Menopause Insights from Nurse Coach Suzanne Greiner BSN, RN, NC-BC

Menopause Insights from Nurse Coach Suzanne Greiner BSN, RN, NC-BC Transcript

Nicole Vienneau  00:00

Welcome, everyone, to the Integrative Nurse Coaches in ACTION! podcast. My name is Nicole Vienneau. I am your host, and I’m also a board certified Integrative Nurse Coach who has the absolute pleasure to be spending time and sharing different Nurse coaches from all across the world and with you as amazing listeners. 

So thank you so much for being here. Today, I get to talk about something that I love. Well, I love all Nurse coaches. You know that about me by now, and I also love certain topics. And today is going to be a great topic. We have Suzanne Greiner, who is from Denver, Colorado. 

The name of her business is Suzanne Greiner Coaching, and she’s been really, been really impactful as of late in the space of perimenopause, menopause, post menopause. And so we are welcoming Suzanne.

Suzanne Greiner  01:01

Thank you so much for having me. It’s such a pleasure to be here.

Nicole Vienneau  01:05

Yay! And I’m so excited because we get to talk about a topic that’s near and dear to my heart, especially within the past few years. And I know our listeners, many of them, are also going through the phases and the transition into this beautiful new butterfly of perimenopause, menopause, post menopause. 

And you are doing some amazing things in that world, so we look forward to hearing about them. And before we get there, though, we love to take a trip down history lane, and that is to discover why you even decided to choose to be a Nurse.

Suzanne Greiner  01:39

I think my journey started when I was in high school. It was one of those things that I loved anatomy and physiology and biology, and I had such an impactful biology and human physiology and anatomy teacher that I really was just like, Oh my gosh. 

I really was drawn to it, and I loved it. As a child, I wanted to be an astronaut, and then a fashion designer, and then, like all these other things. So when I got when I got into high school, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, and so he my biology teacher, really sparked that curiosity inside of me. 

And then my older sister, my senior year, she was actually involved in a really bad car accident. She was hit by a drunk driver, and I had already decided to go into Nursing school at that point, and already accepted into Nursing school. 

But that was an impactful moment where she was in the hospital in the ICU for five weeks after post her accident, and that really confirmed what I wanted to do, becoming a Nurse, and just seeing her go through that whole transition in the ICU to recovering and doing better. That just confirmed everything for me to go into Nursing.

Nicole Vienneau  02:50

Wow. I can imagine you, too, trying to or thinking you wanted to be a an astronaut.

Suzanne Greiner  02:59

It was until the Challenger explosion happened, and then after that, I was just like, nope.

Nicole Vienneau  03:03

Right, change of focus. And what an, I guess, an opportunity. And also it was likely feeling very traumatic at the time to watch your sister go through all that she went through in the intensive care unit after her car crash.

Suzanne Greiner  03:21

Right. Absolutely. And my young… I have a younger sister, and that was the determining factor, that line in the sand for her to actually go follow suit into Nursing as well. I was just like, That event was very impactful for our whole entire family. 

It shifted the dynamic so much that it was not only just my sister, you know, that was in the car accident, but it just shifted the whole family. So it was really impactful in many different ways.

Nicole Vienneau  03:50

Do you recall, or can you recall any of the events within that that just said, Okay, this is why I want to become a Nurse. Was there a contact with a certain person? Or just explain that a little bit.

Suzanne Greiner  04:04

I feel like, and my younger sister would agree with this too, like the Nurses in the ICU were so incredible, and they were patient, and they were like, they were so good at explaining what was going on with her. Because this, we have never had any, you know, illnesses in our family, we’re pretty healthy. 

And we would have family members that would have cancer, but like to have that trauma, you know, and have, you know, in the ICU, and have all those, you know, multiple monitors and what you know, everything that goes on in the ICU, have that explained to you so well. There’s this one particular ICU Nurse was just like, amazing, and just was so good. 

And that’s like, that was the Nurse that you would, you know, when you would see your loved one being taken care of by that Nurse, you knew that she was, you know, was in good hands. And so that was just like, that identity of that Nurse that you want to be when you grow up, kind of thing. So it was good.

Nicole Vienneau  05:01

So amazing. I love that you had, even though that was a, you know, a terrible time for you and your family, yet you found, you found peace with that, and also a sense of responsibility as you then went into your Nursing career to be that person and that Nurse who was a beacon of light, I suppose, for the family and for multiple families. Now through your Nursing career. So how many years have you been a Nurse? 

Suzanne Greiner  05:30

26 years. It should have been… It doesn’t seem like it should have been, or should be this long. Like maybe 10 years. But I started, actually, I started my Nursing career at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. So that was like the foundation for my Nursing career. And I loved it. It would just laid like patient is the center of the care of Nursing. 

And really was just like, this is who you take care of, and then you have this team approach of all these different specialties helping this patient out, it was just like you felt like you were part of this team, helping this patient and just making sure that their well being was taken care of. So it was just such a great opportunity. And I worked in the intensive care unit. I worked in surgical trauma ICU. 

I’ve worked in cardiac cath lab, and then eventually, when my kids were starting to get older, and I feel like we do this as moms and that are Nurses, that we shift what we do in Nursing to be a mom too. So I would work weekends, I would work nights, and I would just shift a lot of different roles as a Nurse as my kids started to get older and older. 

And so I eventually realized I’m like, All right, I can’t be doing cardiac cath lab, you know, as my kids get older and I can’t do weekends, because now they’re starting to get busier on the weekends with sports and different activities. So then I started to shift into healthcare IT. So I started doing remote work for that prior to 2020. 

And I had the flexibility of being able to go through, you know, pick up my kids from school or whatever, and have that, you know, working remotely. So I had that flexibility. So I think that’s the amazing thing about Nursing, is that you can always shift and change, and there’s so many different opportunities as a Nurse. I think that’s one of my favorite things as being a Nurse is that there’s so many different roles that you can play.

Nicole Vienneau  07:25

Absolutely, yeah, and I do agree, and I’ve seen and in my own life, as well as our lives transition, you know, especially as a mom, you know, and then you have more responsibilities at home, and you can shift with your job, and it morphs with you, as you move through. 

And then also, just, you know, if you’re not feeling connected with the work you’re doing, you can take steps and move in other directions that help you align more with what really speaks to you. Yeah, no need to be stuck. We can move. We can move around. 

Yes, yes. Okay, so you’ve had quite a lot of different experiences in your Nursing career as well. So I know that you took the Integrative Nurse Coach Academy’s Integrative Nurse Coach certificate program back in 2021. So tell us a little bit about your experience with that.

Suzanne Greiner  08:23

It was so funny because my friend Kim Karraker, we went on a hike one day, and I still remember the exact same hike. It’s like, I think you remember these defining moments in your life. You’re like, where I was at that time, and that this is one of those defining moments. And we were hiking, and she’s telling me, we need to check out Nurse Coaching. 

And I’m like, I don’t know if I want to coach Nurses. And I think that’s the typical whenever someone asks you, you know about Nurse Coaching, they think that you coach Nurses. You can, but it’s not everything. And I was just, like, no, no, no. 

This is why you go, why we went into Nursing to help people to, you know, help them with their well being, their, you know, preventative care, like all this stuff, so that they can be better people. And the more and more she talked about, the more I realized I’m like, Oh my gosh, like I had been feeling… 

I love health care. It’s been a great opportunity for myself and my family, but it wasn’t fulfilling my soul’s purpose. And I had been feeling this for quite a few months, especially in 2020. I think that was just like that, you know, pandemic year where everything starts… you start questioning things in your life, like what’s more important to me and everything. 

And so I had been denying and listening to my gut intuition about, like, my soul’s purpose. Like I want, I’m wanting to do more, but I don’t know what it is. And so the more and more I had that conversation with her, the more and more I realized, like, I really want to check this out, because I love personal development. 

I love talking about well being and that holistic care, of taking care of a person. And not just their disease. And I just really wanted to dive into that more, but I didn’t know how to like at first, and then when she told me about this program, oh my gosh, this is so amazing. Sounds wonderful. 

So that was like November of 2020, and I had taken my time, did a lot of research. And I think as Nurses, we do all those like, let me look at all this research, let me look at all these different things. Is this something I really, you know? Can I do this? Number one. Is this something I, you know, that interests me? 

And obviously it did interest me, but then it was so easy for me to make excuses of, like, oh, I don’t know if I have the time. I don’t know if I have the resources to do this. I don’t know, you know, I’m a single mom, like, how can I juggle this all? 

And I feel like when your desire to do something is greater than the pain of like, not doing something is, you know, you want to do it, it’s going you’re going to find a way. And so it’s interesting, because I kind of been putting it off, putting it off, and then Kim told me, I’ve enrolled. 

And I was like, okay, like, I think I am, I’m just not for sure yet. And then I actually enrolled the day before the program started. So it was just kind of an interesting thing. I was just like, waited to the last minute, but my story, what made me decide to do it— I wasn’t trusting myself and trusting my decisions. 

And the day before the program started happened to be a day… It happened to be Easter, and it also happened to be a date of a significant event that happened to me a few years prior. I went through a pregnancy loss and lost a child at 20 weeks pregnancy, when I was 20 weeks pregnant. 

And it was a weekend that my kids were at their dads for Easter, and it was his birthday, you know, the son that we lost. It was his birthday. And so it all happened on that day before the, you know, starting the INCA program. And I decided that day, I was like, You know what? I think I want to do a sunrise hike just to make sure, like, I need some time to myself. 

I need to kind of figure out what I want to do. So I did a sunrise hike. It was the most beautiful thing ever. Sat up on top of this mountain for 45 minutes by myself, no one else around. And I just, like, had this conversation with God and like, okay, direct me what I want to do. Like, should I do this program? 

Should I not? And I just had this resounding feeling you need to become a Nurse Coach. And through that, I was just like, oh my goodness, okay, I’m going to enroll. And so sure enough, later that evening, I enrolled, and I’m sure I made Ron go crazy, like you’re enrolling at the last minute. 

But it all worked out, and it was that I felt so good about the decision, because I listened to my intuition. I listened to what God was kind of telling me to do in that moment of like, go forward and take action. And I think that’s so important, because we can sit on so many things in our lives, and we know we should do something, but we never take action. And then when we take action, everything unfolds naturally.

Nicole Vienneau  08:56

So beautiful, so true, and I just want to acknowledge the loss of your baby. And thank you for bringing that forward for us and the significance of his life. And you know your decisions from moving yourself forward is beautifully aligned with you know your purpose and how you want to show up in the world. 

So thank you. Thank you for sharing that with us and the story of you know, being on the top of a mountain and connecting with God and listening to the answers of what’s in your heart, what’s in your gut, and really saying yes to yourself.

Suzanne Greiner  13:45

It truly is. And I have done so much, like trying, you know, when you go through a pregnancy loss like that, you question so many things in your life. You question your own body, because it was like, I felt like my body had failed me in that moment. 

And so learning to trust yourself and evolve over time from that, it takes a lot. And like, if anyone has gone through that, they know it’s like, it’s hard to trust your body again, to do, you know, to show up, and so to really move through that, listening to your intuition. Which actually, I think it all stems into, you know, going into what I’m currently doing for my coaching practice. So it all starts kind of from there.

Nicole Vienneau  14:27

Yes, and so we’ll get to that in a moment, because I did want to tell our listeners and you, if you don’t know, one of our Nurse coaches, coach graduates from the Integrative Nurse Coach Academy. She’s also senior faculty with the Integrative Nurse Coach Academy, she hosts a healing circle for women who have experienced pregnancy loss, so it could be from any type of pregnancy loss. 

And she brings women together every couple of months and has a healing circle for them. I’ve attended those and it’s been wonderful to connect with other women who’ve experienced such loss, and hear their stories and bear witness to that. 

So for our listeners, I’ll drop in Holly’s link for that, you could connect with her and share your interest in connecting with other women who have experienced that. Yes, and also, on another note, you mentioned Kim Karraker. 

She’s been a guest on our podcast as well. She was in Episode 52 and the name of her podcast was Connecting Hearts with Nurse Coaching. So I’ll drop her link into the podcast notes too. So listeners, you can have a hear of what Kim has to say, and she mentions you, Suzanne, in her podcast, so I think that’s pretty cool.

Suzanne Greiner  15:47

Yeah, we’ve been friends for such a long time. I moved to Denver in 2007, so it’s been almost 18 years. But we used to work in the ICU together on night shift in different areas in the ICU, and she had moved away to California, and then, literally, that November was just about a month after she moved back from California to Colorado, and we, like, she literally lives, like, two minutes down the road from me. 

But it’s so fun because we’re going through our own Nurse Coach practice together. Like, you know, our businesses. Like, she has her own business. I have my own business. Like, okay, what’s working for you? How can I support you? So it’s just great to have that connection with another Nurse Coach to kind of like, be by your side while you’re going through this and creating your own private practice. 

Nicole Vienneau  16:32

Beautiful. Yes, we all need help from our friends, for sure, for sure. Okay, so now we’re at the part where you decided to take the Integrative Nurse Coach Academy’s Integrative Nurse Coach certificate program, and then you took it. So please share with us maybe one or two tidbits of what you recall from the program that helped shift you in your personal and professional life.

Suzanne Greiner  16:58

I think the biggest thing about the program and becoming a Nurse Coach is because, like we as Nurses love educating our patients. We love doing that, and then just we have to sit back, and we actually don’t need to… We don’t like educate them. We actually help guide them and to, you know, have them be that source of their own truth and their own action. 

And it’s just like that was a big transition for me, because I love educating. I love, like pulling that information in for patients. And so for me right now, it’s like, how do I kind of integrate a little bit of the education, especially in what I’m going into, but then also allow and evolve, as you know, a woman going through perimenopause and menopause, and allowing them to take those actions necessary to make that transformation in their lives. 

So, it’s a lot of not, or a lot of making sure that I’m not doing too much of that education, but also allowing them to step forward and owning their own truth in their own world.

Nicole Vienneau  18:01

Yes. So I know that all of our listeners who are Nurse coaches know exactly what you’re talking about, and I’m wondering if you could elaborate a little bit more on that for our listeners who are maybe contemplating becoming a Nurse Coach, like, what’s the difference between education and what you’re talking about with Nurse Coaching? 

Suzanne Greiner  18:20

Yeah. I think the biggest thing, instead of us telling them, we are asking them questions, we’re asking them to make, you know, think deeper about why is it that they are experiencing this, or why is it that they are feeling like maybe their body is, you know, failing them. 

Like, you know, for what, you know, I was going through with my pregnancy loss. Why, you know, where are these feelings coming from? And it’s like, it’s kind of percolating, like, Oh my goodness. Like, this is like, I have my…. I’m the issue, but I’m also my own solution as well. 

I can create solutions for my life, and I’m in charge of that. I’m not dependent on someone else to do that. I’m not dependent on the knowledge that I you know, or someone telling me what to do. I have that within myself. And I think that’s a beautiful thing that we as Nurse coaches can do, is really bring that out in our clients that we work with, that they are the solution for a lot of their things that they’re going through. 

Nicole Vienneau  19:18

Yes, so good. Thank you for that explanation. Yeah, I do recall being a Nurse at the bedside intensive care, and we did, we would tell people what they needed to know, what we thought they needed to know, right? We thought that, you know, we were doing it from the best place in our hearts to help the client or the patient. And at the same time, we never really asked the question what do you need? What is it that you want?

Suzanne Greiner  19:45

We were control freaks in ICU. We were like, it has to be this way…

Nicole Vienneau  19:51

Yeah, you know, we were checking boxes and doing, you know, things that we thought were important, and they were. They are, those things are important. And at the same time, we’ve found that through Nurse Coaching, that there’s actually a better way to do some of this stuff.

Suzanne Greiner  20:06

I know. And that’s when I like, realized, when I was going through the program, like, Oh my gosh. How many patients did I say this is how we’re going to do it, and I didn’t pay attention to what their needs were, and I was just like, Oh my gosh. 

I felt like, if I could ever go back to the ICU and, like, do it all over again, I would be like, Oh, let me actually listen to you this time. Why is it that you’re hesitant about getting out of bed, into the chair? Like, you know those, what fears do you have?

Nicole Vienneau  20:33

Yeah, yeah. So good. And the whole aspect of just of going,, first of all, of going deeper with a person, with a patient, client in our communities, whatever we’re doing, going deeper than just the surface. And then instead of being dependent on information or dependent on your healthcare provider for giving you a plan of action, for giving you a medication, for connecting you with another provider, like it’s like you’re dependent on that. 

Instead, we’re allowing people and showing our connections, like we’re showing them you can actually do this on your own, like we can help you and we’ll support you, and you are the one who will heal yourself. There’s no one else who can help you like you can help yourself. 

No one. So it’s just such a beautiful, now, a deeper connection to myself and how I show up as a Nurse, and a way that I can actually have tools and develop the skills, because it’s a skill to do what Nurse coaches do, but have the skills to feel confident in a new way of communicating with someone and connecting with them.

Suzanne Greiner  21:44

And I think what I like the most is when I see my clients, they have that aha moment, and all of a sudden they create this boost of confidence that they don’t have to rely on me for all the solutions, they can do that. And it’s just like, this light just turns on in their eyes, and you’re just like, Oh my goodness. 

And they come back, the next time I will talk to them, like, Okay, I have a celebration I want to share with you. I’ve been thinking about it all week, and I have to tell you about my celebration. And that is, like, to me, is the best thing, or like, I have women coming back to me and be like, Oh my gosh, like, I took this action and now I feel so much better. 

And that like to me, that just warms my heart more than anything, just hearing their before, knowing their before stories, and then their after stories of them taking action is so liberating for them, and then also, like rewarding for me, just to hear that.

Nicole Vienneau  22:35

Yes, win, win, right? Yeah, yeah. So good. Okay, now we have Suzanne before Nurse Coaching, during Nurse Coaching certificate program, and now Suzanne after the Nurse Coach program. So tell us what you’re doing now.

Suzanne Greiner  22:57

Right now, I am working with women going through perimenopause and menopause, but my story evolved from when I left, when I graduated from the program I got, I became board certified. I knew I wanted a private practice, but I didn’t know my niche yet, and I’ve been told over and over again, just coach people, you’ll eventually figure it out. 

And so I knew I wanted to work with women going through midlife transitions. Because I, you know, I personally have gone through a lot with going through a divorce, redefining who I am as, you know, woman in midlife, I’m working mom with, you know, teen kids, like, you know, trying to create my identity midlife. 

And now that my kids are older, like, how do I transition from them being so dependent on me to now becoming more independent and not being this helicopter parent. So I had all the stuff that I’m like, okay, like, I have all these things I can work with, and I still kind of didn’t know. 

I just kept coaching women, and I kept having this common theme amongst women come up, and it was all about like, I think my hormones are off. And I was just like, so I just kind of tucked that away in the back. I’m like, I don’t know anything about that, but I had taken the functional medicine course for Nurses through INCA, and I also did the Canny Nurse program through INCA. 

Because I’m like, I think these are tools that I can put in my tool box for Nurse Coaching. I don’t know how I’m going to use them, but I’m going to put them in my toolbox, because one day I may need to use these for something. And sure enough, I’m so glad I did, because it’s like, I’ve integrated some of these into my practice in different areas. 

But women kept saying, like, I felt like my… I feel like my hormones are off, I feel like I’m gaining weight. It was just like, this common, you know, theme. And so then I was just like, okay, maybe I’ll do some gut health, you know, coaching about gut, how important gut health is. And like, I went into a lot of different avenues. I didn’t have a clear picture, and I couldn’t clearly define what I did as a Nurse Coach, which was hard on me, because I’m like, I don’t know where to go. 

And I just kept living my life. Kept coaching women, and then I started to go through perimenopause. And I think we sometimes are the best teachers when we go through… or best coaches when we’ve gone through something, and we can coach other people through that, because we’re like, five steps ahead of them, or maybe even just one step ahead of them. 

We help coach them through that, and it helps them kind of go through that process a little bit easier than maybe we had. So yeah, so I started having perimenopausal symptoms, and it started off really vague, and I think you probably hear this too, like because you coach women in perimenopause, is that you kind of just don’t feel like yourself anymore. 

And it’s just one of those things that in 2023 I just started noticing these little symptoms pop up in my life, and it was like the joint pain and I had twisted my ankle, and it took me eight months to recover from, like this is not like me. I’m an active person. I go hiking every you know, like every weekend. 

Why is it taking me, you know, two days to recover from a hike that’s two to three miles that it feels like it’s eight to 10 miles? And then why is it when I get out of bed in the morning that my hips and my ankles are so stiff, I feel like, instead of 47 I feel like I’m 87 and it just wasn’t making sense. And I think as Nurses, we’re like, investigating, like, what’s going on with my body? 

And then you have all these vague symptoms in perimenopause, and they’re all over the place. Nothing like, really, is that invisible string that lines up perfectly for all of these symptoms. And so about mid year of 2023 I start gaining weight. I’m like, wait, I’m eating healthy. I’m exercising the same as I’m normally. And by the in about 11 month time frame, I had gained about 25 pounds. 

Like, this is not… I’m like, I’m not eating fast food. I’m not… what is going on with me? And then about fall of 2023, I started experiencing brain fog. And once that hit, then I’m like, I’m in perimenopause. So all these little symptoms come… you know, were all forming. 

And basically, I think, during perimenopause, like, you don’t know what’s going on with your body, but your body is signaling to you like, Hey, I’m trying to keep up with all these changes, and I’m giving you these symptoms. You’re not paying attention to them. Here’s some more symptoms here. 

You know, they start adding up. And finally, your body’s like, I can’t take this anymore. I need help. And so I at the end of 2023, I was just like, Okay, I have a doctor or my yearly appointment with my PCP. I’m gonna go talk to her. She’s, you know, probably, like, eight to 10 years older than me. 

She’s gone through this, like, she’ll be helpful. And I put so much emphasis on that PCP appointment because I wanted solutions, because I felt like crap, like I wasn’t myself. I was super irritable with my kids. I just wasn’t showing up as a good mom to them. 

And I was like, just not showing up as my best self, and that, like that devastated me, because I was just like, I am trying to help other women, and I’m struggling myself, like, how can I work through this? And so when I went to my PCP appointment in December of that year, I went there and I’m like, I had 17 symptoms of perimenopause. 

I walked in that appointment and she’s like, Hey, how are you doing? I said, I think I’m in perimenopause. Here are my 17 symptoms. She kind of like… a few different things. She kind of was not expecting that, because I had gone to, you know, I go to my yearly appointment, I never have anything to complain about. 

I’m healthy, like I’m doing all this stuff. And she was like, Oh, okay. And then she asked me a couple questions. She goes, are you still having a regular menstrual cycle? And I said, Yes, but I’ve noticed a change with them. They’re not as, you know, what they normally are. And then she goes, Are you having any hot flashes? And I said, No. 

Out of all the 17 symptoms, not one of them was a hot flash. And I think that’s the most common misconception of women going through perimenopause or menopause is that if you have hot flashes, yes, you are perimenopausal or menopausal, but there are about 25% of women that don’t ever get that. 

And so she looked at me, and she goes, I have 20 minutes to spend with you. She goes, we can either talk to you about your perimenopause symptoms and that. Or we can talk to you about your yearly appointment, but I don’t have time to talk to you about both. And my heart just sunk in that moment. 

And I’ve realized a few things since then, PCPs are probably not the person to go to for perimenopausal stuff, because they… a couple different things. They’re not educated in that area as well. They don’t get a lot of formal education anyway about menopause, but they only have 20 minutes to spend with you. They don’t have the time to do that, so no shade on her at all for that. 

But also, the messaging that came across felt like, for me, like my voice was silenced. And I was just like, Oh my goodness. I’m like, and I started to tear up. And she’s like, Okay, well, tell me about your symptoms. And so I told her my symptoms, and she basically said to me, she goes, Your increased anxiety and your brain fog, I can give you an anti-anxiety medication for that. 

That will help you. It may help you with your brain fog. And I looked at her, because I’ve had that functional medicine training. I looked at her, I said, Absolutely not. I said, You are treating a symptom of perimenopause, not the root cause, which is the fluctuations of my hormones. And she looked at me like, why aren’t you taking this prescription? And I left, I got my lab work. 

I left that appointment, I sat in my car and I cried, and was like, the first time I have felt… I’m like, Wow, I’m a Nurse, and I’m being treated this way. How many 1000s of women are having the same experience I’m experiencing right now? And their voices are silenced. They think that this is supposed to be okay. 

And I’m like, this should not be this hard for women to get the right treatment for their perimenopause or menopause symptoms. And I made a promise to myself. I said, I never want another woman to feel the way I’m feeling in this moment. And that’s when I shifted my whole coaching into working with women going through perimenopause. So long story, but yeah, that’s where it all kind of shifted.

Nicole Vienneau  31:21

It is an impactful story. This is a moment in your life that really helped you pivot towards one you saw a need for. But the feelings that you received as after and during that appointment really solidified an actual like, I can help, I know how to help people. I know how to help women. 

And women shouldn’t be going through this type of feeling like they’re silenced, as you mentioned, and because all women, if we’re lucky, if we’re lucky, go through perimenopause, menopause, postmenopause, if we’re lucky, right? And so now you’re decided, okay, so when you started looking around for, you know, more education or learning about… because you said, I don’t know anything about this. 

So now here you are saying, I don’t know anything about this, and I still want to be able to coach and be open and available to women going through this. So how did you help support yourself and in this transition of moving towards working with women in midlife? 

Suzanne Greiner  32:35

I would like to say that my transition into this was super easy, but it’s not. I basically learned that I had to take care of myself first, like find solutions for myself first, before I could even try to coach other women in this. Because I can’t just say, Okay, this is what you’re supposed to do and hope that it works. 

It was like I needed to be that story of… and know confidently, like, this worked, you know, for me, and there’s other research that these are the other things out there too. So I did dive deep into research. What’s the latest things? There’s not a lot. 

I mean, I feel hopeful that in the next few years we’re gonna have more and more research studies out there, but it was a lot of trial and error, of like, okay, maybe this is it, and making sure that it’s not fads of like this is the trendy thing to say or the trendy thing to do. There’s not a lot of certification programs out there. 

There’s a few, but there’s… it’s hard to find ones that are credible to really, you know, guide you along that path. There are a few, but you have the menopause society that always, you know, you can always back up with what their knowledge is, but it was a lot of like trial and error. 

But also I found myself when I was going through this… because January and February of last year… So this happened in December 2023, so January and February of 2024 were probably one of the lowest months I’ve ever had, emotionally for myself. And even as a Nurse Coach, I feel like, sometimes we feel like we should have it all together. 

And like, oh, we shouldn’t have to go through this. And we put so much pressure on ourselves to show up in a way that maybe we need to slow down and take time for ourselves. And that’s what I had to do in January and February. I’m like, I wanted to do this for, you know, Coach women in this space, but I also had to, like, slow down and take care of myself first. 

And I had depression. Like, really, I’ve never, like, even though I had that, I went when I lost, you know, or 20 week or several years ago, I never was depressed. I was grieving a lot, but I also realized this time, I could recognize my emotions were not in check, and I could recognize I’m like, I’m hitting depression, and this was a new territory for me. 

So I did a lot of journaling. I had to do a lot of those things to support myself during this time frame. But I also realized… I did a… I went on a retreat in February to Costa Rica, and I had this conversation with this other woman. She’s, like, literally, a couple months older than I am, and I told her, I’m like, Oh, I’m in perimenopause. 

And I think sometimes women, as we go through perimenopause, we make it our identity. And that’s what I had done. I had made perimenopause my identity of who I am as a person, instead of an event that I’m going through, that I’m traveling through in time. Yes, I’m going to go through perimenopause, but I don’t need to make it my identity of who I am. 

I was starting to do that, and I had just this conversation with her, and she talked about her mom and how her mom made it her identity and like everything, every person she talked to, like, she complained about everything. It was just like, oh my gosh, this is what I’m doing right now. 

And so I had to slow down. I had to be like, I don’t want this to become who I am. I want it to be like, I want to leverage this for the better. I’m like, Yes, I’m going through perimenopause. And what do I want my perimenopause story to look like? Do I want to be a victim to going through this? 

Or do I want to be that victor of like I went through perimenopause, and I was able to do this and I was able to find solutions for my own health. And I think the kicker for me at that point in my perimenopausal journey was like, I want this to be that when I’m 85 years old, and I look back on my life, that this is that point that I chose for longevity of my life, versus like a quick fix. 

So every decision past, you know, that point in time was like, is this going to be helping my 85 year old body to hike a mountain, or is it going to set me back? So those are the kind of that decision of working with my future self. What does my future self want me to do in this moment?

Nicole Vienneau  32:43

I love that vision of looking at our future self, because if we’re lucky enough, we get a future self, right? Yeah, yeah. And making decisions based upon what that future self is going to look like and be like and act like, and their contributions to society and all of that, and really thinking about that and what that vision might be to help support yourself in the present moment. 

I love that. That’s a beautiful image, Suzanne, yes. So tell us more then about how you are practicing as a Nurse Coach. Or what does that look like in your world today?

Suzanne Greiner  37:23

I think it’s been one that I’m still navigating a little bit through. And I use Human Design for a lot of different decisions. So if you’re familiar with Human Design, or maybe if you’re not, I’ve used Human Design kind of in my business a little bit to help navigate me into what feels good to me, what’s in alignment with me. 

And there’s five different types of human design. There’s a manifester, manifesting generator, a generator, projector and reflector, and I’m a generator. So once I figured out that I’m a generator, what I do is I, like this is that listening to your gut intuition and really trusting that. 

And that’s where, like, I had to learn to trust my intuition a lot more during this time frame, and I started making decisions of like, what do I want my Nurse Coaching practice to look like? And if it lit me up like, it created more energy within myself, because that’s a generator, you create, you know, when you’re in alignment with doing what you want to do, you create more energy. 

And so I started creating different… I thought about different programs I wanted to create for my Nurse Coaching practice. I wanted to, you know, think about like, do I want to do this? Do I want to do that? And a lot of it is like navigating, you know, through, like, you know, a trail map when you’re hiking, like, you know, do I take a right or left turn at this fork? 

You know, kind of thing that you’re doing with your practice. But it was if I felt in alignment with doing that, I knew I was on the right track when I was, like, energized by it and wanted to do more of that. So a lot of the things that I do in my Nurse Coaching practice, I will meet with clients one on one and really work on their specific, you know, perimenopause or menopause journey, whatever that looks like. 

What do they need to work on? Where do they need to focus on? Is it the weight loss? Is it working with their relationships? Is it working, you know, all these different things. So I do one on one coaching. I’ve done group coaching as well. I also have a monthly membership for women going through perimenopause and menopause. 

It’s been like this fun thing. I create this…. We have a topic each month, so I bring in my a little bit of my education here, but I create a topic each month. So the month of January, when we’re recording this, the month is we’re talking about insulin sensitivity that happens during perimenopausal, menopause. 

So I do a quick little video. What, how that kind of the anatomy, physiology, what’s going on in your body, and why is it important? And here are some tips for insulin sensitivity, like how to eat your foods differently, exercising after you eat. Like, all these different tips. 

And then I have this support throughout the month through an app, WhatsApp, that we support each other, and at the end of the month, we do a group coaching community call, where we talk about our month, what went well? What are we struggling with? And really kind of coach them through, you know, that, and they like, it’s amazing. 

Like these women just are like, I just love this connection with other women going through this. I don’t feel alone. Like that, to me, I love community and connection, it’s one of my favorite things about, you know, group coaching. And then I’ve also spoken at… I’ve been speaking at events. 

So I’ve been having a lot of different events, you know, locally, in person. There’s this menopause documentary that came out recently in October, and I’ve been asked to, like, co host a few different events. We screen the film. It’s called The M Factor menopause screening. 

And I’ve held free events for women to be educated about perimenopausal and menopause through this film. And then I have a panel of guests of OB GYNs,  Nurse practitioners, different like, a psychologist that works with women mid life. They’re on the panel, and they ask questions afterwards, or women that are attending an event, they ask the questions afterwards to this panel, and further have that discussion about, like, this is what’s going on with perimenopause and menopause. 

I’ve had three of those events, and I’ve hit 200 women that have come to those events, and that’s just been like, it’s just starting that conversation about what perimenopause and menopause is, and then just following up with them afterwards and having conversations about coaching or other resources that they may need during this time. 

So it’s been fun. It’s been evolving. And there’s so many other things that have been happening, kind of like a lot of doors have been opening for me of different things, so it’s just been fun, and I’m just enjoying it.

Nicole Vienneau  41:46

I love listening to you talk about this, because the energy that you’re sharing with us is like, this is fun. This is in alignment with what I want to do and how I want to show up in the world. And this M Factor screening of this movie, opening the door and having the conversations about menopause. 

Because all of us women are going to go through that, I would say, if we’re lucky, because if we are lucky, we’re going through it, and it historically, this has been a topic that has been taboo, hush hush. Let’s go behind closed doors and talk about this, if we talk about it, and then if we’re talking about it, let’s not use the word menopause. 

And, you know, let’s not talk about this. And meanwhile, we’re all going through some of the similar symptoms that you’ve shared and that your story brought up for us going through perimenopause, when we feel like what the hell is happening to us and we don’t understand, because no one’s ever talked about it. 

But yet you are opening up this discussion now, welcoming women into an area that they can then learn about how it’s affecting themselves personally. Because nobody’s the same, nobody. It’s not a perfect book, textbook situation. It just isn’t. 

And they have been also faced with the conversations with potentially a provider saying, Oh, you’re just crazy. You’re just anxious. Here’s a pill for you to take care of that, and not addressing the real need, the real need for understanding what is going on. It’s not that we’re crazy. 

It is just an influx of different hormones shifting within our bodies that eventually we’ll go through and we’ll feel better, but and at the same time, we want to know what’s going on now, and how can we support ourselves in the now? Not wait. We don’t need to wait anymore. We need to help support ourselves as we transition through these amazing phases. And you can see, Suzanne, I’m a little passionate about this too. 

Suzanne Greiner  43:56

We could talk for hours about this. 

Nicole Vienneau  43:58

I know we could totally. We needed a whole other six podcast episodes of this.

Suzanne Greiner  44:02

I feel like it’s so important, because having that conversation is so important. It was so funny. One of… I went out with some friends one night, and we’re like, we went dancing at, you know, a country bar here in Denver, and one of the ladies is talking to me about, like, her going through perimenopause and her journey. 

And she looks at me all of a sudden, and she goes, I cannot believe we are talking about our, you know, perimenopause and menopause at a bar. I love that we’re like, making this a common conversation. And it’s so important that it is a common conversation. 

And I think it’s like for me, I think my journey, I felt a lot of shame, like leading up to that appointment and just starting to go through like, that January, February, time frame of like, that realization of, holy crap, I’m like, getting older. 

I think that part of your life where you’re like, I’m getting older and my life expectancy is going to be shorter, you know, like, eventually, over time, I’m getting to the last third of my life, and it really makes you question, like, what are you doing? Like, am I doing what I said I was going to do in life? 

And I think it’s a big wake up call, but it’s also like, you feel this shame, because you’re like, Wait, I didn’t do what I said I was going to do in my life yet. And I was kind of feeling those emotions. And so it was just a lot of that, like processing the shame, maybe some guilt, of like, you know, I said I was going to do this, and I thought I was going to be at this point in my life, and I hadn’t been there yet. 

So I think it brings out those emotions. And so sometimes women don’t know how to process those emotions, because also their stress resiliency during this time frame is altered because of the fluctuations of your estrogen and progesterone during this time frame. So it’s a lot of mix of a lot of different things.

Nicole Vienneau  45:58

Yes, it’s so so many mixes of different things. What I also like to talk about with my clients is how our bodies are really just trying to adapt. They the body knows what to do and how to help itself and how to heal itself. 

And we also have environmental impacts that are pushing our bodies in different directions that maybe historically, like our grandmothers didn’t have to go through some of this environmental things like micro plastics and all this other stuff, you know, all this other stuff, which I know is probably likely part of your coaching conversations as well. 

But the realization that we do have, we do have ownership. We can have ownership and we can connect with women like us who do this on a daily basis, who are coaching and helping and building confidence through this stage of life, because what you have shared with us about your own journey of just not feeling the shame and feeling at a loss, like, why is this happening to me? 

What did I do? Like I didn’t do any you know, and I didn’t, and I’m not where I wanted to be, and how do I move through that? Or the pressures of family life and having children that we’re caring for, and now being sandwiched between our parents who we’re also caring for and how much stress that puts on our lives and then that affects our bodies and our minds and our spirits. Just an amazing phase, and yet a difficult phase too. 

Suzanne Greiner  47:38

It is, and like, I have three teenagers. So my son’s 19, and then my two girls during their like, 14 and almost 16, and when I was going through perimenopause, they were going through puberty, and the swings, I’m like, this is the worst. Whoever decided that this was okay for this to happen during this time, the worst, this is awful. 

But I am now, like, I’ve, you know, raised my voice enough about perimenopause and menopause, my daughters are very aware. My son’s like, Yeah, I know, I hear it, but wanted to not acknowledge it too much. But like my daughters, they’re like, Okay, now we know… 

all three of them recognize the transition I’ve made just in my own well being, of like, I was irritable and on to them about all these different things and how I’m a much better mom now because my hormones are better regulated and I am able to adjust to things. 

But, yeah, now my daughters are very well educated about perimenopause and menopause, so when they go through that, they’re like, it’s going to be a completely different ball game for them. And that, to me, is huge.

Nicole Vienneau  48:46

Very huge that, yes, the upcoming generations and the work that we’re doing on ourselves right now helps support the future generations as well, and even your sons, right? I mean, if they decide that they want to partner with a woman they’re going to also experience that transition of their partner, potentially going through perimenopause, so they’ll be prepared too. 

Suzanne Greiner  49:09

Yeah, absolutely. And I think that’s important because it affects your relationships, not just with your children, but also your spouse or your significant other. Like it really impacts the you know, that relationship. 

And I think it’s important for women who go through this is to recognize, like, the shifts and the dynamic changes that can occur with that and having that honest conversation with your partner, like, hey, like, I don’t mean to, like, snap at you, but I can’t control this. 

And it’s like that second puberty that women go through. It’s not just like you know when you start going through your menopausal or when you start going through your menstrual cycle, it’s that second puberty in our life that we’re like now our hormones are all erratic, all over again when we thought everything was normal, but it just creeps out of nowhere sometimes.

Nicole Vienneau  49:57

It does. It does. Our listeners are nodding their heads right now. It does. Yes, and so I am curious, too. So you’re a mom, you have kiddos, three kids. You’re still working full time. You’re running these events with The M Factor. You’re coaching women going through perimenopause, menopause, postmenopause. I mean, you’re going, you’re doing all of those things. How are you, how are you doing all that?

Suzanne Greiner  50:25

That’s the common question every like my friends ask me, How do you do it? A lot of it, I think it goes back to my human design of, like, am I doing things in alignment and saying yes to the right things, saying no to the right thing, you know, saying what feels in, you know, deciding whether it feels good for me to do that or not. 

And having that honest conversation with myself, like, can I handle, can I realistically do this? And I think for me, a lot of it’s learning more about myself and what is truly important to me, and looking at that from that perspective. I think for a while there, I was doing everything I could because I wanted to, like, get my name out there. 

And when I was doing that, I felt I was not in alignment with what I wanted to do. And it felt …just didn’t… it felt like more pressure. And there’s someone, someone I follow on Instagram, it’s Andrea Crowder. She is a coach out there and just a regular coach in the coaching world, but she talks about pleasure over… do things out of pleasure over pressure. 

So is this bringing me joy into my life? Is this something I want to do? You know, those are the things, the questions I ask myself, instead of like, oh yes, I’m going to do this. So I’m making the right informed decisions of what I want to do and making sure that I time block my schedule. 

I’ve learned to do that. So I have my kids during the week, and they go to their dad’s every weekend. So my schedule looks a little bit different. It’s based on what I can do, versus like what my clients can do. So I kind of like this is the hours I’m available, and then they’re able to adapt their schedule with what I want to do. 

And I think as Nurse coaches, sometimes, as we’re beginning, we’re like, When can you meet? And like you adapt to their schedule. And like you really have to have ownership of your schedule, and I think it’s really important to do that, because then you can put in that block of time, like I’m going to… this is time for myself, and just taking that time to rejuvenate yourself, because I think it’s so important. 

And also being able to like, these are the hours I’m going to work and not scroll on social media or anything like that. I’m working during these hours. And those are those things that you have to have, those honest conversations with yourself. Like, where are these little blocks of time in my schedule that I can do this? And if you are in a relationship with someone, talk to your significant other about, hey, this is my working hours. 

I really need you to watch the kids during this time frame. Or can you support me during this time frame by doing X, Y and Z and just having those conversations so that you can have that focus time. So I think it’s having that focus time, the time blocks. And is this in alignment with what feels good or not. So a lot of that, and it took me a while to realize that. So it’s a work in progress.

Nicole Vienneau  53:07

That’s so great that you’re sharing all of these things that that are working for you. And it makes me think of my own self. And sometimes when people ask me, Oh, can you do this? Sometimes I’ll be like, yes, like, right away. And then some things, people ask me, Can you do this? 

And then I pause, and then I’m like, Let me think about that. And then I don’t necessarily always just get back with them, and I kind of let it hang out there. And that’s my cue to say, Oh, that’s not aligning with what you want to do. So you’re… but and I’m learning that I’m wasting energy thinking about that thing that I don’t really want to do for whatever reason. Right? 

Sometimes it’s people pleasing, and sometimes it’s like, Well, I kind of want to do that, but I don’t really truly want to do that, you know? So it’s all this learning and journeying that we’re doing as this self awareness, which Nurse Coaching has really brought to life for me, self awareness, self appreciation, you know, allowing space for me to think about myself, you know, and what I need. Yeah, so, so good. I’m so thankful that you brought things up that you’re exploring yourself, and I know you’re not perfect. I’m not perfect.

Suzanne Greiner  54:24

I still have those moments I’m like, Oh, wait, I overbooked myself again. You know, kind of like, all right, I’m not like… or you’re making decisions that are not in alignment with you. And I think that’s… but sometimes I think that creates an opportunity of growth for us, of like, okay, made this decision. Why did I make this decision? 

But how can I grow from this and choose differently next time? And I think those little things… because I have an event coming up, and it’s just like, it’s a lot of… I am excited about it, but it’s also a lot of pressure. And I’m like, Why am I feeling this way? And I’m like, Oh, I am doing something completely new, and I have to honor myself. 

I’m like, I’m learning and I’m growing in the season. I have to be kind to myself. My friend, my best friend, told me the other day she goes, see, you need to be kinder to yourself. Like, oh, I do. Like, thanks for that reminder, because we don’t know everything all the time. I think sometimes it’s just that good reminder of having that friend like, be kind to yourself. 

And yes, this is a journey, and we’re learning and we’re growing, and we’re doing different things, and we have to sometimes stretch ourselves and then realize, okay, I’m going to do things differently next time, but we don’t know that until we grow from it.

Nicole Vienneau  55:37

Beautiful. So in our last few moments together, I love to ask the question, what is on your heart that you would like to share with our listeners today?

Suzanne Greiner  55:55

Oh, gosh, immediately this book came up. I just read this book called The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins, it is so good. 

Nicole Vienneau  56:04

Tell me the name again. What’s the name? 

Suzanne Greiner  56:06

The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins. It is so good, and I think it’s important for us as Nurse coaches. She talks about, if you know, like, I guess maybe in our world of coaching, if someone cancels on you, let them. If you know, they don’t show up to an event, let them. 

And it takes away that control that we have over that situation, and we actually just bring that control back to us, because then the next step after you let them choose their you know, whatever they choose to do, you have power in the next step, which is, let me. So what is the next thing I can do that I can have control over? 

I can choose, like, let me invite another person. Let me reach out to another person to talk to about coaching. Let me, so then you’re more in control of that, and you take off that pressure of maybe they’re not showing up, or them canceling, or them not becoming a client, or whatever it may be in the coaching world, and it can be in your personal life too. 

Maybe you’re working with a client and they chose to not follow through on their action plan for the week, or that they said they were going to follow through. Let them, because they gotta figure… they have to figure that out. But you get to choose, like, let me then, you know, do whatever it is next. 

And I love that, because I think being the old ICU Nurse that you’re still trying to get past is like, you want to control the outcome of certain situations still, and you’re learning to let them do that, and you can choose differently, and you can let me, like, I get to choose something different. So it’s just a good thing that I think as Nurse coaches, we have to, like, kind of have in the back pocket sometimes.

Nicole Vienneau  57:53

Yes, let them, and then let me choose what’s next too. I love that. Alright, I’ll put the link into that book, of course, into our show notes. Yes. And so Suzanne, how can we find you?

Suzanne Greiner  58:12

I have my website. It’s suzannegreinercoaching.com. That’s the easiest place to find me. If you want to be a part of my email list, there’s a pop up that comes up that you can be a part of. There’s also a tab for perimenopause, menopause. I have all my offerings on that link, where it talks about my membership, my one on one coaching, group coaching, and any upcoming events that I have coming up. 

So, yeah, so you reach me there. Also on Instagram, TikTok: @SuzGreiner is my address on that, and then Facebook, I’m around on Facebook as well. So yeah.

Nicole Vienneau  58:48

Wonderful. So many different ways that we can reach out to you. And I hope our listeners, you know, if you’re resonating with things that Suzanne has shared, reach out to her. See what the possibilities are, and see how you can help yourself as well.

Suzanne Greiner  59:04

Absolutely. My biggest thing about perimenopause and menopause is you don’t need to go through this alone. And I think it’s so important for us. Sometimes we feel like we have… we can do this on our own, and you don’t have to.

Nicole Vienneau  59:18

You don’t have to, that’s right, you don’t have to. Well, thank you so much, Suzanne, for spending your time with us. 

Suzanne Greiner  59:25

Absolutely. It’s been such a pleasure talking to you.