Here's one for the story books, where two twenty-somethings working for a women's health company DM a Gen X icon and the rest is history.
Gennev's Director of Performance Marketing and Social Media Manager, Isabella Rusher and Haley Roberts, created a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to collaborate with the legendary Candace Bushnell. This collaboration has been a dream come true, and we're thrilled to share the details.
It All Started with an Instagram DM
Like so many great connections these days, we reached out to Candace on Instagram after seeing how she talks so openly about women’s health, and specifically menopause. Her candidness and humor resonated with us, and we knew we had nothing to lose. Luckily, she responded. From there, our team quickly set up a Zoom meeting, and that’s when things fell into place.
During that first virtual meeting, it was clear that Candace shared our passion for breaking the silence around menopause and empowering women to embrace this phase of life.She immediately connected with Jill, our founder and CEO, and their shared vision for supporting women in midlife clicked. We all left that call feeling like we were onto something big.
Meeting Candace in Person: A One-Woman Show
We seized the chance to see Candace live in her one-woman show: True Tales of Sex, Success, and Sex and the City. It was one of the most inspiring performances we have ever seen. Not only was Candace hilarious while sharing her story navigating New York City and becoming a best-selling author, but she used her platform to discuss the experiences of women going through menopause. She approached the subject with confidence, beauty and SEXINESS, words that are often not associated with menopause. We left the show empowered and more passionate than ever to share that feeling with the rest of the world.
The Photoshoot: Bringing It All Together
Next step, bringing the campaign to life. Haley, also a talented photographer, had the honor of photographing Candace. She brought such elegance, style, and fun to the shoot, which made capturing her spirit easy. Isabella was there directing, ensuring that we told the story we wanted: that menopause is a journey women can go through with confidence and grace, and that they don’t have to do it alone with resources available like Gennev, and so many other wonderful menopause care providers.
Working with Candace in person was everything we’d hoped it would be and more. There was such a natural chemistry between everyone on set, and we truly believe that shows in the photos.
Transcending Age Stigmas
For Isabella and Haley, this partnership is especially meaningful because they are 20-something women who, prior to working at Gennev, had little knowledge of menopause and its challenges. They have learned so much about the difficult changes women face in menopause— physically, mentally and emotionally. Candidly, they felt ashamed of their lack of knowledge and ignorance on the topic. They have mothers, grandmothers, aunts and friends who have either gone through menopause, or one day will, and yet they were not equipped with the education or resources to help. With this campaign, we hope to transcend generational stigmas and bring women of all ages together for an inevitable phase of life.
Whether you’re in your teens, 20s, 30s, 50s, or beyond, these conversations matter, and we want to make sure they’re happening.
Conversations around women’s health are becoming less taboo, but at Gennev we’re here to show that menopause is something everyone can talk about—not just women in their inner circles.
What’s Next for Gennev x Candace Bushnell
This is just the beginning of what’s to come. We’re working on creating content that’s going to spark important conversations around menopause, featuring expert advice, personal stories, and a community of women supporting each other. Candace’s voice and influence will help us reach women who might not have considered talking about menopause before or felt comfortable enough to seek help for their symptoms. We’re beyond excited to see where this journey takes us and the incredible women we will empower along the way.
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