Intro

Scott Raven: Welcome to The Corvus Effect, where we take you behind the scenes to explore integrated self leadership and help ambitious family men build lasting legacies for themselves, their tribe, and their community. I'm Scott Raven, and together we'll discover how successful leaders master a delicate balance of career advancement, personal health, financial growth, and meaningful relationships. Get ready to soar.

Meet Courtney Turich: Shark Tank Entrepreneur

Scott Raven: Hello everyone. Welcome back to The Corvus Effect. I'm Scott. Today I'm thrilled to be joined by Courtney Turich, a Shark Tank entrepreneur who secured deals with Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner, and currently serves as the global VP of Sales and Marketing at Cooler Heads, helping cancer patients maintain their dignity during treatment.

From solo backpacking across Australia to thriving in male-dominated industries and rebuilding, Courtney embodies her motto: Be bold. Be confident, be you. She has an awesome journey from the beginnings in the state of Indiana to a track record of nine times quota achiever and seven promotions within the medical device industry, and now serves through many things including her own video cast in order to help people pursue the lives that they truly want. So Courtney, welcome to the podcast. Courtney Turich: Hey Scott. Thank you so much for having me and for that fabulous introduction.

Scott Raven: You know what? It's a fabulous introduction for a fabulous person, so let's just get into the fabulousness. I'll put it that way.

Courtney's Early Life and Big Dreams

Scott Raven: And like I said, your fabulousness started in small town Indiana with big dreams. And given that I grew up in northeast Ohio, I can understand that in terms of Midwesterners with big dreams, but paint the picture for my listening audience in terms of what way back when.

Courtney Turich: Yeah, Scott. So yes, I'm from a small town in Indiana called Yorktown. I like to say it's a suburb of a place called Muncie, Indiana, and that's where Ball State University is.

Scott Raven: Mm-hmm.

Courtney Turich: You know, it's funny when I say I grew up in a suburb because Muncie is so tiny and Yorktown is even smaller.

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: You mentioned that I was a small town girl with big ideas, but reality is I didn't know what dreaming big really was when I was younger.

Scott Raven: What was dreaming big for you back then? Let's start there.

Courtney Turich: Yeah, so for me, dreaming big was going to college. That was a big milestone, and I really only knew that college existed, honestly, within Indiana. I never even had a vision that I could possibly go to college outside of the state itself. And so that in itself, when I reflect back, Scott, I realize how small my thinking was.

Scott Raven: So let's start the journey in terms of the expansion of your thinking, because part of it I

understand was the upbringing that you had, right? In terms of your mom with multiple jobs, right? And that taught you in terms of self-reliance, but then how you applied that self-reliance. Australia at the age of 22.

Courtney Turich: Yes.

The Australia Experience: Expanding Horizons

Courtney Turich: And Scott, that is the moment when I started to realize I could think bigger in life, that there was more out in this world to offer. And if I backtrack a little, it all happened when my parents got a divorce after 25 years of marriage. And I was a sophomore in college, and really at that point was dropped financially. It had me reflect back on my life and think that, okay, this is really big news for myself, for my family. I will never be in a position where I can't support myself.

Scott Raven: Mm-hmm.

Courtney Turich: So that really became my why in life for many reasons. And then as I got through undergrad, I decided to jump right into grad school because again, I'm like, I'm pushing myself, I'm gonna support myself. I'm gonna make money, I'm not gonna worry about anybody else helping me out.

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: And after grad school, I looked around and I kept hearing about all these people who had traveled, done this, done that, and I realized this was a moment for me to be able to go explore myself.

Scott Raven: Yes. So what was it about Australia that said, you know what, if I'm gonna go explore, I'm gonna go to the complete other side of the world. Right. Why Australia?

Courtney Turich: Australia for me felt safe. I know that sounds crazy.

Scott Raven: Yeah. You know, given the whole big, bold, be confident. Right. I don't, you don't strike me as somebody who takes the safe option, but continue.

Courtney Turich: You know, but truly, it was the safe option because everybody speaks English over there. I was traveling by myself because all of my friends had already graduated undergrad, had their professional careers, and I knew if I wanted to do this, I had to do it alone at the moment. So the comfort for me was actually going somewhere where the language wasn't a barrier.

Scott Raven: Understood. If you had to reflect back and say the biggest lessons you learned from that experience that potentially still serve you today, what did you learn?

Courtney Turich: I went into that experience and thought that I was gonna come back and be this world traveler. I have all this reflection. I would know myself much better after this journey. Reality was, it was just the beginning of my journey, Scott, and getting to know myself. I walked away realizing, number one, I can do anything I put my mind to.

Scott Raven: Nice.

Courtney Turich: I put myself into some really not very good positions when I was in Australia that I reflect back on now and think, wow, that was really dangerous. Why did I do that? But you know...

Scott Raven: You didn't know what you didn't know at the time. Yes.

Courtney Turich: Exactly. And then the biggest lesson I learned when I came back is the world is my oyster. This world is so much bigger. There is so much more than Indiana. That's when I took that power of, you know what, I'm gonna see what this world has to offer for me.

Career Growth and Overcoming Challenges

Scott Raven: And you certainly did that even prior to your appearance on Shark Tank. We'll get there in a second. Right? But you had movement within your career that allowed you different opportunities, different experiences, different environments to advance, which quite honestly, back during that time, that wasn't as prevalent as it is today. It was much more of the loyalty to one firm time. So you were a little bit of a rebel back during that time.

Courtney Turich: I was, and I didn't realize I was such a rebel. My, it's funny, my dad, my biological dad, and he's no longer with us, but you know, at the time he was the pessimistic side of my parents.

My mom was always the positive. My dad was the pessimist.

Scott Raven: Ying and yang.

Courtney Turich: Yes, you have to have the yin and yang. And he always questioned every move I did.

He's like, why are you doing that? You shouldn't do that.

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: But then my nonbiological dad, who was also a father, he always encouraged me anytime I had a crazy idea.

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: So I went into each scenario with a little bit of caution, but with the perseverance of, I have to try this.

Scott Raven: Mm-hmm.

Courtney Turich: If I don't try this, I'm not going to grow. So that's what led me to each move and to just push to that next level.

Scott Raven: Mm-hmm.

Courtney Turich: I'm somebody if I get bored, it's time for change.

Scott Raven: It is time for change. It is time for change. Now, a lot of people talk a good game in terms of growth and comfort can't exist. It can't coexist, so therefore I choose growth, but they don't walk the talk. What is it that you took away from that experience in terms of how to walk the talk with being uncomfortable?

Courtney Turich: You know, I look back, I'm a big believer for the audience in understanding your strengths. And one thing I lean on a lot that helps me to understand who I am at the core is the Gallup Strengths Assessment.

Scott Raven: Which that's why I got certified in it. Yep. I agree. I believe in it as well.

Courtney Turich: I did not know that, that's awesome to know. One of my top strengths is Activator.

Scott Raven: Oh, nice. Very nice.

Courtney Turich: I do, I love to start things. So when we talk about, or you mention a lot of people talk, but they don't act for me. I hear the talk and if I don't act then I'm not living my true self, if that makes sense. Like I get that fire.

Scott Raven: Totally makes sense, right? Like my top five are belief, strategic, futuristic, relator, individualization. So if it's not something which is associated with True North that I know is right, it usually doesn't get priority. Right. And then further on down the list for me is activator, so that's when things get started for me.

Courtney Turich: Yeah, right. Even though activator is at the top of the list for me, I do have to be cautious that I'm looking at the whole picture. I can get an idea and I can just run. And I've learned throughout my career that I need to have some checks and balances in place.

Scott Raven: Yes, you do.

Courtney Turich: While it's okay to act, I really need to make sure that I understand that it is truly the right move. And I am thinking through the process.

Scott Raven: You know, that's a beautiful segue.

The Shark Tank Journey Begins

Scott Raven: We mentioned this at the top that you did appear, pitch and got a deal on Shark Tank with Mark Cuban and Lori Greiner. Let's set the stage for those who may not have seen the episode, may not be aware. Let's paint the picture in terms of what that experience was like for you.

Courtney Turich: Oh my gosh. It is every emotion, every feeling possible in life when that happens. And the reality is it doesn't really happen overnight either. There is a huge buildup to even get to that moment where you walk out in front of the sharks.

Scott Raven: Right. I hear it's like less than 1 in 200 actually get to go on the show basically.

Courtney Turich: You're right. The stats are wild and you know every step of the way, every checkbox they have you do, they always come back and say, it's never a guarantee. And that also means if you go out in front of the sharks, you get a deal or maybe you don't get a deal, you walk away and they will tell you. It's never a guarantee that you're going to air on national television.

Scott Raven: Mm-hmm. Yep. Which, you know, part of it for the people who look at that series and say, I'm gonna go on, just for the exposure, not so fast.

Courtney Turich: No, not so fast because that exposure might never happen.

Scott Raven: Right?

Courtney Turich: And you know, they make a really, they stress upfront that if you get a deal, it is your every intention to try to come to terms.

Scott Raven: Yeah.

Courtney Turich: Because they know a lot of people are just trying to get on national television, so they put a little bit of fear in you to really know what your guidelines or your boundaries are for accepting a deal.

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: And if they fall within that range, you need to move forward.

Scott Raven: Which, hey, kudos on them for protecting the brand in that manner. Right? But now bring it to you specifically, because if I understand it correctly, this was many, many months before you got a call and said, Hey, you're coming on. Be ready.

Courtney Turich: It was many months. So our first call from a producer was before Christmas. And this was back in, that would've been 2012. And fast forward into 2013, we had gone through all the steps and finally we got a call in May. They said, Hey guys, hey ladies. We're ready for you to come to LA. Let's make this happen.

Scott Raven: Okay.

Courtney Turich: Can you be here in May?

Scott Raven: Mm-hmm.

Courtney Turich: And I look at my business partner, and then I look down at my stomach. And what many people don't know is that was the due date for my son.

Scott Raven: Oh my goodness.

Courtney Turich: Here I am getting ready to live this big American Dream, it was our number one goal to get on Shark Tank.

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: And here I am. I'm like, oh my gosh. Well producer, I'm so sorry, but I've gotta, I've got this thing I have to take care of and that is delivering my son, my one and only child.

Scott Raven: Yeah.

Courtney Turich: Pretty important.

Scott Raven: Yeah. So what's your son's name? Just outta curiosity.

Courtney Turich: His name's Max.

Scott Raven: Max. Beautiful name. I love that name. But you know, kudos on you in terms of prioritizing Max, obviously there's health concerns in terms of traveling late in your pregnancy, right? But I can also imagine that you hang up the phone and you're like, Oh my God, did I just throw that away?

Courtney Turich: Right, because again, nothing's a guarantee and you never know who they have already slated for that next slot.

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: Luckily they came back and said, okay, no problem. How about four weeks after you deliver your son?

Scott Raven: Mm-hmm.

Courtney Turich: And I'm like, okay, well we're gonna make it happen. And so my poor husband, amazing Ted out there. I left my newborn back home with my husband, and I flew to LA and I was there for a week.

Scott Raven: Okay, so you're there for a week. You probably are sleep deprived to a good degree because Max maybe is sleeping two, three hours at a time and you're trying to lock in and say, I've gotta give the pitch of my life right now. Right. What is that emotional rollercoaster that you're on before you get onto the set and say, this is it. Right.

Courtney Turich: It's emotional because all you know that you can prepare for is your pitch at the same time also knowing your business inside and out.

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: So we spent a lot of time practicing our pitch. Literally walking out, acting like we're walking out on stage, standing there, because once you get out there, they make you stand on the X for one minute and look at the sharks. They're looking at you while they get the cameras acclimated.

It's a very uncomfortable one minute and it feels like an hour. And then they say, lights, camera, action.

Scott Raven: Wow. Obviously when you have that type of production, right. What we see in the episode is a selection of the exchanges after the pitch. My understanding is that there are many more exchanges that hit the cutting room floor. What were some of the more interesting exchanges that you're like. Wow. That definitely put me into the spot of uncomfortability that I was constantly seeking.

Courtney Turich: You know from the moment we walked out there, you know, we had the sharks in mind that we thought would be a good fit for Monkey Mat and one shark was Barbara. And from the moment when we walked out there, Scott, she did not care for us and she made it very apparent. And that was a little shocking because we really thought that we would've been a good partner with Barbara. But she really had nothing good to say about our product. She didn't say anything about us personally, but I do remember when we walked out and stood on stage, our goal was to stand there, look at every judge or shark in the eyes and just have this power stance of confidence. I remember her leaning over to Mark Cuban and she goes, whoa, these girls have presence. But I didn't get a very warm and welcoming vibe when she said that.

Scott Raven: Yes.

Courtney Turich: So that was a little surprising. And then I honestly didn't think we were gonna get a deal.

Scott Raven: Hmm.

Courtney Turich: It really happened in the very last minute when Mark Cuban took our product because we talk about how easy it is to use and how you can stuff it back into the small bag.

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: And he took the challenge and it actually worked. And that's when he said he would jump in and then Lori Greiner jumped in and the deal was done.

Scott Raven: So you are there. You are going up, you're shaking the hands of both Mark and Lori.

You're walking back the hallway. Right. Obviously we see what is on the camera during that period. Right. Take us to the moment after the cameras stop. What's going on?

Post-Presentation Reflections

Courtney Turich: What a good question. You walk down the hallway. Again, and you're in a little bit of shock.

Scott Raven: Mm-hmm.

Courtney Turich: And you're not really sure in many ways what just happened. It's almost like your wedding day when people talk about it's a blur.

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: And you don't remember the day. You don't remember what happened 'cause there was so much going on.

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: And that is the feeling we had for a moment. It was surreal of, oh my gosh, did we really just present in front of the sharks? Did we really just get a deal?

Scott Raven: Yep.

Courtney Turich: What does this mean? What happens next? Oh my gosh, I can't wait to tell my husband. So you walk off, you're having all these feelings, and they immediately scurry you off the premises, and they send you to a different hotel than you were at before. They do not want the companies interacting with each other or discussing what happened.

Scott Raven: Right, right.

Courtney Turich: What happens within the tank stays in the tank. You sign your life away on an NDA, so they want to remove you from all of that as soon as possible.

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: And I'll never forget sitting at the restaurant at the Westin by the LA airport.

Scott Raven: Mm-hmm.

Courtney Turich: We were having dinner, we got a bottle of champagne and tears just running down our faces of, we did this. I can't believe it. I'm so proud of us.

Scott Raven: Beautiful. Beautiful moment. Beautiful, beautiful story.

Facing Financial Setbacks

Scott Raven: Now here is what I think tons and tons and tons of people don't realize from this show. The road may not be paved in gold afterwards, and a lot of people learn from the setbacks, challenges, and personal learnings after that episode, so help my audience understand what occurred after that time and where you really had to face a significant financial setback that really caused you to take the approach that you have today.

Courtney Turich: Yeah. It was such a journey, Scott. You know, we thought we had conquered the world when we got that deal. You know, there's a lot that goes into it behind the scenes. While we have these great individuals backing our company, there's still a lot of work behind the scenes, as you had mentioned, that a lot of people don't see.

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: And that is the inventory that you have to purchase, a large amount of inventory, which we were getting overseas, that meant a really large, upfront check. That doesn't account for inventory that comes back, that needs to be scrapped, doesn't account for, you know, the marketing, this, that and the other. There's a lot of expense into having your own business, creating your own product. And the founders are the last people who get paid.

Scott Raven: That's right. If they get paid at all.

Courtney Turich: If they get paid at all. And I did not have a regular paycheck.

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: Maybe once a quarter. We might give ourselves a little bit, you know, a little bit of pay, but it was never anything what I was used to making when I was in, I'll say the corporate world.

Scott Raven: Right.

A Tough Decision: Walking Away

Courtney Turich: And finally it came to a bottleneck and my husband came, you know, he approached me, said, Courtney, we're not making it.

Scott Raven: Mm-hmm.

Courtney Turich: Like you've gotta make a decision.

Scott Raven: Mm-hmm.

Courtney Turich: And I'll admit it was a really tough period in my marriage as well because I'm trying to live this American dream at the same time. He's trying to, you know, talk to me about, Hey, we're a family, we've gotta survive. So it was a lot of deep reflection and I'll never forget the moment when I came to terms with, it was time to walk away, Scott.

Scott Raven: I feel that journey wholeheartedly. I had that tough conversation that my wife had with me in the middle of 2021, and we set a deadline and criteria by which I would say go, no go going forward. We hit that time in 2022, it was no go and I had to step away. I can only imagine, 'cause I've certainly been through this, that you feel a little piece of you die because it is something where you've invested a piece of you into this business, into this pursuit, and that the last thing that you want is to say, I have to walk away from this.

Courtney Turich: Very true. It did feel like I lost a piece of myself at the same time. When I finally said it out loud, it was time to walk away. I also felt this huge sigh of relief.

Scott Raven: Mm-hmm. Yes. Yes. So now you have the sigh of relief. There's a little cathartic period of time. Right. But like you said, you have to be challenged. Right. I can imagine probably shortly thereafter you're saying. What's the next challenge and how do I, for lack of a better word, pick myself off the mat and show that resilience that my mom had trained in me? Talk to me through that journey so that my audience understands.

Courtney Turich: Right.

Rediscovering Passion in Medical Sales

Courtney Turich: So you know what I knew is medical device sales, and I've always done it very well.

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: And reality is that was my calling again, but I did decide when I jumped back into it, I would only work for startup companies. Because that fueled my entrepreneurial spirit. It allowed me to wear multiple hats, to think differently, to not always play by the rules.

Scott Raven: Yep.

Courtney Turich: And when I stepped into that role, and thanks to a mentor of mine who gave me the chance to get back into it, after five years away.

Scott Raven: Mm-hmm.

Courtney Turich: I was thriving again. Yes, it felt so good and I realized that I had been missing a little piece of me for a while while I was at my Shark Tank company.

Scott Raven: What is it in terms of the piece of you that was missing?

Courtney Turich: It was the art of the sale, right? The art of the connection with others. Towards the end of my company, Monkey Mat, I was doing a lot more operational work.

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: And operations is not my strength.

Scott Raven: Okay.

Courtney Turich: Right? I'm an activator, I'm competitive. I really enjoy that interaction with others, so I got to get out and live that again.

Scott Raven: Nice. Mm-hmm.

Courtney Turich: But at the same time, I got to have those wins. I got to see what I was building, what I was creating, and that became this amazing light back in my life that I had been missing for a few years.

Scott Raven: Yeah. And quite honestly, right, I learned a lot from a gentleman by the name of Mo Bunnell who said, you know, winning the work and doing the work are complete opposites, right? And those who are great at doing the work sometimes struggle at winning the work and vice versa. The fact that you found that your strengths and core passions were in winning the work certainly is great awareness that you carried forward.

Empowering Others Through Strengths

Scott Raven: But now I wanna take that further and say, how did you then apply that to the broader calling in terms of how to help other people win in whatever pursuits they were doing?

Courtney Turich: You know, it happened at this company I joined right after Shark Tank and it was this moment of I was reflecting on myself, why was I winning? Why was I having success? And in that moment I realized it's because I'm finally living my true self. I'm being myself. I'm being bold with my customers.

So I could go in and analyze their situation and really be direct about how we could help take their program to the next level. At the same time, I was confident in my delivery. And it made me think, how is that? And it's because I was living my strengths. I believed in what I was capable of achieving. And then my team started to grow below me and I started to pass those lessons onto my team, helping them to identify their strengths, to bring those aha moments of what is their why and what makes them shine.

Scott Raven: Wow.

Courtney Turich: When I could see them light up, when they had those aha moments, it did the same for me.

Scott Raven: Wow. Wow. So, we talked about Clifton strengths earlier, right? They are the concepts of what are your top five, right? And then there's also the concept of the team index in terms of how do strengths play across the team, right? And you've already mentioned that activator was your top strength, but what do you feel was another strength other than activator that you brought to the table, which helped drive this. And what did you learn about the strengths in your team in order to put right people on the right seats in the right bus towards your objective?

Courtney Turich: Yeah. One strength of mine that I lean into pretty heavily, and I do believe supports a lot of my teams in lifting them up is positivity.

Scott Raven: I love that strength. Absolutely.

Courtney Turich: Yeah, so it allowed me to really encourage them and be that cheerleader they needed to continue to push forward to say, Hey, you know, we're all unique in our strengths.

Scott Raven: Mm-hmm.

Courtney Turich: We all have something to bring to the table. And I think the beautiful aspect of looking at our strengths, especially from a collective team perspective.

Scott Raven: Right?

Courtney Turich: Is to see we are all different and how we can balance each other, but also understand each other at the same time when we might not be seeing eye to eye, but do it within a respectful manner to say, Hey, I get it. And thank you for bringing that to the surface because I

appreciate you and I know that because of your strengths, that's why you're bringing this forward for us.

Scott Raven: Absolutely. What do you feel when you looked at that caused in the way you approached it? A more collaborative culture because a lot of times, particularly in smaller organizations, it's more of a competitive culture.

Courtney Turich: Yes. You know, early in my career it was always about me, me, me, and that was the culture. That was the companies I was part of in a sales role. It was how can you win instead of how can we win? And when I was at this startup and really all this was coming to surface for me. Again, it's that self-reflection of I couldn't have won that deal if it wasn't for that person, this person, the other person.

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: I couldn't have done it alone.

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: I did nothing. None of my success happened alone. And so in that moment, it's also acknowledging those people that helped close the deal or helped me get where I am today, and to thank them, give them gratitude.

Scott Raven: Mm-hmm.

Courtney Turich: And let them know why they helped you get that deal closed or what their approach was for us succeeding as a team.

Scott Raven: Wow.

Courtney Turich: Yeah.

Scott Raven: You know, I'm a diehard Philadelphia Eagles fan. Right. And, you know, I love our coaches' big saying: you cannot be great without the greatness of others. Certainly, you epitomized that example and now to kind of bring it into the present with the greatness that you are trying to achieve on behalf of cooler heads, where when you wanna talk about the impact you're trying to drive for people who need a dose of positivity in their life. Tell me how you found this opportunity, which fits so well within the various mantras that you have.

Joining Cooler Heads

Courtney Turich: Yeah, so Cooler Heads is the company I am part of, and we help minimize hair loss for chemotherapy patients. Scott, I'm ashamed to mention that when I first heard of this technology, I thought it was all vanity. I know, I know, and I'm gonna admit it. You know, I'm gonna be real with everyone, but I'd never been close to someone who went through chemotherapy and experienced significant hair loss.

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: I came to Cooler Heads through a mentor, and we were consulting with my now CEO and founder about how to commercialize this product.

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: She had just gotten FDA approval, but okay, how do we get it out to the masses? How do we actually make this a real business?

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: And it wasn't until I started listening to patients and hearing their stories and their journey that I realized this is so much more than vanity. It's about privacy, about identity, telling your illness on your own terms.

Scott Raven: Yeah, absolutely. My mom went through stages of cancer and she loved her hair. Oh my.

Courtney Turich: Yeah.

Scott Raven: Mm-hmm.

Courtney Turich: Right. And I'm sorry. She went through that journey and I do, I look at all these individuals going through what they're going through today as warriors.

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: Once a patient's diagnosed with cancer, it flips their world upside down and they're dealing with it every day for almost over a year, if not longer.

Scott Raven: Absolutely. I ran for many years on behalf of the Dana-Farber institute up in Boston.

Right. And got to see what we were doing, not only for older patients, but for younger patients via the Jimmy Fund. And yeah, it is something where you may get one day of gloriousness with 30 days of difficulty afterwards. Right. So for sure.

The Impact of Scalp Cooling Technology

Scott Raven: Right, but let's talk about specifically Cooler Heads, right? In terms of what is it in terms of that journey for privacy, for feeling good about themselves, right? How is that supported by this technology?

Courtney Turich: Yeah, so the technology itself is very simple, and basically what it does for the patient is it cools their scalp below freezing. And essentially creates a barrier between their hair follicle and the chemo from penetrating in and killing off the hair follicle. What's interesting about scalp cooling is it is not black and white, and we all have different hair types. We all are receiving different chemo regimens. Yes, and every chemo regimen has a different outcome for each patient.

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: So the goal of scalp cooling is allowing that patient to be able to go to the grocery store, go out in public without people staring at them. That is the ultimate goal.

Scott Raven: Yes.

Courtney Turich: Ideally we want patients to be able to keep 50% or more of their hair. But reality is depending on the regimen they have, they might have different outcomes. What we do differently at Cooler Heads is we empower the patient with that information. We train the patient before they walk into that first day of chemo so they know what to expect, to start treating their hair properly, and how to really own the process.

And that is different than any other product on the market and we really pride ourselves in that customer service and lifting that patient up during a really challenging time.

Scott Raven: You know, I'm hearing the elements of self-empowerment, which is one of the big concepts. And particularly for the people that you're trying to help, where they feel like in a lot of respects, everything is external to them, right? They didn't ask to have cancer, right? They didn't ask to have to go get chemo. They didn't ask to make significant lifestyle adjustments, right? That at the end of the day, the impact that you're giving them is a dose of self-empowerment. To say, this is within my control. I can stand on my own.

Courtney Turich: Yes. Our founder and CEO Kate Gilligan, she's a cancer survivor herself.

Scott Raven: Fantastic. I love the living proof approach.

Courtney Turich: Yeah, we're here based on our own experience.

Scott Raven: Mm-hmm.

Courtney Turich: And she did scalp cooling and while she kept her hair, she walked away feeling so defeated by the process. She had to rely on someone else to help her with her caps. She spent an exorbitant amount of money that she looks back, and she's like, that is not right for so many reasons.

Scott Raven: Right.

Courtney Turich: When she was diagnosed with cancer, like many cancer patients, they lose so much all at once, and she wanted to bring this technology to the forefront, not only of course, to make it easier for so many people involved, but also to allow the patient to have some control in the process.

Scott Raven: And you know what? The more that you feel like you have a sense of control, I learned this from my mom, right? The more that you feel like I can face the day. And I can try to win the day as much as possible.

Final Thoughts

Scott Raven: And it's, you know, well, as we begin to close down this episode, I always do a tip of the cap to Randy Pausch's book, the last lecture, and, you know, its final conclusion, which was this book was written for my kids, right?

So we talked about Max. And we talked about how Max played an interesting part of your journey at the time when you were pursuing the opportunity on Shark Tank. Right? So Max is listening to this episode in its totality. What do you want him to take away?

Courtney Turich: Max, you have a gift to offer in this world. The more he can lean into those special gifts that he possesses and to know that he can do anything he sets his mind to. I want him to dream big. Think big, never stop. Never let somebody make you think differently because he's got so much to give to this world.

Scott Raven: Beautiful, beautiful message. How can people learn more about you and Cooler Heads?

We'll include all of this in the show notes, but how can they get in touch?

Courtney Turich: Sure you can find me on LinkedIn.

Scott Raven: Mm-hmm.

Courtney Turich: Our website for Cooler Heads is coolerheads.com and reach out to us there and we will absolutely respond.

Scott Raven: Excellent. Well, Courtney, it's been a pleasure having you on the episode.

Any final things you'd like to close with?

Courtney Turich: The only thing I wanna remind everybody is to go be bold, be confident and be you. Thanks, Scott.

Scott Raven: You are welcome. Thank you. And thank you to my listening audience for spending your time with us in terms of hearing this story. If you got some wisdom from it, please subscribe, share with those in your circle who could use this. Feel free to give us comments because we always make each episode as good as we can, but we will make them better from what you tell us.

I'm Scott, we'll see you next time on The Corvus Effect.

Outro

Scott Raven: Thank you for joining me on The Corvus Effect. To access today's show notes, resources, and links mentioned in this episode, visit www.thecorvuseffect.com While you're there, you'll find links to our free tools and resources to evaluate where you currently stand versus your aspirations with personalized recommendations for action. If you found value in today's episode, Please take a moment to subscribe wherever you get your podcast and share with those who may benefit from it. You won't want to miss future conversations that could transform your approach to leadership and life. Join me next episode as we continue our journey towards building lasting legacies that matter. Remember, it's time to soar towards your legacy.