154: The Politics of Menopause - Alison Brahe-Daddo

Anyone of my vintage growing up in the 80s and 90s knows my guest today, Alison Brahe. As a teen who wanted a career in journalism, I consumed magazines like oxygen. Alison was the epitome a Dolly magazine cover girl everyone wanted to be. Even as I posted on my socials, I was speaking to Alison today childhood friends instantly messaged me in excitement and gushing recollections of how much they recall loving Alison Brahe. She was fresh faced and golden skinned with a naturally beautiful smile. Alison was as well-known as Aussie supermodel Elle Macpherson and was on covers everywhere.

Better still was that she fell in love with and married another Australian icon, former model, singer and actor Cameron Daddo in their early 20s and are together today.

The recap on her story is this. Alison Brahe began working as a model at 16 years old. She was an instant hit in both the magazine and commercial worlds and soon found herself in demand in Australia, London and Tokyo.

Big name clients like Coca Cola and Speedo came calling, as well titles like Cosmopolitan, Cleo and Dolly. In 1992, she graced the cover of Dolly seven times and in Cleo was voted among the "Top Most Influential Women of the Century" by its readers.  Alison was the face of Portmans through their most successful period and later became the face of the Jacqui E clothing label. In the 90's Alison became the host of one of Australia's most enduring and successful children's television programs, Here's Humphrey. She went on to host her own afternoon show for the NINE Network, Guess What?

Then Alison and Cameron moved to Los Angeles in 1992. It came as a shock to Alison's management when one day she walked away from lucrative modeling and acting career to follow her heart. In 2013, she achieved her degree from UCLA in Early Childhood and embarked on a successful career in childcare. Alison returned with her family to Australia in 2016 to spend time with her parents and unite her children with her homeland. She still teaches and has created a popular podcast called "Separate Bathrooms" with her husband and produced by Nova Entertainment.

Now in her 50s, Alison has experienced a lot of the changes every woman of a certain age does. Menopause. She wrote a book ‘Queen Menopause’ in fact. For a very long-time menopause was treated like a deeply hidden secret – my own mother barely talked about it in the company although she suffered through symptoms for a long time while working, raising me, and just trying to navigate life.

Hear from Alison on:

1. Do you recall when you started to feel “the change” and how you managed it day to day?
2. Communication is key when it comes to managing menopause – like all life matters really. You recommend choosing a time when you’re in a good headspace to share with your partner what you’re feeling. This can be hard for some of us independent types. Any examples of how you have done this successfully?
3. Did you get help from a GP ad what did that look like in terms of treatment options?
4. When was the turning point for you to want to make menopause a cause and even a book? A short story of how you wrote the book and what made you think it was something worthwhile?
5. Take away: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Menopause?

 

CONTACT INFO:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alidaddo/?hl=en

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