Story & Lesson Highlights with Sarah Martinez-Murray of London

Sarah Martinez-Murray shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Good morning Sarah , we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
I recently had an article written up in the Telegraph. It was all about my story behind why I started Slyde Body London and health and wellness for midlife women. It is talking about all things libido, midlife and women’s sexual health and wellness. It was a raw and honest conversation and article and it caused quite a stir – I had so many incredible women connect and become a part of our community and then on the flip side I had a heap of men call me names and tell me to be quiet and that my husband should leave me etc etc.- it made me so proud to speak up and it just highlighted the fact that there is so much work to be done in the women’s health and shedding stigma and shame around our health and wellbeing.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Sarah, the founder of Slyde Body London. Slyde was born out of my own journey of reconnecting with my body, my pleasure, and my sense of self at a stage in life when women are often told to shrink or quiet down. Instead, I wanted to create something that celebrates this chapter — sensuality, vitality, and midlife power — without the clichés.

We’re not about polished perfection or overly clinical wellness. Slyde is influenced by the beauty in the messy — the kind of beauty that comes from lived experience, from raw edges and real stories. Our products and content are designed to help women slow down, reawaken intimacy, and honour their bodies, whether that’s through ritual, touch, or simply giving yourself permission to feel good again.

Right now, I’m focused on growing our community, expanding our intimacy range, and creating spaces (both digital and real) where women can come back home to themselves. It’s about more than products — it’s a movement of self-worship and pleasure without obligation.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a young girl, I was taught to be nice — to stay small, not be too outspoken, loud, or demanding. I believed that was the way to move through the world.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that kindness doesn’t mean playing small. You can be kind and still be brave, bold, and unapologetically yourself.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Resilience and grit.

Suffering taught me the power of choice in the moments when everything feels like it’s falling apart — how I want to show up, who I want to be, and what I want to do next. It’s cliché, but true: the only thing you can control is how you respond. Success never tests that. It’s easy to be a good leader, partner, or parent when life is smooth. The real test of character, integrity, and grit only comes when everything is crumbling.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
That women’s sexual health and wellbeing are “already taken seriously.”

The truth is, we’re only just scratching the surface. For decades, women have been an afterthought in medical research — it’s only in recent years that female bodies are even being consistently included in clinical trials. And when it comes to sexual health and pleasure, society likes to act as if we’ve made huge progress, but the reality is we’re still battling stigma, silence, and a lack of real investment. Slyde exists because women deserve more — more research, more resources, more respect — and because our bodies, our wellbeing, and our pleasure are not niche topics, they’re human ones.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. When have you had to bet the company?
We sold our house to start Slyde Body.

It wasn’t just a business decision — it was a whole-of-life decision. I knew I wanted Slyde to be more than an idea, I wanted it to be something living and breathing, something that could change lives. To make that happen, we went all in: we sold our house, downsized, and backed the vision with everything we had. My husband was 100% behind me, and together we made the choice to trade comfort for possibility. That bet forced me to show up differently — with conviction, grit, and a refusal to play small.

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