Behind the Bio

Real stories. Honest conversations. A deeper kind of self-care.

Every headline hides a human story.

Through these Womanship conversations, our founder Nicolette Lazarus meets the women shaping the future of health, healing, and honesty.

They’re doctors, psychologists, creatives, and changemakers — but beyond the bios are stories of loss, resilience, curiosity, and courage.

Born from the Connected Health Weekend: Exploring Mind, Body & Hormones, this series continues year-round, giving space to the women who inspire, challenge, and remind us that growth is rarely linear.

Each conversation reveals the moments that made them who they are — the choices, challenges, and sparks that keep their fire alive.

🎥 Watch (or listen like a podcast) and meet the women behind the work.

✨ Behind the Bio: Dr Louise Newson ✨

The amazing woman behind the work.

The morning after the Connected Health Weekend, Dr Louise Newson sat down with Womanship founder Nicolette Lazarus — not to talk about hormones or headlines, but about the human story behind her mission.

In this intimate Behind the Bio conversation, Louise opens up about:

✨Losing her father at nine — and how grief shaped her purpose

✨ What it feels like to keep helping when the world still resists change

✨ The moments she nearly gave up — and what kept her going

✨Why women’s health is still treated as a side issue, not a system issue

“I sometimes feel like I live in a parallel world...
There are lots of times where I just think I can’t, I’m done.
I’m not as strong as people think I am.”

This isn’t a story about menopause — it’s about humanity, resilience, and the fire that keeps burning.

From Surviving to Thriving with Melissa Schuman

Melissa Schuman’s journey is one of survival and transformation. At 16, she became her father’s caretaker — changing sheets, cooking meals, and carrying the emotional weight of his illnesses and addictions.

💬 “I wasn’t just a student. I was a therapist, a daughter, a caretaker. And I lost myself completely.”

Living with IBS and PCOS from a young age, Melissa pushed through pain and silence — until a devastating car crash forced her body to shut down.

💬 “I collapsed. I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t move. That’s when I understood how deeply our mind and body are connected.”

Through years of study, self-healing, and practice, Melissa found her way to biohacking as a tool for women to reclaim their health. But more than that, she found her voice.

💬 “I won’t pretend to be perfect. I share my story because women need to know they’re not alone — the things we hide are often the things we all share.”

Because when women share more, we all worry less. 🌊

✨ Womanship Live: Behind the Mic with Amélie Consigny (Vi Health) ✨

As both a sponsor and speaker, Amélie Consigny — CEO & founder of VI Health — is helping to reshape how we think about menopause and hormone care at home and in the workplace.

In this conversation with @Womanship founder Nicolette Lazarus, Amélie shares:

🌿 Why menopause is still missing from most corporate wellbeing plans

🌿 How unspoken hormonal health issues fuel burnout + absenteeism

🌿 Why men must be included as allies

🌿 How Vi Health is cutting the search for care with digital tools

Amélie and VI Health were live on stage at the Connected Health Weekend: Exploring Mind, Body & Hormones (27–28 September, Amsterdam). and hosted a special HR manager session with Dr. Louise Newson to explore menopause in the workplace.

💫 Real talk. Real tools. Real support.

This Womanship Live is the origin story of the Connected Health Weekend: Exploring Mind, Body and Hormones.

Womanship founder Nicolette Lazarus is joined by Penny Pine Inberg and Suzanne Rethans to share:

🌿 How Penny had the spark — and Suzanne and Nicolette lit the fuse for a 2-day, 50+ session weekend

🌿 Why women’s real worries must be spoken out loud

🌿 How Penny and Suzanne brought their own journeys and communities to the table

Watch the full replay and get your one day or weekend tickets for 27–28 September 2025 at www.womanship.co

💫 Real talk. Real tools. Real support.

Guest: Amanda MacRae — Somatic Coach & Founder of Be Your Total Self

🟡 Speaker at Connected Health Weekend 2025

What if your nervous system was never meant to keep up… but to guide you home?

The truth is your body knows when enough is enough. You just have to listen. In this Womanship Live replay, our founder Nicolette Lazarus sits down with somatic coach Amanda MacRae for a powerful conversation about pace, pressure, and the quiet wisdom of the body.

Recorded on a day when everything was running behind (sound familiar?), this conversation landed like medicine — reminding us why we need to stop pushing through, and start tuning in.

Together they explore:
💛 Why your body is not a machine — and never was

💛 How we learn to override our needs (especially as women)

💛 The nervous system’s role in burnout, anxiety, and healing

💛 Why slowing down can feel scary — but is so deeply necessary

✨ “What if slowing down wasn’t laziness… but your body’s wisdom trying to speak?” — Amanda MacRae

The Courage to Ask in a Culture of Self-Reliance

Guest: Ashley Usiskin — Founder of The Gift of Help

🟡 Speaker at Connected Health Weekend 2025

What if asking for help was seen as powerful — not weak?

In this first Womanship Live session, our founder Nicolette Lazarus talks with Ashley Usiskin, creator of The Gift of Help, about the barriers we face when reaching out — and why shifting our perspective could change everything.

They cover:

The social shame around asking for support
Why self-reliance is sometimes just self-protection
How help can build bridges — in life and at work
The truth behind “doing it all” (and why we shouldn’t)

"If we all believed asking for help was a gift — not a burden — we’d change the world overnight."
— Ashley Usiskin

What If Healthcare Actually Saw You?

🎙️ Womanship Live with Dr. William Declerck, co-founder of Uma Health

When we talk about change in women’s health, we often talk about frustration. But real change starts with listening. In this honest, inspiring Womanship Live, our founder Nicolette Lazarus sits down with Dr. William Declerck, a physician and digital health innovator who co-founded Uma Health after seeing the deep blind spots in (peri)menopause care.

Together they explore:

Why healthcare often fails to see the whole woman — not just her symptoms
William’s journey from surgery to AI to women’s health
What makes Uma different — and what women actually need in midlife
Why allyship matters — and why Dr. William chose to sponsor our event

“We can do robotic surgery, but menopause is still misunderstood. That tells you everything.”
(Dr. William Declerck)