Conversations with Karissa Pfeffer

Today we’d like to introduce you to Karissa Pfeffer.

Hi Karissa, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
After becoming a mom and climbing the corporate ladder, I hit a wall of burnout. I blamed postpartum exhaustion and work stress, but little did I know I was actually in perimenopause. After leaving my corporate career that I thought I would retire from my symptoms weren’t getting better they were actually getting worse. When I learned what was really happening, it changed everything. I realized how many women were struggling in silence – feeling “off,” burning out, and walking away from careers – without ever being told why.

I turned my pain and my story into a purpose. After a coffee date with a friend who suggested I make women’s health and perimenopause a career a seed was planted. Now, as a certified health coach and founder of Perimenopause Power, I’m on a mission to make sure women don’t become part of the 13% who leave their careers because of unaddressed menopause symptoms like I was. Through coaching, I help women understand what’s happening in their bodies, reclaim their energy and confidence, and create simple, sustainable habits so they can thrive – in work, health, and life.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has not always been smooth. Over the years I took for granted how much your mental and physical health can impact everything you do – especially your career. In the peak of my career (but also the onset of my perimenopause symptoms) I felt like I was failing everyone. I felt like I was a bad mom, a terrible wife, and that I was letting my team members down. But most of all I knew I was letting myself down. I was getting the leftovers of the time for me – which on most days wasn’t even ten minutes.

Once I started putting myself first and focusing on my mental and physical health everything shifted. I felt like a version of myself I recognized again. My relationships started thriving again. My business was born in this self work. I truly think once you are a priority and you love yourself everything starts to fall in line.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a former corporate finance manager turned Certified Perimenopause Health Coach. I am proud of the leap of faith I took when I left my corporate career on nothing more than a gut feeling. Through my own health journey I founded Perimenopause Power. I turned my story into a deep rooted passion and made it my mission to help other women not have to make the same sacrifice I did.

Through my Perimenopause Power Method we focus on four pillars for wellness in Perimenopause – Education, Stress Management/Nervous System Regulation, Movement and Nutrition. Instead of taking an “all or nothing” or “go big or go home” approach we create small, easy to implement habits that stick for longevity. While women tend to have a longer lifespan than men our health span tends to be worse. I teach women that we can set our seventy year old selves up for success too.

I offer everything from e-courses to 1:1 coaching but my favorite coaching is community coaching. This period of life for women can be very isolating. I love community coaching because it reassures women that they are not alone plus provides a built in support and accountability system for them.

As a coach and educator I also help workplaces bring menopause conversations to the forefront to educate and empower their team members. I want to teach women that while they can’t avoid menopause they don’t have to suffer like our grandmothers or mothers did. Our lives are not over at midlife – the second chapter is just starting!

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I have been fortunate to have many people that have supported me through out my career. One of my biggest cheerleaders through this career change for me has been my husband who didn’t bat an eye when I told him I was going to leave my job even though I was the breadwinner of the family. My daughter who is only seven constantly goes around telling people I “do menopause” for work even though she doesn’t really know what it is.

A person that gets a ton of credit for my journey is my friend Elizabeth. She saw something in me that I didn’t. At first when she told me I should “do something with perimenopause as a career” I thought she was crazy. But she planted a seed of something I didn’t know could grow. Had we not had coffee that day I don’t know what I would be doing for a living. It’s crazy how one simple moment can change the trajectory of your life so drastically.

Lastly, the community of women I have found in my forties have been amazing (shout out to the Detroit Mom & House of Reclamation crews!) I have surrounded myself with women who continue to lift each other up, hold each other accountable and not let us settle for anything less than what we deserve. I always say a rising tide raises all boats and these women are not just a tide but a tsunami. The contagious energy of support and success in the communities I am a part of is unmatched. We are not meant to walk through this world alone.

Pricing:

• E-courses
• Community Coaching
• 1:1 Perimenopause Coaching

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.perimenopause-power.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/perimenopausepower/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karissapwellness
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karissa-pfeffer/
• Other: FREE Perimenopause Symptom Tracker: https://perimenopause-power.myflodesk.com/voyager