Reinventing at 53: Menopause, Sobriety and Starting Again in Goa with Kath Church | Ep. 4

In this episode of the Reinvent Podcast from Live to Reinvent, Fiona sits down with strategist and women’s health advocate Kath Church, 53. Kath has spent years working in digital, women’s health and the NHS, advising start-ups across health and fintech. But behind the impressive CV was a very human story of burnout, perimenopause, a hysterectomy, the end of a 22-year marriage and a complicated relationship with alcohol. From thinking she was “losing her mind” in perimenopause to feeling suicidal on the wrong medication, Kath talks honestly about: How a move into a senior NHS role during Covid collided with undiagnosed perimenopause The anxiety, brain fog and insomnia that left her feeling like a different person Why she eventually walked away, got the right HRT support and rebuilt her career as a consultant The sisterhood trip to India that became the catalyst for a complete reinvention Moving to Goa, helping run a yoga retreat and opening a café while consulting remotely. Choosing sobriety, what alcohol was really doing to her mood and energy, and why she “never wants another hangover again” Her current work in women’s health tech, especially UTIs and the vaginal microbiome, and why this matters for midlife longevity Kath shares what it feels like to let go of rigid future plans, live more in the present and rebuild purpose in her 50s. If you’re in midlife feeling stuck, exhausted or questioning “Is this it?”, Kath’s story is a powerful reminder that it’s never too late to change direction.