It started, as so many great ideas do, with a chance conversation. Brentwood resident Mary Alice Haney—former fashion editor and founder of her eponymous line HANEY—and Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi, one of Los Angeles’ most sought-after OB-GYNs, first met when Haney was guest hosting Lipstick on the Rim, the podcast by Molly Sims. Dr. Aliabadi had come on to discuss Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and GLP-1s, but what unfolded in that conversation was something far bigger.
Haney, who grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee before eventually making her way to Los Angeles and building a career at the highest levels of fashion and media, had spent years shaping how women looked—styling covers, launching her line on Net-a-Porter and guiding it to become a red carpet staple for over a decade. But she had been searching for something more meaningful, something that spoke to what women were actually experiencing. “I loved what I was doing,” Haney says, “but I kept feeling like there was something missing—something more important that we weren’t talking about.”
Dr. Aliabadi, meanwhile, had spent more than 25 years listening to those very experiences. Born in Tehran and raised during the Iranian Revolution before coming to the United States as a teenager, she built her career through relentless determination—learning English as a third language, working her way through Berkeley and Georgetown, and ultimately completing her OB-GYN residency at USC before establishing a leading practice in Los Angeles. Over decades, she became known not just for her expertise, but for listening to women when others did not. “Women know their bodies,” she says. “They just need someone to believe them.”
So, when the two sat across from each other that day, something clicked. “There was just this moment,” Haney recalls. “I had been looking for a podcast that spoke directly to women about their health—and it didn’t exist. And then Dr. Aliabadi walked in and said everything women needed to hear.” Within days, Haney asked Dr. Aliabadi to lunch. Within weeks, they had signed with WME. Within months, multiple studios were bidding on their concept. And in March 2024, SheMD officially launched. What neither of them could have predicted was how quickly it would evolve from a podcast into something far more powerful: a platform, a community and for many women, a lifeline.
At its core, SheMD is deceptively simple: give women the information they need to understand their bodies and advocate for themselves. But what has made it resonate so deeply is the way it brings together two perfectly aligned forces—Dr. Aliabadi’s clinical expertise and Haney’s instinct for storytelling and cultural relevance. Each episode explores a specific aspect of women’s health, from endometriosis and PCOS to menopause, fertility, mental health and cancer, blending medical insight with personal narratives in a way that feels both authoritative and accessible. “We can’t fix the healthcare system overnight,” Haney says, “but we can give women the information to walk into a doctor’s office and advocate for themselves.”
And the voices behind those stories are notable not just because they are famous, but because they are willing to be vulnerable. Many of the podcast guests are also Dr. Aliabadi’s patients, lending a level of trust and intimacy that is rare. Olivia Munn, whose breast cancer was detected early after Dr. Aliabadi urged additional testing. Kim Kardashian speaking candidly about living with chronic psoriasis. Florence Pugh opening up about her battle with PCOS and endometriosis. Sofia Richie Grainge sharing her experience with preterm labor followed by preeclampsia. And most recently, Hailey Bieber, whose episode generated widespread attention after she spoke about her postpartum journey, including a septate uterus—a congenital condition that can affect pregnancy outcomes—alongside the emotional and physical realities of new motherhood. “She was so honest,” Dr. Aliabadi says of Bieber. “She talked about things most women go through but don’t feel comfortable sharing. That’s what makes it so powerful.”
These conversations, often paired with a world-class specialist or doctor, feel strikingly real—often emotional, always deeply human—and they resonate because they are rarely had so openly. “Women are sharing things they’ve never talked about publicly,” says Dr. Aliabadi. “And by doing that, they’re helping other women get diagnosed, get treatment and feel validated.”
That word—validated—is central to Dr. Aliabadi’s life’s work. Long before SheMD, she had built one of the most sought-after OB-GYN practices in Los Angeles, with patients traveling from across the country and around the world to see her. But what defines her approach is not prestige—it is listening. “If a woman takes the time to come in and tell you something is wrong, you listen,” she says. “That alone gets you most of the way there.”
Her own breast cancer story brought that philosophy into sharp focus. After identifying atypical cells and calculating her lifetime risk using the Tyrer-Cuzick risk model—a tool she had long used in her practice—Dr. Aliabadi discovered her risk was significantly elevated. Despite being dismissed by multiple physicians, she pushed for a preventative double mastectomy. It was only after the surgery that cancer was discovered—an early-stage invasive cancer that had gone undetected. “I kept being told not to worry,” she says. “But I knew something wasn’t right.” That experience reshaped everything. It also informed the care she provided to patients like Munn, whose early diagnosis has since become a powerful example of the impact of proactive screening and trusting one’s instincts.
For Haney, the impact of that work has been just as profound. While her background is rooted in fashion and media, her role within SheMD is essential—she is the connective tissue, translating complex medical information into conversations that feel accessible, relevant and deeply human. “I’m the ‘she’ in SheMD,” Haney says with a laugh. “I’m asking the questions that every woman is thinking.”
As the podcast gained momentum, a clear pattern began to emerge. One condition surfaced continuously: PCOS, a hormonal disorder affecting millions of women, yet still widely misunderstood and underdiagnosed. Dr. Aliabadi had spent years treating it, often prescribing multiple supplements to address insulin resistance, inflammation and hormonal imbalance. But compliance was a constant challenge. “No one wants to take ten different things,” Haney says. So, they created one.
Launched alongside the rise of SheMD, Ovii was developed as a science-backed, all-in-one supplement designed to address the underlying drivers of PCOS and metabolic health. Rooted in Dr. Aliabadi’s clinical experience and developed with a team of scientists, the formula targets insulin resistance, inflammation and hormonal imbalance—key factors not only in PCOS, but in broader issues affecting women, from perimenopause to postpartum recovery. Taken as a daily powder supplement—typically one scoop mixed with water—Ovii offers a streamlined, approachable alternative to managing what has traditionally required multiple products. The response has been immediate and deeply personal. “We get messages every single day,” Haney says. “Women saying, ‘I finally feel like myself again.’”
What makes their partnership so compelling is not just what they’ve built, but how deeply it resonates in real life. Dr. Aliabadi describes being stopped at events and gatherings by women she has never met—who hug her, thank her, and share how the podcast helped them advocate for themselves, seek further testing, or finally receive a diagnosis. “I went to a party recently and so many women came up to me,” she says. “They were telling me how the podcast changed their life. I came home and told my husband, I’ve never felt this fulfilled.” That sense of connection is at the heart of everything they do. It is reflected not only in the podcast, but in the community that has formed around it—a growing network of women supporting one another, sharing information and feeling empowered to trust themselves. “Women supporting women—that’s really what this is about,” Haney says. “And when that happens, everything shifts.” It is also reflected in the conversations themselves, including a new episode with Kris Jenner, airing this month for Mother’s Day. “She’s the mother of all mothers,” Dr. Aliabadi says. “The way she shows up for her daughters, the way she supports them—it’s incredible.”
Both Haney and Dr. Aliabadi are mothers themselves—Haney of five in her blended family, Dr. Aliabadi of three daughters with her longtime husband—and they are navigating the same balancing act as so many of the women they speak to and for. Haney’s Brentwood home served as the original backdrop for SheMD, grounding the podcast in a setting that felt warm, intimate and distinctly local before expanding into a dedicated studio. Dr. Aliabadi continues to run her full-time medical practice while devoting an entire day each week to the podcast. “It’s a lot,” she says. “But it’s worth it.”
Looking ahead, their vision is clear: to continue expanding the reach of SheMD, bring greater awareness to women’s health and keep building tools that offer real, tangible support. But at its core, the mission remains the same: to listen, to educate and to empower. What began as a single conversation has become something much bigger—a movement grounded in trust, fueled by connection and driven by a shared belief that women deserve better. And in a world where so many women have been told to question their own instincts, Dr. Aliabadi and Haney are reminding them of something powerful: they were right all along, and they are not alone.
“We can’t fix the healthcare system overnight. But we can give women the information to walk into a doctor’s office and advocate for themselves.”
“Women supporting women—that’s really what this is about. And when that happens, everything shifts.”