The Untold Story of MenoMe® - a Menopause Brand Built by Women, for Women
From near-closure to renewed purpose, discover the raw, real story behind MenoMe® – by women, for women, and built on passion, perseverance, and a mission to support wellbeing through every stage of menopause.
Menopause is a rollercoaster – so was building MenoMe®.
What began as a heartfelt mission to support women through one of life’s most transformative transitions quickly became a journey of its own. Behind the scenes lies a story of the highs of community and the lows of personal tragedy and business setbacks. Indeed, the story behind MenoMe® is one of grit, grace, and growth.
Unlike big-box wellness brands, MenoMe® wasn’t built in a boardroom. It was built in real life – by women experiencing the symptom upheaval of hormonal shifts first-hand.
This is the warts and all tale you haven’t heard – but it’s the one that made us who we are.
A Mission Fueled by Lived Experience
MenoMe® began in 2015 with a powerful realisation: midlife women were underserved, underrepresented, and often unheard – especially when it came to the, often turbulent, waters of perimenopause and menopause.
That year, one of our original founders secured exclusive distribution rights in New Zealand and Australia for an ingredient scientifically shown to relieve 10 common menopause symptoms. But when he pitched it to supplement companies, no one bit.
Back then, menopause was taboo – swept under the carpet and ignored.
Then came Leigh Kite. A respected marketing professional and breast cancer survivor, Leigh had been advised to avoid MHT (menopause hormone therapy) and black cohosh. She tried the ingredient – and within days – her anxiety and feelings of dread eased. To her, it felt like a lifeline. She immediately saw the potential to help other women. So she proposed a direct-to-consumer model – educational, online, and unapologetically menopause-focused.
That’s where Dee Werder-McCrea entered the picture. A talented web developer, Dee was unaware she was having her own perimenopausal experience. That is, until she learned that as a woman in her 40s, hormonal changes were probably behind her sleep disruption.
Dee developed the first MenoMe® website, and together – the three co-founded MenoMe® while working full-time.
In late 2016, Jenna Moore came aboard. A former editor and women’s health author turned digital storyteller, she met the one of the founders while judging a cosmetic industry award. Their conversation sparked a personal realisation: she, too, was in perimenopause. At the time, Jenna was living with chronic musculoskeletal pain, emotional turmoil, and a deep sense that something was “off.” That lightbulb moment would shape her path with both MenoMe® and the study of menopause, lifestyle science, and women’s healthy ageing.
From Milestone to Meltdown
Essentially, MenoMe® wasn’t built from the outside in, but the inside out.
Between us, we experienced many of the signs and symptoms: lack of sleep, night sweats, brain fog, mood swings [rage!], insomnia, anxiety weight gain, heart palpitations, heavy bleeding, depression, and musculoskeletal syndrome. And we were far from alone. We discovered a silent sisterhood of women grappling with those signs and symptoms too – more often than not, without support or answers.
So, we made it our mission to change that. We teamed up with scientists, biochemists, and researchers to develop evidence-based, non-hormonal supplements for every stage of menopause.
As word spread, so did our impact. Our products were changing lives. But behind the glow-up, we faced real-world challenges – tight budgets, awareness gaps, and the immense emotional labour of serving a community while living the struggle ourselves.
We wanted the brand to feel cohesive – educational, empowering, and unmistakably female.
In 2018, Holly Zachan supported our refresh. A brand strategist and design pro with a fascination for women’s health, she’d just had her second child in her late-30s. With her sharp eye and warm heart, she brought consistency to the brand voice, shaped our creative direction, and helped us grow into a more cohesive and connected platform.
When Passion Meets Pain
Running a purpose-led business is tricky. Especially when you’re the demographic you’re trying to serve.
From the start, we faced challenges:
- Educating people about perimenopause (a word many had never heard)
- Smashing taboos
- Navigating both regulations and naysayers
But nothing could’ve prepared us for what came next.
The Tipping Point: Taylor’s Loss
In February 2022, at just 22, Leigh’s precious son Taylor tragically took his own life.
There are no words big enough for the devastation. As our Managing Director, Leigh was the guiding light of MenoMe®. But in the wake of such an unimaginable loss, she was understandably shattered – cut off at the knees.
Our close-knit team reeled – hearts broken, direction blurred. In truth, the business – and all of us – were on shaky ground.
And then, just as we were regaining footing, another catastrophic bomb dropped.
Pulled Products. Empty Shelves. And an Impossible Decision.
Medsafe New Zealand contacted us. Our best-selling products – 40+ and 55+ – weren’t compliant with supplement regulations.
Why? Because they worked. Their physiological effects meant they had to be reclassified as medicines, a process requiring years and hundreds of thousands of dollars.
We were forced to remove them from sale.
Overnight, we went from a full offering to a single product: LotsaLocks®.
Sales plummeted. Spirits fell. Our livelihood – and the entire business was on the line.
Then Something Beautiful Happened
We thought we were finished. But then, the messages came.
“Your product gave me my life back.”
“I finally feel like myself again.”
“Please don’t stop.”
Those voices – your voices – became our lifeline.
And they were the saving grace that pulled us forward, we chose to rise. Not just rebuild, but reimagine.
Thanks to the generous support of PharmaNZ, we were able to reformulate our products into compliant versions – equally effective and true to our original promise:
- Merry Peri® for perimenopause
- Perky Post® for post-menopause
- Happy Go Tummy® for digestive support
It wasn’t easy. It pushed us into increased debt.
But it also reignited our fire.
Our Comeback: Science, Soul & Sisterhood
Since our founding in 2015, the landscape has changed. Back then, menopause was still cloaked in silence – but today, it’s breaking through. The “Menoverse” has taken centre stage, with everyone from Oprah to Naomi Watts sharing their stories. Women are calling for change.
Some call it the menopause gold rush – a boom of products, platforms and promises. But for us, it’s been far from the treasure chest narrative. Our journey hasn’t been paved with profit margins or gold-lined investors.
We’re grateful for support from wonderful allies along the way. People like talented communicators Niki Creasy and Amber Gosbee lent us their expertise in marketing and messaging at a time when clarity and connection were critical. Their contribution helped us sharpen our voice and reassert our mission just when it mattered most.
And today, MenoMe® is more than a supplement brand. It’s a movement.
We expanded our education with free webinars and sponsor the award-winning Women On Fire® podcast, amplifying bold voices like beloved actress Rebecca Gibney, author Nicky Pellegrino, Australian darling Ali Daddo, Dr John Gray of Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus fame, and Dr Wendy Sweet PhD – all bright lights and advocates of menopause.
More recently, we added:
- Meno Coaching, where women can book 1:1 sessions with Jenna – now an accredited wellness and menopause coach of 10 years – to map their personal journey.
- Shake It Off®, a 10-Day Hormone Reset rooted in whole food and lifestyle science.
We’re clearer than ever on our mission:
- To break the silence around menopause
- To offer effective, evidence-based support
- To help women feel strong, supported and empowered through every season of midlife
Lessons from the Menopausal Trenches
If menopause teaches us anything, it’s this:
Change is inevitable. Growth is a choice.
Here’s what we’ve learned:
- Listen deeply. Your community will tell you what they need – if you let them.
- Stay grounded in values. Trends come and go. Integrity endures.
- Menopause isn’t the end. It’s the beginning of a powerful recalibration.
And we’re still standing – together.
A Thank You to the Sisterhood
To every woman who trusted us, told a friend, sent a message, or simply shared her story: thank you.
You’re why we’re still here.
We see you. We hear you. We’re with you – every step of the way.
💙 In Memory of Taylor Kite: Tay’s K’s
In the midst of grief, Leigh has turned pain into purpose.
Tay’s K’s is a walk/run held in Taylor’s memory, created to raise funds for youth mental health in New Zealand.
If you’re in New Zealand, join the event in the Coromandel.
If you’re further afield or overseas, you can donate or share via the Givealittle page:
🔗 https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/tays-ks-2025
Because every life matters.
Ready to thrive through menopause?
Join the MenoMe® sisterhood. Because every woman deserves support, science – and a voice.
