EP 62 Hot Flashes, Horse Urine, and the $26.6 Billion Menopause Problem HR Ignores with Mare and Raquel
Mare, Raquel, Steve, and Tony laugh their heads off discussing perimenopause, menopause, and post menopause. Menopause costs U.S. employers an estimated 26.6 billion dollars a year in absenteeism, presenteeism, disengagement, and unnecessary medical visits. Yet, most HR leaders have never had a single conversation about it, and most doctors received perhaps two chapters on it in medical school. The guys sit down with Mare and Raquel, co-founders of MenoPalz, to talk about what actually happens to women in perimenopause, why so many end up in the ER convinced they are having a heart attack, and why an entire generation of providers still won't prescribe estrogen because of a study that was flawed from the day it was published.
This one gets into real workplace territory fast. What do you actually say to an employee who is clearly struggling but you have no idea if it is stress, burnout, or something else entirely? Is a lunch and learn on menopause a thoughtful gesture or a liability waiting to happen? And why does psychological safety matter more here than almost anywhere else in HR? Mare and Raquel don't hand out easy scripts, but they do explain why the conversation is happening, whether HR is ready for it or not, since every woman in your workforce is eventually heading toward this phase of life. Stick around for the tangent about George Washington, mistakes, and what it actually means to let people fail their way into becoming better. (Caution: Authentic sounds of a dog drinking from a bowl included in this episode.)
Learn more about MenoPalz at: https://www.menopalz.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorteFl56MOEN9Glf-gqUa5O3gXzfk6BY-oC4IZCiCg6KCwxVmjS
Subscribe to Take a Pause with MenoPalz Podcast at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/take-a-pause-with-menopalz/id1825203115
Download Information from MenoPalz at: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1C8LcaoHaOA5eZHDXMqRb1CqUMRfp_hZp?usp=sharing
Learn more about Fantastic Tony Benjamin at: https://www.thegrangellc.com/
Learn more about Steven "Big Deal" Smith at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/
Learn more about the Books mentioned on the podcast at: https://thehiringtreebook.com/hr-life-podcast
Learn more about Dyno Outfitters at: https://www.utahviaferrata.com/
Learn more about MegastarHR at: https://www.megastarhr.com/
Learn more about Pucks for Autism at: https://www.pucksforautism.com/
Learn more about Thrive Life Project at: https://www.thrivelifeproject.org/
Creators and Guests
Host
Fantastic Tony Benjamin
I am a unique HR leader with more than 20 years’ experience working for some of Utah’s oldest, fastest growing, and most well-known companies. My experience includes Superior Drilling Products, Air Medical Resource Group, Control4, Ovivo USA and Deseret Book. I am a regionally recognized authority on building successful cultures and am an alumni speaker at DisruptHR SLC and DisruptHR St. George. I have earned an MBA from the University of Phoenix, a Bachelor’s degree from Utah State University, and am a certified Professional of Human Resources (PHR). I'm married to a woman out of my league, have three brilliant kids I doesn’t deserve and, although I travel a lot, live in Vernal, Utah.
Host
Steven "Big Deal" Smith
Steve will be the first to tell you that recruiting is marketing. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance at Brigham Young University and started his career in recruiting in Feb 2005. In 2008, he took a risk during a recession to help start a new company with Ryan Kohler, called ApplicantPro, a full suite HR platform for small to mid-sized businesses. In March 2025, ApplicantPro became iSolved Talent Acquisition, now serving 177,000 clients and close to 9800 employees. Before the merger, ApplicantPro made the Inc 5000 list 12 years in a row, Top Places to work in Utah 3 years in a row, and Steve was named the Small Business Utah HR Achievement Award winner in May 2024. iSolved was also named an Indeed Platinum Partner in 2023, 2024, and 2025 and is one of only ten ATS platforms in the country to obtain that designation. SHRM-CP & PHR certified, Steve currently volunteers on the Utah SHRM State Council as the immediate past State Executive Director. His book, The Hiring Tree: Laws of Applicant Attraction, was released in early 2023, and has helped thousands of organizations across the country rethink their approach to hiring. If you need help understanding the principles and role of SEO, marketing, and AI when it comes to attracting job seekers, Steve provides a solid framework for hiring effectively.
