The Invitation
Peri/Menopause: Coming home to yourself in the second half of life
A keynote and workshop by Dee Hunter
“What if menopause isn't a chapter of decline, but an invitation to rise into a different kind of power?
An invitation to take stock of the life we've lived, consciously design the life ahead, and step into the wisdom, confidence and leadership that younger generations need us to share.
We haven't reached the end of our becoming. We are just beginning to understand what we are capable of.”
Dee Hunter
Why menopause needs a new conversation
We have spent much of our lives becoming the women we thought we needed to be. Perhaps now is the time to consciously become the women we actually want to be.
For generations, menopause has been framed around loss: the loss of fertility, of hormones, of youth. The physical changes are real, and for many women the symptoms can be significant. Women deserve good care, accurate information and real choices, and they should never be expected to simply put up with it. Yet alongside the biological transition, something else is happening. It’s a moment to pause, take stock of the life we’ve lived and ask who we want to be in the decades ahead, at a time when many women are at the height of their experience and seniority.
For organisations, this is when capable women can quietly step back, lose confidence or leave, taking years of knowledge with them. With understanding and support, it becomes the moment they step forward into their wisdom, confidence and leadership, and share it with the generations coming up behind them.
The Keynote
Rise Into a Different Kind of Power
The Invitation starts with the body. The 2002 Women's Health Initiative study, widely reported as proof that HRT was dangerous, left a generation of women without treatment that could have helped them, and that fear still lingers in doctors' rooms today.
Dr Peter Attia has described it as possibly "the greatest single failure of the modern medical system".
Too many women are offered antidepressants when they aren't depressed, they're depleted. This keynote gives women the knowledge and confidence to take responsibility for their health and advocate for themselves.
From there, the focus widens to the life transition happening alongside the biological one: reclaiming who we are beyond the roles we've played and reimagining what is still possible. Drawing on Vanaprastha, the forest-dweller stage of life in Hindu philosophy, and the wisdom of Australian First Nations women on talking together and the strength of "sisterhood", women leave ready to step into a different kind of leadership
What women take away
A clear understanding of what is happening in their bodies and why
The confidence to advocate for themselves with their GP and ask for proper care
A new way of seeing midlife as a time of growth, wisdom and leadership
Clarity on what they are ready to let go of and what they want more of
A sense of connection, knowing they don't have to navigate this alone
What the organisation gains
Experienced women who stay confident, engaged and ready to lead
A workplace culture where menopause can be talked about openly and without stigma
Managers who understand the transition and know how to support their people
Retention of the knowledge and leadership younger generations need
A clear signal that the organisation values women at every stage of their careers
"I've never seen a speaker hold an audience so captivated for over an hour, leaving us wanting more. Dee's storytelling and insights aren't just pop psychology. They have depth and she truly knows her stuff."
Cathy Horton, Events Manager, The Northern Club, New Zealand
The Workshop
The workshop gives women the time and space to go deeper. Over four hours, in person or virtually, they move from understanding the transition to designing the next chapter of their lives, learning from the science, from their own experience and from each other. It's a warm, confidential space where everyone chooses what they share. All participants receive resources to support their learning, and the workshop can be tailored to each organisation.
Inside the workshop
Understand thee transition
The stages of perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause, and why every woman's experience is different. Women explore the physical, cognitive and emotional changes, longer-term health such as bone and heart health, and the full range of support available, from MHT and non-hormonal options to psychological approaches and everyday lifestyle foundations. They leave ready for a more informed conversation with their GP.
Who am I becoming ?
Women look gently at the roles, expectations and inherited stories that shaped the first half of their lives, and notice which ones still fit. Through the lens of Vanaprastha, they explore permission to pause, the freedom to redefine themselves, how experience becomes wisdom and what their own kind of leadership could look like.
Talk together, design together
In small groups, women share their experiences and hear from one another, in the spirit of talking together. They think about who they can have honest conversations with, work through the Next Chapter Reflection in depth, and finish with one small step and a plan to carry it into their lives.
Participants leave with
A clear understanding of the menopause transition and the choices available
Confidence to talk about menopause openly, at work and at home
Insight into the beliefs and expectations they are ready to let go of
A clearer picture of the life they want to create
Connection with other women and a way to stay in conversation
One meaningful step and a plan to make it stick
For leaders and people teams
The Invitation helps organisations become menopause-informed workplaces where women feel safe to speak up, ask for what they need and keep growing. Women stay confident, connected and ready to lead, managers gain a shared language for a transition that has gone unspoken for too long, and the business holds on to the experience it can least afford to lose. Men are warmly welcome, as leaders, colleagues and partners who want to understand and support the women around them. All resources are shared with the organisation afterwards, and integration coaching is available to help the changes stick.
Keynote 55 Minutes
Workshop 4 Hours
Integration Coaching
What clients say
I’ve never seen a speaker hold an audience so captivated for over an hour, leaving us wanting more. Dee’s storytelling and insights have depth and she truly knows her stuff. I hope Dee offers this as a half-day workshop, as members are eager for more!
Cathy Horton, Events Manager, The Northern Club, New Zealand
Dee delivered a hybrid presentation to our 250 staff nationwide, addressing real stressors they face. She gave us clear insights into stress and management techniques, handled numerous questions, and provided an excellent summary with resources afterward.
Nastasia Belz, Events Co-ordinator, Tompkins Wake Legal
Dee opened our two-day conference in Auckland, and we then asked her to close the same conference in Sydney. The reviews speak for themselves: a total score of 4.8/5, and she set the tone for the whole conference. “Engaging and informative, wonderful speaker.” “Humble and generous, what a great journey we went on.”
Anna Turner, Portfolio and Content Director, HR/L&D Tech Fests, Sydney
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