124: Doctor or Brand? Amanda Thebe on the Midi Health Model Video
Movement Logic: Strong Opinions, Loosely HeldShow Notes
In this episode, Laurel and Sarah talk with menopause educator and advocate Amanda Thebe about Midi Health, its public messaging, and what happens when menopause care becomes a venture-backed business model. Amanda shares how she first noticed Midi when a physician moved from a major hospital to join the telemedicine platform, and why she initially saw it as a promising solution to a real problem, women being dismissed, under-treated, and unable to access knowledgeable care. Over time, she describes getting "amber flags" from Midi's marketing, especially the way hormone therapy was framed as a near-universal fix with benefits that outpaced the evidence, a pattern she contrasts with other companies she feels communicate more responsibly.
The conversation digs into the incentives created by venture capital funding and what it can do to a company's priorities, shifting from careful medical decision-making to selling more, retaining customers longer, and expanding into profitable add-ons. They discuss Midi's move into wellness-style offerings and unproven products, including rapamycin framed for longevity, compounded and non-evidence-based creams, and the broader drift of menopause platforms into weight loss and longevity medicine to keep people buying beyond the menopause transition. They also unpack why influential clinician-brands can develop intensely loyal followings that resist criticism, and what it signals when platforms partner with high-profile figures like Mary Claire Haver. Throughout, Amanda emphasizes that the real need is ethical, evidence-based care that doesn't put profit before patients, and she offers practical advice for what a solid menopause appointment looks like, how to prepare, where to look for reputable resources, and how to block the noise.
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RESOURCES Instagram: Amanda Thebe [https://www.instagram.com/amanda.thebe/] Website: amandathebe.com [https://amandathebe.com/] LinkedIn: Amanda Thebe [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-thebe/]
Movement Logic: Doctor vs Brand [https://www.instagram.com/p/DS5cUmlEpdh/?img_index=1] IG post Amanda Thebe: Midi Health [https://www.instagram.com/p/DUyR1m1jiF3/?img_index=1] IG post
Instagram: Dr. Pauline Maki [https://www.instagram.com/pauline.maki/] Instagram: Professor Susan Davis [https://www.instagram.com/professorsusandavis/]
The Menopause Society [https://menopause.org/]: Provider directory and resources
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