The Day Madeleine West Had A Surprise Diagnosis

You hot? Same. Grab a fan, because Very Peri is officially here. Created by Mamamia, we’ve sorted through the noise to answer your most urgent perimenopause questions.

You’ll want to send this episode to every friend who casually drops the phrase "I'm so depressed" when they're just having a bad day, or anyone trying to figure out where normal sadness ends and something much heavier begins. Have you noticed how casually we throw around major mental health terms over coffee, accidentally minimizing a condition that deeply impacts both the brain and the body? In this episode of But Are You Happy?, host Ashani Dante sits down with clinical psychologist Julie Chapman to explore the complex reality of depression. We go beyond the casual slang to uncover what it truly means. Together, they discuss the danger of casual language and why confusing ordinary sadness with a clinical episode does a disservice to both. Julie breaks down why depression looks completely different from the outside depending on who is experiencing it, meaning those closest to you might only ever see the tiniest cracks. They look at how a major life shift, like a relationship breakdown or having children, can shatter the protective people-pleasing structures keeping our underlying pain at bay, while confronting the physical reality of mental illness to dismantle the myth that we are just heads on sticks. The conversation also explores the relationship between our minds and bodies, challenging common assumptions about what a depressive episode looks like and offering practical insights into recognising a system failure before the spiral takes over. Discover more Mamamia Podcasts here. Watch But Are You Happy on YouTube. Follow us on Instagram here. Feedback: [email protected] Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message, and one of our Podcast Producers will get back to you ASAP. Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review. CREDITS: Guest: Julie Chapman Host: Ashani Dante Senior Producer: Tahli Blackman Group Executive Producer: Naima Brown Audio and Video Producer: Marlena Cacciotti Social Media Producer: Olivia Colman If you want to support independent women's media, become a Mamamia subscriber. Get an all-access pass to everything we make, including exclusive podcasts, articles, videos and our exercise app, MOVE.

What happens when you have the ‘perfect’ corporate job at a top-tier firm with a clear path to partnership, but deep down, you feel a pull towards something else? For Alex Marks, the founder of New York’s cult-favourite ‘Sushi Counter’, that pull wasn’t just a distraction - it was the catalyst for trading a high-flying legal career for a world of total uncertainty. Before she was serving thousands of rolls a day, Alex was a successful M&A lawyer at the top-tier firm Herbert Smith Freehills. She loved the late nights, the adrenaline, and the "in the trenches" camaraderie. But a dream transfer to New York became the catalyst for her pivot when she faced an immediate culture clash. Realising the US corporate world was an "individual sport" she didn't want to play, Alex was faced with a choice: Stay in a job that wasn't a fit, or risk it all. She chose risk. Pouring her entire $100,000 USD life savings into an idea, she quit her job and, a week later, signed a lease for a tiny shop to sell the Australian-style sushi she couldn't find anywhere in the city. In this episode of Pivot Club, Sarah Davidson speaks with Alex about this massive industry leap. They unpack the "messy middle" of her entire journey: From the "primitive" Excel model that convinced her to take the leap, to the humbling reality of hand-filling 50,000 soy sauce fish with a syringe in her living room. Alex shares the unfiltered story of how she navigated intense online backlash just one week after opening and how she scaled from a team of one (plus a supportive boyfriend) to a staff of 30. Join us for a raw and practical lesson in naive optimism, a look into the grit required to build a business from the ground up and a powerful reminder that sometimes, the fear of regret is far scarier than the fear of failure.

What happens when you're not just climbing the ladder, but standing at the very top? For Lize Ratliff, that meant achieving her dream job as Head of Podcasts at Mamamia, after 10 years hustling to get there.

What happens when you decide to take the leap with a dream you’ve been sitting on for years? For Lyndi Cohen, that dream meant pivoting into an industry she knew nothing about, long after she’d built her own successful empire. Lyndi’s first journey began after a decade-long battle with binge eating, leading her to build an anti-diet media brand from the ground up. She shortly evolved into who we now know as ‘The Nude Nutritionist’, becoming a renowned TV expert, author and app founder, helping thousands heal their relationships with food and body image. But one niggling idea wouldn’t go away...And now, Lyndi is making her most dramatic pivot of all. Leaping from the world of nutrition and landing herself straight into her very own fashion debut: launching a swimwear brand, Fearless. In this episode of Pivot Club, Sarah Davidson speaks with Lyndi about this massive industry leap. They unpack the "messy middle" of her entire career: graduating with no job prospects and using "SEO hacks to manifest a media career", to the $180,000 investment that was required to build a swimwear line from scratch. Lyndi shares her core belief that "the key to success is embarrassment" and why it's been essential for this new fashion venture. Join us for a raw and practical lesson in constant evolution, a deep dive into the strategy of scaling an idea and a powerful reminder that all the dots (even a high school fashion class) eventually connect, proving that you have to "do it terrified”.