“Give people the opportunity to shine,” Monica Molenaar from Alloy Women’s Health

Meet Monica Molenaar, Co-Founder and Co-CEO at Alloy. Monica is an experienced entrepreneur and an advocate for frank talk and common sense solutions around women’s health and wellness.

At the age of 40, she tested positive for the BRCA gene and elected to prophylactically remove her ovaries to reduce her risk of breast and ovarian cancers, thereby ending her natural production of estrogen and sending her into surgical menopause overnight. This began a multi-year journey of trying to make sense of all the misinformation and lack of clarity around this phase of life. This struggle inspired her to start Alloy to ensure that other women entering menopause would have an easier time than she did accessing credible information, effective and safe solutions, and a supportive community.

Monica sat down with Deirdre Locksley, Associate Director, Content Marketing, for a discussion not just about women’s reproductive health, but also her journey as a leader, mother, and woman in the world today. Listen to the full interview below to hear it all. 

Give people the opportunity to shine.

Highlight: “We take pride in our accomplishments, and we are really happy with what we have achieved so far, but we definitely understand that we haven't done any of this without the help of other people. So expressing that gratitude and really giving other people the opportunity to shine has gone a long way in making us successful, and also, it just feels great and makes other people feel good. Recognizing that you're the product of so many life experiences and privileges is important in terms of putting yourself and others in context.” - Monica Molenaar

Surround yourself with great people.

Highlight: “Things that I have learned in terms of how to be successful in work are: To really be open and not to hoard power. To surround myself with great people who have complementary skills to my own and empower them to do the best jobs that they can do. And I think that being positive and supportive of other people to give what they have without taking credit is important. Shining a spotlight on other people is actually the best way to get it for yourself, as well.” - Monica Molenaar

Allow yourself to be vulnerable.

Highlight: “I think the more you allow yourself to be open, and vulnerable, and real, the more people relate to you and are not only willing to help, but to want to help, want to see you succeed, and are happy to be a part of that success… And something that I would definitely recommend is to think about where you want to be and manifest that. I do a lot of manifesting. I listen to a manifesting recording every night to fall asleep, and I think that helps me stay focused on what’s important. So, you know, just visualize what you want to have happen, and half the time it will.” - Monica Molenaar

Focus on the things you care about.

Highlight: “What I have found is that, as an entrepreneur, it's really important for me to focus on things that I care about, am interested in, and want to devote my time to... Is this a problem that I want to solve?  In the case of menopause, with Alloy, it was a problem I knew needed to be solved and was one that I had unique experience with. I have spent the last six years of my life creating access for women to life-changing, life-sustaining treatments, menopause trained doctors, credible information, and the solutions that actually work. But why did I become an entrepreneur in the first place?  It was an inflexible work environment that I came up against, that forced me to make a big change in my life.” - Monica Molenaar

Establish clear roles.

Highlight: “I think that having clear roles, clear lanes, people being able to own what they're doing on the team, in the business, in their job, is really important and helps keep things moving along more and more efficiently. And you get so much more done because you're not overlapping.” - Monica Molenaar

Talk to people about your ideas.

Highlight: “One thing I've learned is that there are zero unique ideas in the world. You can pretty much bet that whatever you're thinking at one time, there are many other people who have had the same idea or are sharing your thoughts at the same time.  Freaky, I know.  But the difference is in who can execute on that idea and who wants to execute on the idea. For the most part, people won't steal your idea(s). So, my advice is to talk to as many people as you possibly can, be open, talk about what it is that you're interested in doing. Ask for help. Seek out people who have done similar things, ask for advice, and look to collaborate.” - Monica Molenaar

Powerful women like Monica are making real change for women not just in the workplace, but with the way they care for themselves and their health. Feeling inspired and craving more? Check out the Pass The Mic page.