Lorraine Miano of Making Menopause Magical On How To Grow Your Business or Brand By Writing A Book

An Interview With Theresa Albert

Once I wrote my book, my reach expanded and the potential to help women all over the world became my focus. My book became my “calling card” and led to me being considered an expert in my niche.

As a part of our series about “How You Can Grow Your Business or Brand By Writing A Book”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Lorraine Miano.

As a certified Integrative health and hormone coach, mid-life influencer, as well as a post-menopausal woman herself, Lorraine Miano discovered her passion for offering menopause advocacy, support, and resources to women in all phases of menopause. Women can find numerous resources for holistically navigating menopause on her website TheMagicOfMenopause.com.

Lorraine has been able to help even more women by writing and publishing her first book, The Magic of Menopause: A Holistic Guide to Get Your Happy Back! The book helps guide women through the struggles they face as they begin menopause and helps tackle the daily changes such as balancing hormones holistically, getting a better night’s sleep, and reducing or eliminating hot flashes, to name a few. It has been named one of the Top Ten Books on Menopause by The London Evening Standard and has reached #1 on Amazon’s Best Seller’s List.

Lorraine loves to encourage women with her mantra “Menopause is NOT an ending! IT IS a new beginning!”

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share a story about what motivated you to become an expert in the particular area that you are writing about?

In 2002, my husband was diagnosed with aggressive tonsil cancer. At just that time, my son, who is my oldest, was getting ready to graduate high school and head off to the Army. While my son was headed off to boot camp and then Iraq, my husband was going through radiation and chemo, before having major surgery. As I look back, I realize that I was living on autopilot and that I was on the precipice of perimenopause. My hormones were fluctuating, stress levels were off the charts and anxiety had reared its ugly head.

Within a year after this, my oldest daughter was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Upon diagnosis, they discovered she had osteopenia. This was because the intestinal damage brought on by the disease prevented her from absorbing vitamins and calcium. My youngest daughter, after several misdiagnoses, was also diagnosed with Celiac. She was also severely anemic. Although this disease is genetic, it is often brought on by stress or a virus. We certainly had been experiencing an abundance of stress.

Boom! My family’s health became the center of my world. My family’s health experiences led me to the Institute for Integrative Nutrition where I became certified as a health coach. Educating myself on cancer prevention, Celiac Disease, and the power of the human body to heal itself was my mission. The health concerns of my family, and my son’s tour in Iraq, led me on this path of holistic health, positive energy, and a purposeful and passionate life. Thankfully my husband has since been cancer-free, my girls are both healthy and managing their Celiac disease, and my son returned home safely from Iraq.

Can you share a pivotal story that shaped the course of your career?

After receiving my certification from IIN, I soon realized that the women I was attracting as clients were mostly in their perimenopausal years and not receiving the support they so desired from their healthcare providers. They were feeling ignored and dismissed. Many of them were not even aware that many of the symptoms they were experiencing were directly related to hormone imbalances that can happen during this time in a woman’s life. I saw a need to provide these women with support, resources, and a whole lotta love as they navigated their menopausal journeys.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Are you working on any new writing projects?

Recently I’ve been fortunate to be invited to share all about making menopause magical on several fabulous podcasts including Fearlessly Facing Fifty with Amy Schmidt, Mastering Menopause with Kathy Cote, and NEXT Career & Life with Elizabeth Ribons. I’ve got six more in the works in the next month!

As well, I recently became an Executive Contributor at Brainz Magazine. My first article entitled, “Menopause: The 2nd Talk-Why We Should Educate Our Daughters from an Early Age about The Change” was published in April. The feedback from moms and daughters has been wonderful. The next article I’m working on will focus on how menopausal women feel dismissed and ignored by their healthcare providers. This is such an important and timely subject, as unfortunately, medical misogyny is alive and well in women’s healthcare. It should publish in May.

Every month, I’m an “expert” contributor for Kuellife.com, which is a fabulous platform for “Second Act Sisters” and on LivingHealthyList.com, another wonderful platform for finding “Health & Happiness” in all phases of life. Of course, there’s my blog on my website as well.

I’m excited to also be working with my editor on a book proposal for my next book, which will be packed full of not only holistic options and new research to help women as they navigate these years, but will also focus on how the law of attraction can provide women with the menopause experience they desire. I am so excited to be able to share all of the MAGIC with women worldwide and let them know that these can be the very best years of their lives!

Thank you for all of that. Let’s now shift to the core focus of our interview. Can you please tell us a bit about your book? Can you please share a specific passage or story that illustrates the main theme of your book?

Being so passionate about women’s health, and specifically during their perimenopause and menopause years, I was excited to be able to share my knowledge in my first book, The Magic of Menopause: A Holistic Guide to Get Your Happy Back!

There are so many myths and misconceptions that surround this time of a woman’s life, which can often lead to a woman having a negative perception and feelings about menopause. This in turn can lead to a negative experience. It is quite often our perception that will determine our experience with menopause.

My book encourages women to embrace these years while educating them on ways to holistically manage symptoms of hormone imbalances such as hot flashes, anxiety, and fatigue.

I’d like to share a passage from Chapter One: Let The Party Begin

“There is a reason you picked up this book. Maybe you are in the midst of menopause and you are feeling overwhelmed with annoyingly persistent symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain, anxiety-all of those things that are often made light of in jokes or mixed company. Possibly, you are feeling depressed and/or anxious. Quite possibly, you are peri-menopausal and you don’t understand what is happening to your body. You may be experiencing the social stigma that comes with the perception of menopause. Misconceptions, ageism, and sexist views may find you withholding from sharing your emotions and concerns. Your support system may be lacking. You are wondering if this is normal. Is this what life is going to be like from now on? Is there a chance I can change what is happening to me? Am I alone in this? Can I get some relief? Can I get my HAPPY back????

I will show you how you can truly embrace this time of change, accept it, and enjoy and celebrate this natural and magical process of your life.”

You are a successful author and thought leader. Which three character traits do you feel were most instrumental to your success when launching your book? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Persistence would be a good place to start. I made time daily for months to research and contact women’s health bloggers, health influencers, and organizations to ask if they would kindly review my book and share it on their platforms.

We can often feel intimidated or even fearful of criticism when asking people to review our work, so I’d have to say that what kept me going was having the courage to reach out with the possibility of hearing the word “no” or possibly receiving negative feedback on my book.

And finally, I’d say being a highly optimistic person has served me well as I navigated writing, publishing, and marketing my book. Setting positive intentions and practicing the law of attraction has led to many serendipitous events including connecting with NY Times Best Selling author, Sophie Uliano, who wrote a review for my book, which you can find on the front cover. I live life with excitement and anticipation in the belief that each day can bring new possibilities and magic!

In my work, I have found that writing a book can be a great way to grow a brand. Can you share some stories or examples from your own experience about how you helped your own business or brand grow by writing a book? What was the “before and after picture?” What were things like before, and how did things change after the book?

When I began my health coaching business, I was focused on growing my client base locally. Individual coaching was the majority of what I did. It was in person and I soon realized that my time was limited as well as the number of women I could guide and support.

Once I wrote my book, my reach expanded and the potential to help women all over the world became my focus. My book became my “calling card” and led to me being considered an expert in my niche.

Since publishing my book I’ve been invited to interview for a segment about menopause on a TV news show and have been featured in the magazine Growing Bolder. As well, multiple podcasts and health summits have invited me to be a guest speaker. All of this has led to my current “midlife influencer” position on social media. Brands that target menopausal women have consistently been reaching out to me to become a “Brand Ambassador”, which allows me to curate safe holistic products for my ladies while providing some passive income as well. My book has allowed my brand to grow in limitless ways.

If a friend came to you and said “I’m considering writing a book but I’m on the fence if it is worth the effort and expense” what would you answer? Can you explain how writing a book in particular, and thought leadership in general, can create lucrative opportunities and help a business or brand grow?

Writing a book can be expensive, especially if you hire an editor, but I highly recommend you do this! It can take an abundance of work and dedication. If you are prepared to put the work in and take the steps necessary to write and market your book, the rewards can be numerous. Right off the bat, how awesome would you feel writing about something you are passionate about? The feeling of accomplishment in writing a book is monumental. That being said, you shouldn’t look at the book itself as your “income producer”. Selling and marketing a book is hard work and the monetary return from the book itself may not be what you expect. What your book becomes is your “calling card” and opens you up to opportunities you may not otherwise have been exposed to. It establishes you as an expert and thought leader in your field and niche, which can lead to speaking engagements, content creation, writing opportunities, interviews, and even brand ambassadorship. The potential is limitless.

What are the things that you wish you knew about promoting a book before you started? What did you learn the hard way? Can you share some stories about that which other aspiring writers can learn from?

Before I wrote my book, I didn’t spend any time building my platform. I had the belief that my book would “create” my audience and niche. Although a book can help you expand and strengthen your audience, having an established platform in your niche, whether on social media, email list, or blog following, will allow you to market and promote your book to those who already know and trust you. They may even become your voluntary book promoters!

Unfortunately, I found myself spending hours creating my platform while promoting my book at the same time. At times this felt frustrating and overwhelming. As I work on my second book, I feel more confident in having an established platform and loyal niche of women who appreciate my content and expertise. Many have already asked me when I’ll be writing my next book.

Based on your experience, which promotional elements would you recommend to an author to cover on their own and when would you recommend engaging an expert?

I spent many hours reaching out to bloggers and health influencers to read and review my book. This took up much of the time I could have spent focused on providing content and building trust while interacting with my niche. So, I would suggest that authors spend time focused on providing content, resources, and support to their followers, and hire a public relations team to make connections for marketing their book. Public Relations firms have established relationships with the media including television and print, as well as with podcasters and other interview sources. These are connections that you might not otherwise have access to. This will save you hours of work and could lead to lucrative connections and exposure for you and your book.

Wonderful. Here is the main question of our interview. Based on your own experience and success, what are the “five things an author needs to know to successfully promote and market a book?” If you can, please share a story or example for each.

1. Be Authentic. You want to connect with your readers and build trust. Share your story and be your true self. As a post-menopausal woman who has experienced much of what my readers are currently navigating in their lives, I’m not afraid to be vulnerable and share the symptoms and struggles I’ve overcome. My readers want to know that they are not alone.
2. Be where your audience hangs out. Get on Social Media. This is where people are looking for answers, guidance, and support. Spend time researching different platforms to see where your niche is hanging out. Share content from your book. Join private support groups that your ideal reader belongs to. This is a wonderful way to see what they are talking about, what their pain points are, and how you can support them. After belonging to and strictly observing the posts in several menopause groups, I started my support group. This is where I share my content and resources, including info about my book. Also, readers love to connect and interact with their favorite authors and social media is the perfect outlet.
3. Have your own website. This is where your readers can learn all about you and what you’ve been up to. My website is ever-evolving as I get more creative with providing my “magical ladies” with content and resources, including links for interviews, podcasts, and summits I’ve done. It is a great way for your readers to stay connected with you. Of course, there is a link to purchase my book as well!
4. Show up. Whether it’s on social media, your blog, or a weekly newsletter, be consistent with showing up for your readers/followers. I didn’t quite get this early on, and it wasn’t until I became consistent with my social media posts, blogs, and newsletter that I experienced an increase in not only the number of followers I had but in the engagement of those followers as well. This of course can lead to more book sales. By frequently posting on social media, I also drew the attention of media and brands that support my niche. This led to interviews and paid partnerships. Another perk of just showing up!
5. Stay positive and optimistic. This will be hard work. It could take a long time to reap any benefits. However, if you keep working, keep growing, and just keep on keeping on, eventually, things will begin to happen. I’ve experienced it, and continue to see new opportunities show up for me regularly. There is a quote that I love by Earl Nightingale: “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway”. Now go write the damn book!

We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we both tag them :-)

The conversation surrounding Menopause is finally becoming less “taboo” and Gwyneth Paltrow is someone who has stepped up. She spoke out about her perimenopause struggles and I love that she said “I think menopause gets a really bad rap and needs a bit of rebranding”. I’m right there with her and would love to have a chat!

How can our readers further follow your work online?

You can find all of my resources, blog, and Menopause Market on my website.

Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themagicofmenopause/

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMagicOfMenopause

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorraine-miano/

Thank you for these excellent insights, and we greatly appreciate the time you spent. We wish you continued success with your book promotion and growing your brand.