Menopause should become a neutral career event

Where Balancia began

Why I built Balancia

By Charmaine Brown, Founder

What do you do when the way you’ve always worked no longer feels reliable?

In my late 30s, I started having trouble focusing. I was losing words, forgetting things that normally came easily, and experiencing anxiety I couldn’t explain. At first, I tried to push through it. But eventually it began affecting my work. I missed deadlines, needed to take days off, and struggled to do a job I had always been good at.

I sought medical help and was treated for anxiety. The medication helped, but only to a point. Even when the anxiety became more manageable, the problems with focus, memory, and word retrieval were still there.

Then I had my first hot flash, and the pieces finally came together. I wasn’t dealing with anxiety alone. I was in perimenopause.

Having an answer helped. HRT helped, too. But it didn’t magically make work easy again. I still lost words during important meetings. If I was interrupted, I had trouble finding my way back to what I was doing. Things I used to recall without much effort were suddenly harder to retrieve.

I realized I couldn’t keep trying to work the same ways I had at 25, 30, or even 35 because it wasn't working. I needed to learn how to work with the brain I have now.

As a scientist, I did what came naturally: I started reading everything I could find. I have a PhD in cell and molecular biology, with research experience in developmental neuroscience, so I knew how to dig into the evidence. I found (some) information about menopause symptoms and medical treatment, but almost nothing about how to get through a demanding, interruption-heavy workday when your brain no longer feels predictable.

Then I put on my product hat. After 10 years of building healthtech products and leading teams, I knew how to identify needs, test ideas, learn, and adjust. I began figuring out which tools and changes helped me work more effectively. Over time, I got back on track and continued advancing in my career.

But I kept coming back to one question: Why should every woman have to figure this out on her own?

I completed 95 hours of professional coach training and became an ICF-trained performance coach. Then I built Balancia to give women the kind of practical workplace support I had gone looking for and couldn’t find.

—Charmaine