Why I Do This Work

“When you know better, you can do better. As it relates to menopause, you can live better.” – Tafiq Akhir

I remember it vividly. A snowstorm had shut down my high school in Cleveland, and I was home with my sister and mom. That night, I heard unusual sounds from my mom’s room. When I opened the door, I found her standing in front of an open window, drenched in sweat, fanning herself desperately while snow blew into the room. The cold air offered no relief. Her face carried exhaustion, frustration, and a kind of suffering I had never seen before.

That was my first glimpse of menopause, although I did not know it at the time. I later realized she was silently battling hot flashes, headaches, sleepless nights, and side effects from medications. The vibrant, confident woman I knew was losing pieces of herself, and no one was talking about it. Doctors offered little more than another prescription, but there were no conversations, no guidance, and no real answers.

Years later, as I built a career helping women with fitness and nutrition, I started to notice the same struggles repeating in my clients. The same hot flashes. The same unexplained weight gain. The same exhaustion, frustration, and silence. It struck me that decades had passed, yet women were still facing the exact challenges my mom endured with just as little support.

That realization changed everything for me. I decided it was not enough to help women lose weight or get fit. I needed to provide the knowledge, tools, and support my mom never had. I became a certified menopause and healthy aging strategist, trained in hormone health, nutrition, and wellness, and committed my career to making menopause education accessible, clear, and empowering.

The Expertise Behind the Work

Today, I am a certified, award-winning, and internationally recognized menopause and healthy aging strategist, best-selling author, and host of The Mr. Menopause Show, now entering its third season. I hold nationally and internationally recognized certifications in menopause education, hormone health, nutrition, and wellness, and I am a proud member of The Menopause Society.

Every program, presentation, and resource I create is built on evidence-based knowledge, practical strategies, and empathy. They are designed to help women stop second guessing and start moving forward with clarity and confidence.

The Question Everyone Asks: Why a Man in Menopause?

Your trust should be built on expertise, not gender. Just as women trust male gynecologists with their reproductive health or male trainers and surgeons with their bodies, what qualifies me to guide you through menopause is not that I am a man, but that I have spent more than two decades helping thousands of women restore their health, reshape their bodies, and renew their lives.

That proven experience speaks louder than gender ever could.

More Than the Work