Most female leaders are navigating two parallel worlds: the 24-hour rhythm that shapes modern work (fast, consistent, solar), and the 28-day rhythm that shapes their bodies (seasonal, shifting, lunar). These two systems run on completely different clocks and that mismatch quietly influences communication, decision-making, emotional resilience, confidence, and leadership transitions.

In 1729, Jean-Jacques d’Ortous de Mairan noticed that even in darkness, the leaves of the Mimosa pudica still opened and closed on schedule. Without sunlight, this heliotrope plant kept time with an internal metronome. Humans also live by multiple internal clocks: the circadian rhythm - a 24-hour loop of wake, sleep, and alertness–and infradian rhythms like the 28-day hormonal cycle underpinning the menstrual cycle.

Hi everyone, my name is Michelle Calderon, and I am the Founder of Addition Beauty, a nontoxic and hormone-safe beauty brand rooted in transparency and performance without compromising your wellness.  As a former cosmetic formulation chemist for a major beauty company, I was shocked to learn that chemicals in everyday personal care products could be impacting natural hormone function and influencing my PCOS symptoms. From there, I sifted through research, built a growing blacklist of chemicals I refuse to use, learned to read labels, and replaced my beauty staples with cleaner alternatives. 

The luteal phase is where so many women notice changes: in mood, energy, sleep, and cravings, yet it remains one of the least understood parts of the menstrual cycle. In The Period Brain, Dr. Sarah E. Hill sets out to have the luteal phase explained in a way that finally matches women’s experience. In this conversation, she shares why this stage has been historically understudied, what drives common luteal phase mood swings and symptoms, and how everyday habits can either make them worse or help ease the load.