Perimenopause symptoms like hot flashes, sleep problems, and brain fog often go undiagnosed. Here's how Joanna Strober built accessible menopause care for women over 40.

Perimenopause symptoms went undiagnosed for years while Joanna Strober suffered through sleepless nights, unexplained weight gain, hot flashes, and anxiety. Despite seeing multiple doctors, no one mentioned perimenopause or hormone therapy. This is her story of how personal medical dismissal became a mission to transform menopause care for women over 40.

At 53, Joanna founded Midi Health—the first insurance-covered virtual care platform for perimenopause and menopause, now serving 20,000 women weekly across all 50 states.

In this episode, you'll learn:

✅ Why perimenopause symptoms start in your 30s or 40s (up to 20 years before menopause)

✅ The truth about HRT and breast cancer risk

✅ How to access insurance-covered menopause care vs. paying $1,500+ out of pocket

✅ Common perimenopause symptoms beyond hot flashes: brain fog, sleep disruption, night sweats, anxiety, weight gain, vertigo

✅ Why hormone therapy (HRT) has 5x less hormones than birth control pills doctors readily prescribe

✅ How one woman turned medical gaslighting into a healthcare company at 53

✅ The courage to talk about menopause publicly when it was considered career suicide

✅ Why perimenopause care IS primary care for women over 40

✅ The manifesting and visualization techniques that helped build a national healthcare platform

✅ How to create feedback loops that drive operational excellence (including the brilliance of [email protected])

Why This Matters for Women Over 40:

Medical studies show women 40-49 experience significant work and life impacts from perimenopause, yet symptoms are routinely dismissed or misdiagnosed. This conversation breaks down the barriers keeping women from proper care and offers practical pathways to getting help.

About Joanna Strober:

Joanna Strober is the Founder and CEO of Midi Health, the largest insurance-covered virtual menopause care platform in the United States. After her own perimenopause symptoms went undiagnosed for years, she founded Midi at age 53 to ensure other women wouldn't suffer the same medical dismissal. She was one of the first business leaders to publicly discuss menopause on LinkedIn in 2021, helping break the professional taboo around this life transition. Under her leadership, Midi now serves nearly 20,000 women weekly with accessible, expert menopause care.

Key Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction

[03:15] Joanna's undiagnosed perimenopause journey

[06:00] Why doctors prescribe birth control instead of HRT

[07:15] The career risk of talking about menopause in 2021

[10:00] Debunking the hormone therapy and breast cancer myth

[15:00] How insurance coverage makes menopause care accessible

[18:45] The billion symptoms of perimenopause you need to know

[20:00] Starting a healthcare company at 53

[23:30] Manifesting and strategic visualization in business

[27:00] Serving 20,000 women weekly—the reality of scaling healthcare

[30:00] Why [email protected] matters for courage capital

[33:00] The future: expanding to full women's primary care

Resources Mentioned:

• MIDI Health: www.joinmidi.com (insurance-covered menopause care)

• Women's Health Initiative Study (discussed in episode)

• Nutrafol (episode sponsor for hair health)

Connect with The Uplifters:

🎙 Website: theuplifterspodcast.com

📱 Instagram: @the_uplifters_podcast and @aransas_savas

📱 TikTok: @theuplifterspodcast

▶️ YouTube: @theuplifterspodcast

💼 LinkedIn: Aransas Savas

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• Julie Gordon White (MenoWell) - created the menopause power snack she needed during her transition
• Denise Pines (Producer of The M Factor Film) - age enthusiast, longtime community health advocate, and media pioneer
• Konika Ray Wong (Girl Power Science) - creating education that centers girls’ actual bodies and experiences

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