagnificent on Instagram: @Hagnificentpod