Finding Courage in Being Uncomfortable
Lessons from my conversation with Jill Angelo and why we can't self-silence anymore.
Something struck me about my conversation with Jill Angelo on this week’s episode of And More with Amy Kugler. Eight years ago, she left Microsoft to found Gennev, a menopause care startup (now telehealth juggernaut) at a time when menopause was rarely talked about. In fact, Jill hadn’t yet experienced perimenopause symptoms.
There was a lot of discomfort in the public conversation around menopause. Jill was even uncomfortable herself, often concerned about what others would think about her building a company to disrupt a ripe industry, all the while not experiencing the health changes.
When I asked what she did to put aside concerns about what others might think of her and her own journey, her answer was very cut and dry.
She put aside concern because she had to. She had no choice. Her vision and mission for the company were bigger than her discomfort.
At that moment, I put my hand over my heart - an unconscious, telltale sign that my body and mind were wrestling with this exact thing. As we build BEAM, it’s really hard to not get caught up in the rat race of everyone else’s opinions. I know this is true about life as a whole, but I thought I had conquered that with many years of therapy and boundary-building.
The thing is: our humanity allows us to question everything, no matter how many boundaries we put into place. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I find it inspiring when women move forward with their big ideas and choose not to silence themselves. Frankly, it’s self-silencing that is slowly killing us, according to the TIME article by psychologist Maytal Eyal. Dr. Eyal argues that the ways in which women have been taught to exist in our culture - always agreeing and flexible, shoving down our anger, and selflessness (to the point of martyrdom, I might add) - may be the reason we’re experiencing higher rates of negative mental and physical health outcomes.
In my very limited, and unscientific experience, I can easily see she has a point.
And this, my friends, is exactly why I started BEAM. Because our stories matter - if not only for others, but also for ourselves so that we can feel more free and healthy by getting them out of our bodies and into the world.
This is why women like Jill, Sehreen, Suzanne, Jessica, Cara, Mandy, Amy, Jessi, and more inspire me so deeply. They give me more courage to share my own story. I’m finding more questions and answers within myself as I talk to them for And More with Amy Kugler.
And from what I hear from listeners, I know you are, too.
Before we go to Thanksgiving break, I encourage you to check out next week’s episode. It’s just me - yours, truly - talking about how we can find courage and space to share our own story. It can be nerve-racking, but for the good of your health and our community, we need to hear your story.
To that end, I have a story that I’ve been sitting on for months - if not years. I’m sharing that one in the first edition of Unscripted in December. I’ll give you a clue: it has to do with my observations about how women in business treat each other and how we can do better. Stay tuned.
Amy’s 3 Things
Must Watch: The CROWN! It’s back. It’s got all of your amazing 90s songs and fashion. (I keep singing “I get knocked down….” on repeat thanks to Chumbawamba’s Tubthumping and it takes me back to freshman year.) And, as you watch it, you must subscribe to
’s So Many Thoughts Substack - she’s breaking down episodes via podcasts and more!Must Listen: And More guest Mandy Jankus just launched her podcast Kindred and Brave Project! It is packed with so much heart-opening, vulnerable, courageous goodness. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your “stories,” as my grandma used to say about her favorite TV shows.
Must Do: As we head into the holiday season, I hope we can find some margin to breathe. Long deep breaths. Even when it may feel like the world is a dumpster fire, the one thing we can do is watch how we breathe.
Last, but not least…
I’d love your help in a few ways:
Like what you’re reading on Unscripted? Share it with a friend!
Like what you’re hearing on And More? Please subscribe, rate and leave a review on Apple podcasts so others can find it!
Want to share your own story? Talk to me here, Goose.
