Published: April, 2025
Published: April, 2025
Featured Physician
Cathleen M. BrownHost
Dr. Cathleen Brown, Winona's Medical Director and board-certified OB-GYN, joined host Sarah Panus alongside Winona's head of social media, Brooke Mathews, on Marketing with Empathy Episode 151, "Reach Women Going Through Menopause."
In this conversation, Dr. Brown and Brooke Mathews discuss the fears, symptoms, and stigma women face during perimenopause and menopause, and what brands need to understand to connect with and support women through this stage of life.
Podcast: Marketing with Empathy
Episode: 151
Episode Title: Reach Women Going Through Menopause
Host: Sarah Panus
Guests: Dr. Cathleen Brown (Winona’s Medical Director) & Brooke Mathews (Winona’s Head of Social Media)
Published Date: April 30, 2025
Episode Duration: 26 minutes
Format: Audio and Video Interview
Main Topics: Menopause, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), telehealth
Marketing with Empathy helps brands and nonprofits connect with families, and the moms who influence most household purchases. Host Sarah Panus shares ideas to get products, services, or missions into the homes of families who need them most.
In this episode, Panus speaks with Dr. Brown and Brooke Mathews about the realities of perimenopause and menopause, and how marketers can approach women navigating this life stage with more empathy and clarity.
In this episode of Marketing with Empathy, Dr. Brown explains that women often struggle to recognize perimenopause symptoms while juggling careers, kids, and aging parents, and how fear and stigma frequently keep women from seeking treatment. She describes common symptoms tied to declining estrogen levels, including brain fog, sleep disruption, mood swings, irregular periods, hot flashes, and changes in skin and hair.
The conversation also covers what Winona has learned from its own community of women navigating menopause, including workplace flexibility as a top-requested form of support. Dr. Brown also discusses how bioidentical hormone therapy differs from synthetic hormones used in birth control.
Fears and misconceptions women face during perimenopause and menopause
Common early symptoms: brain fog, sleep issues, and mood swings
Irregular periods and vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes
Changes in skin, hair, and joints tied to declining estrogen levels
Why women often delay seeking care for symptoms
How telehealth is helping close gaps in menopause care
What bioidentical hormone therapy is and how it differs from synthetic hormones
Workplace flexibility and menopause-friendly policies
How brands can communicate with empathy to women in this life stage
Dr. Brown explains that many women rationalize early symptoms like brain fog, sleep disruption, and mood changes as stress or normal aging rather than recognizing them as signs of perimenopause. This delay in recognition, combined with the demands of career and family, often leaves women unsure of where to turn for support.
The conversation covers a wide range of symptoms related to declining estrogen levels, including brain fog, sleep issues, irregular periods, mood swings, joint pain, and changes in skin and hair texture. Dr. Brown notes that while over one hundred menopause symptoms have been documented, most women experience roughly 30 to 40 of them.
Dr. Brown explains that bioidentical hormones are chemically identical to the estrogen and progesterone naturally produced in women’s bodies. They differ from synthetic hormones used in birth control, which are designed to suppress ovulation rather than restore natural hormone levels.
Dr. Brown and Brooke Mathews discuss how time constraints during in-person doctor visits have historically left many women without adequate support, and how telehealth companies like Winona are working to fill that gap with accessible, physician-reviewed care.
Citing a poll from Winona's own community, Brooke shares that 67% of women identified flexible work hours as the most helpful form of workplace support during menopause, underscoring the need for employers to consider this life stage in their policies.
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Dr. Cathleen Brown is a menopause specialist and physician with Winona. She brings a physician’s perspective to menopause, perimenopause, hormone changes, symptom care, and treatment options during midlife.
At Winona, Dr. Brown helps women better understand symptoms, health history, hormone changes, and when physician-reviewed care may be appropriate.
Watch the full conversation with Dr. Cathleen M. Brown on
Marketing with Empathy with Sarah Panus.
Winona helps women access menopause and perimenopause care from home. Start with a short health questionnaire, and a board-certified physician will review your symptoms, health history, and treatment options.
Dr. Cathleen Brown, Winona's Medical Director and a board-certified OB-GYN, and Brooke Mathews, Winona's head of social media, were featured in this episode.
Dr. Brown discussed perimenopause and menopause symptoms, common misconceptions, bioidentical hormone therapy, and how telehealth is helping expand access to menopause care.
Marketing with Empathy is hosted by Sarah Panus.
The episode is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and iHeart.
Dr. Brown explains that bioidentical hormone therapy uses hormones that are chemically identical to the estrogen and progesterone a woman's body naturally produces, unlike synthetic hormones used in birth control.
