Jo Fuller founded The Merry Menopause, following her own journey with menopause. Now, Fuller helps individuals and organisations to bring menopause out of the shadows and into everyday conversation through coaching, policy guidance and culture change. Conference News spoke to Fuller about her work and what the events industry needs to do to better support women.
When perimenopause struck at 42, long before her periods had stopped, Jo Fuller found herself navigating an bewildering landscape of symptoms without guidance, support, or even basic awareness of what was happening to her body. This experience fuelled the creation of The Merry Menopause, an organisation dedicated to transforming how women experience this critical life transition.
Fuller says: “I had no idea what was happening to me. Mood swings, anxiety, brain fog, body pain. I thought there was something seriously wrong with my mental and physical health. No one had warned me. There was such a gap in information and support and it made me angry.”
She added: “I turned that anger into action. I started reading, researching and sharing what I learned. What began as a personal project quickly grew into a platform for education, coaching and conversation. TheMerryMenopause is my way of helping other women feel prepared, seen and supported because this transition is a powerful time of not only physical and cognitive change but also a personal shift in identity and a time of growth and personal development and we deserve to be informed and supported. It’s work that’s personal and professional for me and I’m proud to be part of the movement creating real change for women in the workplace.”
Jo’s work centres around the idea that female hormones are a strength, not a weakness. Through coaching and education, she helps shift workplace culture, ensuring people can stay, lead, and perform at their best – especially during perimenopause and menopause.
Industry Impact and Challenges
The events industry is fast paced, high pressure and involves long hours and tight deadline. All of these things demand high energy, something that can feel impossible when you’re dealing with menopause symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, brain fog or disrupted sleep. Fuller says: “For many women in events, the pressure to perform and be ‘on’ all the time can mask what’s really going on. There’s a fear of being seen as less capable, so they keep quiet and just push through. But that silence comes at a cost – burnout, confidence loss, and in some cases, women leaving the industry altogether.What we need is more understanding, more flexibility, and more honest conversation. Because menopause doesn’t mean you can’t do your job, you just need the right support.”
Despite women comprising 70% of the events industry workforce, they remain underrepresented in senior leadership roles—a disparity that Fuller believes is linked to inadequate menopause support in the workplace. Fuller says: “Why? Because midlife can be tough, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally too. If you’re dealing with symptoms in silence, doubting yourself, feeling burnt out or unsupported, it’s no wonder you don’t have the energy or confidence to go for that promotion or stay in the game long term and if workplaces aren’t talking about menopause, offering flexibility, or building psychologically safe cultures, then the system is essentially pushing women out just as they reach the peak of their careers. It’s not a pipeline issue, it’s a support issue and that’s something we can change.”
Practical Solutions and Implementation
Moving beyond awareness to action, Fuller emphasises that creating menopause-friendly workplaces and events doesn’t require revolutionary changes, rather, it demands thoughtful, consistent implementation of practical solutions. From simple venue modifications to strategic HR partnerships, the path forward involves concrete steps that industry stakeholders can take immediately to support women throughout their careers.
Fuller stressed that menopause isn’t a niche issue, it’s a workplace wellbeing issue that affects a substantial portion of the workforce. Fuller says: “The events industry moves fast, but if we want to keep talented women in the room, and in leadership, we need to slow down long enough to listen and take action.”
This involves equipping managers with the skills to facilitate supportive conversations, developing policies that move beyond superficial compliance to genuinely address the realities of menopause and creating work environments that provide flexibility, autonomy, and understanding particularly during the industry’s notoriously high-pressure periods.
For event planners, she suggests ‘comfort’, creating spaces where people can take a breath through things such as seating, quiet zones and breakout areas for those who need a moment away from the buzz. She also suggests including speakers who can bring menopause and menstruation into the conversations. For venues, she suggests making sure that basics are covered, with bins in every toilet cubicle and to train staff to understand the needs of midlife women, not just attendees, but also your crew. Fuller says: “The good news? None of this is complicated. It just takes willingness, consistency, and the courage to start the conversation. Menopause-friendly doesn’t have to mean a complete overhaul, it’s about small, thoughtful changes that make a big difference.”
Intergrating hormonal intelligence into discussion about career advancement and team wellbeing is another way that event leaders can make women feel more supported. Fuller explains that hormones influence far more than mood or energy levels, they directly impact confidence, creativity, communication skills, and leadership capacity. When event leaders grasp this concept, they can move beyond viewing hormones as merely a “women’s issue” and begin recognizing them as valuable leadership assets. Fuller’s Cyclical Leadership framework exemplifies this approach, helping women track their menstrual cycles to align high-stake activities like presentations, planning sessions or negotiations with phases when they feel most capable—a strategy she describes as transformative for both confidence and performance.
For women in perimenopause or post-menopause, this intelligence involves understanding evolving energy patterns and capacity levels, then planning work accordingly. Event leaders can cultivate hormonal intelligence by normalising conversations about hormonal health, implementing flexible working arrangements, and building cultures that genuinely value rest and reflection. As Fuller emphasizes, these practices don’t just benefit women—they represent sound leadership principles that enhance organizational effectiveness across the board.
Breaking barriers and future vision
Fuller’s message to women currently struggling with menopause is both reassuring and empowering: you are not alone, and you are not failing. She emphasises that struggling during this transition isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a natural response to a major life change that often occurs without adequate support or understanding. Her practical advice centers on developing self-awareness: track symptoms, monitor menstrual cycles if still present, and begin connecting patterns. She stresses that knowledge truly is power, and for those on HRT, it’s important to remember that medical treatment alone isn’t sufficient, emotional support and workplace understanding are equally crucial. Fuller says: “Speak to someone you trust – a friend, a coach, your manager if they are informed and you feel safe doing so. You don’t have to carry this alone. And please don’t wait until you burn out to get support. menopause is a signal, not a stop sign. It’s asking you to pay attention, not push through. You deserve to have a merry, not a miserable menopause.”
Despite growing awareness, Fuller identifies persistent misconceptions that continue to undermine women’s professional experiences.The most stubborn myth positions menopause as simply hot flushes affecting women in their fifties, when in reality, it can begin in the late thirties with symptoms like anxiety, low mood, brain fog, and insomnia that are frequently mistaken for burnout or poor performance. This misunderstanding leads to women being overlooked, dismissed, or prematurely written off when they’re actually at their career peak.
Fuller says: “The events industry has a real opportunity to lead the change here. It’s a people-first industry, built on energy, connection and creativity, but those things don’t happen in a vacuum. By designing more inclusive spaces, offering flexibility, and making hormonal health part of the wellbeing conversation, putting menopause and menstruation on the speaker agenda, events can model what a truly supportive workplace looks like.”
For conference organisers wanting to become allies, Fuller’s advice is direct: ask whether you’ve created an environment where someone struggling with symptoms would feel comfortable, considered, and supported. Rather than making assumptions, she advocates for direct consultation with women in teams, networks, and audiences to understand their needs, often revealing surprisingly simple solutions like better bathroom facilities, adequate seating, proper ventilation, quiet spaces, and supportive programming. Looking toward the future, Fuller envisions menopause awareness evolving from conversation topic to embedded practice, integrated into delegate experience, speaker support and staff wellbeing as organisations recognize hormonal health as fundamental to inclusion and performance rather than a peripheral concern.
