'Menopause is one of the best things to ever happen to meʼ

Stefanie Joy Daniels on how early menopause made her leave a "soulless" career to launch a business helping other women

- LUCY ROBINSON & REBECCA JONES

Sitting upright at her desk ready for another day in her home office after a restful night's sleep, Stefanie Joy Daniels will never regret leaving behind her chaotic, as well as highly demanding, advertising role. However, if it wasn't for going through menopause so early on in her life, the mum-of-two would never have quit her 22-year career, which had been draining her for years, to start a completely new one focused entirely on helping other women going through this change in their life.

"Menopause ended up being the gateway to a more fulfilled life and gave me the chance to reset, truly listen to my body and find a path that's not just about surviving, but thriving, 44-year-old Stefanie tells us. "What started as a challenging chapter has truly become one of the best things that's ever happened to me." Stefanie left her "soulless" position working for various publishers in London to launch her very own business after going through menopause at just 38 years old. She says, "Now, I write articles, speak on podcasts and support hundreds of women in transforming what could be a difficult time into one of empowerment and renewal." Menopause has been part of Stefanie's life since 2017 when she underwent a double mastectomy and had her ovaries removed two years after testing positive for the BRCA2 gene mutation, which can increase the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. She was tested after her mother Lesley died of ovarian cancer in 2015 when Stefanie was heavily pregnant with her second child.

Stefanie and her husband Lee didn't want any more children after having son Johnny, now 11, and daughter Leila, nine, so she decided to undergo the preventative surgery, which would thrust her into menopause.