From Taboo to Trailblazing: How Ann Broché Is Redesigning Menopause Care

Hi, good morning, Ann. It's lovely to see you. Thanks for taking some time with me today.

Ann Broché (00:07.944)
Good morning, Sabine! Thank you for having me!

Yeah, it's a pleasure. Well, to everyone that doesn't know you, I'd like to introduce Ann Broché. I had the pleasure of speaking with you and interviewing you for the book Beyond the Ladder and sharing an incredible story about you and a bit about your journey to dealing with menopause. It's one of the things that you focus on. And I'm so pleased that you're willing to do the 15 minute three question podcast with me this morning. But.

For those that don't know you, I would be wonderful if you could give a brief introduction of yourself.

Ann Broché (00:42.595)
you

Cool! yeah, as Sabine has already said, my name is Ann Broché. I'm currently 47. I'm living in Belgium with my husband and two daughters. From a background, I'm a physiotherapist, but I really quickly went into medical device industry, taking up mainly commercial roles. And in one of the companies that I worked at, at Roche Diabetes Care, I got the opportunity to do commercial innovation,

and getting into the whole idea of what if you could solve a problem? What if you could look into a real problem that exists in the market and build a product, a solution, a service? So that's one part of my story that will get the follow-up afterwards. And so that triggered me to look into startup environments. And all of that came together with my own startup, my perimenopause, which was like a huge puzzle.

which Was like what is happening and where are the doctors to support me and so that innovation idea and that own experience brought me to founding Uma which is a platform to support women in menopause and perimenopause.

Fantastic. that's, think a lot of women ask themselves that what is happening. So I think it's fabulous that you've taken that step and everyone can have a look at your website and learn a lot more about what you're doing there because it's incredible. And of course, to read a bit of your story in the book when that comes out, which will be soon.

Ann Broché (02:18.86)
Yeah, exciting.

So, Ann, we're going to jump right in. And As you know, I have three questions that I wanted to ask you this morning. And The first one is around that I would love for you to share a time when you faced a big decision. And instead of playing it safe, you ask yourself, what if I don't do this? How will my life change? And how will that moment create a ripple? So this, what if I don't? I'm curious to hear your story.

Ann Broché (02:49.878)
Yes. You know, that moment, I think it's still taking place. It is something that started, as I just said, I've always worked in big corporates. So having a lot of certainty, having a nice environment to work in, having colleagues, but also having that, like, I have this title, I have this job that I know what to do, and I know that at the end of the month there's a salary. and I...

And then you come into this, yeah, what if I could start my own business? Like, what could I do something that I've experienced myself,

being very menopause, being confronted with not knowing what was happening, not knowing who would help me, not knowing anything about that stage in life where I felt like, whoa, is this like a wall that I'm hitting? Do I need to quit my job? I? So and that made me decide to start Uma. But Uma comes with so much uncertainty. It comes with no salary, but the kids are

still there, they're still hungry every day. It comes with, yeah but will I ever make money with this? Yeah, we hope so and we're full of energy and passion to make that happen but so and then you get together with two co-founders that you barely know and all of a sudden from morning to evening even during the nights you work together and you're like yeah these are the two partners in crime that I need to trust all the way to make this happen. so

That is creating so much uncertainty, but at the same time feeling from my gut like this is what I need to do. This is the project that I need to start right now because there is such a need with women and this is exactly what I believe I need to do. So what if I don't do it, then many women after me will...

So true.

Ann Broché (04:58.134)
like experience what I've experienced at 46. So that is my story or my input like a bold decision which is still some mornings I'm like am I doing the right thing? Should I be doing this? Oh my god my kids is everything gonna be fine at the end of the month? But then it feels good my belly says go on with it.

That is so important to listen to the intuition, isn't it? It's that balance of gathering data, gathering information, and then listening to yourself and taking that time to reflect to make a final decision.

Ann Broché (05:35.574)
Absolutely, absolutely. And you know these little sentences of women that write you a message like, hey, we did a consultation with you, and it went so well, and it feels so much better. And I'm like, yes, I'm doing the right thing. I took the right decision.

Yeah, that's nice to get that positive affirmation also daily from women that are signing up and using the services that you're offering. I think I didn't realize that you actually started the business with two people that you didn't know. So that's even a bigger jump, isn't it? Because it's such a huge step to start a company. And often you hear about friends that know each other, that have worked together. But that is quite a big step.

Ann Broché (06:19.309)
Well.

not knowing each other is a big word because our paths crossed in professional environments. So we worked in the same companies and collaborated a bit but not intensively. But I knew that these two people would be so complementary to my profile. One is a doctor, the other is a marketeer. And I thought like, this is what we need to launch a business to consumer women involved where we're looking to care. it was like,

the three of us could make huge impact and that's how we decided to start it off. yeah.

And did The idea come from all three of you together who sparked it?

Ann Broché (07:00.846)
Yeah, it was my idea because of course I lifted the other two are two men. So working on menopause, which is really nice I think but it came from my experience where I share like, you know, this is happening to me and this is like insane that in 2023 at that time I myself a woman of 46 like I'm facing so much closed doors.

I've done in big corporates, worked for robotic surgery companies where we did the most crazy surgeries on patients. And I was like, we're not able to provide care to women in perimenopause and menopause.

It's just not right. So, and that's well while discussing with the both of them, I felt that same passion like this is something that we need to solve, like we need to change the way medicine or access to care is organized today for women. And so having these discussions made us jump and take off the project.

Well, I'm sure there are so many women that are happy that you jumped. So fantastic. And that leads to the next question, which is about who has had an impact or who's had a ripple in shaping your life and how you lead today and how you run the company. and the different steps that you take. And if you had the opportunity and they were in front of you right now to thank them, what would you say?

Ann Broché (08:10.286)
I'd love to hope so.

Ann Broché (08:36.856)
Yeah. So it's hard for me to just name one person because I've been reflecting about this all the time and I'm like, yeah, there's like not one single mentor or one single person that has really helped me shape a certain path or a certain way that I lead or that I am today.

I think it's more like a series of small ripples at the right moments. Sometimes I were colleagues who unknowingly held up a mirror for me, you know? And when I was thinking about the question, was often, was younger people around me, people who looked at the world with fresh eyes and with a kind of boldness that I at that point didn't have. And so that is...

Okay.

Ann Broché (09:29.952)
Often people in my team or I was like, wow, but you're so young and already so smart and the way you deal with things made me like, whoa, what if I could look the same way to a problem, an issue, a situation. So that is especially what has created me as a person is the eye-opening experience with

colleagues, young people...

Did orient me or make me look into a direction that I didn't look at. And I still see that. I also see that a lot with my own daughters. They keep me so sharp and they show me where I hold on to old patterns and they remind me like, hey Mom, seriously? And so they're also my biggest supporters when it comes to you, when I'm like, my God, I need to record this reel on Instagram to inspire women. And I'm like, and they're like,

Mom go for it. So I feel that I have been inspired a lot by young people who I feel are so clever and Yeah, that's my path and I if I I if I would need to thank them I would say like Thank you for showing me like your or giving me your fresh pair of eyes to look at situations at problems because

you really show me what truly matters. So it's a different way of looking into what is important, what do I need to do, when do I need to be bold, when do I need to take a step back to achieve what I want to achieve. So that is what I would like to answer to this question.

That's fantastic to hear. And I think it's so important that we remember to also thank those, to thank people in our lives just that come in and come out. And when someone does something like that, like holds a mirror up that you shared, to actually thank them for that and that they realize they need to continue to do that. So, nice story. Yeah. And it's so important too, as you said, for different generations to listen and

Ann Broché (11:32.226)
Mm-hmm.

Ann Broché (11:39.576)
Mm-hmm.

Ann Broché (11:46.84)
Yep.

to take insights and just because someone is from a different generation doesn't mean that they don't necessarily have great insights to support us. So good reminder. Yeah. And then we get to the third question and that's about leaving your own legacy. And if you sit back and you think about also maybe one or two things that you would like to be remembered by, what would they be?

Ann Broché (12:04.95)
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.

Ann Broché (12:20.524)
Yeah. Yeah. Well, I think...

I'd love to be remembered as the person that is always full of energy and passion to take things up and I think that has also helped me to build Uma because if you are not the person that is like okay a new day, a new challenge, let's pick it up, let's turn it into an opportunity, solution. So that is one thing that I hope to be remembered by is like the person that

give me the biggest mountain and I'll climb it I'll find my way to the bushes to the rocks to the so that is the one thing and the other thing is of course.

My current mission is to be remembered as a person that probably broke a bit of the taboo around perimenopause, menopause, and that has really shifted the way women access knowledge and care in this stage, because I hope that we can help women to build more

Mm-hmm.

Ann Broché (13:33.802)
Literacy health literacy about the topic to be able to speak up to their doctors and say like hey I'm not feeling okay and no I'm not having a day depression or I'm not in burnout is just that my sexual hormones my estrogen my progesterone is like going up and down and coming with a lot of

symptoms that make me not feel great. I need a solution and can be lifestyle that can be hormonal replacement therapy, that women dare to speak up for themselves and help doctors see that there are solutions to help women in this life stage. That is what I hope to have left that generations after me women will just be informed when they are 45 and entering

Yeah.

Ann Broché (14:27.17)
this they will be like yes okay there is

Hmm.

There are options.

Ann Broché (14:32.641)
There is a hormonal thing that is coming in that is just a natural stage, but it's not like because it's natural that I like need to accept that. Okay, I will not feel well and I will have brain fog and sleeping disorders and gaining weight. So I just have to accept it, which a lot of doctors say like, yeah, you just have to accept it. It's a natural stage. Live with it. No.

Yeah, it's true.

Ann Broché (15:01.174)
You live with it, but there are solutions to help you to feel good again, to find yourself back and to go until your 80s, 90s, full of energy. that's what I hope to live in this world.

Yeah, fantastic. And you're leaving it now. I think that that's so important too. You're touching, Your legacy is impacting and touching people's lives now. So that's incredible. And it is so important that we know that we have options. think that That's one, what I've learned through the conversations with you is that there are solutions and it's fabulous that you're offering knowledge and information so we can make informed decisions. So thank you for that. And I was,

Ann Broché (15:40.878)
Thank you, because you're creating this environment to share information, share your stories.

Yeah, yeah, it's so important. Yeah, it's so important to share. And I have to thank Sandra van Loden actually, because she is the one that introduced us. So a big, big thank you to Sandra. Again, these networks and connections are just beautiful and so important.

Ann Broché (15:57.858)
Yeah, she's great.

Ann Broché (16:04.526)
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. Women supporting each other and not only women supporting women, women supporting men, men supporting women, but yeah, the network is so valuable. Absolutely. Thank you, Sandra.

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

It is, yeah. Well, thank you so much. All the success to you. I can't wait to see how Uma evolves and the incredible number. I think you actually shared with me before we started recording, you're reaching some big milestones. Actually, There's a significant number of women that are using the app and also getting consults. So congratulations on that, it's working.

Ann Broché (16:45.152)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's incredible because you know, one thing is to have an idea and to think about the solution, but then you need to like have a proof of concept like does this really work? Are women willing to go to a digital environment to seek for help? So yeah, we've launched, I think, 8th of November and until today 700 women created an account on our platform, which is like, yeah.

really nice both for us but also people that are looking into investing in us as a company that okay the need is huge and offering a solution even in a digital context is giving women access to the right care, the right information so it indeed it works. That's where the traction is really promising.

Yeah.

Yay! Congratulations and all the success and let it continue for you.

Ann Broché (17:40.44)
Thank

Thank you. Thank you so much, Sabine. It's really nice having this talk this morning. Thank you.

Thanks, Ann. Yeah, good to chat with you.