Perimenopause, Power Phases and Business - "What I've Learnt"

There are conversations we don’t have often enough, the quiet ones about the changes happening inside our bodies while we’re still running businesses, leading teams, caring for families, and showing up every day. In the latest solo episode of The Dressing Gown CEO podcast, Emily Ciardiello opens up about one of those very conversations: navigating perimenopause while steering a business.

With no guest and no script, Emily shares a candid look at what it’s like to balance leadership and creativity while her body moves through this often-misunderstood season of life. If you’ve ever wondered why your energy dips, moods swing, or focus wavers seemingly without reason, this episode is for you. And if you’re a man who thinks perimenopause doesn’t apply to you, think again, if you have a partner, wife, sister, daughter, or friend, understanding this transition can make an incredible difference in how you support them.

Emily reflects on how, for years, she believed the only way to succeed was to push through, deadlines, launches, and late nights all at full speed. But as perimenopause began to make its presence known, she realised her body was sending her a message. Instead of resisting, she decided to listen. She now plans her work, and even her life, around the four phases of her cycle, learning when to create, when to plan, when to execute, and when to rest. That shift hasn’t just changed the way she works; it’s reshaped how she treats herself.

The truth, Emily says, is that there’s far more to this transition than the familiar clichés of hot flushes and brain fog. There are subtler shifts too, dips in energy, sudden waves of doubt, emotions that rise out of nowhere. In the episode, she talks openly about how she manages these changes without HRT (while recognising it’s a helpful choice for many). For her, it’s been about boundaries, slowing down, and granting herself permission to be human.

Perhaps most importantly, Emily reframes what perimenopause really means. It isn’t, she insists, the beginning of the end, it’s a reset. A chance to get clearer about what matters, softer with ourselves, and stronger in the ways that truly count. That isn’t weakness; that’s wisdom.

If you’ve ever felt “off” and questioned yourself, or if you want to better understand and support someone moving through this chapter, this episode is a must-listen. It’s thoughtful, hopeful, and a gentle reminder that our power doesn’t fade with age, it deepens.

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At Foil Me, we’re proud to celebrate and share conversations like this - stories that help us understand ourselves, support each other, and redefine what thriving looks like at every stage of life.