Today we’d like to introduce you to Adrienne Stein

Hi Adrienne , can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?

I have been a Naturopath for 20+ years, and started my journey in a roundabout way. I have an undergraduate and Masters Degree in Anthropology where I was introduced to different medical systems throughout the world. That is where I first learned about Chinese medicine which takes into account different diets based on different seasons, and has a much more holistic view of disease and health. I found this incredibly intriguing and I started to explore these ideas more by reading natural health magazines and books like Dr. Andrew Weils Natural Health. Dr. Weil was a real role model for me as a medical doctor that incorporated diet, vitamins and herbs to not just treat disease, but to treat the root cause of why disease is there in the first place.

Based on this inspiration I decided to become a Naturopathic Doctor, because I loved the science of medicine as well as the art of using natural therapies in a way that addressed a person’s unique concerns. In 2004 after completing a Bachelors of Science and a Naturopathic diploma from CCNM (the Canadian college of Naturopathic medicine), I opened my first practice in Toronto. After a year in Toronto I decided I wanted to be closer to home so I opened my doors again, this time in my home town of Hamilton. I ran a general family practice for many years, but more recently I have shifted to doing more work around perimenopause and menopause. Based on my own personal journey, I saw that women were terribly underserved, and left wondering if all their symptoms were them just going crazy, or if perhaps hormones could be at play. I did a lot of research and training in menopause treatment and saw a profound change in my patients well being as well as my own.

Given the lack of resources out there for women I became very passionate about sharing information and educating women. I became active on TikTok and IG and I started http://thrivemenopasue.com and shared more information through blog articles. I also created my first online program called Mastering Menopause, aimed at educating women about menopause and the diet and lifestyle strategies that can have a huge impact on symptom reduction. I ran that business for a few years but I began to see that that program was only a starting point. I became really fed up with the information on social media that painted menopause so one dimensionally as just a physical problem, and something to be terrified of. There was so much fear based marketing and information out there and little to no discussion of menopause as anything but a “medical problem”. It is a transition, and transitions are definitely difficult, and yes, there is a physical transition, but there is also a mental, emotional and even spiritual transition that is happening for many women. In my practice I began to see so many women in the menopause transition entering into an incredibly powerful time in their life. Women in business especially I saw reevaluating their business, and often changing what they were doing to answer a calling to be on purpose, to create change in their world and leave a legacy. These women are stepping into an incredibly powerful time in their lives. This has led me to start Menopause is Your Superpower. I just launched a podcast this month under the same name to explore these ideas, and I am currently working on a group coaching program to be launched later this fall for entrepreneurial women who want to get control of their symptoms and step into this next half of their adult life with a purpose and a business that reflects the changes they want to see in this world.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

Becoming a Naturopath felt like a very intuitive, and slow unfolding of all the steps that were to lead me to a vocation that I love. It was only when I decided to take my work online in 2021 with first Mastering Menopause and then Menopause Is You Super Power that the road got much more rocky. Creating an online business was a completely new area for me. My clinical practice consisted of seeing patients one on one, charting in paper files, and advertising through the yellow pages at first (do you remember those lol), and then was simply word of mouth.

Moving online was a whole new way of creating a business and at times I felt I was drowning. I spent countless hours on courses and youtube learning how to do the simplest things like sending a newsletter or posting on Tick tock. I spent more money and time than I could ever imagine trying to figure out how to create an online business that was able to reach the right people. Long nights and 7 hour work days as I juggled my practice and my new business left me exhausted and eventually burnt out. That is when I decided to take a step back, and put in some clear boundaries about my time devoted to my business. I let go of the hustle and grind and decided to embody the life I was striving for where time freedom was a reality. I decreased my hours that I worked online to 10-15 hours a week. Got comfortable with moving slower and being strategic about what I really needed to do and what I needed to outsource. This has made a huge difference to the quality of both my life and my business. I also think it is an important lesson in menopause, that we need to consciously create the life we want to live, and step into that life now, instead of the very masculine entrepreneurial model of grinding, and sacrificing to reach success.

One of the biggest things I have learned with this journey is that success as an entrepreneur is related to both business strategy as well as mindset. In fact, I believe that 95% of success is based on mindset, not strategy. I have had to work through many challenges like the fear of putting myself out there and thus leave myself open to criticism. Also owning my own truth and speaking from a place of true authenticity vs what I think other people want to or expect to hear. Working through limiting beliefs of worthiness and money mindset is another area I have spent a lot of time on, because it is can be downright terrifying investing in your own business with no certainty that it will ever generate revenue. What has helped through all these challenges is the deep belief that this work needs to be out in the world, and has the potential to change the lives of other women who are doing amazing things with there businesses. And so in supporting supporting women at this pivotal time of life, who are here to create impact and a legacy through their own work, I am supporting a ripple effect of positive change in this world.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

I have several businesses:

My Naturopathic Practice, where I see patients in person as well as virtually. I incorporate specialized testing designed to help understand for each patient what imbalances are leading to their symptoms so that I can design a step by step program to address the root cause of their health concerns . I treat a variety of health concerns from IBS to auto-immune, and have a particular interest in the menopause transition. I am the winner of the Quality Business Awards 2024, for Best Naturopathic Service In Hamilton.

Thrive Menopause, home of Mastering Menopause, my online course, aimed at educating the average woman about the menopause transition and natural strategies that can help address menopause symptoms like fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, and mood swings. I am very proud of this program and what really makes it different is the underlying understanding that this transition affects all women, and yet in a number of other countries women have little to no symptoms because their bodies are in a state of health that allows their bodies to adapt to the changing hormones levels, instead of starting a cascade of stress responses that result in symptoms. It has been so powerful to see women go through this program and by making simple changes, seeing not just a dramatic improvement in symptoms, but also an incredible improvement in health overall which will help reduce their disease risk as they age.

Menopause is Your Superpower, is my new venture. It includes my podcast by the same name, and is the home of my soon to launch Menopause is Your Superpower group coaching program with 1:1 support. Menopause is Your Super Power is out to rebrand menopause, and open the discussion to seeing menopause not just as a physical ailment, but as a powerful transition time in a woman’s life where there is the opportunity to consciously decide what the next half of our adult life is going to look like in terms of health, business and life. Menopause Is Your Superpower understands that women are not suffering from a physical condition. They are suffering because of a lack of respect and support for a transition that is not just physical, but mental, emotional and spiritual too.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?

My mission is to be one of the voices redefining menopasue.

Menopause is a horrible experience and to be feared→ Become Menopause is an rebirth into your true power

You’re suffering from a health condition →Becomes you are suffering because of a lack of respect and support for a transition that is not just physical, but mental, emotional and spiritual too

You’ve lost yourself —>Becomes you are in a rebirth of who you are meant to be in this world and the impact you are meant to have

You are getting old—>Becomes you are awakening to one of the most powerful times in your life

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.drsteinnd.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/menopauseisyoursuperpower/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/menopauseisyoursuperpower/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@menopauseisyoursuperpower

Image Credits

Kelsey Kurtis Photography