💌 Weekly: Hold onto your uterus

WHAT’S ON DECK

• Tell Me More: Wandering wombs, flying uteruses, bicycle face, oh my!

• Troublemaker Spotlight: Joanne Wilson, Founder and CEO at Gotham

• Inside Track: Leaders on the move

• Dear FQ: How do I stop getting volunteered for assignments without looking uncooperative?

• Poll the Pack: The shower 🚿, your brain’s secret weapon

• TLDR 🎙️: Listen here

TELL ME MORE

Not so ancient history

From wandering wombs to flying uteruses, history is full of wild myths about women's bodies. To kick off Women’s History Month, here’s a look at some of the most bizarre beliefs that shape the way we talk about women, menstruation, childbirth, and more, and you can’t help but laugh a little. However, we do think it’s time we replace myths with facts, because better education for everyone is key to ending the stigma. 

Let’s rewind to one of the earliest medical authorities: Hippocrates. Yes, that Hippocrates, the one tied to the Hippocratic Oath, which tells doctors to do good, do no harm, and treat all patients fairly. But he helped cement harmful gender biases that still echo through modern medicine. He was the first recorded doctor to diagnose hysteria, a so-called “female disease” he believed was caused by the uterus wandering through the body, disrupting organs and poisoning blood. The word “hysteria” literally comes from the Greek word for uterus. 

Fixing the wandering uterus? According to ancient belief, you needed perfumes and aromatics. The uterus would flee from bad smells and be drawn toward pleasant ones, healing the woman and her “hysteria” in the process. And the reason her uterus started wandering in the first place? Too little sex and too few babies. Pregnancy, they claimed, protected against hysteria, reinforcing the idea that a woman’s job was to reproduce.

These myths didn’t stop in antiquity. In the 19th century, doctors warned that women were too “delicate” for train travel; traveling faster than 50 mph, they said, could make a uterus literally fly out. Yes, really. But by the late 1800s, women were, indeed, riding the rails, traveling solo, working, and owning their independence; safely, we might add. 

Women who rode bikes risked permanent damage to their reproductive systems, and even something called “bicycle face,” a made-up condition discouraging women from riding freely. Some believed a young woman visiting the city or eating an “exciting” diet could trigger early menstruation. These weren’t medical facts. They were tools to control women’s autonomy.

In 1876, Harvard physician Dr. Edward H. Clarke doubled down on the myth with his book Sex in Education. His claim? A woman’s energy was finite. If she studied too hard, her brain would steal energy from her womb, leading to infertility. For young girls, education was seen as a threat to developing “proper” reproductive organs. Then Freud joined the party. He linked hysteria to a woman’s supposed realization that she wasn’t a man and, therefore, wasn’t “whole.” His prescription? Marriage and sex as quickly as possible. That was the cure…

Even into the 20th century, these myths influenced health debates. When Tampax tampons hit the market in the 1930s, there was a movement to stop it, claiming that tampons would cause sexual pleasure, block menstruation, or take a woman’s virginity. This belief was so widespread that until the 1990s, Tampax was still working to debunk this myth.

And despite medical advances, bias persisted in research itself. In 1977, the FDA barred women of “childbearing potential” from clinical trials, reasoning that fluctuating hormones would skew results. As Elinor Cleghorn, author of Unwell Women: Misdiagnosis and Myth in a Man-Made World, said, “When clinical research exempts women, on the grounds that female hormones fluctuate too much, medical culture is reinforcing the centuries-old myth that women are too biologically erratic to be useful or valuable.” This ban wasn’t lifted until 1993 (!!).

And still…the gender gap in medicine persists. In the U.S., diseases affecting men receive twice as much funding as those affecting women. A 2010 study found male animals were used in neuroscience research 5.5 times more than females. It took until 2016 for the NIH to require that biological sex differences be reported and examined, and enforcement remains inconsistent. 

The impact is dangerous. Women’s pain is often dismissed, and because symptoms can present differently than in men, diagnoses can be delayed or missed. Heart disease, the leading cause of death for women, is frequently misdiagnosed because doctors aren’t trained to recognize sex‑specific symptoms. Autoimmune diseases, ovarian and cervical cancers, and multiple sclerosis are among the conditions where women face long delays and multiple visits before a diagnosis.

Breast oncologist Elizabeth Comen put it this way: “We’re not just ‘our boobs and our tubes'. Our biology and our presentation of disease are extraordinarily different from men’s. There has never been, in the history of Western medicine, a belief system that extolled women’s bodies and women’s intelligence as being as powerful as men’s. This framework still infiltrates all of medicine.” 

So what’s the answer? Prioritize research that understands women’s bodies. Today, only 5% of healthcare research funding is dedicated to women’s health. It’s time we replace myths with facts, not just for Women’s History Month, but for a future where women’s health gets attention, respect, and resources. Hippocrates used storytelling disguised as medicine. And those stories stuck. To move forward, we need better data and the dismantling of narratives that have long defined women’s bodies as flawed, overly emotional, or less than.

TROUBLEMAKER SPOTLIGHT

Joanne Wilson, Founder and CEO at Gotham

Joanne Wilson is a force across industries. With her latest venture, Gotham, she’s redefining the cannabis retail experience by merging it with art, fashion, and design. Joanne is also an early-stage angel investor who has backed over 140 companies, and together with her husband, founded Gotham Gives, a charity focused on improving life for all New Yorkers. Joanne serves as Chair of The Public Housing Community Fund and sits on the board of Friends of the High Line.

What’s the worst career advice you’ve gotten?

My first job was running the cosmetic department at Macy’s in King Plaza, which was, at that point, the second-largest cosmetic department in all Macy’s nationwide. I was 21 years old, and I had 150 people reporting to me. I'm an entrepreneur at heart, and working for people was never something I excelled at. 

After some tension, my manager had me sit down with the head of HR, who told me point-blank that I was “too aggressive for retail.” Instead of shrinking, I went straight to the head of the store. She told me to ignore it and keep doing what I was doing. That moment taught me something early: people will try to change you to fit their mold. The key is knowing when to take the feedback and when to trust your gut instead.

What’s the best piece of non-obvious career advice you’ve gotten?

In my third position at Macy’s, I was an assistant store manager. I was given the advice to spend time in places that make me uncomfortable. I had cosmetics under my belt and understood it, so I was advised to spend less time there. It makes a lot of sense. For example, if you’re running a company and are really good at marketing, it’s easy to spend a lot of time in marketing. But where you should be spending your time is finding out how your other departments run.

What was a heartbeat moment for you in your career?

I’ve had 18 different jobs across my entrepreneurial journey, and this one feels like the culmination of it all. Every lesson, every pivot, every challenge; it’s all come together here.

The cannabis industry is full of friction. The regulatory landscape is vague, the taxes are disastrous, and the market is still in its infancy. But that’s also what makes it so compelling. Opening our first store was a defining moment. It wasn’t just about launching a retail space; it was about building something thoughtful and intentional, with a great team and a clear vision. That felt like progress.

Who is one person you’d love to give flowers to from your career that influenced your journey? What advice or lesson did you learn from them?

My husband and children have been my greatest mentors. My husband and I have always been true partners in life and in business. We've supported each other’s ventures, built things together, and offered honest feedback along the way. My children, all entrepreneurs themselves, constantly challenge my thinking and help me see things from different angles. Mentorship isn’t just top-down; it’s about who helps you grow, and they do that for me every day.

Where have you caused some good trouble in your career?

I've caused trouble my entire career. As an angel investor, I made it my mission to invest capital in female founders and Black and Brown founders. I started a conference called the Women's Entrepreneur Festival to highlight women. In the beginning of the start-up space, I was considered controversial, speaking out about how women were not being treated equally and not getting investors. I would call out venture capitalists. I've never held back because I believe that transparency and honesty are the only way to behave in your career and your personal life.

Want to nominate a “Troublemaker” you admire? You can do so here.

INSIDE TRACK

Leaders on the move

• Véronique Courtois has been appointed CEO of LVMH’s beauty division. While women represent nearly 69% of the global beauty workforce, they hold just 29% of leadership roles. With more than two decades at LVMH, including leading Parfums Christian Dior, Véronique’s leadership signals a new era for beauty where women not only power the industry, but lead it.

• Joanna Strober is co-founder and CEO of Midi Health, which serves more than 230,000 patients across all 50 states, expanding care across life stages from menopause to metabolic and long-term wellness. Midi Health’s recent $100 million Series D and $1 billion valuation is a signal that women’s health is finally being valued at scale.

• Meredith Brace has stepped into her new role as Chief Marketing Officer at MINT. From leading advertising teams at Microsoft and HP to scaling startups and driving marketing at FOX Corporation, she has helped brands stand out and lead with impact. At MINT, she’ll elevate global brand visibility and strengthen the company’s position in advertising operations.

• Meredith Brace has been named Chief Marketing Officer at MINT. From leading advertising teams at Microsoft and HP to driving marketing at FOX Corporation and scaling innovative startups, she brings vision, creativity, and fearless leadership to every room she enters. There is no one better to lead MINT’s next chapter and elevate its global brand.

• Alexis Williams has taken on the new role of Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Target. Alexis has spent her career shaping credible, influential narratives at the intersection of business, media, and policy. From leading Stagwell’s Future of News initiative to nearly a decade helping define critical conversations at Politico, she understands how purpose and action must move in lockstep.

• Alison Zemny Stiefel has stepped into the role of Chief Marketing Officer at Janie and Jack. With more than 20 years of experience building premium brands, Alison has mastered the art of understanding the human behind the data. At Rakuten and Everlane, she seamlessly connected performance, CRM, and content to create experiences rooted in loyalty and trust.

DEAR FQ

Your burning career questions answered

Fleming Longino of The Female Quotient weighs in:

The reward for good work is often…more work. While it is a testament and a compliment to the kind of employee you are, you also need to look out for yourself. You don't want to take on so much that you burn out.

It is totally acceptable not to give an immediate "yes." Take a beat, look at your schedule, and be realistic about what you can deliver given your other responsibilities. If there is already too much on your plate, ask your manager if they would like you to deprioritize one of your other projects in order to take on this new one.

Advocating for yourself in this way won’t make you be seen as any less of a “go-to.” It makes it clear that you value quality over quantity, and know how to lead strategically and with intention.

P.S. Got a burning career question? Serve it up here to Dear FQ to score advice from a powerhouse leader in our network.

POLL THE PACK

When genius really strikes

While you never know when a great idea will hit, for the majority of employees, it’s not at work; it’s in the shower. And that’s not a coincidence; there’s actually science behind it. 

Because the act of showering requires so little demand of the brain, it allows the mind to rest and wander. Not to mention, showers are one of the last places we can’t bring our phones. With no screens, no pings, and no pressure, the brain relaxes. Says Zachary Irving, Assistant Professor of Philosophy and Cognitive Science at the University of Virginia, “Your brain codes that it doesn’t need you to engage in detail, it doesn’t need your perceptual attention or motor attention, and that allows your mind to have this random kind of movement.” This movement allows your brain to make new connections to information it already possesses and creativity to blossom (and lather).

Great ideas often emerge in moments of pause. If you are looking to cultivate more creativity, prioritize unstructured time. If you do, who knows what you’ll think of next? 💡

Xo,

The FQ

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