The Hear Me Out Club is a movement to remove the stigma around hearing loss and remind people that listening is living. The sooner you start hearing clearly, the sooner you start enjoying life fully, so stop pretending, start listening, and join the…
Hear Me Out Club
Relatable Moments We Don’t Talk About (But Should)
Hearing loss doesn’t always show up as silence, it sneaks into the small moments of everyday life. The dinner parties where you fake a laugh, the meetings where you nod like you understand, the family chats you half-hear from the next room. These little mix-ups and misunderstandings are so common, we start thinking they’re normal but they’re really just our ears asking for a bit of help.
The Parenting Paradox
You shout out, “Did you hear me?!” only to realize your kid answered three times already. Turns out, it’s not selective teenage hearing, it’s flawed parental hearing.
The Dinner Party Dilemma
Everyone’s laughing, the music is playing, and you’re just praying someone doesn’t ask you a direct question. You nod along, chuckle on cue, but inside, you’re wondering if they said “new puppy” or “nude Pilates.”
The Meeting Mystery
You’re nodding wisely in a conference room, notebook open, pen poised, looking engaged and professional. The truth? You caught about 40% of what was said and are now silently begging for a follow-up email.
Who Am I?
I’m Josephine Courant, a mum, creative, and reluctant-but-proud member of Team Hearing Aids. When I first got fitted, I realized how many of my friends felt awkward admitting they needed them too. That’s when I decided enough was enough. Let’s toss the stigma out the window and start fresh, fun conversations about hearing loss.
Hearing health isn’t just about technology. It’s about connection, laughter, and not missing out on the small, silly moments that make life good. I believe design, humor, and honesty can make these conversations less awkward and a lot more human.
Hearing loss is part of midlife for so many of us, but hiding it only makes things harder. I want to help people stop pretending, start listening, and get back to fully living.
If you are curious, you can read more about my Hearing Loss Journey here.
Why Early Intervention Matters
Hearing loss doesn’t just show up one morning with a neon sign. It sneaks in slowly. That’s why having a baseline test now is key.
How do you go about scheduling a hearing test?
It’s easier than booking a haircut (and usually quicker). Most local audiologists let you schedule online in just a couple of clicks, or you can call and speak to a real human (imagine that!). The appointment itself usually takes less than an hour, it’s painless, and you’ll walk away knowing where your hearing stands.
Think of it as your “before” photo, except instead of abs, it’s your ears. 🤣
It’s time to stop faking it!
The Not-So-Fun Facts About Hearing Loss
Hearing loss isn’t just about turning up the TV. By age 50, it starts creeping in for millions of us, and most people don’t even realize it. Nearly half of adults over 75 have hearing loss, but the signs can start decades earlier. The average person waits almost nine years before doing anything about it….that’s nine years of “Huh?”, “What?”, and “Say that again?”
The truth is, hearing loss is a hidden disability, one that no one really wants to talk about. It’s invisible, isolating, and often brushed off as “just getting older.” I’ve decided that if no one else will talk about it, I will.
Untreated hearing loss is more than inconvenient. It’s linked to faster cognitive decline as we age, way too many arguments over whether your kids need to learn to enunciate, and why the family can’t agree to keep the captions ON.
Need more convincing? Here are some sobering facts:
Roughly 28.8 million U.S. adults could benefit from using hearing aids, but fewer than 1 in 3 (30%) have ever used them. (National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)
People wait an average of 7 years before seeking help for hearing loss, that’s nearly a decade of missed punchlines and “Sorry, what?” moments. (Hearing Loss Association of America)
Untreated hearing loss can increase the risk of dementia by up to 5 times, according to research from Johns Hopkins University.
Adults with untreated hearing loss experience 30–40% faster cognitive decline than those with normal hearing. (National Council on Aging)
Untreated hearing loss increases the risk of social isolation by about 50%. Conversations become exhausting, and many people begin to withdraw from social situations. (American Journal of Geriatrics)
Balance and safety are affected too, people with untreated hearing loss are nearly 3 times more likely to experience a fall. (Johns Hopkins Medicine)
More than 60% of people with hearing loss are under the age of 65. This isn’t just an “older person” issue, it’s a midlife wake-up call. (Better Hearing Institute)
The Funny Thing About Stigma
Studies show that humor helps reduce stigma by up to 40% when it’s used to challenge stereotypes and normalize everyday experiences. In other words: laughter really is medicine, at least for shame.
If we can joke about bifocals, Botox, and bad knees, why not hearing aids? Humor softens the edges of embarrassment and makes conversations easier. Humor reminds us that this isn’t a personal failing, it’s biology, it’s aging, it’s life.
So yes, I’m here to tell you that middle-aged women, men, and anyone who’s ever shouted “Turn it down!” belong in this club. When we can laugh about it, we can finally talk about it, and only then will the stigma start to disappear.
