From Cardiac Surgery to Reinventing Herself

the resilience that you have to navigate these challenges in life, I think that's probably

what lets me know I'm going to be okay because I don't think it's a quality that people even realize they have. So they don't know how to nurture it. I am my own driving force when it comes to that. I built the resilience, I developed it. I continue to challenge it in anyway. For sure. Just to see how close I didn't get to fall on my face and getting back up. Lauren Velkov is a resilient, precision-driven and visionary entrepreneur, leadership consultant

in the founder of Lana Beauty Bar. Drawing from her journey in high-stakes medical environments, she empowers others to build resilience, embrace transformation and lead with confidence and purpose. I don't know that I can get through this day but then you get to the day and then you get to the next day and you get to the next day and then you look back and you're like, "Hey, that was pretty resilient, wasn't it?" "What else can I do?"

"Open, she caught up with the lead, you said, "Oh, is the bottom of the planet? You can live your dream." Welcome to another episode of the Living Your Legacy podcast, the Women of Power Edition. For Insight Success, I am Regretarians. Joining me today is quite the precision surgeon

if you will. Lauren Velkov? Velkov? Velkov? I know that only second try. I see, get used to that.

This is your first podcast. So folks will just politely mispronounce your last name to build repertoire. Welcome to the show. Such a rapport here. So thank you. I appreciate it.

“I want to be here. Lauren, are you fresh off your episode of Women in Power? How do you feel?”

I feel good. I feel really happy with the way it went. You know, I kind of tried to prepare, but I'm not much of a preparation person when it comes to stuff like this. It's a surgeon. I'm sorry for that. You know, it's just, you know, you kind of get your head around the, I guess the preparatory part is hitting your head around, you know, what kind of to anticipate, but not to get too specific, because you don't want to take that authenticity away.

Well, when you answer questions, so I really tried to like have a idea of what, but I thought, wow, man, they're going to ask the questions about me who's better to answer them than me. So how did you think you did? I thought it was good. I actually thought the questions were, you know, I guess driven by like my responses from the initial meeting of getting you guys. And, oh, I was a good driving force that. Very well. And just, you know, everything kind of comes together.

It's just like, you know, blowing a piece of paper together. So it just worked and meshed well. So the answer just came very naturally and smoothly, which I felt really confident about. Where do you want to begin your story? The surgery, the surgery, the surgery,

“a profession, the your mentoring, your coach, where do you want to be getting?”

Yeah. It was just wrap it up in a nutshell, you know,

uh, to go back to like high school, you know, very involved in athletics and always driving for

big goals there. And then, you know, let me down a very, very, you know, intentional path of health care, which was fun and great and rewarding and very challenging. I'm always up for a challenge. Sure. So every phase of my life seems to be, you know, what's the next challenge where am I going now? Because I'm not a person. I just kind of get still like the top and then I'm just like, okay, I'm just here, you know, there's so much more out there to do. So I just, I just kind of

keep finding myself taking the next step or the next leap of faith, you know, and I'm happy with the fact that I have enough faith in myself to jump off and know I'm going to be okay. So is it all faith-driven in yourself that that you're running towards your north star or what what's your driving force? I guess, you know, when you when you reflect back on the things you've

“been through and what you've overcome and the resilience that you have to navigate these challenges”

in life, I think that's probably what it lets me know I'm going to be okay because I don't think it's a quality that people even realize they have. For sure. So they don't know how to nurture it.

else or an nurtured by themselves, I think the strength of it comes from nurturing it yourself.

“Absolutely. So yeah, I am my own driving force when it comes to that. I built the resilience”

I developed it. I continue to challenge it in many ways. For sure. Just to see how close I didn't get the phone on my face and getting back up. How has your resilience been challenged? Oh, man, just in general, just in the involvement, you know, going to, you know, picking the career. Let's just take, you know, to the physician assistant career. Number one, picking it in general, huge. So if you got an interview, it's like, okay, let me just go over here and do all these

things and then I just like that. I'll put it in for you and I get that and then I go to school and it's just that fire hose of information coming at you and it's just like, ah, yeah. So I take it all in and then I get through it. So there's this against there and then it's like, okay, now I'm going to my clinicals and doing that and then it's just like every day fire. Oh, this is like, oh my god, I don't know that I can get through this day but then you get to the day

and then you get to the next day and you get to the next day and then you look back and you're like, hey, that was pretty resilient. Wasn't it? What else can I do? So that is like, all right, let me go into creating an exorgery or something. Or this thing, she goes awesome like, yeah, then you want to kind of search for it. I was like, what's the hardest thing? I really feel like I was just like, I mean, I love surgery and it was just like, well, let's pick a hard one.

So you know, fire hose of information again and challenges and skill development and

man, there's always something to learn every day and that was really fun for a long time. But then

it's like, you know, you're stuck in this like, you know, you know, current exorgery yet.

“Of course, but honestly, it's the same. Yeah, it's a system. It gets, you know,”

can't really have hard and going on bypass and doing this surgery and then coming off a pump and then bringing to the ICU and taking care of them, it's kind of a home. It's just like, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, you can go here and do it, you can go and do it in California. I can go do it in Virginia. I can do it in Pennsylvania. I can do it in nowhere. You know, it's just like, is the same. Yeah, it varies from, you know, skill level and personality,

basically, but it's the same. So that, again, is a situation where it becomes like, okay, what else can I do? For sure. So now it's like, okay, let's jump off, start a business. Hell yeah, business. You're right now. Yeah. And then start a business, grow that business, and as I'm growing that business, learn how to start another business with helping people grow a business and then bring back something that is important to me as far as keeping my family's

memory alive, my mom's business that she started bringing that back and having that legacy for her is important to me. What's that business? You know, let's start a podcast. It's just like, it just evolves and it's with it with each evolution to new challenges develop. And then you look back and you're like, dang, that is resilience, isn't it? For sure. So it's definitely something you're the push yourself for. Where do you think the challenges are coming from? Is it some

deline energy? Is it yourself from the fifth dimension talking to yourself of a third? Where do you

“think these challenges are metastastic? Where are they coming from? The challenges I think are normal.”

If you choose to take the path that isn't necessarily already paved or easy, challenges are going to be there. Correct. It's just how you manage and navigate those challenges. You can choose to retreat and go back. I use this analogy about when you're like, even a little kid and you're like the first time in the ocean and you're on the beach, you go on the water and it's a little scary in the ways you're coming, right? And they're like, don't come out

here. It's awful out here. Get back to shore. So you're like, get out there and then you get kind of far and you're like, oh, shit, I'm kind of far, or go back. You know, so I kind of look at the life like that and it's challenges. It's like, once you get so far out there and you know, like there's other challenges out there's no, I'm in the ocean, right? And there's a shark and like, you know, survive surviving in general and the strength to swim. These are all challenges that you

find yourself in the middle of the ocean doing, but once you get so far, there is no going back to shore. You're out there. Oh, for sure. You just keep going and you learn how to survive out

there. So I kind of like that analogy as far as like, when you're out there, if you never one out there,

you'd never know how cool it is out there. How beautiful and how fun. Because it's scary. You know, but if you keep going back to shore, because you're afraid of what's scary, then you never know how

Aha, a mystery solved. It's tough. I got to ask. I went through a traumatic experience in a way that I kind of, I don't know, divinely protest. It was shaving off on my hair. I'd killed off the ego. I'm like, I don't want to be this person anymore. When did you do it? I was just glad in the

two of the day. You know, I'm just first. When did you just go? I guess what I realized I didn't

need permission to. Yeah, hell yeah. And it's just like, I think it's great by the way. Yeah, damn it. Yeah, but yeah, part of it is kind of your hair short or, you know, painting your face or, you know, protesting makeup, whatever you want to do to express yourself, you know, do it, who cares? However you want to do it, we all know it means the same thing. As long as we're aware

“of that fact that that's what you're doing, think down. It's like, uh, it's of a way of working on”

yourself and you know, self-expression and actually going out there. And it's kind of a breaking point. And you know, where that you have the choice to go back to shore or keep going out. So this vast unknown. Or do you just hang out? You got to get us some time once in a while. Yeah. Yeah,

go do it. And I don't know. Why, I already think you are currently and are you still by the

shore? Have you dive the deep? Are you not deep enough? What do you think you are? I'm not deep enough, but that can't see the shoreline. Okay, cool. So you're just all out there, man. Yeah, you're just all right, right off. It's like, I don't know which ways of the shoreline. Yeah, and I feel like you're just kind of just floating there. It's like, it's okay. Oh, because I know it's going to be okay. Eventually, a bottle cup, you're going out and now I'll get back in the water and I'll keep going.

You know, like, it'll be okay. I don't know. Yeah. Where do you think that that analogy that?

“Because you're always very visual. Where is this all this coming from? That's what I want to”

nail that out like? I know that when I was, this is interesting enough that you asked this question. It's very hard to talk to people about cardiac surgery. And sometimes when you're trying to explain what you're about to do to a person, it's like, you know, deer and headlights look. So I've learned very early on and through a great surgeon actually who did a lot of analogies. I don't necessarily use him. I use some of his, but then I've developed my own because it just makes it more relatable.

And easier for people to understand. And then it makes some work comfortable. I think with the fact that I don't want to rip the chest open. Nice. No, it's an oscillating salt. There's no ripping. It's very intricate. But, you know, when you're, it kind of, it softens that blow, so to say, when you're able to kind of like talk about, you know, your body is more of a machine and, you know, the heart is the engine. And, you know, so it's just like, you come up with all these analogies to help.

And sometimes I change them depending on who I'm saying, I think it's a little too short. If I'm talking to him, I can't like I'm talking about a car and it's good. Yeah, like, I just, I just feel a, I read the room and feel the feel the moment.

“And before you rip a little bit and look around the yard, you have to, that was a bit like,”

how do you guys, if you don't do that, they don't listen to what you're saying?

I don't like what you mean. Third sudden shock. Yeah. About of what's going to happen,

what you just said. I don't understand anything she's saying. So I'm just going to stop listening and think about all these things. I don't know what she's, you know, what's going on. And then basically, you get a less compliant patient because you're, you're not relatable. You know, bedside mirror is huge, but a lot of people fall short on. So if you're not able to be relatable and communicate with your patient, that's not likely they're going to

do what you want them to do when they leave. Have you ever explored pediatrics? You'd be a measy with children. Oh, boy. That's, it's a large part of the middle of your, you can't listen. Tiny little insurance. Oh, man. They've got the zoos machines, though. Right. You just put on your rear goggles and you're fine. Most of it is like, we're going to have it as AI anyways, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Really have that surgery. Yeah.

You know, really, oh, where are you? How do I yell at your website is incomplete? I have notes for you. Oh, God. If you wanted to take over the yelling, they said, "Oh, happy." Your college act form is broken. You're fun, I'm late and nothing. Oh, God. Keep going. Please. Okay. I just work in marketing with a web developments in a matter of background. Yeah. To supply. Can I hire you? Yeah. I didn't

do something like that. I'm going to let the learning curve look like I was teasing. But yeah, it's a matter of fact. I've learnt time. I'm aware. Yeah. And it's a struggle because, you know,

You're a legacy model. You have been a developer episode. Thank you. Right. You know,

“you spend all over a decade in an operating room. Doing that stuff. Just fun.”

Hosting a podcast? You, sorry. You pointed at me. No. Oh, I'm just a piece of stuff. You coming out into this world of like, oh my God, what the hell's AI? I didn't even know a chat. GPT what? Yeah, yeah. Literally, less than a year ago. I did not, or yeah, I did not know a chat. GPT what? I think I just downloaded it on my phone. Maybe in February, March of the year. Yeah. And I'm being generous. So it's a huge learning curve. But something I'm really,

really excited about it. Again, it's like out in the ocean. Like, do you go back to shore? You say, stay out there, Ren. Yeah. Imagine being out in the ocean and being able to break that ocean to 10 pieces and have 10 pieces of ocean. Each ocean being a different AI

“bought of you. So if you want to be negative, execute positive, execute. It's just 10”

greens of you. Just just a rumor in it. This is what you clearly have a lot to say. You're that boat that just came along and said, I'm like a high destroyer. Like, I said, you're all the ocean and you come across a boat. You hang out for a little bit and it works out. Now, this boat might bring my break my ocean into 10 pieces. That's great. Yeah, welcome. Love the sounds of that. But yeah, it's, it's work and progress. And I know, like, you know, some marketers say the

website's not that big of a deal. And then, you know, so you're like, focus on other things and then you're doing leads and sales and all that. You know, so there's, you know, so one person. So I got you. Trying to, you know, we're developing a team and in, you know, I can't fast. So can't that fast forward. But it's certainly well on this way. And before we wrap up, folks that are watching this that are inspired by your energy and your story, how can folks

first follow you learn more about you, your spa. And second, any words of advice, any feedback,

any books, any, any quotes that you would recommend? Um, whoo, geez. That's a great question. Um, you can follow me at Lawn and Beauty Bar. That's my, um, handle for that. And then that Lauren Velcoff. Um, that, uh, and I also want to say come to my ice cream shop. It's in the tying town in the middle of Pennsylvania. But if you find yourself there, it's called sweet memories. And it's sweet memories once. So that's really fun. But, uh, words of wisdom, I would say

never give up on yourself. Um, keep pushing, you know, it's just like swimming out there. It's

really hard some days. And then really those hard days when the, when the good ones come, they're just so much more rewarding. Um, books I love love as, you know, sucker for, like, John Maxwell and like leadership development and his whole mentality of just positivity and just how

“to, God, the golden rule of life. I mean, that's what I'm going to say. Three others is you want”

to be treated and that is what I try to do. Like, whether you're coming in for a five-dollar service or a $1,500 service, I don't try. I treat everybody exactly the same. And, um, I think that's what a lot of this world is missing. Um, as far as, you know, just humanity, you know, get back to that. Right on. Well, Lauren, I really appreciate your time and energy. Yeah. I hope we left enough mystery for folks to find out more about you, your spa, your ice cream parlor. Uh, and, uh,

yeah, uh, that concludes yet another amazing episode, um, creating your legacy or living your legacy

whatever the heck. This is called the Women Farrow Edition. For Insights Excess, I am Regretarius.