Cover Entrepreneur Joanne Ho is leading a new conversation with Menopause Asia, proving that midlife can be a moment of strength, not decline (Photo: Menopause Asia)
Entrepreneur Joanne Ho is leading a new conversation with Menopause Asia, proving that midlife can be a moment of strength, not decline (Photo: Menopause Asia)
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When Joanne Ho entered perimenopause, she found more confusion than clarity. Now, the entrepreneur is leading a new conversation with Menopause Asia, proving that midlife can be a moment of strength, not decline
Joanne Ho is living her best life. At 50, this seasoned entrepreneur has helmed numerous successful businesses, from the beloved Malaysian cupcake specialist bakery of 2010s fame, Cupcake Chic, to a thriving online floral gift business. But it is her latest venture that is quite possibly her best work yet.
This year, she launched Menopause Asia, the first dedicated digital platform in Malaysia aimed at helping women navigate perimenopause and menopause.
We know what you’re thinking. Don’t tune out, because this is important. It’s been predicted that menopause and perimenopause affects more than 450 million women around the world at any given time.
The health challenges and changes surrounding this natural stage of life vary wildly from woman to woman. Whether you’re a young woman approaching perimenopause, or a more mature doyenne at the height of her career and menopause journey, the core message is the same. Should you be afraid? Absolutely not. Anxious? No. Prepared? Yes–and that’s where platforms like Menopause Asia truly shine.
Above Entreprenuer Joanne Ho has helmed numerous successful businesses, from the beloved Malaysian cupcake specialist bakery Cupcake Chic to a thriving floral gift business
Entreprenuer Joanne Ho has helmed numerous successful businesses, from the beloved Malaysian cupcake specialist bakery Cupcake Chic to a thriving floral gift business
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“Why aren’t we talking more about it?” Ho asks plainly. “Every woman goes through it, so we should normalise the conversation.” For Ho, that starts at home—around the dinner table with her sons—and extends into group chats, friendships and, now, a digital ecosystem designed to make women feel seen rather than sidelined.
Growing up in Australia in a relatively open household, Ho watched her mother juggle the roles of breadwinner and caregiver, quietly putting her own health last. “She went through very brutal menopause symptoms,” Ho recalls, from depression to memory loss. “And she never once talked about it.”
At the time, menopause was something to be endured, not understood. “We just thought, everyone goes through it. We’ll wait it out.” The cost, she says, was steep.
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When Ho herself entered perimenopause, she recognised the warning signs. Was her own menopause experience becoming a replica of her mother’s? Should she shut down instead of opening up about the silent struggles she faced? Incredibly, Ho chose a different path. “I knew I wasn’t myself anymore,” she recalls.
“But when you don’t know what’s happening, you don’t even have the drive to seek help.” The absence of community was stark. “Zero community. I couldn’t find anything.” That void became the seed for what would become Menopause Asia. “Menopause Asia came about because I didn't have any answers to the questions I had, and I remember thinking that it shouldn't be this hard to find help,” she adds.
Above Ho speaking at Menopause Asia's 'Seen at Midlife' event in October 2025
Ho speaking at Menopause Asia's 'Seen at Midlife' event in October 2025
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Launched in 2025, the platform positions itself as both a resource and a rallying point. “We’re here to remind women that they are seen at midlife,” Ho explains. “This can be your best season.” Through access to doctors, education and a five-week reset programme focused on lifestyle medicine–from sleep and nutrition to strength training and mental health–the goal is empowerment.
“Menopause Asia provides easy access to doctors and educational resources so that women are empowered. Even if you don’t use our doctors, that’s fine,” she says. “Just be empowered to ask the right questions. If your health issues are dismissed or downplayed–an all too common scenario for many women–then go somewhere else to get the help you need.”
See also: Do I need more sleep approaching perimenopause—and how can I improve my sleep quality?
For instance, an unexplained bout of lock-jaw–later traced to low oestrogen–had Ho consulting dentists and chiropractors before the true cause emerged. Once she understood what her body was signalling, the issue resolved. “It’s not as if my dentist or chiropractor asked questions like ‘How old are you?’ or ‘When was your last period?’ to connect the dots that it was a symptom of peri-menopause. As a woman, you have to be body-aware and ask yourself those questions,” she reflects.
That sense of agency is especially vital in Asia, where stigma still lingers around conversations of women’s health. Ho recounts being told early in her marriage not to wash menstrual garments with the family laundry because they were “dirty”. “That really shocked me,” she says. “That stigma is very much still around.”
For each woman who finds her voice and feels like herself again–that’s success.
Above Ho believes menopause can be a powerful reinvention, not a sunset
Ho believes menopause can be a powerful reinvention, not a sunset
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Yet Ho is optimistic. She believes menopause can be a powerful reinvention, not a sunset. “We’re not past our prime,” she insists. “We’ve got so much to give.” For younger women, her message is even clearer: “Don’t dread it. If you’re empowered with education, you can actually look forward to this season.”
Perhaps that is Menopause Asia’s quiet revolution–reframing midlife not as decline, but as arrival. As Ho puts it, “For each woman who finds her voice again, who gets back on the right path and feels like herself again–that’s success to me.”
Previously contributing to Esquire Malaysia, Expat Lifestyle and Newsweek, Tania oversees digital stories across Tatler’s key content pillars, also leading the Front & Female platform exploring issues and topics affecting women today.
