"Menopause Hit Me Like a Truck" - Why Midlife Women Need to Be "Selfish" to Heal - with Jacqueline Perez

💬 message Denise This episode is a true gem. I'm so honoured to welcome back Jacqueline Perez, the heart-centered force behind Cool Life and a powerful champion for women in midlife. Jacqueline is the embodiment of everything we talk about here on Thrive After 45™: that our second act is where we truly rise into our power.Jacqueline gets real about her own menopause journey, which she says hit her "like a tractor trailer" and shook her physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Instead of letting it defeat her, she chose to face it head-on and transformed it into a global movement to normalize aging. We talk about the importance of being "selfish" in your healing process , and how that choice ultimately benefits everyone around you.She also shares the story behind her beautiful new book of poetry, Metamorphosis in Stanis, which she wrote as a way to process a series of difficult life events. The book is a woman's midlife companion that includes QR codes for each poem, so you can listen to her read them and feel the full energy behind her words. Jacqueline even reads one of the poems, "A World in Three Crayons," which is a perfect reminder that we can do amazing things with what we’ve been given, even if it feels like we only have "three crayons".This conversation is a permission slip to see yourself as a masterpiece in progress, to embrace every season of your life, and to believe that the best is truly yet to come.Go follow Jacqueline:🖥️ Website → https://kuellife.com/📕 Get her poetry book "Metamorphosis in Stanzas" Thank you for spending time with me today on the Thrive After 45™ podcast! If this episode spoke to you, be sure to hit that follow button so you never miss one.November 2026, I will be hosting a live, in-person experience called IGNITE: The Inner Uprising™.It is a two-day immersive gathering for women in midlife — women who feel the quiet pull toward something more truthful, more embodied, more fully their own.IGNITE is an extension of these conversations.It’s where reflection becomes embodiment.Where insight becomes integration.Where women who have held so much for others gather to stand fully in their own sovereignty.If something in today’s conversation stirred you — if your body leaned in — that is NOT accidental.The waitlist is now open.If IGNITE feels like something your future self would thank you for, I invite you to add your name here. https://ignite2026.lovable.appThere is a place for us to gather.If you loved this episode, I’d be so grateful if you left a review - it helps more amazing women like you find this show!Your journey doesn’t stop here - let’s keep the conversation going! Connect with me at denisedrinkwalter.com, and follow ...