On May 12, WISE Seattle gathered for an intimate and honest evening of conversation at the beautiful headquarters of Armoire for Unmuted: An Overdue Conversation on Menopause & Women’s Health in the Workplace.
Surrounded by racks of gorgeous fashion, thoughtful design, and a welcoming atmosphere, WISE Seattle members came together for an evening centered on openness, learning, and connection. Guests enjoyed fantastic bites from Amores y Sabores Catering while networking before transitioning into a panel discussion and audience Q&A that continued through the evening.
The event featured an incredible lineup of speakers:
Together, the speakers explored how menopause and broader women’s health experiences intersect with confidence, leadership, identity, performance, and workplace culture.
Understanding What’s Happening
Dr. Dvorak grounded the audience in the medical realities of perimenopause versus menopause, helping explain why so many women feel caught off guard during this stage of life.
She shared that perimenopause is the transitional period leading up to menopause and can begin years earlier than many women expect, often bringing fluctuating hormone levels and symptoms long before periods officially stop. One of the reasons women often feel surprised by these changes, Dr. Dvorak explained, is because many symptoms are subtle, gradual, or attributed to something else entirely (stress, aging, burnout, parenting, or career pressure). Combined with the reality of increasingly short primary care appointments, many women may not realize they are experiencing hormonal changes until symptoms significantly disrupt daily life.
The conversation also addressed the physical impact many women experience during perimenopause and menopause, including:
- Increased fatigue after exercise
- Changes in muscle tone and muscle loss
- Weight gain, particularly around the midsection
- Longer recovery times and reduced physical resilience
- The compounding effect of aging alongside hormonal changes
Dr. Dvorak also discussed the commonly referenced experience of “brain fog,” helping attendees better understand that these cognitive changes are not imagined or exaggerated. Hormonal fluctuations can impact:
- Sleep quality
- Memory recall
- Focus and concentration
- Verbal retrieval (such as struggling to find words)
- Emotional regulation and stress tolerance
For many women, these symptoms can feel deeply destabilizing, especially when they occur during peak leadership and career years.
Importantly, the speakers also explored why many of these experiences remain invisible to others. Externally, someone may appear composed and high-functioning, while internally they may be operating on only a few hours of sleep, experiencing night sweats, discomfort, chronic pain, cognitive strain, dry eyes, frozen shoulder, or other lesser-known symptoms associated with hormonal change.
Dr. Dvorak encouraged women to track changes in their bodies, trust themselves when something feels different, and advocate for deeper conversations with their healthcare providers.
The Workplace Impact
The conversation then shifted toward how these experiences show up professionally and why workplace awareness matters.
Malia Razzaia shared that openness around women’s health in the workplace is essential if organizations hope to better support employees throughout their careers. She emphasized that normalizing these conversations creates space for others to feel less isolated and more comfortable speaking openly about their own experiences.
Malia also spoke candidly about how cognitive changes can affect confidence at work, even for highly accomplished professionals. Difficulty recalling words, slower processing, or feeling mentally “less sharp” can significantly impact someone whose role relies heavily on communication, leadership, or public speaking.
Mary Lasky reinforced the importance of both formal and informal workplace support. She shared that manager awareness, flexibility, and empathy are among the most meaningful supports organizations can provide during this life stage.
Mary encouraged attendees to truly understand the benefits available within their organizations and reminded the audience that workplace benefits can evolve when employees advocate for them and to put preventative care benefits to use as much as possible. She emphasized that women’s healthcare support should extend beyond fertility and parental care and continue throughout all stages of life.
Ambika Singh reflected on leadership, culture, and the importance of listening. She shared that truly supportive workplaces allow employees to give feedback in ways that feel comfortable and accessible to them, not simply in ways most convenient for the organization.
Ambika also spoke about fashion as an adaptive tool throughout women’s changing lives and how clothing rental like Armoire can offer a more flexible, sustainable way for women to navigate evolving needs and identities without contributing additional waste to landfills.
Continuing the Conversation
The evening concluded with an impassioned audience Q&A that made one thing abundantly clear: there is still so much more to discuss.
From workplace policy and healthcare access to confidence, identity, leadership, and allyship, the conversation reinforced that women’s health is not a niche issue.
WISE Seattle is grateful to all of the panelists, attendees, and partners who helped make this evening possible and proud to contribute to a conversation that continues to evolve.
And perhaps most importantly, the evening reminded us that the only way we create greater understanding is by continuing to talk openly, honestly, and collectively about experiences that have too often remained unspoken.
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