‘Society was gaslighting women with peri. So, we started a community for them.’

No topic is off limits when friends Angela Greely and Michelle Shearer get together. 

It was during one of their regular catch-ups that the NSW North Coast locals – both in their mid-40s with boys the same age – bonded over the sleepless nights, anxiety and migraines they’d started experiencing. 

With Angela’s background as a clinical nutritionist, she knew the cause was perimenopause so Michelle suggested they build a community of women that also identified with what they were feeling.

“There was this clear gap in the market and we were struggling with perimenopause ourselves. We were both at a point where we were like, ‘Well, should we do this? Should we hold hands and take a little leap into starting a business?’ If we were feeling that way because of peri symptoms, we probably weren’t the only ones," Michelle says.

It was true. There were many other women struggling, but Angela and Michelle also discovered few knew the reason behind it.

After chatting with other women of similar ages, Angela realised there was “not much understanding of what was going on with their bodies, and no understanding that there was this lead up to menopause, that’s perimenopause, and they were going to their GPs and coming away with little information and solution.” 

And so, during a chat on a drive in March 2021, they both took the leap and started SheBANG! – backed by Angela’s nutrition expertise.

Michelle says, “We wanted to feel the whole 'shebang' again and we wanted to bring that to the rest of the world who are walking around with perimenopause symptoms.”

From there, Angela and Michelle brainstormed products and decided on a drink that could be part of their morning ritual. 

Angela got to work on creating the product they were looking for, which would eventually become SheBANG!'s hero product, the Peri Chai Latte. 

“I had a very clear idea of what I wanted. I didn't want another tablet that you popped every day – I knew how bad I was at taking them myself,” Angela says. “I suppose we were trying to solve our own problem, so we created a solution for us.”

“When you’re in perimenopause, your body is in an inflamed state, so I wanted a drink that brought your body back to homeostasis. From all my research, magnesium is the biggest ingredient that makes an impact on reducing perimenopausal symptoms. Most women are deficient in magnesium and become more deficient as we get older. We also included collagen, which as we get older, starts reducing as well," she tells Mamamia. 

Michelle with their launch product, the Peri Chai Latte. Image: Supplied.

Deciding on the type of drink was easy. Angela wanted a chai latte with turmeric extract, because “turmeric packs a punch in reducing inflammation”, and the addition of black pepper extract and ginger root powder was because she “loved that taste profile and I really thought that other people would too”.  

Meanwhile, Michelle, whose background is in marketing, got to work on creating an online SheBANG! community through a private Facebook group, we well as a public Facebook page, where women could openly talk about what they were experiencing.  

“We started building the community very early on. We thought no matter what [happened with the business], this was something we ourselves were seeking,” says Michelle.

“We were feeling isolated around the conversation of perimenopause. So [creating the community] was coming from a really genuine place of wanting to know, how's everyone going? ‘Feeling like sh*t this morning.’ ‘Didn't sleep last night.’ ‘Feeling a bit mental.’ ‘My husband called me crazy.’ We were all suffering in the peri trenches together. 

“I know that when we looked around for perimenopause communities, they're all so dry and they can be very polarising. You're either open to things like HRT, or they're not for you. And we were just like, you know what? We're all just women. We're all just finding our way and that's what SheBANG! is about.” 

It only took five months from when they decided to go all in to launching SheBANG! online with the Peri Chai Latte. Since then, they’ve grown organically, adding four products to the range. 

There’s the Peri Hot Choccy Sleep 'n Soothe, blended with hops, organic maca root and magnesium glycinate to target broken sleep, hot flushes, brain fog, low mood and low energy. Then there's the latest additions: the Milk Chocolate and Vanilla Protein POWders with adaptogen KSM-66 Ashwagandha, which are plant-based protein powders to help target stress sugar cravings and broken sleep. And lastly, the new Peri Peppy Shroom Latte with reishi, maca and magnesium, which helps to target hot flushes, night sweats, wild moods, and sleep through perimenopause.

Since launching SheBANG! online with the Peri Chai Latte, they’ve grown organically, adding two products to the range. Image: Supplied.

“I'm proud of the products and the work. What we’re doing doesn't feel like the hard sell,” says Angela, whose official role in the business is Chief Operating Officer. 

“We’re like yin and yang,” Chief Marketing Officer Michelle adds. “We work so well together. Angela’s very right brain and I'm left brain. We literally are a brain that's come together.” 

The two usually start their work days separately, Michelle with a surf and Angela by walking her dog on the beach, then check in together in the morning for a work-in-progress meeting.

After they’ve planned their day, they each work in their own homes, but “we’re on the phone to each other every 10 minutes. We have so much fun. It’s ridiculous,” says Michelle. 

Michelle and Ange. Image: Supplied.

“Lots of fun,” adds Angela. “We could be working on products, taste testing, doing lots of socials. We're always working on content, we're always having fun with different ways to be able to talk about the brand.”

Michelle says, “We love making funny little skits around perimenopause. Yes, it's really uncomfortable and miserable, but there's a lot of humour around chin whiskers and heck knows what else. So that's how our days are usually filled. We can't believe it. We just love it.”

They finish up at 4pm or 5pm, with Michelle logging back on “after dinner when all the mums are back on socials”. 

As for the future, Angela says, “We'd love to expand globally, wouldn't we?”

Michelle adds, “We want to bring the SheBANG! message to all women over 40, so that no one's standing there wondering, ‘What's going on, am I crazy?’ And give them some ways that they can feel like themselves again, whether that's through information or it's just putting the conversation on the table so women are feeling less gaslit by the rest of society.”

Shop SheBANG!'s Peri Chai Latte and the full nutraceuticals range, created by a nutritionist specifically to target the effects of perimenopause.

Not suitable for children under 15 years of age or pregnant woman. You should always consult with your healthcare professional before taking any nutritional supplement.

Feature Image: Supplied.