As many of you know, alongside formulating our wholefood led blends, Masterclass programmes for curious minds, and community conversations, we regularly undertake research to capture individual lived experience of the complexity that is midlife.
Today, I’m delighted to be able to share Kacy’s story of resilience and entrepreneurship as part of our Phenomenal Women Journal series. I know you’ll enjoy this conversation too.
Q. First tell me what The Fuchsia Tent ‘is’ and how it is designed to support females navigating midlife.
We believe suffering shouldn’t be the hallmark of the menopausal transition. Between the ages of 35 and 65, we are in our peak performance years! We are just getting started.
The Fuchsia Tent Mission is two-fold:
1. Because the menopausal transition is confusing enough, The Fuchsia Tent aims to provide clarity, simplicity, support and access for ALL!
2. To showcase the incredible work of female founders in the menopause space, we will highlight those businesses founded by women.
There are two primary ways to interact with The Fuchsia Tent:
- The Fuchsia Tent website provides free information for ALL.
- The Fuchsia Tent Community is a private members only community designed for women by women!
Q. Then, talk to me about how it came to be. What is your backstory? What moments, life experiences and perspectives got you to ‘here’?
I am a self-proclaimed perimenopause whisperer (at least today, I am) who cares deeply about human well-being, especially for women in their peak performance years! I am you and I see you! We all deserve to be seen and surrounded by a loving community!
I spent over twenty years in biopharmaceuticals where I learned the importance of healthcare education, community support, and open access to medications. Despite this knowledge, when perimenopause symptoms hit, I too fell victim to Google Search, and knew there had to be a better way to learn about the menopausal transition. That is why I created The Fuchsia Tent.
In addition to being the CEO and founder of The Fuchsia Tent, I am a multiple award-winning well-being strategist and life-coach, with a Master’s in Organizational Psychology and a passion for helping people.
I am a published author, a TEDx speaker, and have appeared on numerous global podcasts about human well-being. Every time I speak to a group of people about my experience in perimenopause, women pull me aside and share their journeys. It became abundantly clear that my work needed to move towards helping these women through the menopausal transition.
In addition to talking about all things menopause, I love to share top tips earned from two decades of experience working in a variety of leadership roles. Having lived the corporate life for over 20 years, it is time we break the wall of silence about the differences between men and women’s health in the workplace. Women need reliable information, caring community, and support!
Q. What was the insight that fuelled you to launch the business? What do you feel, generally, is missing right now in the menopause space?
I was in this weird space, where I had gone from your typical anxious overachiever who was terrified of dying and loved life, to someone I barely recognized. This transition happened seemingly overnight. I no longer cared about holidays or vacations, I was constantly mad at my partner for no reason, and when I sought help, I was met with paid Google Search.
I have worked in the pharmaceutical space for nearly 20 years, and grew up in a medical family where we talked often of health and well-being. I am also very comfortable discussing my mental health and after years of coaching and therapy have the language to do that. Not to mention an incredibly supportive partner and the fact that we live in a state with outstanding medical care. Take all those things away, and I would likely have had a different outcome. I wanted to do better for women.
Q. We met as a result of a serendipitous focus group we held with midlife women in the USA. How do you feel the conversation differs about midlife over the pond? What are you hearing when you speak to your friends? And what is the dominant message in the media about menopause?
What you mean to say is that I stalked you when I found out that you too were at SXSW!
I think the conversation in the UK is much more balanced than in the US. We, Americans, have gotten very loud, very quickly about the importance of menopause care which is great, and the conversation is quite medical and hormone therapy based at the moment.
Don’t get me wrong. I am on hormone therapy and I believe every human with a uterus and ovaries should be informed of their options, but additional supplementation, lifestyle modifications, and community are also important and hormones are not for everyone.
We need a balanced point of view. Each person's menopause journey is unique to their body, and their care plan should be the same. One size fits all care is just more of the same system that is already broken.
Q. We’ve spoken before about your own perimenopause journey. What for you were the early symptoms? And what have you learned about your body and mind’s needs during this phase of life? Please also talk to us about what tools and practices you have put in place to support yourself and your health.
Well, I spent 2 years thinking that I had lost my mind, especially around my periods (when they actually came) which left me super depressed. At the point when I was considering what it would be like to disappear, I told my partner, called my doctor, and begged for Lexapro, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). It saved my life. I also started journaling daily, built a meditation practice, and sought community. In addition, I have always been a huge believer in adaptogens and adding them to my matcha lattes and smoothies for extra balance and clean energy.
Then came the hot flashes, or nuclear meltdowns as I like to call them and night sweats, also known as sleep deprivation torture. It was so bad, and the lack of sleep made me so irrational that I sought hormone therapy. Today, I still take Lexapro and HRT, as well as adaptogens, a clean diet, strength training, and journaling. I believe we need to take a holistic approach to treating menopause knowing that each human’s menopausal transition is unique and that symptoms wax and wane over time.
Q. We’re very flattered that, as a naturopathic practitioner as well as a leading well-being practitioner, you’ve openly shared your love of our formulations and philosophy! What do you feel sets MPowder apart from the rest? And what has your experience been taking our blends?
Your science. When I first started my review of all things menopause, MPowder stood out as a creator of naturopathic formulations that were different from everything else on the market, and with my herbalist hat on, just plain awesome. I believe my exact words in my research grid were “These folks know their stuff.”
I have loved adding the powders to my smoothies and feel that the formulations give me better energy than I had without them. My gut is my achilles heel and I was diagnosed with IBS at 21. The microbiome is a constant struggle for me and Gut Instinct gives great hope to individuals who have similarly cranky tummies.
Q. What do you wish your younger self had known about:
Life: My younger self (and even this older self) is afraid of her shadow. I’m sure it seems that way to no one but me, but it is true. I would tell her to go for it, and not to be afraid to be exactly who she is. That people pleasing is a complete suck of energy and a total waste of time.
Love: Not to waste so much time looking for love outside of self, but rather to cultivate love and compassion for herself. I adore my partner,don’t get me wrong. My younger self always felt like she would die if she didn’t have a life partner. That not having a partner meant she was flawed.
I would tell her that is just the patriarchy talking through movies and TV and to move on.
Health: That it isn’t about how skinny you look, it is about how great you feel and how much energy you have.
If I had a dollar for every thought about my weight in my life, I could buy a sizable country.
Work: No job, title, or career is worth your peace.
Q. Finally, where can people go to find out more about your work and get involved with your community?
Thank you so much for letting me share my work and mission with you and your community!
You can find me on social media at the following handles:
Instagram: @thefuchsiatent and @kca_fleming
Via my website: The Fuchsia Tent website provides free information and education for ALL. Finally, The Fuchsia Tent Community is a private members only community designed for women by women!
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