Pelvic Peace & Hormone Harmony: Dr. Betsy Greenleaf’s Women’s Health Revolution

Dr. Betsy Greenleaf is a trailblazer in women’s health, with over two decades of expertise in female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery. As the first female in the U.S. to achieve board certification in Urogynecology, she has redefined the landscape of women’s wellness. Dr Greenleaf is on a mission to empower busy women to achieve pelvic peace, hormone harmony, and irresistible confidence. A visionary entrepreneur and innovative inventor, she continually pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in health care. Her best-selling books and award-winning speeches have inspired countless women to take charge of their health. Through her groundbreaking work, Dr Greenleaf is bringing pelvic health to the forefront of the conversation. Her approach blends cutting-edge medical insights with a deep understanding of the mind-body connection. With a touch of sexy sizzle, she’s helping women everywhere reclaim their power and live life to the fullest.

Your journey in women’s health has been incredibly multifaceted, from pioneering surgeries to founding Femversity.com and The Pelvic Floor Store. What inspired you to pursue such a diverse path in healthcare and entrepreneurship?

Honestly, it has been my journey as a woman and having women’s issues.   I have always been creative and a problem solver and since I was 5 years old, I have had an intense interest in medicine and helping others.   When I hit puberty and started suffering from gynecologic issues myself with no answers from my doctors, it became my journey to figure it out.   This has helped me tremendously as a doctor because I have walked in my patient’s shoes.  I know what it feels like.  This has given me incredible levels of empathy and the knowledge to create the answers that women are looking for and deserve. 

As the first female in the U.S. to achieve board certification in Urogynecology, you’ve broken significant barriers. How has your experience influenced your approach to advocating for women’s health and empowerment?

My father warned me in high school that there was a glass ceiling but I couldn’t believe as a woman I would be treated differently in my career than a man until it happened.   I found myself making significantly less than my male counterparts and being overlooked by my administrators.  I remember once being told by my male department chairman in 2012, “ that women were ruining medicine because we wanted a career and a family.”   I could have taken that adversity and like a sad puppy with my tail between my legs cowered in fear, but luckily I am a fighter.   I took this as a challenge.  “Oh yeah…well let me show you.”    Unfortunately, I have seen women broken by the system afraid to speak up.   But I am here to say that we all have a voice.  We all have greatness inside of us.   Women tend to be caregivers and martyrs but I say it is our duty to the women that come after us, our daughters, nieces, and grandchildren to speak up because we all deserve a place at the table.   If you are too afraid to speak up for yourself then use your caregiver/martyr mentality to direct that care towards others and speak up for those who can’t yet. 

Your mission emphasizes the mind-body-spirit connection in achieving wellness. How do you integrate this holistic approach into your medical practice and educational platforms?

After practising traditional medicine for years, I was disappointed in the care I was giving. Medical school did not teach me to help and heal others, traditional medicine taught me to throw another pill at a person to cover up the symptoms.   I knew there was something more.   I believe in the body’s innate desire to want to heal itself.   As an osteopathic physician, this was the tennant that our founder Dr. Andrew T. Still developed in the late 1800s but we had gotten away from those practices with modern medicine.   I began to dig deep for answers.  Once again, I wanted to figure out the most natural approach to support my patients and myself.   It wasn’t until I discovered the role of the body mind, and spirit like a 3 legged stool.  These areas need to be balanced for total wellness.   And just like a 3-legged stool if you take care of only your body, you can be in the best shape of your life and eat the best diet but if you overlook your mental health or spiritual health….that 3-legged stool will fall over.    It is funny that the ancient physicians knew this and we are just returning to it now.  For example,   diet is the root of many health conditions and Hippocrates said in 440 BC “ Let food be their medicine.”   

I often watch in horror the pharmaceutical commercials on TV for chronic conditions that I know can be remedied with a healthy diet and lifestyle.  

Could you share more about Femversity.com and its role in promoting holistic healing for women?     

 I believe in empowerment through education.   For myself, it is much easier for me to make changes in my life if I know why I am doing it.   Too many healthcare givers tell patients what to do without taking the time to explain and allow for informed consent.   If a patient can understand what to do to feel better then it is their choice to take those actions.   

With Femversity, I wanted to create a community in which women could educate themselves to find healing and comfort especially when it comes to taboo topics surrounding pelvic and sexual health.  I want to empower women to heal naturally or educate them on what they should look for in a treatment option or a healthcare provider.

At the same time, I wanted to take the vast knowledge I have accumulated and teach other practitioners to help their patients in the same way so that the gift of empowerment for both individuals and practitioners could be passed on indefinitely. 

How does it support both patients and practitioners in pelvic health?

Pelvic health unfortunately is a hushed topic.   If I could stand on the mountaintops and scream the word “vagina,” I would do it every day.    Sixty -five per cent of women are uncomfortable saying the word vagina while 83% of us will have a pelvic health condition at some point in our lives.   How can we heal if we can’t even talk about it?  My passion is to normalize the conversation about pelvic and sexual health so that it is no big deal.  I want us to talk about it without blinking an eye.   I can’t tell you how many women have come through my office doors and think they are the only ones suffering from an intimate condition.    And because of this, many don’t even look or ask for help.  Additionally, many women blame their symptoms on ageing and they live with it.  There is no reason to live with it.  There are answers and solutions and the first way we get there is to talk about it.

As for practitioners, very little training is given in medical school on the topic of pelvic conditions, menopause, and sexual health even in the field of obstetrics and gynaecology.   The body is a whole unit, you can’t have an issue in one area without it affecting another.  Unfortunately, I have seen practitioners shy away from intimate health and say, “It is not my speciality, go see your gynaecologist.”   I also need to normalize this conversation with health practitioners because it is interconnected.  For example, hip and back orthopaedic issues can present as pelvic pain.  Heart disease can present as sexual dysfunction.  Infertility can be related to a gut microbiome imbalance or even mental stress.   Once practitioner learns this, it opens a world in which they can help their clients on a deeper more impactful plane.

Femversity is dedicated to empowering both individuals and practitioners to find these answers. 

You host several podcasts focusing on overall well-being. How do you choose topics and guests for your shows, and what impact do you hope to make through these platforms?

It is funny that my nickname in college was “questions” because I love to ask people questions to get the conversation going.   Fast forward, this has been a great skill as a podcast host because I use this ability to get to know my guests asking the questions that the audience and I want to know.   As for how I choose topics, well, unfortunately, there is no grand rhyme or reason.  I have been fortunate to find fascinating, insightful guests who are doing something unique in their field of wellness.   I typically have a way of attracting them into my sphere of attention.  Many of the guests come from good old networking. But what I look for is someone who is super passionate about their speciality.   I look for those on a mission.   I am interested in those with an empowering message who are doing something outside of the norm.   And I love guests with unique metaphors to explain an issue or solution.    My hope for these shows is just like the theme of diversity, and empowerment through education.   I hope someone who needs a solution comes across the exact episode they need and that listening to the show will profoundly improve their life.   My fantasy is that they will take that knowledge and pass it on to someone else. 

Your book, “You Were Made To Be Unstoppable,” encourages women to embrace their inner power. What key messages do you hope readers take away from your writing?

I have seen too often when life presents us with challenges, some choose to be the victim and live in and relive the trauma and they remain stuck.   Their identity becomes a stuck person.     The book’s point is that stuff happens but what you do to overcome that hardship gets you unstuck.    We all are unstoppable.   More importantly, life happens, the unexpected happens, sorrow and hardships happen but we are exactly where we need to be to succeed.  It may not be clear at the moment but a week, a month, or even years later, whatever we went through will show itself as the exact thing we needed to succeed and get us to where we need to be.  Understanding that we are successful and unstoppable and that we have already won, it just might not have happened quite yet, but soon it will all become clear. 

The Happy Vagina Rally sounds like a groundbreaking initiative. What inspired you to create this empowering summit, and what outcomes have you seen from it so far?

Once again, I wanted to help normalize the word vagina.  I could have called it the Pelvic Health Summit but that would not have been as intriguing.   I tried to put on a program that brought experts worldwide on women’s and pelvic health together in one place that was easily accessible and free for those who needed it.   

The response has been tremendous.  I was overwhelmed with the number of women suffering in silence and this summit helped them find the answers they deserved to live comfortably and confidently. 

The funny thing is, looking back, I was told, “This will never take off.”  “ Who would go to a summit called that?  It is a terrible name.”   But I went with my gut.  Worst case…..no one would show up but we had over 40,000 women sign up each time for this summit.  So far we have run it twice and hope to do it again or something similar in the future. 

It also fits the theme of empowerment through knowledge.   I have been so grateful that it has fulfilled an important need for women and women’s health. 

As a business advisor for HousecallVR, how do you envision virtual reality contributing to health literacy, particularly in women’s health?

This has been an exciting project.   I think virtual reality will fill an unmet need in education because we learn best by experience.   Virtual reality provides a level of understanding that you can’t get from listening to a lecture or reading a book.   What is fun about virtual reality is that it is almost like the kid’s show Magic School Bus, where you can take a trip inside the body, interact virtually with your surroundings, and understand health and wellness on a deeper level.    Currently, HousecallVR has an amazing module they are working on diabetes which is a major health concern.   The experience of going through this module is like none I have ever seen.  With 9 out of 10, individuals challenged with understanding their health issues, I see virtual reality soon being incorporated into doctors’ offices and hospitals.  By understanding health and disease better individuals can cut down on health care spending, be more compliant in their care plan, and gain the knowledge to live their best life.  

Your business background includes an MBA with a concentration in Strategic Management. How has this training influenced your approach to entrepreneurship in the healthcare sector?   

My business training was delightful.  I loved every moment of business school, so much that I just finished my second business degree in entrepreneurship and innovation.    I have the insight now to see that the medical system has an old-fashioned way of doing business which just hasn’t worked out right.    Disease care keeps people stuck.  It will be the innovators and entrepreneurs who can solve the healthcare crisis.  The old system is very disease and doctor-focused when we need to turn that model on its head and look at it from the patient’s standpoint.   Time and energy must be focused on supporting the basics of health to prevent disease, not keep people stuck in their conditions.    Taking a patient-focused view allows us to get creative on what would best help individuals.    Like in other business areas, putting out a product without market research and evaluating the customer journey will land you in an unsuccessful business.    

I am taking that further, looking at the Amazon model vs the large department store model.  Amazon succeeded because they were super niche.   They were a rare bookseller from Jeff Bezos’s garage.    We need to discover what is the smallest niche that an individual has a pain point with.   Focusing on that niche will lead to dedicated, passionate customers that over time can grow.     I have seen in medicine when you try to be the everything doctor like a big department store, it can become confusing for the patient.   They are not exactly sure what you do.    For example, if there are 2 doctors, one who only does one type of specific heart surgery every single day vs a general surgeon who does a little bit of everything but only does the heart surgery you need a few times a year, most people would go for the person who is a specialist in their field.   Niching allows any business to stand out and be successful.    This is why my next focus is going to be focusing on menopause with the International Pause Institute.    I discovered by following my patient’s journey, though I wanted to help with vaginal health issues, a majority of my patients had questions and concerns about menopause.  I listened to the patients and realized this was their greatest need.

With this I say, listen to your customers, they will tell you the business they need. 

Looking ahead, what are your future aspirations for advancing women’s health and wellness through innovation and education?

As I mentioned, perimenopause and menopause are becoming hot topics.  My next focus is living my best life in my 40s forward.   We are living longer but a long life means nothing if it is not a good life.   So my mission is to help women navigate time and the changes so that they can enjoy every minute of life.   This is not your grandmother’s menopause and we are not going to sit down and take it.   Once again, my direction is to figure out a better way to age.

Let’s look at this, we are now living into our 80s and 90s and beyond.   Reproductive life on average starts at age 13 and wanes as early as our late 30s, or early 40s.  That is only 27 years of our life.  We spend more of our lives now, outside of that reproductive time.  The adage that life is over once you hit menopause is done.   This is just a change.  I look at this change like a butterfly.   We are changing from one form into a beautiful, freeing time.  So let’s figure out how to make this new beginning the most joyous and empowering time of our lives.