How Jessica Shepherd, MD Is Rebuilding Healthcare From the Inside

1:00

All right, welcome to Less than 1%. Um,

1:07

I know I I apologize. I'm wearing a

1:10

jacket. Don't judge me. I'm at an

1:12

amazing event. I'm here at Brilliance uh

1:14

2025. It's a, you know, conference

1:17

that's really empowering women. And I'm

1:20

cheating because I shouldn't be doing a

1:22

podcast because I'm not doing in my

1:24

studio and we have a different setup.

1:27

But I have the amazing Jessica Sheepard.

1:30

Good.

1:30

I mean, I I am just I'm just like beside

1:34

myself that you're here.

1:36

I'm here present

1:37

because you are all over the place.

1:40

Yeah.

1:40

I So explain to me when did you start at

1:43

Hims and Hers? Because you were Is that

1:45

a recent?

1:46

It is very recent. I'm just actually

1:48

just passing a year

1:50

at hers and you know it it really came

1:53

at a time where things were already like

1:55

chaotic and hectic. I was in the middle

1:56

of my book launch last year in October

2:00

and you know I have a my own practice.

2:02

It's it's a smaller practice because I

2:05

have been doing so much as far as

2:06

consulting and previous to hers I was a

2:09

chief medical officer at very well. So,

2:11

I've always had like, you know, a

2:13

million things going on. And so, when

2:15

the book came out, you know, that tour

2:17

took a lot out of me. And,

2:19

you know, I had to obviously not see

2:21

patients during that time. I was doing I

2:24

think we did 16 cities during that tour,

2:26

all the while on boarding to hers.

2:29

So, here we are a year later and um I'm

2:32

proud of the work that we've done as a

2:34

team. But, like you saying, like looking

2:36

back, you're like,

2:37

what is going on? People often ask me

2:39

that. I'm like, I'm not sure, but I'm

2:40

just here.

2:41

It's funny like, you know, wherever I

2:43

was I love Charlene Lee that get gave an

2:46

answer on balance.

2:47

Yeah.

2:48

Because I don't believe I mean I I agree

2:50

with there's no balance. You just kind

2:51

of do everything and when you're

2:52

present,

2:53

you're present.

2:53

You're the most amazing. It's the most

2:55

amazing time ever.

2:56

Yeah.

2:56

Um but you know, I have to go there and

2:59

I normally I wait

3:00

and I want to talk about what you do at

3:02

Hers. I want to talk about that, but I

3:04

have to go back

3:05

cuz we because we are not from Toronto.

3:09

We're both from Toronto. We're from Toronto. That's how you know

3:12

if someone's from Toronto

3:14

now. And actually, people from Toronto

3:16

don't say Toronto when you ask them

3:19

where they're from,

3:19

right?

3:20

So, officially, where are you from?

3:22

I'm from Scar Bro.

3:24

This is This is

3:26

right from Scar Bro. Malvin.

3:28

No, no, no. You're not from Malvin. I

3:29

am. There's no way.

3:31

Absolutely. So now we're going to go

3:33

even to what elementary or high school

3:35

did you go to?

3:35

Okay, so this is this is crazy. So I

3:38

actually went to Raybuff.

3:40

I went to St. Columba and then Sacred

3:42

Heart

3:43

because my parents didn't want me to go

3:45

to Pope John Paul which had just opened

3:47

because I really wanted to go to Mother

3:48

Teresa.

3:49

That's where my sister went.

3:51

We were walking distance from Mother

3:52

Teresa and I ended up going to Pearson.

3:55

Wow.

3:56

Insane. Literally the same neighborhood.

3:57

Yeah. So I was at I was at Morningside.

4:00

Morningside and Elmer, but I was at it

4:01

was in it was in that neighborhood right

4:03

next to Pope John Paul.

4:04

I was at Morningside and in between

4:06

Finch and Shepard.

4:08

So, you know, because I I used to go to

4:10

uh Mr. Jerk right there.

4:12

Yes.

4:13

This is This is

4:14

We're from literally the same

4:15

neighborhood.

4:16

Same place. So,

4:18

my parents will not I know you I know

4:21

you're watching, Mom.

4:22

My parents will not let me say that I'm

4:25

from Malvin. And I'm like, yo,

4:27

Melvin represents

4:28

it is Malvin. Like it's this pocket, but

4:32

it's still Malvin.

4:33

Yeah,

4:34

that's amazing. How are we from the same

4:35

place?

4:36

Isn't that insane? I really think, you

4:38

know,

4:39

looking back at the neighborhood we grew

4:41

up in and and also the country,

4:43

there's so much richness in

4:46

that kind of soil that we grew up in.

4:49

And I find this anytime I, you know, in

4:51

my travels meet someone who's from not

4:54

only Canada, but from Toronto and then

4:55

narrowing it down to Scar Bro, Melvin,

4:57

it's it's amazing. I'm so grateful and

5:00

proud to have grown up there.

5:02

Absolutely. So So you um

5:06

I have all these questions that that

5:08

we we shouldn't record.

5:09

We're we're we're gonna this podcast is

5:11

going to turn into a twohour

5:13

Yeah. You're miss your flight. You miss

5:14

flight. Um, so no, I I totally agree

5:17

with you because I think that I always

5:19

tell people the upbringing that I had

5:22

was very different. I I mean I Jamaican

5:24

family.

5:24

Yeah.

5:25

Jamaican parents. Yeah. So it's like

5:28

I didn't really like even people talked

5:30

about

5:32

uh you know just in America you identify

5:34

with your race.

5:36

In Canada you identify with your

5:38

culture.

5:39

I said this just last week. I said when

5:42

you ask someone

5:44

um from Toronto or Scarbor or Malvin,

5:47

we don't say we say where are you from.

5:50

Yeah.

5:50

And you identify with your culture.

5:53

Yes.

5:54

And you're very proud of like whatever

5:57

little island you're from or whatever

5:58

country you're from. you know, I don't

6:00

it was very hard for me, you know,

6:02

moving to the US in asking those same

6:04

questions and people be like offended as

6:06

if

6:07

I was trying to uh maybe ostracize, but

6:11

it's we were so proud of where you are

6:13

and I think that kind of transpired into

6:16

the the fabric and the DNA of who I am

6:18

and and I love that.

6:20

So again, Drake,

6:22

it's not just it's actually T dot. We

6:24

know that we grew up saying T dot and I

6:28

will share something uh vulnerable.

6:31

Uhhuh.

6:31

So

6:32

we're doing vulnerability now.

6:33

I was uh I was I was rapping.

6:37

Really?

6:38

I was rapping. So I got uh I almost I we

6:42

had a contract with Arista. I was

6:43

talking with my guy last night who was

6:44

my manager.

6:46

Are you kidding me?

6:47

Yeah. I was I was running around all

6:50

over Toronto rapping and um Yeah. That's

6:54

uh so then

6:56

so we're going to have at the end of

6:57

this particular session we're going to

6:59

have you do a

7:00

you know what's funny? Yeah.

7:01

No. So I stopped I kind of stopped but

7:02

today I I found a just a random song in

7:06

the airport. You know they play stuff

7:08

overhead. I'm like that's that's

7:10

amazing. I listen and then I started

7:12

because I was wired at 3:00 in the

7:14

morning to come here.

7:15

Yeah.

7:15

And I started writing lyrics. I'm like

7:18

okay.

7:18

See it's a comeback. We're making a

7:20

comeback here. What are you doing? What

7:21

are you doing? Okay. So I want to jump

7:24

to so Jamaican heritage too.

7:26

Jamaican heritage both parents.

7:28

Both parents.

7:28

Yes.

‍

‍

7:30

Yeah. I mean so um everybody safe uh

7:34

extended family from

7:35

so a little displaced you know but still

7:38

safe.

7:38

Where where in Jamaica?

7:39

So my mom's from Mapen. Okay. And my dad

7:41

is basically from Kingston. Okay. And

7:43

then my mom went to high school in

7:45

Kingston and that's where they met.

7:46

So we're Graange Hill.

7:48

Yeah.

7:48

Um and well my dad's from Graange Hill

7:50

Country Guy.

7:51

Uhhuh. And then my mom is from she

7:54

really is from kind of from Kingston.

7:56

Yeah.

7:56

You know, went to went to boarding

7:58

school.

8:00

Um but yeah, the house in Green Hill,

8:02

the family house is probably gone. We

8:03

haven't heard yet, but right

8:06

Western Jamaica.

8:08

So that's that's amazing. And do you

8:10

think that that Jamaican heritage,

8:12

you know, filtered through Canada

8:15

and then filtered again through America?

8:18

Yeah.

8:19

It's it it seems to be different. Do you

8:21

feel different? I mean, is there

8:22

something

8:23

I would definitely say that you don't

8:26

sometimes realize um the things that

8:28

have kind of shaped you until you're put

8:30

in positions

8:32

that maybe either make it very magnified

8:35

or try to lessen it.

8:37

And I feel, you know, for how I grew up

8:40

and where I grew up, uh moving when I

8:42

was 14, you know, I had just finished

8:44

grade nine,

8:45

so I'd already started the high school

8:47

kind of transition.

8:48

Yeah. Moving to the US was very

8:51

difficult especially not only did we

8:54

move to the US, we moved to Oklahoma.

8:56

Oh man.

8:57

So imagine already now moving countries

9:00

but also to nothing.

9:01

Yeah.

9:02

And so the identity factor of who I was

9:05

and where I belonged especially during

9:07

the teenage years was very hard. And I'm

9:11

glad that I had the strength, I guess

9:13

you can say, or the vitality of, you

9:16

know, when you're representing Jamaica

9:19

in, you know, in your basement party or

9:21

at your high school, that that really

9:25

shone through because I was like, I am

9:27

Jamaican.

9:28

Yeah.

9:28

And you have pride with it. And so,

9:31

you know, it's almost like you're like

9:32

in the midst of like what is going on?

9:34

and you're like in a business,

9:36

you know? So, all those things come to

9:38

come to play when you're like, I know

9:40

who I am. I'm in a business.

9:42

Everything happens for a reason. This is

9:45

this is one of the best days of my life

9:46

right here.

9:47

It's so funny.

9:49

I um so I I did the opport

9:56

and uh yeah, culture shock, a lot of

9:59

culture shock because

10:01

um I didn't understand things. I I I

10:04

tell this to a bunch of different

10:05

people. I went I was on campus

10:07

and upstate New York is not very

10:09

diverse.

10:10

Not at all.

10:10

And so three three black students start

10:13

running towards me and I'm like, "Okay,

10:16

you know, I'm from Malvin, you know, I'm

10:18

ready. I'm ready."

10:19

Exactly. Yeah.

10:20

And they run up to me and they're then I

10:21

seem closer and they're all laughing and

10:23

smiling. They're cheering and they're

10:25

like, "Hey, you need to join the Black

10:26

Student Union."

10:28

And I was like, "Why?"

10:30

You know what I mean? Because

10:31

I mean, you know, we dealt with racism

10:34

and stereotypes,

10:36

but I think having that, to your point,

10:38

having that Jamaicanness or frankly that

10:41

Italian or, you know, Toronto's really

10:44

cosmopolitan. So,

10:45

everyone had a very strong understanding

10:47

of who they were.

10:48

So, there was no there was no

10:49

inferiority no uh associated with it,

10:52

you know. But anyway,

10:54

let's let's talk about um

10:57

I want to talk about what you do now

10:59

because you

11:01

you are representing.

11:00

I mean you're amazing because you're not

11:06

only representing um hers I mean you're

11:10

representing me you're representing my

11:11

daughter you're representing there are a

11:13

lot of different

11:14

you know sort of for lack of better word

11:16

boxes that you check that let people

11:19

know wow this is

11:21

you know hers obviously is committed to

11:23

diversity yeah

11:24

um and put you in position but then you

11:26

also taken that and elevated it

11:29

yeah I believe we have to and I when I

11:32

say we exactly who you were saying is

11:35

for all those boxes that are checked

11:38

that means in every box that's checked

11:40

there's a community of people behind

11:42

that and so I feel it's like my utmost

11:45

responsibility is right right what

11:47

you're given means that you have

11:49

responsibility to show up

11:52

that duty

11:53

it's it's you show up and and it's a big

11:55

you know ticket to fill but I believe in

11:59

the path that you were given prior to

12:01

that. You can either own it and lean

12:03

into it or shy away from it. And I think

12:07

very early I realized, you know, always

12:10

wanted to be a doctor. It's a very like

12:12

boring story. Yeah.

12:13

Like in grade four, what do you want to

12:15

be? I literally said an OBGYn.

12:17

So there's no like there's no creativity

12:19

to my journey. I was just like, oh, I

12:21

ended up being a doctor. So people are

12:22

like that's great. I'm like it's a

12:23

boring story. So now I've actually come

12:25

up with another story that I was in a

12:26

rock band and then I was like a air

12:29

pilot and then finally went to medicine.

12:30

Sounds better.

12:31

Yeah.

12:31

But even in getting to that was

12:35

difficulty, right?

12:36

So you know being black, being female, I

12:40

really didn't have a great support

12:43

system in understanding how to achieve

12:45

to become a doctor. I was just like,

12:47

"All right, here we go." And it's like

12:49

being consistently fed by like a fire

12:52

hose.

12:52

Yeah. And so you get through that and

12:55

then you're like I made it and for 15

12:58

years I was in academics. I did a

13:00

fellowship in surgery. So I did another

13:02

two years after residency and then I was

13:04

like

13:04

because you like punishment because I

13:05

was just about to say fellowship

13:08

fellowship and then while I was doing my

13:09

surgical fellowship at the University of

13:11

Louisville that's when I got my MBA and

13:14

so I was like surgeon by day MBA student

13:17

by night for two years straight.

13:19

Wow. But I knew I was like, I'm

13:21

presented with this opportunity and I

13:23

can do my MBA so do it. Going into

13:26

academics for 15 years and then being

13:29

presented with the opportunity to now go

13:31

corporate and consult. It was it really

13:34

was something that I in my head I knew I

13:37

wanted to do, but putting it into the

13:39

universe and then actually getting the

13:41

opportunity

13:42

has like I I sometimes I do look back

13:45

and I'm like, "Wow, how how did I get

13:47

here and and what happened?"

13:49

It's almost like it's so amazing. You're

13:51

like, "No, it's it's not real."

13:52

Yeah. Sometimes I do feel it's not real.

13:54

You um so you talked a little bit about

13:58

on stage you mentioned,

14:00

have you so you seem you seem outwardly

14:03

like you're on top of the world like you

14:06

I mean I mean I I got two hours sleep

14:11

last night

14:12

right and you don't know I mean I don't

14:14

know how many hours like everywhere I

14:16

see you you are absolutely on point

14:19

is there t are there times where inside

14:22

you're not on point and you're like I'm

14:23

just

14:25

I'm struggling

14:25

yes I think that for a lot of what

14:28

people see right I always say that how

14:30

people see me as the highlight reel and

14:31

it has a very big part of my everyday

14:33

life. But there are moments and even you

14:37

know like in my professional and

14:39

personal life over the last few years

14:41

I've had to sit and deal with some hard

14:44

14:44

Yeah.

14:45

And in that I would say again is another

14:47

part of the process. And that's why I

14:49

was saying today that our journeys are

14:51

not linear.

14:52

And I think in the last few years has

14:54

proven to me that it's not linear and

14:57

there are going to be some hard moments.

14:59

And that's why I've had to really do an

15:01

internal look at

15:03

what does this all mean and how are you

15:05

subscribing to what's happening

15:07

and not numbing to it and kind of just

15:09

like I'm just going to kind of distract

15:12

myself and move on and keep doing this

15:14

is actually going back to those things

15:17

that present

15:18

and being like I have to deal with these

15:20

and that takes again self-awareness one

15:23

of my biggest words for 2025

15:25

and also how do I navigate the things

15:29

that in my past have happened to me that

15:31

I'm are now revealing itself that are

15:33

not working for me. How do I how do I do

15:36

that? That's not easy work, but it's so

15:39

worth it.

15:40

And that's what I think has kind of um

15:42

created a different chapter of how I

15:44

deal with the hard moments.

15:45

Well, you're doing amazing. I mean,

15:46

you're doing you're doing amazing

15:48

things. By the way, I did have a try out

15:50

for the Canadian national team at

15:52

Pearson.

15:52

Stop.

15:53

Yeah. Yeah. Because you know Yeah. at

15:55

Pearson

15:56

and uh I know I know a bunch of those

15:59

guys.

16:00

There were a there were a few years

16:02

where Pearson basketball team

16:04

Yeah. Yeah. No, they're solid.

16:05

It was solid. I mean, the only thing

16:07

that's that helped us was that some of

16:10

the guys would always get in trouble.

16:12

Yes. Pearson was

16:14

I used to get my haircut right across

16:15

the road at that barber shop um next to

16:19

next to Max. I know exactly where you're

16:21

talking about because the next shop was

16:23

it was two crews. Two crew something.

16:25

There was a fish and chips stop right

16:27

there in a patty shop. What is going on

16:30

right now?

16:30

And I used to live uh for a while

16:33

before we moved to Morningside. I used

16:35

to live on Cro Crot Trail.

16:36

Stop.

16:37

That's right. You know

16:38

cuz Crow Trail is right by St. Columba.

16:40

So I know I know exactly where you're

16:41

speaking.

16:42

Okay. Something I ask everybody.

16:43

Yes.

16:44

Is okay. So I I I have this thing where

16:47

I talk about people's superpowers. I

16:49

didn't mention it today

16:50

because I didn't want to detract from

16:52

all of you, right? I mean, people didn't

16:53

come near me.

16:54

They did.

16:55

Um, but I I always say that when you are

16:58

doing amazing things in the world,

17:00

you're using your superpower.

17:01

So for a long time in this role, I kind of got

17:04

the job, maybe I'll thought I was right,

17:07

but I didn't necessarily think I was

17:09

right.

17:09

And I was trying to fit a box. I was

17:11

trying to fit a mold in first two or

17:13

three years. wasn't like I didn't even

17:15

wear a jacket that fit right cuz I was

17:17

like, you know, I didn't even know who I

17:18

was.

17:19

Yeah.

17:19

And then once I identified what I

17:21

thought my superpower was, it's like the

17:24

organization did better. I felt better.

17:27

I was just at ease. I was just being

17:29

myself.

17:30

So, what would you say your superpower

17:31

is? And it can't be I'm on time. It

17:34

can't be, you know, something just

17:37

rudimentary. It has to be something at

17:38

your core. And when you do, when you

17:41

have when you're exhibiting that

17:42

superpower,

17:43

there's no loss of energy.

17:46

I would definitely say is the superpower

17:48

of connection.

17:50

Um, and connection doesn't necessarily

17:52

mean someone gets along with you. It

17:55

means that you get someone, right? And

17:57

you're allowing for a space for people

18:00

to showcase who they are and not always

18:04

trying to overrun that or tell someone

18:06

what they should or should not be is the

18:08

connection. So, it's that space and time

18:12

where you have maybe a moment and

18:15

connection can be I made a connection

18:16

with you in 10 seconds versus I've known

18:19

you for 2 years, 10 years. And I think

18:22

versus we both grew up in Melvin and

18:23

just didn't know each other,

18:24

right? And we didn't know each other.

18:26

But I I really feel that that's, you

18:29

know, as we progress in technology and

18:30

innovation,

18:32

sometimes we lose connection, the human

18:34

side of connection. And I think that

18:36

that there the superpower to that

18:39

is allow us to show the diversity of

18:41

showing up as different people,

18:43

different backgrounds. And I think that

18:45

goes again to where we grew up.

18:48

Yeah.

18:48

That's what I learned and that's what I

18:50

learned really to do well is to connect

18:52

with different people, different

18:54

ethnicities, etc.

18:55

Um, hers.

18:57

Yeah. What what's your I you're you're

19:01

you have you seem to have a vision for

19:03

her.

19:03

So when I see you speak about it,

19:05

you're not you're not just talking, you

19:08

know, this this isn't strategic plan

19:11

regurgitation.

19:12

There's something in your core that

19:14

you are trying to bring this company to

19:17

another level. Yeah. What what is Am I

19:20

sensing that correctly?

19:21

So yeah, you were sensing that exactly

19:23

as how I one was brought into the team.

19:25

And I think the CEO is very visionary in

19:28

how he has brought this teleaalth

19:31

platform

19:32

that started off with him and then hers

19:34

came a year later. So that's eight years

19:36

ago is that there is something there's a

19:39

big gap in healthcare and we spoke about

19:41

it today as there it's broken. So it's

19:44

broken from the aspect of access and

19:47

resources, right? And that's what we

19:49

know categorically has impacted the

19:53

breakdown of healthcare are mainly those

19:55

two things among others. So now bringing

19:58

me into hers is I have seen and been a

20:02

part of that traditional health care

20:04

setting where I do know what is lacking.

20:07

Yeah.

20:07

So now we you can say like on the other

20:09

side of the pendulum is technology at

20:11

its finest, right? But still with that

20:14

you can have some kind of obscurities

20:17

that you're not visualizing. So how do

20:20

we bridge that? How do we allow

20:23

teleaalth to have compassion? How do we

20:26

allow teleaalth to allow women to feel

20:29

heard and seen? Yeah. which sounds weird

20:32

because it's tellalth but in traditional

20:35

health care setting we've had that for

20:37

centuries but still there's something

20:38

missing when it comes to do I feel seen

20:41

and heard and so I I do feel that now

20:44

that I've experienced both

20:46

I have that ability to create an overlay

20:50

of the brilliance of technology and

20:52

innovation to something that

20:54

fundamentally when you think about

20:55

medicine where it started was you know

20:57

the community doctor who would go see

20:59

everyone but what do they have on the

21:01

wall.

21:02

They have connection. They allow people

21:03

to feel seen and heard. And they deliver

21:06

a system or a service that is ultimately

21:10

going to help impact and shape people's

21:12

lives.

21:14

Wow. That's that's that's impressive.

21:15

And I think, you know, if you look at it

21:17

and we watched we watched, you know,

21:19

we've watched him and now hers grow.

21:23

Yeah.

21:23

And you know, we have a whole

21:25

we have a whole uh

21:26

you know, sort of innovation wing. We

21:28

spin up small companies and we're trying

21:30

to do all this stuff and I think you

21:31

guys really cornered the market cornered

21:35

is the right word on

21:38

just really what is going to be a

21:40

generational change.

21:41

It is and I think that that's where

21:43

traditional medicine is not uh catching

21:45

up.

21:45

Yes.

21:46

Is again it's it's when it's a glaring

21:48

um something that's obvious and glaring

21:51

that is missing instead of I said this

21:53

earlier instead of shying away from it

21:54

leaning into it.

21:55

Right. But there's a there is this kind

21:58

of like ego. Everyone has ego, right?

22:00

But when you let ego overtake the actual

22:02

thing that is now hindering you and not

22:05

leaning into it, that's what we're

22:06

seeing right now. And I I really just

22:09

have a strong insight for

22:13

we are we are ever evolving in society

22:16

and innovation technology is not going

22:18

anywhere.

22:19

It's only bettering by the day.

22:21

Yeah. And so if we don't find a way to

22:24

connect to humans through technology and

22:27

innovation and allow access and resource

22:29

to be some prime stakeholders in

22:32

healthcare, we are only going to

22:33

continue the same thing that we've been

22:35

doing for the last

22:35

Yeah. It's going to be Yeah. My line.

22:37

Get better faster than everybody else is

22:38

getting better so you don't get worse.

22:39

That's not transformational.

22:40

No.

22:41

So you um so we have two two more

22:44

questions. One I want to I want to talk

22:45

about the book. Yeah. uh because I think

22:48

it's important to get that information

22:49

out there. But you speak all the time.

22:53

You've been on lots of podcasts. You've

22:55

been on Good Morning America. And I'm

22:57

mad y'all didn't invite me. But if y'all

23:00

out there, I know I know I don't have

23:02

the you know, but I'm.

23:00

Anyway, but uh

23:06

what's something that you would want to

23:08

tell people? Because you know the whole

23:10

my whole thing with less than 1%. You're

23:12

less than 1enter by definition. And the

23:14

definition is basically that you've

23:17

achieved maybe what you didn't even

23:19

think you could achieve, right? Because

23:21

of whatever people are telling you, the

23:22

boxes that they put us in and you know

23:24

through medical school, even before

23:26

medical all that stuff. And so you're

23:28

100% a less than 1enter. But what about

23:30

you?

23:32

And I want less than 1% to have the only

23:36

the only uh you know u you know caption

23:41

of you telling us what is that what is

23:43

something that you don't want to tell

23:45

anybody else

23:47

and I mean

23:48

a good one

23:49

what what is something that

23:51

you know maybe you try to keep at bay

23:55

not talk about

23:56

I would definitely say in the space and

23:59

I'm glad you framed it that way because

24:00

I always I don't look at it like that

24:02

that I'm a less than 1enter. So

24:04

sometimes even when I hear that

24:06

is the humility behind it.

24:08

Because what I can tell you is as you

24:10

start to climb, as you're offered more

24:12

opportunities,

24:13

our mind is something that can take us

24:17

very far from where we should be

24:19

or keep it close. And sometimes in these

24:22

circles or on these platforms, you have

24:25

a very good high probability and chance

24:29

of becoming someone who maybe later you

24:31

may not want to be.

24:32

So I would say humility is one of those

24:34

things that I keep close to myself and

24:37

maybe don't want to tell everyone but

24:39

humility is something that will keep

24:41

safeguard

24:42

any you hold grudges. So I will tell

24:45

you. So as you said that I literally

24:48

I had to my internal self. I am a

24:51

Sagittarius and I I man I could hold

24:54

grudges from people in elementary school

24:56

today if I could.

24:57

But I have learned in the new version of

25:00

myself in these last two years that in

25:03

my personal journey that grudges were

25:05

not uh doing me any benefit to my

25:08

internal self. Right? And so letting go

25:11

of that is very hard. And what comes

25:13

with it, and if my sister is watching

25:15

this, she's going to gasp, is empathy,

25:17

but also compassion. I have a hard one

25:20

with that. But compassion is something

25:22

that allows me to look at grudges

25:24

differently.

25:25

Yeah. My my problem is is that that it

25:27

fuels me. So I remember everybody's

25:29

But wait, we're Jamaican. Grudgeolding

25:31

is like a sport.

25:32

Yeah.

25:33

It is a sport. So yeah, that's what

25:35

that's the br I come from is you hold a

25:38

grudge. I can hold a grudge. For sure.

25:40

For sure. Um, okay. So, let's let's talk

25:43

about the book Generation M.

25:45

Great title.

25:46

Yeah.

25:47

Much better cover than mine.

‍

25:50

Uh, I'll just say mine is more austere

25:52

and trying to shock you, but yours is a

25:54

good shock factor.

25:55

But you you there's there's emotion I

25:58

think that comes just from the cover and

26:00

the title. So, tell me tell me

26:02

tell me more about that. How did you

26:05

decide to write it?

26:06

Yeah. Yeah. And and what what what what

26:08

difference are you trying to make in the

26:09

world?

26:10

Yeah. Difference in the world is the

26:12

complete composite of our lives as

26:14

women, right? So, generation M, which I

26:16

fought both for the title and the cover

26:18

from the from the book company is

26:21

because I wanted Generation M to feel

26:22

like some everyone could be a part of

26:24

it, inclusivity. And I also wanted to

26:26

not feel stigmatized because menopause

26:28

holds a lot of stigma. So, I was like,

26:30

generation M, I want to be part of it.

26:31

Create some FOMO. I wanted it to look as

26:34

if it could live anywhere and it not be

26:37

like plagued with the word menopause.

26:39

Yes.

26:39

And the last thing that I would say

26:41

about the book is it says living well in

26:42

pmenopause and menopause. I am a firm

26:44

believer. I am a big longevity doctor. I

26:48

believe in what we do for our lives now

26:50

shows up later. And I think in midlife

26:53

women are not steered in the right

26:54

direction with their health. And that's

26:56

why we do live longer years but in

26:57

poorer health. So I wanted to put in

26:59

there I talk about diet, exercise, sex,

27:02

sleeping because that's all of our

27:04

lives. And so if we don't approach it

27:06

that way, we will just be kind of tunnel

27:08

visioned into menopause and then be like

27:10

scared of it. It is something beautiful.

27:12

It is something that can create that

27:14

next 40 years of our life to be

27:17

not even transactional but

27:19

transformational. And I don't want women

27:21

to just strive to be better. I want them

27:23

to to really thrive.

27:25

Yeah. I um that I'm gonna go I'm gonna

27:28

I'm gonna get you to sign a book for me

27:29

today. I will. But then I'm still gonna

27:31

buy a book because I know how I know the

27:33

whole book selling thing is well also um

27:35

sign a book for you. Um you know,

27:38

appreciate it. I think Do we have a Do

27:40

you have a pen here? Let's see if we can

27:42

uh get Marker.

27:44

Yeah, marker's perfect.

27:45

Um but you know, I just really

27:47

appreciate you coming. Yeah.

27:49

Oh, that's great.

27:50

I really appreciate you coming. Um I

27:52

know how valuable your time is. I'm I

27:54

mean what I will say is I am glad that I

27:57

I believe that things in the universe

27:58

happen the way they are supposed to.

28:00

I'm so glad I am here and that we've had

28:02

time together and this is just the

28:04

beginning. That's what I would say. This

28:05

is just the beginning

28:05

because I think we have I you know and I

28:08

think

28:09

longevity is something that we're going

28:11

into hard and we can we can have another

28:13

conversation. But thank you so much. I I

28:15

want you to record this because I want

28:17

Yes.

28:17

I want to I want to sign

28:19

I want to sign.

28:20

You sign?

28:21

No. No, no, no. I What you need? I got

28:23

my mark

28:24

I got my own white pen because of my

28:27

black

28:27

Oh.

28:29

Yes.

28:30

So,

28:32

we got to get you uh we got to get you

28:34

um

28:40

get you on your plane.

28:41

We're going to make sure we do this on

28:43

camera.

28:43

Okay.

28:44

Got the exchange.

28:46

Perfect.

28:47

Awesome. Awesome. That's amazing.

28:50

That's amazing.

28:50

Thank you so much. I like this is this

28:54

is near and dear to my heart. You know,

28:55

as much as I travel and talk,

28:57

there are few moments that were again

28:58

the connection

29:00

like where the connection is a big part

29:02

of the event.

29:02

And what's crazy about it is that I I do

29:05

believe everything else.

29:06

Yeah.