Female founders unaware of perimenopause symptoms
Sharryn Ludlow, founder of Menopause Resource Hub, offers solace to female founders who don’t understand why they suffer tiredness, broken sleep and aches and pains when perimenopause creeps up on them. For most of her working life, she has run her own businesses—consulting, ecommerce, coaching, and training. After COVID, she moved into the travel industry while keeping consulting work alongside it. Used to juggling many responsibilities, she pushed through the symptoms, attributing broken sleep to a busy mind and tiredness to lack of exercise.
After months of appointments with doctors who never mentioned perimenopause or menopause, she ended up with a gynaecologist who recommended surgery without explanation. It wasn’t until she began researching on her own that she realized her symptoms might be related to menopause. This realization was the turning point; she wishes someone had told her sooner about the importance of raising the issue herself.
Perimenopause can start years before periods stop, and symptoms don’t always fit expectations. If you’re in your 40s or 50s and something feels off, don’t wait for your GP to bring it up, raise it yourself. Since July 2025, Medicare has covered a dedicated menopause and perimenopause health assessment with a GP, offering a longer appointment (at least 20 minutes) that can be booked annually.
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Good menopause support rarely comes from one person. A GP is a starting point, but depending on symptoms, other practitioners, such as a pelvic floor physio, psychologist, or dietitian, may also be needed. Think of it like running a business: you wouldn’t expect one person to handle accounting, legal, and marketing. Your health deserves the same team-based approach.
Naming the issue is key; it helps partners, business colleagues, and teams understand and support you. Sharryn had to explain to her husband that her fatigue wasn’t his fault or a relationship problem. Once he understood, he stepped in more, easing her workload. Small-business owners often carry everything alone, but this is one area where pushing through quietly costs more than it should, affecting health, relationships, and business.
Nobody told her. She hopes fewer women will have to say the same.
