In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Sioned Fôn Jones co-founder of BoobyBiome and award-winning scientist with a PhD in Biophysics. Alongside co-founders Dr Lydia Mapstone and Dr Tara O'Driscoll, Sioned is doing something truly rare: building a science-led company in a space that barely existed before they arrived.

We get into the breast milk microbiome, the staggering research gap (we know more about tomatoes, coffee and wine than breast milk), and why that gap is not accidental. It sits at the intersection of women's health and infant health, two of the most historically underfunded areas in science, and BoobyBiome is determined to change that.

The episode covers the origin story of both products: the live microbiome drop developed to give every baby a foundational microbiome regardless of how they are fed, and the preservation device born out of a serendipitous discovery about oxygen's impact on stored breast milk. Sioned walks us through the full funding journey, from a £750k pre-seed in 2022 led by VenRex, to a £2.5M seed in 2025 led by Empirical Ventures, alongside six Innovate UK grants totalling £2.6M after five failed applications first.

We also explore the very real challenge of not fitting neatly into any investor category: too consumer for deep tech VCs, too science-heavy for consumer VCs, and not quite femtech enough for women's health funds. Sioned shares how they navigated that, built conviction without a launched product, and used community, surveys, waitlists and strategic board members to prove product-market fit.

This is a brilliant episode for any founder who is having to educate the market as much as build for it.

Topics covered: The science of the breast milk microbiome and why it has been so overlooked How BoobyBiome's two products came to exist and why both matter Fundraising at the intersection of biotech and consumer Winning Innovate UK grants and what that took Building a board and advisory network from day one Community-led development without lived experience as founders Navigating partnerships with potential competitors Keeping focus when progress feels invisible

Get involved with BoobyBiome: BoobyBiome are actively looking for mothers to join their beta testing and pilot launch for the preservation device, as well as ongoing breast milk donations to support their research. Find out how to donate breast milk and join the study here.

Connect with Sioned: LinkedIn BoobyBiome info@boobybiome.com

Our podcast sponsor is Progyny Global. A company that provides best-in-class fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause benefits for the modern global workforce. Progyny Global offers an inclusive platform that connects employees with top experts, clinics, and treatments around the world. To learn more visit: https://progynyglobal.com/#contact or to get in touch with our team directly via email (Sasha.tory@progynyglobal.com)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we cover:

• Meenakshi's journey from medical school to the intersection of medicine, research, and VC
• How working with Millbleep and publishing research in BMJ Innovations opened her eyes to health tech
• Her time as a venture analyst at RISE, a digital health VC fund
• Why she believes doctors make great investors — and what skills from medicine transfer directly to the world of startups and VC
• The founding story of Tiny Ventures and its unique competition format: teams of four conducting live due diligence in front of senior VC judges
• The real challenges of building community from scratch — venues, judges, and juggling an obs & gynae rotation
• How to pitch partnerships when you don't have capital, and the value of bringing talent and senior VCs into the same room
• Her role at Synthax, building a voice-first operating system for specialty clinics in the US
• Identity and conviction as a founder — why believing in yourself isn't a soft skill
• The importance of operating as your future self, not your present self

Connect with Meenakshi: LinkedIn

Links mentioned: Tiny Ventures | Synthax

Our podcast sponsor is Progyny Global. A company that provides best-in-class fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause benefits for the modern global workforce. Progyny Global offers an inclusive platform that connects employees with top experts, clinics, and treatments around the world. To learn more visit: https://progynyglobal.com/#contact or to get in touch with our team directly via email (Sasha.tory@progynyglobal.com)

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What We Covered

The real meaning of ecosystem — why the term is routinely misused to mean just startups and investors, and why that framing is part of the problem.

Fragmentation across the full pathway — from regulation and NHS access through to investment incentives and patient involvement, and why each breakdown point needs its own solution.

Regulation is not the enemy — why the fear of the regulatory process is a perception problem, not a reality, and why it is never too early for founders to engage with the MHRA.

Misaligned investment incentives — why the lack of a clear return pathway pushes companies toward wellness when the real need is diagnostics and therapeutics.

The knowledge gap — how little we still understand about female physiology, and why that blocks meaningful progress across the whole system.

Advice for founders — decide who you are, engage the regulator early, think about your clinical validation, and always centre the patient.

Accountability in action — why enthusiasm without follow-through is noise, and how to test partners early with small concrete actions.

Resources & Links

• 🌐 XX Innovation website
• 💼 Dr Chrysi on LinkedIn
• 💼 XX Innovation on LinkedIn
• 📸 XX Innovation on Instagram

Our podcast sponsor is Progyny Global. A company that provides best-in-class fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause benefits for the modern global workforce. Progyny Global offers an inclusive platform that connects employees with top experts, clinics, and treatments around the world. To learn more visit: https://progynyglobal.com/#contact or to get in touch with our team directly via email (Sasha.tory@progynyglobal.com)

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Connect with Elena on LinkedIn

About Dama Health

Dama Health uses pharmacogenetic and epigenetic research to personalise contraception and ob-gyn decisions for clinicians and patients. Backed by Illumina for Start-ups and KQ Labs, they've built a biobank of 1,200+ women and are now live across US clinic sites. Clinicians can try Dama Assist free for 14 days.

Follow on LinkedIn · Instagram

What We Covered

The origin story — A one-minute GP appointment and a bag of pills she knew nothing about sent Elena down a research rabbit hole. A PubMed-powered spreadsheet she used to advise housemates was v1 of Dama Health — six years before it became a business.

Business plans in women's health — In a space where commercialisation is harder and investor scrutiny is higher, Elena makes the case for putting numbers on paper early. Numbers can defend you in the room in a way words can't.

Building on the side — Elena worked full-time at Merck while fundraising for Dama. Her co-founder Paulina was completing F1 rotations. Neither went all in before the money arrived — and you don't have to either.

Skipping the VCs — Strategic angels — doctors, biotech founders, academics — opened clinical doors and gave product feedback no VC could at that stage. Family offices followed. She's now a year and a half without a raise, focused on clean unit economics before going back to market.

Going to market in the US — Their Yale-based CMO was the anchor. The NHS's post-COVID constraints made the decision easy. Within months they had five pilot sites in Philadelphia. Elena describes the US as a "yes culture" — faster introductions, faster momentum.

The EMMA Consortium — Dama joined two other companies to apply for a $3M US grant to build a shared precision medicine platform for endometriosis. Elena explains why collaboration is rare, how grant funding unlocks it, and how they've structured IP so the platform survives even if one company doesn't.

🌐 damahealth.com · 🤖 damaassist.com · 🤝 EMMA Consortium

Our podcast sponsor is Progyny Global. A company that provides best-in-class fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause benefits for the modern global workforce. Progyny Global offers an inclusive platform that connects employees with top experts, clinics, and treatments around the world. To learn more visit: https://progynyglobal.com/#contact or to get in touch with our team directly via email (Sasha.tory@progynyglobal.com)

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https://www.mavensmavericks.com/ 

About Sheelpa

Sheelpa Patel is the founder and CEO of Mavens & Mavericks, a marketing and scaling advisory working at the intersection of technology, education, and commercial reality. After 20+ years in global brand, marketing, and business transformation roles including pioneering one of the world's first corporate startup accelerators at Nissan across Southeast Asia and North America.

She left the corporate world to help entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey. She is also a Senior Advisory Board Member at the King's Entrepreneurship Lab, University of Cambridge, where she spearheaded Spark, the first professionally-led incubator at King's College helping PhDs turn their ideas into investable pitches.

What We Covered

The origin of Mavens & Mavericks — how running Infinity Lab at Nissan, working with 100+ entrepreneurs, lit a fire that led Sheelpa to leave the corporate world entirely.

The Spark Incubator — a four-week, professionally-led residential programme for PhDs and postgrads, combining fundraising, business model, brand, legal and storytelling — culminating in an Investor Demo Day at King's College.

The biggest blind spots for PhD founders — focus above everything else, and the challenge of translating brilliant science into commercial language.

Building a company narrative — why the baseline story must stay consistent across every channel and audience, and how it anchors everything from hiring to investor pitches.

Storytelling for different platforms — always start with the audience and the desired outcome, then let that drive your content strategy and channel mix.

The power of partnerships — especially for early stage founders, partnerships are about borrowing trust and reaching new audiences. Everyone has something to bring to the table.

Customer traction over technology — the tech is a given; what investors want to see is proof you've been out talking to real customers.

Maintaining story alignment as you grow — why the mission stays consistent even as the narrative evolves, and the importance of building the right team around you at the right stage.

D&I under marketing — Sheelpa's experience making diversity and inclusion a marketing-led function, and the menopause charter that changed how she thinks about women's health.

Key Takeaways

• Build your narrative first — everything else flows from it.
• Outcome-driven content beats volume every time.
• Community is defensibility, especially in women's health.

LinkedIn | Mavens & Mavericks | King's eLab

Our podcast sponsor is Progyny Global. A company that provides best-in-class fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause benefits for the modern global workforce. Progyny Global offers an inclusive platform that connects employees with top experts, clinics, and treatments around the world. To learn more visit: https://progynyglobal.com/#contact or to get in touch with our team directly via email (Sasha.tory@progynyglobal.com)

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What We Covered

The censorship data — 95% of organisations surveyed have experienced digital suppression in the last 12 months. Nearly 40% experienced 10 or more instances in a single year — and Cleo believes the true figure is much higher.

Why reach is a health issue — Suppressing women's health content isn't a vanity problem. It restricts access to medically-backed advice, breast cancer screening prompts, and the kind of information women need to self-advocate — especially in a system where 85% of women report being dismissed by a medical professional.

The double standard — Playboy's Instagram runs freely. Erectile dysfunction ads are everywhere. But content about vaginal lubrication and breast cancer screening gets flagged and removed. The bias is stark and consistent.

Financial services bias — It isn't just social media. FemTech founders are being refused bank accounts, kicked off payment platforms without notice, and denied insurance — often because the word "vagina" in a business description triggers an automated high-risk flag. Cleo's report The Bias Burden surfaces these cases in detail.

What Censor Her Ship is building — Parliamentary lobbying, a Women's Health Visibility Alliance, super complaints via Ofcom, challenges under the EU Digital Services Act, a new social media algorithm in partnership with Communia and Reliable AI, and Femtech — a world-first accreditation system connecting bias-free providers with vetted FemTech businesses.

Own your audience — Social media is a black box. Mailing lists and communities you own aren't. One founder had 30,000 subscribers with enormous open rates versus 10–20k Instagram followers — and the list was the real business.

Key Takeaways

• Women's health censorship has real health and economic consequences — it isn't a reach problem, it's an access problem.
• As a FemTech founder, build your mailing list from day one. Don't rely solely on platforms that can suppress you.
• When Censor Her Ship wins, the whole sector rises.

Links

• CensHership white paper.
• Share your censorship experience — survey via Future Fem Health
• Clio Wood on LinkedIn

Our podcast sponsor is Progyny Global. A company that provides best-in-class fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause benefits for the modern global workforce. Progyny Global offers an inclusive platform that connects employees with top experts, clinics, and treatments around the world. To learn more visit: https://progynyglobal.com/#contact or to get in touch with our team directly via email (Sasha.tory@progynyglobal.com)

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Marina Gerner is the author of The Vagina Business: The Innovative Breakthroughs That Could Change Everything in Women's Health. She holds a PhD from the LSE, is a professor at NYU, and has been a journalist for over 15 years — bringing academic rigour and accessible storytelling to the systemic barriers facing women's health innovation.

What We Covered

The origin story — 9 in 10 first-time mothers experience a birth injury. The last major innovation in standard birth care was the epidural, popularised in the 1950s. That gap is what sent Marina down this rabbit hole.

Why stigma is the root cause — When a topic is too uncomfortable to discuss, problems go unrecognised and unfunded. One investor is quoted saying he doesn't want to talk about vaginas at his Monday morning partner meeting.

The VC funding reality — Only 0.25% of all companies receive VC. Of that, just 2–4% goes into women's health. Female founding teams get roughly 1–2% of all VC despite making up 20–40% of founders.

The gender congruence trap — Female founders raise more easily in fashion, beauty, and children's products. Women's health sits in an awkward middle — too stigmatised for some investors, too hardware-heavy for others. A double bind Marina calls the "lack of fit bias."

The craft beer study — Consumers expected beer made by a woman to taste worse and paid less for it. Two things closed the gap: external validation and domain expertise in the evaluator.

Promotion vs prevention questions — Investors ask female founders how they'll handle losses; they ask male founders what success looks like. When you get a prevention-based question, answer with a promotion-based frame.

Practical strategies — Apply for awards and grants actively. Look up previous recipients and reach out. Grants are non-dilutive funding and a powerful third-party validation signal — a dual benefit many founders underestimate.

Key Takeaways

• Seek external validation proactively — awards, grants, press. Don't wait for it to come to you.
• Spin prevention questions into promotion answers in every pitch.
• Investing in women's health is a commercial opportunity, not a social impact play.

Connect with Marina

LinkedIn · Instagram · Substack · The Vagina Business

Our podcast is sponsored by:

Progyny Global. A company that provides best-in-class fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause benefits for the modern global workforce. Progyny Global offers an inclusive platform that connects employees with top experts, clinics, and treatments around the world. To learn more visit: https://progynyglobal.com/#contact or to get in touch with our team directly via email (Sasha.tory@progynyglobal.com)

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In this episode, we get into the stuff founders often only hear off the record.

We cover:

• How Gail founded Lavender Ventures and why the combination of capital, mentorship and community matters at the earliest stages
• How the women's health investment landscape has shifted — from a lack of early-stage investors to a growing ecosystem of angels, generalist VCs and dedicated femtech funds
• Why consumer apps are a harder sell to investors right now, and what founders in that space need to think about differently
• The disconnect between where the investment world is heading (cardiovascular, autoimmune, ovarian health) and where many women still are in their own health education and awareness
• Why VCs and founders have more in common than founders might think — and how understanding a VC's position helps you work with them more effectively
• The misalignment that can happen when fund timelines create pressure that doesn't always serve the company's best interests
• Who should genuinely consider bootstrapping or grants instead of chasing VC
• Gail's practical tips for engaging with investors — from building relationships before you're ready to raise, to keeping meticulous records of feedback and following up when you've addressed it
• Why negotiating your term sheet is not only acceptable — it's expected, and what it signals to investors about how you'll run your business
• How to communicate with your investors in a way that brings them on the journey, especially when things are hard
• Why transparency about legal or operational issues matters more than founders realise — and what happens when it's missing
• The case against using agents to spam investors on your behalf, and a smarter alternative

Gail also shares some memorable real-world stories from her own portfolio, including a deal she pulled at the eleventh hour after reading 200 pages of legal documents over a weekend — and what that revealed about founder transparency.

Connect with Gail:

• Website: lavendervc.com
• LinkedIn: Gail Armstrong
• Lavender Ventures on LinkedIn

Our podcast sponsor is Progyny Global. A company that provides best-in-class fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause benefits for the modern global workforce. Progyny Global offers an inclusive platform that connects employees with top experts, clinics, and treatments around the world. To learn more visit: https://progynyglobal.com/#contact or to get in touch with our team directly via email (Sasha.tory@progynyglobal.com)

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Karli Büchling is the founder and CEO of Blake Health (previously known as Yoni Health), a Techbio start-up breaking new ground in women's health research. Her fascination with menstrual blood began in 2007, long before it was a topic anyone wanted to talk about. Today she leads strategic partnerships, fundraising, and the mission to close the gender health gap and destigmatize menstrual health globally

About Blake Health

Blake Health is building the world's most comprehensive menstrual blood biobank, empowering women to transform a natural monthly cycle into a crucial resource for scientific research. Menstrual blood contains over 800 unique proteins and stem cells comparable in quality to those found in bone marrow, yet fewer than 700 studies exist on it globally, compared to over 15,000 on sperm. Blake Health is on a mission to change that, supporting research into conditions affecting over 1.6 billion women, including endometriosis, PCOS, fibroids, and beyond

You can join the waitlist do donate your menses blood here

Progress at Blake Health over the last 18 months, including a partnership with the University of Warwick, development of an at-home collection kit that removes barriers to participation, making menstrual blood compatible with existing life sciences equipment, and the near-finalised agreement with a major international biobank partner

Category creation and what it really means for founders Karli shares why she pivoted her thinking from building a biotech company to building a "tech bio" company, and how that distinction changes everything from how you pitch to how you structure partnerships

The million pound investment she walked away from and why turning down money was the right decision when it conflicted with her values around responsible data collection from women

IP strategy and Freedom to Operate analysis in a space where your competitors are also your collaborators, and why that creates real complexity even for experienced IP teams

Memorandums of Understanding as a middle ground how Karli uses MOUs to build investor confidence before full contracts are in place, particularly when working with large international organisations where contracts can take months

Alternative revenue strategies — from offering project management support to life sciences researchers, to providing standalone collection kits, to soft-committed grant funding from Horizon Europe, and why Karli believes women's health founders need to talk more openly about generating revenue early

Why she looks outside of women's health for partnerships and why companies with no prior knowledge of the gender health gap have often been her most valuable collaborators, because they already have infrastructure to offer and a genuine gap to fill

Practical advice for early-stage founders on building relationships and networks, finding events outside the women's health bubble, approaching potential competitors as potential partners, and the value of a strong CFO from day one

Key Takeaways

• There are over 15,000 studies on sperm and fewer than 700 on menstrual blood
• Diagnostics for women's health conditions currently take 7–12 years to develop. Blake Health's model aims to compress that to 6–8 years
• Creating a new category is exciting, but it creates real challenges with TAM calculations, investor timelines, and IP analysis
• Revenue generation and mission-driven work are not mutually exclusive — in fact, early revenue may be what keeps your mission alive
• The most valuable partnerships might come from outside your sector entirely

Our podcast sponsor is Progyny Global. A company that provides best-in-class fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause benefits for the modern global workforce. Progyny Global offers an inclusive platform that connects employees with top experts, clinics, and treatments around the world. To learn more visit: https://progynyglobal.com/#contact or to get in touch with our team directly via email (Sasha.tory@progynyglobal.com)

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Samphire Neuroscience mission is to transform women's health through brain based innovation. Our vision is simple: to create a world where women have access to medical grade solutions that empower them to take control of their health—without compromising on technology, design, or lifestyle.

Building on over 30 years of research and clinical expertise, we’ve developed Nettle, the world's first brain stimulating headband for the at-home alleviation of PMS and period pain symptoms.

Samphire Neuroscience also offers neuroscience-backed cycle tracking via the Samphire app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

We discuss:

The brain link to women's health conditions such as endometriosis

The first hypothesis of starting Samphire Neuroscience and how that led to the first prototype

The challenges that come with building in women's health, especially in consumer hardware

The importance of building community, brand personal brand and trust in 2026 when it comes to women's health data and education

US FDA approves home-delivered tDCS for treating depression - what is the future of this space

And much more!

As always any feedback or questions don't hesitate to drop me an email - leo@nexusconnected.co.uk

Our podcast sponsor is Progyny Global. A company that provides best-in-class fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause benefits for the modern global workforce. Progyny Global offers an inclusive platform that connects employees with top experts, clinics, and treatments around the world. To learn more visit: https://progynyglobal.com/#contact or to get in touch with our team directly via email (Sasha.tory@progynyglobal.com)

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He’s a multi exited founder, an angel investor and on the HMRC advisory board for AI

TRAMLINES is a fund and accelerator focused exclusively on B2B Deep Tech, AI, Fintech, and Enterprise Tech. It targets domain experts with at least 10 years of industry experience and takes them through a 24 month Pre-Seed and Seed programme.

I really love Albert's philosophy and approach to building companies and VC, there's some gems in this episode!

If you'd like to potentially partner with Tramlines then fill in this short expression of interest form

https://share-eu1.hsforms.com/1JujmYKoPQreOdSO405AdtQ2e2s93

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Together with her team they are combining synthetic biology and robotics to build digital-first laboratories that make diagnostic testing available to all including the oral and vaginal microbiome 

We go back to the early days of starting the company, fundraising, research and the early barriers.

We discuss women’s health as a sector and how did Salient Bioscience position themselves as a company in terms of sector, fundraising narrative

The importance of a healthy and supportive startup network - balancing time between network and support with building the company 

Distribution channels - via clinics and clinicians 

Content, trust, has the word microbiome been butchered ?

Our podcast sponsor is Progyny Global. A company that provides best-in-class fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause benefits for the modern global workforce. Progyny Global offers an inclusive platform that connects employees with top experts, clinics, and treatments around the world. To learn more visit: https://progynyglobal.com/#contact or to get in touch with our team directly via email (Sasha.tory@progynyglobal.com)

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Poppy Mason-Watts is a multi round VC backed founder in the impact space. I’m so grateful for her doing this episode because we need to have more of a conversation about how the founder journey overlaps with the fertility journey and egg freezing.

I hope this episode is insightful and brings some valuable perspectives for you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or Poppy if you have any questions about your own journey.

Poppy works with clients to provide time-bound growth leadership (fractional CMO/CGO) for mission-driven ventures, building and institutionalising the marketing and commercial function at early scale sized startups.

Our podcast is sponsored by:

Progyny Global. A company that provides best-in-class fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause benefits for the modern global workforce. Progyny Global offers an inclusive platform that connects employees with top experts, clinics, and treatments around the world. To learn more visit: https://progynyglobal.com/#contact or to get in touch with our team directly via email (Sasha.tory@progynyglobal.com)

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She’s also a founding member of Alma Angels, an angel syndicate focused on supporting women’s led companies 

Jo’s experience and visibility over the landscape make her incredibly well placed to discuss how to start your company as a founder and finding your first angel investors!

Just a small handful of the lessons and tips we cover:

Don’t quit your job until you have your first 1000 true fans 

Validate your idea first by getting 150 people on a waitlist for your solution 

Understand how equity works and don’t be to eager to give it away 

Don’t give a board set to an early investor 

Your first angel investors might not identify as traditional angels!

Any questions or feedback please don't hesitate to reach out - leo@nexusconnected.co.uk

Our podcast is sponsored by:

Progyny Global. A company that provides best-in-class fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause benefits for the modern global workforce. Progyny Global offers an inclusive platform that connects employees with top experts, clinics, and treatments around the world. To learn more visit: https://progynyglobal.com/#contact or to get in touch with our team directly via email (Sasha.tory@progynyglobal.com)

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Five Seasons Ventures is the leading pan-European Venture Capital fund investing in iconic and sustainable consumer brands.

Whilst not a women’s health specific fund Valerie is very passionate about seeing more consumer women’s health innovation reaching series A and she walks us through the main 2 problems she sees when moving from seed- series A

What We Cover:

The Niche Problem Most early-stage startup advice tells founders to go narrow — solve one problem, find your 1,000 true fans. But VC math demands a big TAM. We unpack how to navigate that tension and how the right answer actually shifts as you move through funding rounds.

The Healthtech Identity Trap Are companies hurting themselves by leading with "healthtech" when trying to reach everyday consumers? We explore why leaning too hard into a clinical or tech-forward identity can create distance with the very audience you're trying to reach.

GTM as a Consumer Company First How do you build a go-to-market strategy that puts the consumer experience front and centre, without losing sight of longer-term opportunities in medical devices or regulated health? We discuss whether the healthtech path is a form of defensibility, a marketing play, or both.

Key Themes:

• Niche vs. scale in early-stage startups
• Consumer brand identity in health and wellness
• The role of medical device / healthtech positioning as a strategic asset
• How GTM strategy evolves across funding stages
• 
  

Our podcast is sponsored by:

Progyny Global. A company that provides best-in-class fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause benefits for the modern global workforce. Progyny Global offers an inclusive platform that connects employees with top experts, clinics, and treatments around the world. To learn more visit: https://progynyglobal.com/#contact or to get in touch with our team directly via email (Sasha.tory@progynyglobal.com)

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Léa started Cyclana Bio nearly a year ago and announced a £5 million seed round in October co led by NfX and Eka Ventures 

We talk her personal journey of getting diagnosed with endometriosis, experience with using HBC for endometriosis management as well as how she manages her triathlon training and recovery 

We then move into the work and research herself and her team are doing in Cambridge to build whole tissue disease models from menstrual fluid and lab work to study tissue mechanisms which will identify early biomarkers and druggable targets

As well as why and how you should donate your menstrual blood to science! 

You can donate your period to CyclanaBio here

As always any questions or feedback, drop me an email - leo@nexusconnected.co.uk

Show notes: Our podcast sponsor is Progyny Global. A company that provides best-in-class fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause benefits for the modern global workforce. Progyny Global offers an inclusive platform that connects employees with top experts, clinics, and treatments around the world. To learn more visit: https://progynyglobal.com/#contact or to get in touch with our team directly via email (Sasha.tory@progynyglobal.com)

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A venture capital firm investing in early-stage startups that are empowering humans to reach their full potential in the most important aspects of everyday lives

Most notable Supernode have backed Hormona in the women’s health space which gives Luana amazing insights to the women’s health landscape

She’s also someone who’s followed the Nexus journey closely as I’ve been fortunate enough to know Luana for a couple of years so we use this episode to also work through my own start up journey as a case study - hopefully this gives you some very practical insights and takeaways

We talk about the current landscape regarding consumer women's healthtech, especially finding a balance between deeply solving a problem for your consumers whilst having a narrative in place for future expansion so you have a VC backable TAM

Luana talks about the importance of knowing your why as a founder and how you should use the 5 whys framework to have that clarity for your investor conversations

Luana also talks about the importance of being your domain expert. "As a VC I want the founder to educate me, I like learning from founders"

As always any questions or feedback don't hesitate to drop me an email - leo@nexusconnected.co.uk

Our podcast sponsor is Progyny Global. A company that provides best-in-class fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause benefits for the modern global workforce. Progyny Global offers an inclusive platform that connects employees with top experts, clinics, and treatments around the world. To learn more visit: https://progynyglobal.com/#contact or to get in touch with our team directly via email (Sasha.tory@progynyglobal.com)

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She has a patent in cervical cancer screening.

Launched the world's first handheld ultrasound.

Launched the world's first at home baby monitoring wearable

Sits on the board of breast cancer charity. 

Raised £10 million across 2 rounds backed by Accel Partners who are one of the top VCs 

Her first startup was in in oncology therapeutics and the second one was in AI predictive and cancer.

Vandana now works alongside founders and funds to support on growth, financing, and exits with her company Rainmatter

We discussed:

‘Femtech’ and ‘women’s health’ as a sector. More harm than good? How does this terminology evolve 

The 3 biggest mistakes founders make when fundraising between pre-seed and series A

How to build a team that will get you from 0-1 when capital is limited 

Are we seeing a shift from VC being a pure financial sector to more exited founders and operators? 

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Estia Ryan is a VC and head of research at Eka Ventures. 

The intersection of this role as well as Eka’s investment into Cyclana Bio, Ditto Daily and Hesta Health make her incredibly well placed to cover the common challenges women’s health founders faced when moving from ideation to raising pre-seed 

Last year Estia partnered with Yougov to survey over 1000 women,  which they used to create an incredible women’s health landscape report which I highly recommend you check out here - The Future Of Women's Health

Estia has kindly spoken on 2 of our panels and I always love her perspectives so I’m really excited to bring you this conversation today without needing to join us for a panel.

As always please feel free to let me know your questions and feedback

We discuss:

How Estia see's the current women's health, tech and fundraising landscape, what's changed in the 4 months since her report was published?

Why do women's health founders struggle to raise venture capital?

Consumer wellness vs regulated medical device - speed of implementation and GTM vs regulation in the age of fundraising being tough

When a problem is truly meaningful to solve but doesn’t have a huge TAM - What should founders do? Have a narrative on future expansion and / or alternative funding sources?

What role does community play in women's health and / or supporting female founders? How do we get more money into ‘grass roots’ community, advocacy, support networks, and events? Also see this report from Estia on community and consumer

 Who Owns Women’s Health Data? As women’s health becomes a high-value data frontier, who should own, govern and benefit from that data, and what must remain a public good rather than a private moat?

Our podcast sponsor is Progyny Global. A company that provides best-in-class fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and menopause benefits for the modern global workforce. Progyny Global offers an inclusive platform that connects employees with top experts, clinics, and treatments around the world. To learn more visit: https://progynyglobal.com/#contact or to get in touch with our team directly via email - Sasha.tory@progynyglobal.com

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Today's episode I’m joined by Ahana Banerjee the founder and CEO of Clear

I’m fortunate enough to have learnt from Ahana over the past couple of years, she’s shared so many amazing lessons with me from building Clear that I’m really excited to bring you this conversation today 

Ahana is the youngest solo female founder to get into YC, The biggest accelerator program in the world!

• App of the Day features: 5 times
• Special 2025 South Asian Heritage Month Apple feature
• Downloads: 65,000+
• Funding raised: ~$1M

Clear in the Apple app store

Clear in the Google Play app store

We discussed:

Fundraising for a D2C subscription tech app, any tips for founders vs being told build in a different sector or business model

How are you using data from a partnership perspective ( and commercial perspective?) ethics and regulation around this. Fundraising narrative: I know we spoke about having a different narrative to different investors going forward. Did you do that previously and are you still doing it for this round 

Not being a medical device but still having a data stratergy

Future fundraising and growth targets 

What role has personal brand played in your companies success

Balancing spending money you’ve raised for growth vs sufficient runway and how does your own salary fit into that

Being a solo founder, tips for time management, work life balance, community

I hope you learned as much from this episode with Ahana as I did! Any feedback or questions please feel free to drop me an email - leo@nexusconnected.co.uk

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Chartered Health Psychologist & Mindfulness Practitioner. 

Author of It’s All In Your Body. 

Dr Sula on Instagram

Dr Sula on Linkedin

Dr Sula's book It's All In Your Body on Amazon

In this episode, we explore the intersection of chronic illness, stress, identity, and women’s health advocacy.

We begin with Sula's health story which was recently featured in the Daily Mail and unpack how chronic pain and stress often collide for women who are used to putting everyone else first. We discuss why stress can feel invisible or “normalised,” what the nervous system and allostatic load actually mean, and how chronic stress can quietly drive pain and long-term health issues.

A major theme of the conversation is medical dismissal. Many women begin questioning their own symptoms after not feeling heard by healthcare professionals. We talk about validation, self-trust, and advice for anyone currently navigating a diagnostic journey, as well as how partners, friends, and family members can better support someone advocating for their health.

We also dive into the complex relationship between identity, achievement, and illness including the challenge of slowing down when your self-worth has been tied to productivity, exercise, or performance, and how to balance mental wellbeing, financial reality, and a temporarily reduced stress tolerance.

Community emerges as a powerful healing tool. We explore the role of in-person connection, how to find supportive spaces without traditional “networking,” and what an ideal one-day women’s health experience could look like.

From there, the conversation shifts to innovation and fundraising in women’s health. Drawing on experience building a large women’s health community and working closely with hundreds of clients, we discuss the gap between real patient experiences and the narratives often reflected in startup funding announcements — and what needs to change in the ecosystem.

We also touch on Sula's work with Seemira and her broader perspective on the future of health psychology and women’s health innovation.

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Dr Zahra substack

https://drzahra.substack.com/

Reports / papers 

https://www.censhership.co.uk/

https://www.censhership.co.uk/white-paper 

Key Findings of this whitepaper:

• 95% of women's health creators surveyed in 2024-25 reported censorship on platforms including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X, Google, Amazon, YouTube, Pinterest and Linkedln.
• Self-censorship is widespread, with over half of respondents altering their language or imagery to avoid takedowns — reinforcing stigma and limiting public understanding.
• Platform moderation systems are inconsistent, opaque and biased, disproportionately penalising women's health content while allowing equivalent male health content.
• The consequences are economic, social, and public health-related. Startups report losing revenue, credibility, and reach; public access to vital health information is being obstructed; and deep-rooted taboos are being inadvertently reinforced by tech.

References to other things that we discussed:

https://www.talkswithdrsesay.com/

https://www.instagram.com/drnighatarif/?hl=en

https://thelowdown.com/

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How effective are current AI tools? How they may evolve in the future. 

AI + tailored nutrition and lifestyle advice when it comes to women’s health conditions like endo, PCOS etc. 

What about the role of compassion, empathy, human connection, and emotional intelligence which distinguishes the best coaches/ nutritionists etc in the field? 

The benefits of growing a personal brand / social media following:

-Was that a strategic goal for you as part of your career or just something that -happened by default 

-Has it been valuable and resulted in new opportunities 

-How did you build your following, get PR opportunities etc

About Rohini Bajekal, Nutritionist and Board-Certified Lifestyle Medicine Professional

Rohini Bajekal (MA Oxon, MSc Nutrition and Food Sciences, Dip IBLM) is a nutritionist and board-certified Lifestyle Medicine professional. Prior to becoming a nutritionist, she studied Theology at Oxford University. Having previously worked in India and Singapore, Rohini is now based in London where she provides evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle advice to clients around the world. She is a Menopause Nutritionist and Lifestyle Medicine Professional at Menopause Care, the UK's leading provider in online menopause support. Rohini is an advisor to Solence, a French app designed to support women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), which recently secured €1.6 million in a seed funding round.

Rohini co-authored her first book Living PCOS Free: How to Regain Your Hormonal Health with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome which was published in April 2022. She also wrote the chapter on lifestyle medicine for the book How To Go Plant-Based: A Definitive Guide For You and Your Family by Ella Mills, founder of Deliciously Ella.

Rohini regularly comments in the media with a focus on myth-busting around nutrition. She has been featured in publications such as Vogue, The Independent, SheerLuxe, Cosmopolitan and Women's Health. 

Find out more about Rohini at rohinibajekal.com and follow her on Instagram @rohinibajekal or daily tips on healthy living. She has a Substack newsletter called Full of Beans where she shares more top tips and insights around healthy living. 

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Organisations doing amazing work in this space:

Fertility Matters at Work - Provides training on fertility support to employers + ‘Fertility Friendly’ accreditation- https://fertilitymattersatwork.com/ 

Nickie Aiken, MP - brought forward legislation via a Private Members' Bill which if passed by Parliament would give those going through IVF treatment the right to paid leave for medical appointments. https://www.nickieaiken.org.uk/campaigns/nickies-proposed-law-improve-ivf-support

Miscarriage Association - ‘Leave for Every Loss’ campaign - parliamentary bill to grant bereavement leave to individuals who experience pregnancy loss before 24 weeks gestation https://www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk/get-involved/leave-for-every-loss/

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We talk about where this increase in discussing and promoting women’s health has come from. 

The dark side of companies using it as a marketing trend. 

The role of AI in progressing women’s health and much more! 

Rhiannon's Linkedin

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhiannon-jones-futureforecaster/ 
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/ultra-violet-agency/about/ 

Nexus online nutrition coaching link: https://form.typeform.com/to/umRWcJj4   

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Find Victoria HERE: https://www.instagram.com/vicsmart/?hl=en

Nexus Online Nutrition Coaching: https://form.typeform.com/to/umRWcJj4  

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Dr Clare is the chief medical officer for the BBC!

Clare Fernandes qualified from University College London with multiple university and national academic and non academic prizes.

She has gone on to obtain numerous post graduate prizes, notably the Faculty of Occupational Medicine's Mobbs Fellowship and the Medical Women's Federation International Fellowship.

She has a Masters in Occupational Medicine, graduating with a distinction, and is an Associate Specialist in Occupational Medicine.

She wrote the book 'Questions and Answers for the Diploma in Occupational Medicine', which has previously been nominated for a BMJ Book Award.

She is the joint founder and director of the Occupational Health Academy, a learning academy for aspiring Occupational Medicine doctors.

Clare is currently the CMO at the BBC and occupational health physician in Central London

Nexus online nutrition coaching link. https://form.typeform.com/to/umRWcJj4 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-clare-fernandes-mfom-4685b3176/ 

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Hint - it’s actually more profitable to do so anyway!

Luce also talks about her own journey with an endometriosis diagnosis and how that led her to become more passionate about supporting women in career success. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/luce-grover/ 

Nexus online nutrition coaching link. https://form.typeform.com/to/umRWcJj4  

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Karli is pioneering europe's first menstrual blood blank. There is virtually no research done on menstrual blood and that’s a problem! It could unlock so many secrets about women's health, potentially lead to earlier diagnosis of endometriosis and certain cancers as well as potentially removing the need for a smear test. This is a fascinating area of research and I'm personally so excited to watch Karli’s work and research unfold over the next few years and beyond.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karlibuchling/ 

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Dr Michelle is the Women's Health Advisor to Holland+ Barrett, the Women's Health Columnist for BBC Science Focus and is on the scientific advisory board for Clue.

She has a bachelors of medicine and a bachelors of surgery from Cambridge university. 

We talk about the history of why there’s a gender health, research and pain gap. The current landscape, work that’s being done and what isn’t but needs to be done.

Michelle also explains how to stay curious and be your own scientist, the importance of menstrual cycle tracking and answers all your questions around how.

You can read Dr Michelles articles here.

https://www.sciencefocus.com/author/dr-michelle-griffin 

You can find her on Linkedin here.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-michelle-griffin-8204a122/ 

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Bridget is a Health Economics Policy Advisor, she analyzes the inherent relationship between health and wealth; how healthy populations foster both economic growth and sustainable economies.

Specifically at the moment she is working on creating a numerical ROI for the investment on female health. “ We know for every £1 spent on preventive health care it saves the economy £14 but we don’t know what the ROI is for women’s specific health care” 

Personally I’m so excited about Bridget's work because whilst we shouldn’t be reducing women’s health to a smart financial decision, getting this number from her work will definitely be instrumental in women’s health care, workplace support and research improving and that’s what we need! 

I hope you loved this episode as much as I did and as always we’d love to hear your feedback, comments and questions! 

Also if you're enjoying the podcast please feel free to leave a review! It’s 30 seconds but it’s super useful for us in the podcast algorithm!

You can find out more about Bridget's work here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridget-gorham/ 

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Her company CEW communications specializes in growing tech businesses by challenging the traditional way of doing things to get the company's message out there and drive the business to the next level.

I really loved this episode and was excited to chat with and learn from Cathy because it’s very easy to look from the outside and the amazon work someone is doing, the awesome team they have and the business they are building and impact they are having 

And just assume they are on top of everything all the time, always feel great and are killing it. 

To hear Cathy say she still sometimes loses work through her own insecurities and imposter syndrome was of course sad to hear but also very refreshing to hear this kind of honesty and vulnerability.

 If you're looking to build your career success or business but feel like it’s overwhelming, draining and the imposter syndrome is setting in and holding you back then please listen to this episode.

I hope you loved this episode as much as I did and as always we’d love to hear your feedback, comments and questions! 

Also if you're enjoying the podcast please feel free to leave a review! It’s 30 seconds but it’s super useful for us in the podcast algorithm!

You can find more from Cathy and her business services here. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathywhite10/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/cew-communications/ 

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In this episode Jenna breaks down the mindset shifts you need to go from personal trainer to business owner. 

How you can transition your existing skill set to building something more scalable.

Why sales is service! And you're doing your audience a disservice if you can’t sell.

The main lessons she’s learnt in 10 years of marketing and business having worked with some of the biggest names in the industry.

You can find more from Jenna here https://www.instagram.com/jennaannedavies/ 

And more information about working with her to transform your business here https://www.biguppetite.com/#info 

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Her research so far has covered endometriosis, pelvic health, nutrition, and alopecia and its treatment with natural products. She is passionate about femtech, nutrition and gut health and the business of bringing female wellness solutions to the Market.

In this episode Kinga and Leo discuss adjusting your nutrition and training around your cycle based on common symptoms and fluctuations you might experience. 

We talk about what cycle syncing is and just as importantly what it isn’t! 

What a healthy menstrual cycle looks like.

And how to track and measure your cycle.

We hope you enjoyed this episode and as always please feel free to send us a message or email with any questions and feedback!

Kinga Papp's Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kinga-papp-0b158b198/

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“I am and always have been passionate about helping people achieve their true potential. I help my clients improve their overall health, body composition, physical and mental performance, and quality of life and I absolutely adore what I do!

My coaching methods are built around the unique abilities and goals of each one of my clients, as I believe the coaching process and programming within that should be enjoyable and specific to the individual. I love what I do and I wouldn't change it for the world.

I also love learning and will never stop working to improve my knowledge. I have my own podcast - 'The Female Fitness Podcast' on Spotify, Soundcloud, and Apple Podcasts, and have set up a free Facebook community called 'The Flourishing Society' to help people tackle and prevent common issues that can rear their heads as they navigate their fitness journeys such as relationship with food struggles, poor body image, and feeling 'lost' after transitioning away from fat loss phases or competing in sport."

Danni’s website 

https://www.dannibosworth.com/ 

Danni’s IG

https://www.instagram.com/dannibosworth/

Philly Fleming 

“I started getting into the gym in my late teens and fell in love with it very quickly. I had no idea what I was doing, but I was determined to learn, and headed off to Loughborough University to study a Sports Science BSc, followed by a Nutrition MSc.

During those 4 years, I began competing in PCA Bikini Bodybuilding - something which ticked a box for me, but also taught me more about what I value as a person, and now a coach (sustainability, enjoyment, balance and results that don’t require you to be below 10% body fat).

I began coaching 5 years ago, with the aim to teach women how to do fitness in the right way. No BS myths, no excessive dieting, no overtraining and certainly no detoxes - simply, science, done right."

Philly’s website

https://www.phillyflemingcoaching.com/ 

Philly's IG

https://www.instagram.com/philly_fleming/

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Dr Kerry's website

https://www.themovementmedic.org/about 

Dr Kerry’s IG

https://www.instagram.com/the_movementmedic/ 

Qualifications

• Consultant Rheumatologist at Somerset Foundation Trust (2021-2023)
• MBBCHBAO (2007)
• Speciality Certificate Examination Rheumatology
• Member of the Royal College of Physicians
• Fellow of the Faculty of Sports and Exercise Medicine (Ireland)
• Diploma in Sports & Exercise Medicine (Distinction)
• Level 1 EFSUMB MSK Ultrasound
• Institute for Functional Medicine:

Applying Functional Medicine In Clinical Practice

Cardiometabolic Advanced Practice Module

Hormone Advanced Practice Module

Bioenergetics Advanced Practice Module

• Gray Institute, Certification in Applied Functional Science
• CrossFit Level 1

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Francesa Hodgson has a MBA from Cambridge and co-founded GoodBox, a tech company solving the problem of an ever-increasing cashless society was having a detrimental effect to non-profit fundraising.

Karen Mannion is a qualified nutritionist, mindset coach and speaker with a long-standing interest in wellness, having previously worked as a personal trainer. After struggles with her own hormone health issues, she now focuses on helping women gain control of their hormone health and regaining their zest for life.

Karen’s Linkedin. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenmannion

Francesa’s Linkedin.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/francesca-hodgson-mba-4255a818/

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Rebekah Lloyd is a speaker, event and podcast host, women’s health advocate, and founder of This Independent Life (TIL). After experiencing a breakdown and burnout, a 10 year delayed endometriosis diagnosis, and career and financial challenges, she discovered she wasn’t alone and created TIL. Now, she delivers empowering education and events for workplaces and the women's health community to help people navigate and overcome women's health related issues whilst flourishing in their career. A Biomedical Science graduate, she is an experienced creative leader and facilitator across the healthcare space having worked in research, the NHS, pharmaceuticals, communications and consultancy, and having lead, launched and grown international multi-million dollar accounts, brands and teams. Her clients now include global thought leading organizations such as UNiDAYS, Whistles, Schroders, University of Cambridge and Imperial College London, and she leads and advises on a number of women’s health advocacy and education, investment and funding, and research and start-up innovation initiatives. She is dedicated to using business as a force for good through her "corporates supporting community" approach and she helps organizations to support, retain and grow women leaders in the workplace whilst contributing towards women's health community events. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebekah-lloyd/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisindependentlife/

Website: https://thisindependentlife.co/

Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thisindependentlife

Email: rebekah@thisindependentlife.co 

Women's Health in the Workplace event: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/womens-health-in-the-workplace-intersections-impact-and-innovation-tickets-736341385907?aff=oddtdtcreator

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“From being an elite athlete to starting my own business and becoming a mum of two – my journey drives my passion in women’s health.

Life has led me to this point and served up an amazing opportunity to join with Bella and Emma to create The Well. I have 20 years’ experience working within health, fitness and sport. I’ve combined this knowledge and experience with challenges in my own life to create a solid set of principles that can and do help women thrive. I genuinely don’t care what your goals are. I work with Olympic champions trying to steal an extra millisecond and I work with women who don’t want to wet themselves when they stand up. I simply love working with any woman who has a story and wants to right a wrong."

• BSc Sports Science (First Class), University of Birmingham
• MSc – Health Related Behaviour Change, University of Bristol
• Co-authored The Female Body Bible in 2023, an instant Sunday Times top 10 bestseller
• Personal Trainer
• GB Rowing Team, 2005-2008
• Coached 100s of women around the world to help them with pelvic health
• Holistic Core Restore ® Coach, 2016 – 2020

Show Links

CPD courses link - https://www.thewell-hq.com/courses/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=twws 

Sign up to our newsletter link - https://www.thewell-hq.com/signup/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=twws

Female body bible link - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Female-Body-Bible-Revolution-Fitness/dp/1787636194 

Instagram link - https://www.instagram.com/thewell_hq/ 

Useful Links

The Women’s Wellness Show YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYbC4k9x21XU1x00LKKoKEw

Nexus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nexusconnected/?hl=en-gb

Nexus LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/79904138/admin/feed/posts

About The Host

Leo is a fitness professional and nutritionist who’s ended up specializing in female health by chance after seeing female clients struggle to get the same results he quickly realized you can’t train and diet women like they are just smaller men! He continues to be passionate about understanding gender differences that affect health, well-being and issues in the workplace

Leo’s Insatgram: https://www.instagram.com/leotysonn2/

Leo’s Website: https://www.instagram.com/leotysonn2/

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“Be realistic If you haven't run a marathon before you're not going to be able to run a marathon in two months It's very unlikely.”

Danielle Frost is the head of Women’s Health, Elite PT + Education coordinator at Third Space.

Empowering women through education + movement.

Pre and postnatal training qualified.

University of Brighton BA (Hons) Business Management

University of Brighton (MSc) Master of Science

We hope you enjoy today's episode!

Useful Links - 

The Women’s Wellness Show YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYbC4k9x21XU1x00LKKoKEw

Nexus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nexusconnected/?hl=en-gb

Nexus LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/79904138/admin/feed/posts

Health & Wellness In The Workplace Survey: https://form.typeform.com/to/d22xcDuB?typeform-source=prncax2m4oq.typeform.com

About The Host - 

Leo is a fitness professional and nutritionist who’s ended up specialising in female health by chance after seeing female clients struggle to get the same results he quickly realised you can’t train and diet women like they are just smaller men! He continues to be passionate about understanding gender differences that affect health, well-being and issues in the workplace.

Leo’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leotysonn2/

Leo’s Website: https://www.instagram.com/leotysonn2/

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“Contest prep doesn’t make anything better, it makes everything worse”

Jenny is a successful bikini competitor with multiple top show placings. She has done my course for personal trainers on female physiology and I know she prioritizes her clients health and mental well being over pushing for stage placings which is why she is the perfect guest to do this episode on how to do content prep is the healthiest way possible. If you're interested in bikini contest prep and are looking for a coach that won’t sacrifice your health in your process then I’d highly recommend reaching out to Jenny for a free no obligation chat.

Jenny's Online Coaching Information:

https://form.typeform.com/to/bBSIoMGh?typeform-source=linktr.ee 

Jenny's YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArZwxfr_6f4 

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As a professionally trained dancer and competitive gymnast, Sophie understands the importance of movement for both physical and mental well-being. After working extensively at a women’s only gym in Earlsfield, leading their postnatal return to fitness programme, she found that this was an area of personal training that really lacked awareness. She went on to study multiple pre and postnatal fitness courses and became very passionate about empowering women to exercise during this period of their lives. Sophie is committed to providing a safe and judgement-free space for women to build strength, confidence and knowledge in their bodies. She currently works at Third Space Islington and provides online coaching.

“So from a strength training perspective the way that your body kind of changes during pregnancy is that there's quite a lot of postural changes. But if you think about the bump growing everything is kind of happening at the front of the body. So what's happening is that the shoulders might start to round your pelvis is going to shift. So it might tilt forwards it might tilt backwards which is going to change the way that your um that your muscles are balanced and your center of gravity shifts forward as well. So generally what's going to happen is that some muscles are going to become tighter and some muscles are going to become weaker which then leads to aches and pains that you might experience during pregnancy”

We hope you enjoy today's episode!

Sophie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sophiedonald_pt

Useful Links - 

The Women’s Wellness Show YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYbC4k9x21XU1x00LKKoKEw

Nexus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nexusconnected/?hl=en-gb

Nexus LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/79904138/admin/feed/posts

Health & Wellness In The Workplace Survey: https://form.typeform.com/to/d22xcDuB?typeform-source=prncax2m4oq.typeform.com

About The Host - 

Leo is a fitness professional and nutritionist who’s ended up specializing in female health by chance after seeing female clients struggle to get the same results he quickly realized you can’t train and diet women like they are just smaller men! He continues to be passionate about understanding gender differences that affect health, well-being and issues in the workplace

Leo’s Insatgram: https://www.instagram.com/leotysonn2/

Leo’s Website: https://www.instagram.com/leotysonn2/

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Kat is a Greek-Australian Occupational Therapist (Behavioural Therapist) based in New York City. Kat is a Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner, Personal Trainer, Fitness Expert and Certified Nutritionist. She is currently completing her studies in Medical Neuroscience at Duke University.

Over the past 14 years, Kat has developed successful programmes that have helped the general population and competitive & retired Athletes reduce and/or abstain from overeating. Her programmes have successfully helped clients recover from mild to severe cases of Binge Eating Disorder.

“I'm at about four years recovered from binge eating disorder which is the one that lasted the longest about 20 years of my life actually And in terms of what I've created and the business Macros Muscles Mindset it's sort of been things that I learned from other therapy techniques that didn't work And what I've developed over the past I've been doing this for 15 years but the last seven years, in particular, is basically using techniques that work on the day-to-day for people And a lot of it comes down to understanding the basics of neuroscience and the functioning of the brain and what that also means is teaching people how to manage habits behaviours and language in particular”

“It took me there was this morning where I basically woke up and like I was so weak that I fell I fell down in my bedroom”

Kat was a West Australian State gymnast and competed at a National Level for many years. In her early 20’s, she was crowned Miss Australia and won multiple titles in natural Bodybuilding competitions. Thereafter, she moved into the sports of Powerlifting and CrossFit. Kat has retired from competitive Athletics as she pursues her studies in Neuroscience. 

Having experienced and recovered from 7 different Eating Disorders, she is passionate about taking the time to work with someone individually, to help them become the best versions of themselves. She is ardent about incorporating the concepts of Behavioural  and Cognitive Neuroscience into clients therapy and programmes as a means to help collapse old habits and build positive new behaviors around nutrition, training and body image.

Kat has worked around the world in the Health and Fitness industry as a Coach, Therapist and Trainer for over 14 years. Her experiences in group fitness and CrossFit coaching have included working in: High Security Women's prisons, on Cruise ships, at World Record breaking events, as well as teaching classes and workshops in Australia, Hong Kong, Thailand and the United States. Kat takes on very few Personal Training clients and specialises in Prenatal and Postnatal training. She has worked with many clients, long term, and has taken multiple women through the pre/post natal experience more than once.

Kat’s Website: https://www.macrosmusclesmindset.com.au/ 

Kat’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/macrosmusclesmindset/ 

We hope you enjoy today's episode!

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Her previous background was in financial tech and consulting. Due to the competitive nature of the corporate world, this resulted in Holly ending up with some chronic health issues and experiencing severe burnout. 

Her passion and focus is to now ensure others do not experience the same thing as she helps support clients with their health, well-being and fitness goals through a holistic approach to coaching.

We’re really excited to announce that Holly will be coming on board the Nexus Coaching team to potentially work with you toward your health and fitness goals. In this episode, you can expect to get to know Holly a little better and hear her story of how she got into the health coaching industry.

We hope you enjoy today's episode!

Useful Links - 

Holly’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthbyholly__/?hl=en-gb

The Women’s Wellness Show Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYbC4k9x21XU1x00LKKoKEw

Nexus Coaching Application: https://leo0d9cfd.clickfunnels.com/optin-360247221695113710928

Nexus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nexusconnected/?hl=en-gb

Nexus LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/79904138/admin/feed/posts

Health & Wellness In The Workplace Survey: https://form.typeform.com/to/d22xcDuB?typeform-source=prncax2m4oq.typeform.com

About The Host - 

Leo is a fitness professional and nutritionist who’s ended up specializing in female health by chance after seeing female clients struggle to get the same results he quickly realized you can’t train and diet women like they are just smaller men! He continues to be passionate about understanding gender differences that affect health, well-being and issues in the workplace

Leo’s Insatgram: https://www.instagram.com/leotysonn2/

Leo’s Website: https://www.instagram.com/leotysonn2/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leo talks to Katie Morris from Thirsdspace, a female health expert with 20 years of experience in the industry. Katie shares her journey of getting into the industry and her focus on supporting menopausal women.

She discusses the need to adapt training, nutrition, and psychology approaches when working with women as they age.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Menopause symptoms can vary greatly among women, with some experiencing few or no symptoms while others may have a wide range of physical and emotional changes.
• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can be an effective option for managing menopause symptoms, but it is important for each individual to weigh the pros and cons and make an informed decision.
• Regular exercise, particularly strength training, can help alleviate symptoms and improve overall well-being during menopause.
• Managing stress levels is crucial during menopause, as stress can exacerbate symptoms, and finding stress-relieving activities such as yoga or swimming can be beneficial.
• It is important for women to advocate for their own health and seek support from healthcare professionals who are knowledgeable about menopause and can provide appropriate guidance and treatment options.

BEST MOMENTS

"I've had a lot of clients do that. And they can then be referred to another NHS practice or to a private medical clinic. And I've had this plenty of times, I've had it happen, you know, and you just have to have the confidence to say, listen, I want a second opinion or that you can say it to the GP receptionist or to the doctor itself."

"The more you can educate yourself, get a plan in place for yourself, control the symptoms… Some women do say that it's been the best phase of their life because they've taken control"

"The lifestyle thing is obviously going to be super important, as it is for most general population as we get older, to get your exercise, regular exercise in place to get your nutrition in underhand, whether you seek support with it or you do it yourself, it's completely up to you to stay in touch with your doctor to get regular blood checks."

"The more accountable you're made and the more emotional support that a woman is given through menopause, they're more likely to stick to the exercise and nutrition side of it."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Email Leo at leo@themeetingplacegroup.com  

Katie Morris at Thirdspace - https://www.thirdspace.london/personal-trainer/katie-morris/

ABOUT THE HOST

Leo is a fitness professional and nutritionist who’s ended up specializing in female health by chance after seeing female clients struggle to get the same results he quickly realized you can’t train and diet women like they are just smaller men! He continues to be passionate about understanding gender differences that affect health, well being and issues in the work place

You can find Leo on:
https://leo0d9cfd.clickfunnels.com/order-page1618745054296
https://tysontransformations.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/leotysonn2/

This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leo is joined by Danni Bosworth, a former bikini competitor turned coach who shares her journey of realising that competing was no longer aligned with her values and how she transitioned to helping clients restore their health post-show. Danni discusses her initial interest in bikini competitions, the extreme nature of the sport, and the negative impact it had on her physical and mental well-being. She emphasises the importance of listening to your intuition and making decisions that align with your values, even if it means stepping away from something that was once a big part of your life. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Recognize the importance of aligning your actions with your values, even if it means stepping away from something that no longer serves you.

Taking a step back from competing or coaching competitors can be a difficult decision, but it's important to prioritize your own health and well-being.

The loss of menstrual cycle, often caused by low energy availability and stress, can have negative impacts on overall health, including bone mineral density.

It's crucial to understand that the ability to maintain a regular menstrual cycle during prep is largely influenced by individual genetics and predispositions, not just coaching protocols.

Building muscle and restoring hormonal balance after a competition may take longer than expected, and it's important to focus on overall health rather than solely chasing a specific body weight.

BEST MOMENTS

"I've lost a lot of myself here. And like, what am I actually doing this for anymore?"

"I cared so much about my clients. But I was pushing them through this process that I knew would have a negative impact on their health."

"I woke up every single day feeling anxious. So I knew that something had to change."

"Take the pressure off. Remember that you don't have to announce anything to the world. You can make this decision silently."

"People care way less about you than you actually think. And the people who do matter will respect you for that decision and will support you fully."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Email Leo at leo@themeetingplacegroup.com  

https://www.instagram.com/dannibosworth/

https://www.dannibosworth.com/

ABOUT THE HOST

Leo is a fitness professional and nutritionist who’s ended up specializing in female health by chance after seeing female clients struggle to get the same results he quickly realized you can’t train and diet women like they are just smaller men! He continues to be passionate about understanding gender differences that affect health, well being and issues in the work place

You can find Leo on:
https://leo0d9cfd.clickfunnels.com/order-page1618745054296
https://tysontransformations.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/leotysonn2/

This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

They delve into the unique considerations and responsibilities that personal trainers have when working with female clients, highlighting the need to understand the differences in female physiology, body composition, and hormonal profiles. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Female clients are not just smaller versions of male clients. It is important for personal trainers to understand and appreciate the physiological and hormonal differences between genders.

Menstrual cycles can have a significant impact on a woman's physiology, including strength levels, coordination, and sociability. Personal trainers should be aware of these fluctuations and make adjustments to training protocols as needed.

Scale weight can fluctuate throughout a woman's menstrual cycle. To accurately measure progress, it is recommended to compare weight points at the same point in the previous cycle rather than on a weekly basis.

Goal setting should be tailored to each individual client, taking into account their specific needs and desires. One alternative goal for female clients is the waist to hip ratio, which is a scalable and consistent measurement of aesthetics and health.

Personal trainers have a responsibility to upskill and educate themselves on female physiology and health. This includes having open and honest conversations with clients about their menstrual cycles and making appropriate adjustments to training and nutrition protocols. Empathy and understanding are key in creating a safe and supportive environment for female clients.

BEST MOMENTS

"We need to treat people on a case by case, or gender by gender difference."

"Even something relatively simple or seemingly obvious like weight loss, which is a goal for many female clients, isn't straightforward. It's not linear."

"You know, some women are more severely affected on a cyclical basis than others."

"So, you know, the last thing we want to do is to get them to believe in disheartened and disappointed."

"If a woman is aspiring to a healthy waist to hip ratio, that's a good metric that I can ethically get behind."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://www.instagram.com/jasonjacksonpt/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonjacksonpt/

Email Leo at leo@themeetingplacegroup.com

https://tysontransformations.co.uk/ https://www.instagram.com/leotysonn2/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/leo-tyson-b719ba191/

Leo is a fitness professional and nutritionist who’s ended up specializing in female health by chance after seeing female clients struggle to get the same results he quickly realized you can’t train and diet women like they are just smaller men! He continues to be passionate about understanding gender differences that affect health, well being and issues in the work place

This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The approach to dieting for females should take into account their unique biology and psychology, including the menstrual cycle and hormone fluctuations.

Female-specific health issues can arise as a result of extreme dieting and low calorie intake, such as hormone imbalances and estrogen dominance.

It is important for coaches to understand and address the root causes of health problems in female clients, rather than just focusing on physical appearance or weight loss.

Monitoring markers such as fasting blood glucose and blood pressure can provide insights into a client's stress levels and metabolic health.

Prioritising overall health and lifestyle improvements, such as sleep hygiene and micronutrient balance, can be just as important as achieving a specific physique goal for female clients.

BEST MOMENTS

"You can't really diet a female the same way as a male."

"It's important to have an understanding that the end goal, the physique goal, is often outweighed by some of the lifestyle improvements you're going to give your clients."

"If a female isn't in a position to diet, there has to be an acceptance there when you are onboarding that person that they need to be aware that if their body's not in a prime position to diet, then they're not entering into a dieting phase."

"The ultimate thing that suffers is the hormone output."

"You almost want to have that accomplished feel like I'm saying that you are giving that person the skills to correct these potential hormone imbalances that again, getting lean could be an amazing goal for a female, but having normal periods could be even better than having a beach body physique."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Email Leo at leo@themeetingplacegroup.com

https://tysontransformations.co.uk/ https://www.instagram.com/leotysonn2/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/leo-tyson-b719ba191/ 

SN Education - https://www.sneducation.co.ukSupplement Needs - https://www.supplementneeds.co.uk

Leo is a fitness professional and nutritionist who’s ended up specializing in female health by chance after seeing female clients struggle to get the same results he quickly realized you can’t train and diet women like they are just smaller men! He continues to be passionate about understanding gender differences that affect health, well being and issues in the work place

This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• With the new body image norms constantly evolving, issues are being seen in the industry surrounding food, nutritional intake, and under-fuelling when it comes to physical activity.
• Hustle culture has promised that people can excel in more areas than one, and that more is better. This has fed into the health and wellbeing space to detrimental effect.
• Carbohydrates are hugely important when it comes to energy generating, but this runs counter to the new wisdom on dietary effects, and is being mishandled. We need the energy we get from carbs.
• When you are in energy deficit, your body acknowledges that less energy is available and starts to slow things down in order to preserve as much as possible. From a practical standpoint, then best thing to do at this point is to monitor, observe and adjust your intake.

BEST MOMENTS

'We're seeing some fairly consistent problems in the industry'

'Good old diet has excelled so many different things'

'We are definitely starting to see reds as more of a common thing'

'The most underrated thing is to spend a good few weeks just investigating what you're doing'

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Email Leo at leo@themeetingplacegroup.com  

Sammy Cooper Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sammys.scoop/

ABOUT THE HOST

Leo is a fitness professional and nutritionist who’s ended up specializing in female health by chance after seeing female clients struggle to get the same results he quickly realized you can’t train and diet women like they are just smaller men! He continues to be passionate about understanding gender differences that affect health, well being and issues in the work place

You can find Leo on:
https://leo0d9cfd.clickfunnels.com/order-page1618745054296
https://tysontransformations.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/leotysonn2/

This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Sahana joins Leo to discuss the differences between optimising health for men and women and why it matters, how the field of female health study has changed across the last decade, and what women can do to better understand their health needs.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Women's health optimisation includes a staggering number of variables, including menstrual phases, and this complexity has scared many professionals away from the studies, but in the last decade the field is evolving, and more care is being taken.
• Personalised health care is moving very quickly in terms of innovation, and with it has come a far more specialised and bespoke form of wellbeing - one that allows us to better understand our bodies and optimise ourselves.
• You have to fully understand your menstrual cycle and be aware of how the body changes as these phases play out.
• Women in general should always work to strengthen tissues and ligaments so as to better prevent the threat of injuries and the subsequent need to heal.

BEST MOMENTS

'Understanding more about your body is what will get you places'

'There are a lot of different points to take into account when it comes to female health'

'There are so many things that females can learn about their own body, and apply them to their own training and goals'

'Knowing your cycle and variation is key'

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Email Leo at leo@themeetingplacegroup.com

ABOUT SAHANA GOPAL

https://www.instagram.com/sahanahops/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahanagopal/

Strength & Conditioning Coach | British Diving - Currently building barbells @unrack.fit

I am a product manager and scientific research leader with a passion for women's health and performance optimization.

With four years of experience at Wild AI, a femtech startup, I led the development of a platform that empowers active women to train, fuel, and recover based on their unique physiology.

As part of the founding team, I helped incorporate cutting-edge science and knowledge base into the product, bringing it to life.

Currently, I also work part-time as a Strength and Conditioning coach, primarily with British Diving, including the Olympic team, in the London area. In addition, I have a strong background in biomedical research, having completed my PhD in stem cell interactions with biomaterials.

I am currently exploring new opportunities in the dynamic and rapidly growing femtech and healthtech space, with a keen interest in leveraging my expertise in product development, scientific research, and performance optimization to make a meaningful impact on women's health and well-being.

Imperial College LondonImperial College London

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Bioengineering and Biomedical EngineeringDoctor of Philosophy (PhD), Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering

2014 - 20182014 - 2018

Imperial College London logo

Imperial College LondonImperial College London

Master of Research, Biological and Biomedical SciencesMaster of Research, Biological and Biomedical Sciences

2013 - 20142013 - 2014

Grade: DistinctionGrade: Distinction

Activities and societies: BadmintonActivities and societies: Badminton

MRes in Biomedical Research MRes in Biomedical Research

UCL logo

UCLUCL

Master of Science (MSc), Regenerative Medicine and NanotechnologyMaster of Science (MSc), Regenerative Medicine and Nanotechnology

2012 - 20132012 - 2013

Grade: DistinctionGrade: Distinction

Activities and societies: Badminton

ABOUT THE HOST

Leo is a fitness professional and nutritionist who’s ended up specializing in female health by chance after seeing female clients struggle to get the same results he quickly realized you can’t train and diet women like they are just smaller men! He continues to be passionate about understanding gender differences that affect health, well being and issues in the work place

You can find Leo on:
https://leo0d9cfd.clickfunnels.com/order-page1618745054296
https://tysontransformations.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/leotysonn2/

This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ash talks about the methodologies behind optimising mechanics and anatomy, why he found his way into coaching and the personal challenges it solved, and why turning fitness into a game might be counterproductive to people in search of wellness.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Especially in the fitness industry, when new ideas are established, the tendency is to take it to the extreme, which gamifies the process due to social media and the need for oneupmanship. 
• Winning and competing are very different goals. If you're trying to be as strong as possible, there will be an inflection point where your health and longevity and negatively affected.
• When we injure ourselves it is simply because the tolerance of our tissues has been exceeded. We have asked too much of one specific structure. The situations when this happens are when the muscle has been ill-prepared for the demands placed upon it.
• We must not assume our fitness state based upon headlines or what we consume. Our personal levels of wellbeing are unique to us, and do not depend on whether or not we eat carbs or get eight hours of sleep per night.

BEST MOMENTS

'I got into coaching to basically solve my own problem'

'Talk to the body'

'Now that fitness has become a sport, it's become a very confusing space'

'Olympians are not the pinnacle of health. They're the pinnacle of athleticism and performance'

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Email Leo at leo@themeetingplacegroup.com 

The Training Stiumulus - https://www.thetrainingstimulus.com

ABOUT THE GUEST

Ash is a male biomechanics specialist who is passionate about optimizing athlete performance. After experiencing a recurring neck and shoulder injury from rugby at the age of 14, he sought alternative treatments. Over the past 10 years, Ash has delved into the study of movement mechanics, addressing muscular imbalances, and injury prevention and rehabilitation. Working with world-class athletes and coaches, he has helped numerous individuals achieve their fitness goals and overcome pain. With a Biology and Biomechanics degree from Oxford University, Pembroke College, Ash transitioned from management consulting to the fitness industry in 2015. He holds qualifications such as Faster Advanced Movement Specialist in Functional Performance and Therapy, RedPill Coaching Mentorship, Eleiko Strength Coach, and REPS Level 3 Personal Trainer. Ash takes pride in improving athlete performance through movement mechanics, coaching, and mentoring other coaches with The Training Stimulus.

https://www.instagram.com/ashgrossmann.coach/ 

https://www.thetrainingstimulus.com/ 

ABOUT THE HOST

Leo is a fitness professional and nutritionist who’s ended up specializing in female health by chance after seeing female clients struggle to get the same results he quickly realized you can’t train and diet women like they are just smaller men! He continues to be passionate about understanding gender differences that affect health, well being and issues in the work place

You can find Leo on:
LinkedIn
https://tysontransformations.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/leotysonn2/ 

This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elizabeth talks about how she balances her career success and why compromise matters when you're forging a career path, why women do find it more difficult to establish themselves in the world of business, and how we can take better care of our people.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Having it all is a myth. You have to make compromises and that's hard at times. It's about setting priorities and achieving a successful balance.
• The further on in your career you get, you sometimes need to be there more. This is true of the junior stage, too. This is true for everyone, but there is usually more pressure on women due to the pay gap and need for visibility.
• Women worry more when they are not progressing fast, meaning they can overcompensate, usually at the expense of their personal lives and needs.
• It's vital that we offer everyone, regardless of gender, a place where they can escape and relax. Giving people that window of peace can serve to revitalise someone when they need it most. But most importantly, we must normalise the use of these spaces.

BEST MOMENTS

'I'm looking at the intersection between wellbeing and inclusion'

'My learning over the years was just knowing where to make the choices on what to compromise on'

'Asking yourself those questions can really ground you into what matters'

'This is not just about women'

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Email Leo at leo@themeetingplacegroup.com 

Elizabeth Cowper LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-cowper-chartered-fcipd-ludo/?originalSubdomain=uk

ABOUT THE HOST

Leo is a fitness professional and nutritionist who’s ended up specializing in female health by chance after seeing female clients struggle to get the same results he quickly realized you can’t train and diet women like they are just smaller men! He continues to be passionate about understanding gender differences that affect health, well being and issues in the work place

You can find Leo on:
LinkedIn
https://tysontransformations.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/leotysonn2/ 

This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Never be afraid to switch gears in life when you feel unfulfilled. It's a positive thing to be able to recognise when you're unhappy and move on to something different.
• Wellbeing has always been a very dry subject and has been tailored to the masses, when in actual fact it's a granular process with no one-size-fits-all approach that will work for all people.
• The process of beginning a nutritional journey is look within - begin with how they talk to themselves. Look at the ways in which they feed themselves and what they choose to consume.
• Wellbeing is not just about the food we eat, it's also about the life we see and take in. Surrounding ourselves with positive influences will make us feel fundamentally better.

BEST MOMENTS

'I chose that opportunity to redirect my life'

'It's exciting to feel people's braveness'

'Food is a mirror image of how you treat yourself and think about yourself'

'We're not a slow-paced brand. We have such ambition'

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Email Leo at leo@themeetingplacegroup.com 

Didi Ferrari Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/didelsferrizle/?hl=en

MARCHON - https://www.marchon.co.uk

ABOUT THE HOST

Leo is a fitness professional and nutritionist who’s ended up specializing in female health by chance after seeing female clients struggle to get the same results he quickly realized you can’t train and diet women like they are just smaller men! He continues to be passionate about understanding gender differences that affect health, well being and issues in the work place

You can find Leo on:
LinkedIn
https://tysontransformations.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/leotysonn2/ 

This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luce talks about what inclusion really means, why it matters so much, and how it can fundamentally improve not just the culture of a workplace, but also the levels of success and productivity.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Diversity and inclusion looks different to every business - each has a different idea of what it means to them.
• The aim of inclusion is to create a space where everyone can show up as their authentic self, because this promotes productivity as well as engendering equality at a grassroots level.
• Companies realise that investing in inclusion may cost money and use this as a way to push back against bringing the concept into the fold, especially as it may be difficult to quantify the success.
• Businesses often have processes and systems in place for a longstanding period of time, and are reluctant to change the way they work. This is one of the biggest stumbling blocks when it comes to implementing change, but it can be overcome with understanding on both sides.

BEST MOMENTS

'It's about supporting client to ensure that they have a workspace and workforce that is diverse and inclusive'

'There are many sectors that are male dominated and have massive pay gaps'

'If you're the person at the top, where are you putting your investment?'

'Education is the key to unlocking the unknown'

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Email Leo at leo@themeetingplacegroup.com 

ABOUT THE HOST

Luce Grover LinkedIn

Instagram

ABOUT THE HOST

Leo is a fitness professional and nutritionist who’s ended up specializing in female health by chance after seeing female clients struggle to get the same results he quickly realized you can’t train and diet women like they are just smaller men! He continues to be passionate about understanding gender differences that affect health, well being and issues in the work place

You can find Leo on:

LinkedIn

https://tysontransformations.co.uk/

https://www.instagram.com/leotysonn2/ 

This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emilia talks about her pioneering work, why we should challenge the accepted wisdom when it comes to our relationship with food, and her inspiring personal journey through fitness and wellbeing.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Women in particular are often pressured to be as thin as possible, but this doesn't necessarily suit every body type.
• We must recognise that our relationship with food, and the disorders that may spring from it, are often caused by our needing to numb a feeling that hurts. When we recognise and diagnose them, we can begin a more positive path.
• We have habit loops in the brain that serve to soothe and regulate us. If we notice these parts of ourselves and listen to them, we exponentially increase the healing effects they provide.
• In order to promote trust with those who seek you out, you have to be congruent and authentic - you have to know your values and show up in them whatever you're doing.

BEST MOMENTS

'I delved into mindfulness and meditation'

'We often use coping mechanisms to numb our feelings'

'Instead of pushing things away, it's about opening and bringing everything in'

'Health is a flourishing model'

VALUABLE RESOURCES

Email Leo at leo@themeetingplacegroup.com 

ABOUT THE GUEST

Dr Emilia Thompson is a Registered Nutritionist, university lecturer, associate fellow of the higher education academy and online nutrition consultant providing an evidence-based, compassionate approach to nutrition. With a background in sport and exercise nutrition and physiology, Emilia runs an online education course (EIQ Nutrition) as well as fitness events (Level Up Events) and is a leading public speaker in health and fitness. Incorporating a person-centred and values-based approach to nutrition within her practice, she is also currently training in psychotherapy.Emilia also specialises in female health, specifically supporting fertility and those undergoing assisted reproduction.

Emilia has years of experience in supporting people and currently runs the ETPHD method, a group of coaches trained in Emilia’s specific methods who collectively support 1000s of people worldwide.

https://www.emilia.fitness/ 

https://www.emiliathompsonphd.com/ 

https://www.instagram.com/emiliathompsonphd/?hl=en

ABOUT THE HOST

Leo is a fitness professional and nutritionist who’s ended up specializing in female health by chance after seeing female clients struggle to get the same results he quickly realized you can’t train and diet women like they are just smaller men! He continues to be passionate about understanding gender differences that affect health, well being and issues in the work place

You can find Leo on:
LinkedIn
https://tysontransformations.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/leotysonn2/ 

This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you're a woman seeking to deepen your understanding of your body's unique physiology and discover how to collaborate with it rather than oppose it, or if you're a fitness professional committed to providing specialized care for your female clients instead of treating them as miniature versions of men, then this is the podcast for you. Join us as we explore a world of knowledge tailored to women's well-being.

ABOUT THE HOST

Leo Tyson is a dedicated fitness professional and nutritionist who discovered his specialization in female health through a fortuitous turn of events. Witnessing the challenges faced by his female clients in achieving their desired results, he quickly realized that women cannot be trained and nourished the same way as men. This realization ignited Leo's passion for understanding the intricate gender differences that impact overall health, well-being, and workplace issues.

To learn more about Leo and his work, you can visit the following links:

- Tyson Transformations

- Instagram

This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.