Cougar Puberty

Happy Friday, Sippers,

How was your week? Mine was already great, but during my trip to Toronto this week, I connected with fellow women leaders and coaches, making me realize something: I needed to write about a topic I usually avoid.

I've always been a big fan of women, having the honour of raising three amazing ones at home, and I'm passionate about coaching them to achieve the self-confidence they deserve. 

But I'll admit I had some issues writing my "sip" this week.

My struggle came from contemplating a subject with a terrible reputation: menopause.

The media's name for it right now? "Cougar Puberty." 

That cheeky title is perfect for a social post, but it masks a massive, multi-billion-dollar problem. It reminds me that every brand, person, or life event that suffers a bad public rep or is defined by a shallow joke is missing a massive opportunity to reclaim its true, complex, and powerful narrative.

Let's dive into why listening to the "noise" instead of the "signal" is the most costly mistake a brand can make.

📉 The Perception Gap: Noise vs. Signal

The personal worry about this topic is precisely what a brand builder must recognize: the widespread, negative public perception (the noise) is what creates a massive rebranding opportunity if you can redirect focus to the hidden, disruptive issues (the signal).

Brands often fail when they focus on the public stereotype (the noise) instead of the private pain point (the signal).

The public image is defined by the Cliché (The Noise):

• Visible drama, like hot flashes and temper, is often the public perception.

• A negative stereotype that defines the experience as a joke or a medical issue.

The strategic reality is defined by the Costly Reality (The Signal):

• Internal disruption, such as brain fog, lack of energy, anxiety, and sleep issues.

• This transition can start as early as age 40 and last up to 10 years, making it a long-term challenge.

• The functional challenge leads to high-value talent loss, especially as women contemplate quitting their jobs.

By embracing the easy, dramatic "Cougar Puberty" title, we instantly identify the noise. Now, here is the strategic pivot: your credibility comes from speaking to the signal.

💥 The Brand Builder's Masterclass

The disciplined process of reclaiming a narrative is how you turn a perception crisis into a competitive advantage. This is a masterclass in strategic storytelling, just like the best campaigns we analyze every week.

1. Strategic Storytelling: Reclaiming Your Origin Story

The decisive move many women are making is to stop treating menopause as a health crisis and start treating it as a natural, neurological re-launch.

• The Rewiring Narrative: Women are normalizing the experience by sharing that no, you are not crazy; your brain is simply rewiring for the next phase of your life, just as it did during your teenage years.

• Owning the Signal: The failure of traditional brands to address this is a huge market segmentation failure. The winning brands are building products for cognition, sleep, and energy—solving the real challenges, not just treating the visible symptoms.

• The Power of the Platform: Leaders like Lisa Brookman are creating platforms to drive this new narrative, such as her second annual Menopause Unscripted event.

• Google is also tackling this issue by launching initiatives like Menopause Awareness Month, hosting internal panels and expert sessions to debunk myths. 

These efforts are a masterclass in building trust and community: by sharing personal stories, they normalize the "signal" and give it a voice.

2. The Authenticity Repellent: Don't Hide

Brands often suffer from a "bad brand" reputation because they are defined by a single moment of misstep. The antidote is Authenticity, which acts as the ultimate crisis repellent.

The noise of a single event or cultural stereotype defined brands that suffered:

• Jaguar destroyed every code they built since 1922, managing to alienate loyal customers in under 30 seconds.

• Bumble ran a tone-deaf campaign that alienated its core female audience.

In contrast, brands that reclaimed their narrative faced the challenge directly and doubled down on their true purpose (the signal):

• Dove redefined its identity from "soap" to "Real Beauty," addressing the deep emotional insecurity of its core consumer.

• CoorDown successfully shifted public perception from disability stereotypes to empowering human potential with the "Assume that I Can" campaign.

When a negative perception defines you, your brand must take accountability and strategically pivot to your unchanging core purpose. 

🍷 The Sip Takeaway

We build our professional and corporate brands by asking a simple question: Are we addressing the visible noise, or the invisible, business-critical signal?

• Authenticity is the most valuable asset: When faced with a complicated truth, your brand must acknowledge the signal and use the moment to reaffirm your core "why."

• The Power of Rebranding: By helping to reclaim a difficult narrative (such as menopause), you don't just solve a problem for a consumer; you establish your brand as a guide, a trusted problem-solver, and a truly relevant ally.

Here's to having the courage to speak the signal and not the noise!

See you next week