Med Spa CEO Podcast

Episode: The Courageous CEO: Choose Action Over Complacency (Part 2)

Host: Heather Terveen
Air Date: November 19, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Heather Terveen builds on her "Courageous CEO" series, focusing on actionable steps med spa and aesthetic practice owners can take to strengthen their emotional capacity, lead boldly, and step out of the comfort of complacency. Picking up from Part 1’s discussion on emotional capacity, Heather offers practical strategies for facing discomfort, making decisive moves, and playing the long game in business—all while maintaining sanity and wellbeing.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Action Over Analysis & Clarity Through Doing

• Successful CEOs know that action creates clarity and results; rumination and overthinking keep you stuck. (00:00)
  • "They know that action is the only way to create clarity. Action is what creates results. They spend less time ruminating."
  • Over-analysis and confusion are defense mechanisms of the brain to avoid perceived risk.

2. Trait #3: Courage Over Complacency (04:44)

• Complacency feels uncomfortable but safer than the acute discomfort of anxiety or fear that comes from taking risks.
• Heather distinguishes false danger (e.g., fear of negative reviews, failed ads, or hiring mistakes) from real physical danger.
  • "You're actually still safe. You're not going to die. But our brain really interprets those things as unsafe..." (04:44)
• The brain’s evolutionary wiring keeps us in a "cave of safety," but this no longer matches modern business realities.
• Awareness of complacency is key: Recognizing when you’re choosing “the buzz of complacency” over “the jolt of courageous action” can unlock growth.
  • "When I started to notice where I was choosing complacency, the discomfort of complacency over the discomfort of taking action on the thing that I wasn't sure was going to work—it changed everything..." (06:03)
• Examples include clients avoiding launching new offerings for years out of fear and avoidance, highlighting the need for courage rather than waiting for confidence.

3. Trait #4: Action as a Skill-Builder (12:30)

• You only build business skills by taking action.
  • Action brings learning; there’s no shortcut through passive information consumption.
  • "You cannot learn how to swim just through watching YouTube videos. You cannot learn to swing a baseball bat and actually make contact...by thinking about it, right?" (13:46)
• The most successful clients are those who act, not necessarily those with more experience.
• "Courageous leaders know that they have to take action to figure it out." (12:24)

4. Trait #5: Playing the Long Game (15:06)

• Short-term focus leads to small thinking (e.g., only chasing quick wins).
• True growth demands patience, persistence, and an investment in skills and systems that take time to mature.
  • Farming vs. Hunting Metaphor:
    • Farming = cultivating long-term strategies requiring patience (content marketing, skill-building)
    • Hunting = quick wins (flash sales, immediate revenue)
  • "When you expand out to the long game, it gives you the space to...give strategies the necessary effort and learning curve..." (16:08)
• Heather shares her decade-long skill development in online marketing as an example.

5. Self-Reflection: Where Are You Playing Small? (18:15)

• CEO Courage Check-In:
  • Take inventory of where fear or complacency stalls you—be it visibility, big asks, hiring, or new offerings.
  • Suggested journaling prompts:
    • Where am I being complacent?
    • Where do I feel “buzzing” discomfort but avoid taking action?
    • What big moves am I procrastinating on?
  • "If you can learn that those things, you get to decide what meaning you want to attribute to those things, you can actually go to sleep at night and not be stressed no matter what is happening in your business. It's true." (18:57)
• Heather encourages using thought-model exercises to unpack and shift unhelpful beliefs.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the illusion of risk in business:
  "If your Facebook ad campaign, if you invest more money in your Facebook ads, if you hire an employee that doesn't work out, if you have a client who leaves you a negative review, you're actually still safe. You're not going to die." (05:12)
• On the courage-confidence misconception:
  "You're not going to be great at it right away—you're not going to be confident out the gate. Which is why you need courage, not confidence, too." (09:48)
• On the need for action:
  "The more you decide to take action, the faster you will get results." (14:06)
• On playing the long game:
  "Courageous CEOs, they have a longer game in mind so they don’t quit when things get hard as well." (17:42)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00 — Action creates clarity; avoid overthinking
• 04:44 — Choosing courage over complacency: how your brain keeps you "safe"
• 09:48 — Real client struggles: visibility, launching offers, fear vs. courage
• 12:30 — Developing skills requires action, not just planning
• 15:06 — The long game vs. the quick win; farmer vs. hunter in business strategy
• 18:15 — CEO self-reflection: questions to prompt growth
• 18:57 — Reattributing meaning to setbacks and stress for peace of mind

Tone and Style

Heather speaks in a supportive, direct, and encouraging style, using relatable anecdotes, actionable advice, and sometimes gentle tough love. She regularly refers to her own lessons, client stories, and provides practical tools.

Summary Takeaway

Heather Terveen challenges Med Spa CEOs to get out of the comfort zone, recognize where complacency is holding them back, and take bold, consistent action. She stresses that developing as a leader and scaling a practice isn’t about waiting to feel confident, but about courageously acting in the face of discomfort—always with an eye to the long game.

For those wanting to deepen their transformation, Heather recommends exploring her mindset modules and embracing ongoing action, not just coaching or planning.