World-renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Terry Dubrow (Botched, The Swan, RHOC) joins Randall Kaplan on In Search of Excellence to talk about fame, the realities and risks of plastic surgery, Brazilian Butt Lift dangers, choosing the right surgeon, pricing myths, breast implants (Motiva), AI in surgery, GLP-1s (Ozempic/Mounjaro) for longevity, and the mindset of extreme preparation that fueled his success. If you care about healthspan, aesthetics, safety, and high performance, this episode is packed with “can’t-Google-this” wisdom from the most recognized plastic surgeon on TV.

What You’ll Learn:
•The double-edged sword of fame: why reality-TV notoriety is “hypnotic—and dangerous,” and how it changed Terry’s practice overnight.
•Behind The Swan & Botched: from a wild casting journey to the pitch that became Botched (and why “It’s a scalpel, not a magic wand” still matters).
•The hardest saves: a jaw-dropping case involving illegal facial injections and how Terry engineered a safe, creative fix.
•Safety over trends: the real risk profile of BBLs (fat embolism), why Terry won’t do them, and smart alternatives.
•How to choose a great surgeon: the 3 non-negotiables—board certification (ABPS/ABFPS), hospital privileges, and credible word-of-mouth—plus why “before/afters” can mislead.
•Pricing myths: why paying $40k–$80k+ for basic procedures (e.g., primary breast aug) doesn’t guarantee better results.
•Breast implants 101: capsular contracture reality, why some results feel “like coconuts,” and promising data on Motiva’s lower hardness rates.
•Celebrities & surgery: reputational risk calculus—and why Terry often says no.
•Family patients & objectivity: when he’ll operate (and when he won’t).
•AI in plastic surgery: why robot “hands” are still the bottleneck.
•GLP-1s & longevity: Terry’s board certification in Obesity Medicine, why micro-dosing GLP-1s may benefit metabolic health, and emerging indications.
•Extreme Preparation: the mental reps that saved trauma patients—and how he studied his way to a 94th-percentile board score.
•Housewives, fame traps, and kindness: cultural takes, life boundaries, and why kindness is a high-leverage success habit.

Guest Bio — Dr. Terry Dubrow
Dr. Terry Dubrow is a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, star of the hit TV show Botched, and a nationally recognized expert in complex reconstruction and cosmetic surgery. He trained at UCLA and completed advanced academic work at Yale, where he honed a research mindset that led to dozens of publications early in his career. Today, he practices in Newport Beach, CA, while educating millions on surgical safety, outcomes, and ethics.

Want to Work One-on-One with Me?
I coach a small group of high achievers on how to elevate their careers, grow their businesses, and reach their full potential both professionally and personally.

If you're ready to change your life and achieve your goals, apply here: https://www.randallkaplan.com/coaching

Listen to my Extreme Preparation TEDx Talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIvlFpoLfgs

Listen to this episode on the go!
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/23q0XIC...

For more information about this episode, visit https://www.randallkaplan.com/

Follow Randall!
Instagram: @randallkaplan
LinkedIn: @randallkaplan
TikTok: @randall_kaplan
Twitter / X: https://x.com/RandallKaplan
Website: https://www.randa

Coaching and Staying Connected:

1-on-1 Coaching | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | LinkedIn

World-renowned plastic surgeon Dr. Terry Dubrow (star of Botched) sits down with Randall Kaplan for a raw, inspiring conversation on rising from poverty in Los Angeles to medical excellence at UCLA and Yale, the mentors who changed his life, and what it really takes to build a top practice in Newport Beach. We cover career pivots, boldness vs. fear, medical training, research & publishing, and wild rock-n-roll stories with his brother Kevin DuBrow of Quiet Riot—plus practical, step-by-step success frameworks you can use today. If you’re chasing excellence in medicine, entrepreneurship, or any high-stakes field, this episode is your blueprint.

What You’ll Learn
• Humble beginnings & grit: Growing up with a single mom in LA, learning self-reliance, and the mindset that formed his drive to “figure it out and get it together.”
• Choosing a path (and changing it): Why dentistry felt empty, how volunteering in the UCLA ER “lit” him up, and the decision to take pre-med coursework at Yale while earning a master’s.
• Mentorship that transforms careers: The life-altering lecture by Dr. Mal Lesavoy, how Terry chased him down the hallway, joined his lab, and authored 23 surgical papers—learning that publishing is currency in academic medicine.
• The power of boldness: Specific, repeatable tactics for approaching mentors (be authentic, add value, do the homework) and why “clever and bold” beats “smart” alone.
• Quiet Riot, Ozzy, & loyalty: Unfiltered stories about Kevin DuBrow, Randy Rhoads, Ozzy Osbourne, sold-out Forum concerts—plus hard lessons on loyalty and the realities of entertainment.
• From residency to practice: The old-school general surgery track, complex reconstructive flap cases, and the leap from LA to Newport Beach practice (and what unexpectedly made it work).

Guest Bio — Dr. Terry Dubrow
Dr. Terry Dubrow is a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon, star of the hit TV show Botched, and a nationally recognized expert in complex reconstruction and cosmetic surgery. He trained at UCLA and completed advanced academic work at Yale, where he honed a research mindset that led to dozens of publications early in his career. Today, he practices in Newport Beach, CA, while educating millions on surgical safety, outcomes, and ethics


Want to Work One-on-One with Me?
I coach a small group of high achievers on how to elevate their careers, grow their businesses, and reach their full potential both professionally and personally.

If you're ready to change your life and achieve your goals, apply here: https://www.randallkaplan.com/coaching

Listen to my Extreme Preparation TEDx Talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIvlFpoLfgs

Listen to this episode on the go!
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/23q0XIC...

For more information about this episode, visit https://www.randallkaplan.com/

Follow Randall!
Instagram: @randallkaplan
LinkedIn: @randallkaplan
TikTok: @randall_kaplan
Twitter / X: https://x.com/RandallKaplan
Website: https://www.randallkaplan.com/
1-on-1 Coaching: https://www.randallkaplan.com/coaching

Coaching and Staying Connected:

1-on-1 Coaching | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | LinkedIn

Joe Kudla, Founder & CEO of Vuori, reveals the real playbook behind one of the fastest-growing performance lifestyle brands. We unpack the decisions and economics between direct-to-consumer vs. wholesale, community-led growth, cash-flow discipline, fundraising (from early tranches to secondaries), hiring and culture systems, ambassador strategy, operational excellence, and how Extreme Preparation and a 100/100 work ethic compound into a secret weapon to success. If you’re building a consumer brand, apparel/DTC company, or high-performance team, this episode is a masterclass in strategy and execution.

What You’ll Learn:

• The origins of Vuori and why the market was primed for a new kind of performance lifestyle brand blending technical fabrics with California ease.
• Why wholesale under-expressed the vision and how Vuori’s pivot to a direct-to-consumer business unlocked authentic community, faster feedback loops, and hugely profitable growth.
• Fundraising in the messy middle: bridging cash crunches, raising in tranches, and choosing investors who back the mission—not just the model.
• Operating with discipline after secondary rounds: how to avoid “easy money” bad habits and keep teams scrappy, focused, and cash-flow aware.
• Learning how the company has paid its original investors and early employees more than $1 billion.
• Hiring for “fit + range” over resume, building values people can feel, and creating systems (like no-meeting time blocks) that protect deep work.


Chapters / Key Moments

00:00 – Intro & Why This Conversation Matters
09:47 – Why Vuori & Joe’s Origin Story
17:34 – Raising Over $1 Billion To Give To Their Investors
19:27 – First Hires & Building the Team
28:59 – Wholesale Lessons & Retail Reality
38:28 – The DTC Pivot & Strategy
48:04 – Purpose, Values & Culture Systems
57:39 – IPO Readiness: Pros & Cons
67:16 – Closing / Final Takeaways

About Our Guest — Joe Kudla

Founder & CEO, Vuori. Joe is the entrepreneur behind Vuori, a global performance lifestyle brand known for technical apparel, premium materials, effortless style, and community-centric growth. He’s scaled from startup scarcity and near failure to international reach by pairing cash-flow discipline with brand-first thinking, values-driven leadership, and a relentless commitment to product and culture.

Guest Links:

Vuori: https://vuoriclothing.com

Joe Kudla (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/joekudla/

Want to Work One-on-One with Me?
I coach a small group of high achievers on how to elevate their careers, grow their businesses, and reach their full potential both professionally and personally.

If you're ready to change your life and achieve your goals, apply here: https://www.randallkaplan.com/coaching

Listen to my Extreme Preparation TEDx Talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIvlFpoLfgs

Listen to this episode on the go!
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-search-of-excellence/id1579184310
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/23q0XICUDIchVrkXBR0i6L

For more information about this episode, visit https://www.randallkaplan.com/

Follow Randall!
Instagram: @randallkaplan
LinkedIn: @randallkaplan
TikTok: @randall_kaplan
Twitter / X: https://x.com/RandallKaplan
Website: https://www.randallkaplan.com/
1-on-1 Coaching: https://www.randallkaplan.com/coaching

Coaching and Staying Connected:

1-on-1 Coaching | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | LinkedIn