#19: Working With Your Spouse

Join us this week as we have a special episode that revolves around professional life at Barrett Plastic Surgery and focuses on Husband Wife work balance. Dr. Daniel Barrett and his wife / Coworker, Rosalyn Barrett, answer questions about how they met, what role she plays in the office, and how they manage to work with each other every day!

Hear about the importance of being able to turn off work and remember they are married and what each of them do to achieve this, while managing one child with another on the way. Hear the real stories of small towns to Beverly Hills and extra details like Dr. Barrett’s prized electrically powered shed he and his mother built. It's still in use today! Lol!

Tune in for great stories amazing learning and even a surprise cameo!

On this episode of The Natural Plastic Surgeon…

Dr. Barrett:...it was a little office off of Spalding. And Rosalyn and I had actually met and we started dating back when I was in residency. So it was actually before I had my practice.

Dr. Barrett: You were working at FamBRANDS. And you were like the first one in the office all the time.
Rosalyn Barrett: You stole me.

Rosalyn Barrett: How could you guys work together all day long?
Dr. Barrett: Yeah, ‘cause we maintain a pretty professional, it's a professional relationship here at work, I, like we...
Rosalyn Barrett: Absolutely.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. And but then, yeah, we got to turn that off and remember that we're still married.

Dr. Barrett: Okay, you're going to be home at 6:30 and I'd be, like, home at, like, 6:45. And you would just flip your shit.
Rosalyn Barrett: I am very punctual.
Dr. Barrett: As soon as you started working in the office, you're, like, oh, that's why you were 15 minutes late.

You are listening to The Natural Plastic Surgeon Podcast. I'm Dr. Daniel Barrett, Board-Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon located right here in Beverly Hills. I specialize in cosmetic surgery of the face, nose, breast and body. This podcast is dedicated to those deciding if plastic surgery is right for them and revealing all the latest beauty secrets. Let’s get started.
Dr. Barrett: Everyone, it's Dr. Barrett, we're in The Natural Plastic Surgeon Podcast. We have a special guest for you today. Her name is Rosalyn Barrett.
Rosalyn Barrett: Hello, everybody. Happy to be here. Thank you for having me.

01:20 ROSALYN IS OUR STAR PATIENT COORDINATOR

Dr. Barrett: So many who have met Rosalyn already who've actually been to the practice. And for those of you who don't know, Rosalyn works in the office, she's actually one of our star patient coordinators and major backbone of this practice. So welcome to the show Rosalyn.
Rosalyn Barrett: Thank you.
Dr. Barrett: All right, so we’ve gotta actually a lot of questions from listeners and from viewers about us. And it's really awesome to have you on the show because you do such a great job of, like, holding the practice together. Making sure people are happy. You know, and just, kind of, filling in the gaps. You know, you've been, you've been with the practice for how many years now?
Rosalyn Barrett: Five years. So...
Dr. Barrett: It's kind of funny. When I, when I started, so five years ago, when I started my practice, it was a little office off of Spalding. And Rosalyn and I had actually met and we started dating and...back when I was in residency. So it was actually before I had my practice. And you were trying to do Real Estate. And I remember I was, like, and, and, and you were working at, you were working at FansBRANDS, which is a clothing company, doing I can't remember...sales...
Rosalyn Barrett: Apparel manufacturing. Yeah.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. And so I was, like, I would see how hard she would work for, and she would go all the way to City of Industry. Where di...where was it?
Rosalyn Barrett: Commerce.
Dr. Barrett: Commerce. Yeah, Commerce, California. You're driving there. You're working so hard. And you were, like, the first one in the office all the time. I was, like, how much are they paying you? So I was, like, maybe would you want to come in part-time and just, kind of, you know, help out with answering phones?
Rosalyn Barrett: You stole me.
Dr. Barrett: And so I, kind of, like, my plan worked. I, like, I got you in part-time. And soon you were so overwhelmed with working that, you know, you were just, like, oh, that I, I've got to be here full time. So tell me about that. What, what was your thoughts when you first came aboard?
Rosalyn Barrett: I, it was a major, it was a major jump for me. I really loved what I was doing. I've always really loved work and I felt very fulfilled. And I loved having, kind of, something on my own. It was a lot. I was traveling a lot at the time and we weren't seeing each other a lot. And, and then I, I began to really enjoy it. Once I got in and saw what a difference we were making in people's lives and really interacting with the patients and, and what a great place to be. It was the beginning of it all. So there wasn't any, like, wrong or right. Like, we just had to grow and figure things out, and do everything the hard way. But I, I enjoy, I mean, I enjoyed it. It's funny, I remember, like, the first few months and, you know, just looking at the practice then, versus the practice now. It's a whole different, whole different practice. But I, I enjoyed that time. It was just you and I. It was a lot of fun.

04:00 DR. BARRETT WAS MOONLIGHTING AT THE TIME

Dr. Barrett: It was a lot of hours though. I mean, like, I remember when I was first starting the practice I was moonlighting a lot. I was moonlighting at Kaiser doing general surgery, all kinds of stuff. And I remember there was one month where I never came home.
Rosalyn Barrett: You came home, like, two nights.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Rosalyn Barrett: It was the month of June and I was, like, I don't know about this guy.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Rosalyn Barrett: Or about this schedule.
Dr. Barrett: I was just, like, I would, I would go to the office and then I would go straight to Kaiser. Take a shower at Kaiser in the morning once my shift was done and then I’d go to the office again. And it was just, I did that for, like, 28 straight days? It was crazy.
Rosalyn Barrett: Yeah, it was a lot.
Dr. Barrett: And you still stuck with me.
Rosalyn Barrett: I, here I am. Here I am. It was a lot but...
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Rosalyn Barrett:...you know, it was, it was nice in some ways because it, we can cherish the times we have now because you don't have to do that anymore.
Dr. Barrett: I know. I know. But well, you know what, we do still work pretty hard. But now we, we've got enough of recognition. We have enough patients that, you know, we could stay busy with doing what we love and that's, that's plastic surgery. So I want to get into this first question. How did we meet?

04:53 HOW DANIEL AND ROSALYN MET

Dr. Barrett: So this is pre-day, this is before we even, I, we even had Barrett Plastic Surgery. This is back when I was in residency.
Rosalyn Barrett: Yes. So this is when you had a pager. You were on call, you were in residency. This was right when I moved to LA. So this is 2012.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. And you, you had just dropped out of law school because you thought it sucked.
Rosalyn Barrett: I did. I dropped out of law school. I left Santa Barbara. I moved to LA. I didn't have a boyfriend. I didn't have a job. I didn't, I didn't have anything, really. But I wanted a new fresh start. Santa Barbara was really getting too small for me and so...
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. Beautiful place.
Rosalyn Barrett: Gorgeous. We can move back one day. But I was fresh, like, brand new in LA. I think it was one of the first weekends that I was even, like, out. And at a barbecue in Santa Monica. It was actually my younger sister’s now-husband's house. They were dating at the time...
Dr. Barrett: Who happens to be my friend.
Rosalyn Barrett: Yep.
Dr. Barrett: Which is kinda cool.
Rosalyn Barrett: It was so funny.
Dr. Barrett: Now he’s my brother-in-law.
Rosalyn Barrett: Yep, brothers. But it was, yeah, we, we met at a barbecue. We went to SHOREbar in Malibu and...bought me a drink. And we danced.
Dr. Barrett: Their air conditioning was broken.
Rosalyn Barrett: Oh, it was so hot.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Rosalyn Barrett: It was so hot.
Dr. Barrett: It could’ve, I mean, so many things that could’ve just gone wrong there. I, like, it literally, when I was actually trying to find Nathan's place, I didn't know where his apartment was. And I was trying to get, I was trying to get, you know, where his address was from a friend. And it was just like, I turned around, I was about ready to turn around and go home. And then he texted me back. He's like, sorry, I was barbecuing. And then you know, I turned around and came back.
Rosalyn Barrett: Yeah. So that's when it all started.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah, but you know what, the, the key thing was, is I was, like, sober the whole night ‘cause I was on call. And we get back to the place at, like, by the time I got to the barbecue because I got lost and everything, I actually didn't eat. So you, you were so nice that you actually cooked me some chicken that was there. And I was, like, she is a keeper. It’s, like, everyone else was, like, drinking and partying and she, like, made me a chicken sandwich, which was bomb.
Rosalyn Barrett: There you go.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Rosalyn Barrett: I know the way to a man's heart.
Dr. Barrett: Is through the stomach, so true. Yeah, and then the rest is history, I guess. But yeah. So, so that's how we met and then, you know, it's funny. A lot of people ask, like, did she work in your office and then you started dating? Or no. But we, we were actually dating before you actually, I stole you from your, your career.
Rosalyn Barrett: Correct. Back before you were a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills. Before all the hype. Before all your Instagram followers.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah, I think I had an Instagram. I had a couple, if you go back on my Instagram, I didn't take any photos off from the very, very original OG. I think I took a picture in the gym of an exercise ball. That was, like, my very first Instagram.
Rosalyn Barrett: Stop. I probably archived that.
Dr. Barrett: Don’t archive it.
Rosalyn Barrett: I cleaned up your Instagram. All these, like, old photos of the county hospital? Gone.
Dr. Barrett: So. All right, so tell, let's talk about your role at Barrett Plastic. How would you, how would you describe, like, your major patient coordination is main, is mainly what you do. But what else do you do?

07:37 ROSALYN’S ROLE A PATIENT COORDINATOR

Rosalyn Barrett: So I started doing patient coordinate, I started doing everything, honestly. A lot of what I do today, you know we have Rachel doing, obviously, full-time patient coordinating. I still love the phones. I still love the patient care. It's hard for me to get away with that. But it's been exciting since having Audrey--our daughter. I've been able to, kind of, come back with a new role...
Dr. Barrett: Hey, let’s, she's crying outside the door. Should we let her in? Or is she okay? She can come in.
Rosalyn Barrett: So my role today, I, I oversee a lot.
Dr. Barrett: Yes.
Rosalyn Barrett: I'm in all the systems. I am in all the processes. I'm in the patient charts. I am policing things. I am looking for process improvements. More recently, I'm making sure our web forms are not broken when people email us specific, from different email addresses.

08:40 AUDREY IS JOINING THE SHOW

Dr. Barrett: Yeah. So we have a, we have a special guest as well. Hi. Hi. So, here's Audrey. This is our daughter. She is now 17 months. And she's joining us on the show. Say hi Audrey.
Rosalyn Barrett: Audrey is here.
Dr. Barrett: Hi.
Rosalyn Barrett: So my role has evolved quite a bit. I've been able to work flexibly, a little moreso...
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Rosalyn Barrett: Now since becoming a mom.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Rosalyn Barrett: But I feel, because I don't have one specific role, I feel like I do everything and now I have more work than ever before in some ways.
Dr. Barrett: Right. So, I don't know, I feel like you, you've, kind of, become the glue that holds everything together. You're not, you're not the manager, you're not really full time coordinating, but you're just, kind of, the glue that holds everything together. Whether post gets up or whatnot. And really, like, when something, when we drop the ball with a patient and, and this, we try really, really hard, but sometimes we drop the ball and we don't, you know, we make people wait too long or, or...which isn't very often, I think we're actually really good. You, kind of, really step in and really, like, change it around and make sure that you know, the patients are getting that, that really first-class experience, which is really key. And so I don't, I don't know how you just, you have just a presence on all of that. You just, you know,
Rosalyn Barrett: Well thank you and I, I do you think we complement each other well. I've had patients say that, you know, men are from Mars and you're an excellent surgeon and very talented at what you do. But sometimes someone needs to step in and give a little bit of love or, you know, talk to a female patient as another female, understand where they're coming from. If they do have concerns.
Dr. Barrett: You can let her down, let her walk around a little bit. So what's it like, you know, working and, yeah, what's it like working and being a mom at the same time?

10:17 WORKING AND BEING A MOM

Rosalyn Barrett: It's incredible. I feel very thankful that I have the flexibility that I do. I'm able to work from home a little bit, especially when Audrey was really small.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Rosalyn Barrett: I'm also able to bring her to the office.
Dr. Barrett: Yes.
Rosalyn Barrett: So here we are. And I don't like to bring her often, especially at this age because she's a force to be reckoned with. But it's, it's very rewarding and I'm, I'm enjoying contributing and being able to go in for a couple hours in the morning and do my hair and makeup and feel like I'm contributing to something. And, and it feels good to have eyes on things and make sure, you know, everything going on is an extension of you and us and our brand and what we work so hard for.
Dr. Barrett: Right. I want to know, being a mom, is that, kind of, giving you a better appreciation for some of these moms that come in here for, like, Mommy Makeovers and so forth?
Rosalyn Barrett: Absolutely. It's, it’s a major change physically, mentally, emotionally. I've been very thankful I didn't have to undergo any plastic surgery postpartum.
Dr. Barrett: Well, we're not done having kids yet.
Rosalyn Barrett: Yeah, I’ll call you.
Dr. Barrett: She was small when she came out.
Rosalyn Barrett: No, I do have a different appreciation. And especially when our patients are taking time off work or, you know, they say, oh, I'm not gonna lift my child. I'm, like, yeah, right. You can't not lift your child.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. No, totally it, to me, it gave me a whole new appreciation, you know, for moms and what they do and what they go through. And so, you know, that's, I, I think it's been a gift in many ways. I, I feel like I understand our patients better and, you know, we've only had one child together, we’ve got another one on the way, which is really exciting. But it's, it's hard work. And that's why I get, I get super stoked about some of these Mommy Makeovers that I get to do to, to help moms get their body back.
Rosalyn Barrett: Absolutely.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. But I think you're right, you may raise a good point about, in terms of recovery. And, like, limitations with a two-year-old running around. That's not easy.
Rosalyn Barrett: Absolutely. And you know, even when women call in, they're like, I am a month postpartum and I need my breasts fixed and my tummy fixed. And I'm like, I know how you're feeling, girlfriend. I was there. But you have to wait six months.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. Yeah, after breastfeeding.
Rosalyn Barrett: Yeah, but I just, yeah, I recall that time.

12:37 FINDING A WORK/LIFE BALANCE

Dr. Barrett: How do you develop a balance, you know, between work and everything else?
Rosalyn Barrett: It's challenging, but I think it's about efficiency and also setting barriers. You know, knowing when to say no. Knowing when to cut it off. I will say in this era of cell phones and Wi-Fi. I do work anywhere and everywhere, which I'm thankful for in some ways because she could be at an app, or at a nap, taking a nap in the stroller, anywhere, and I can be getting back to emails, leads. But it's challenging. You have to set times, you have to schedule time. We do have help at home. We have a nanny at home who's great.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. So you know, it's a, it's always, I, I think it's interesting because it's, like, when the, in the end of the day it's healthcare, right? And someone has a complication, like, this weekend I was on the phone with patients who had questions about medications. The pharmacist questions, you know, and on the weekends and the end of the day, middle of the night, it's kind of us that are making it happen. And it's, it's tough to get that balance. To me, I think the, the most important, the most challenging thing is to, when we get home, to talk about other things besides work.
Rosalyn Barrett: I will, I will say one of the reasons I'm so thankful, though still work and be involved, is so that when you do come home, I'm not, like, today I went to yoga. And this is what Audrey's poop looked like. And this is how many times we went down this slide at the park. And I, don't get me wrong. I know we both love talking about Audrey, as much as possible. But I know we should not talk about work stuff. But then in some ways, it also keeps us connected.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah, but I think it's true, we're both passionate about it. And in different ways. You know, you're, you're more on the patient side, and I'm more on the surgery side. But it's, it's, it's a really challenging thing to, kind of, be able to turn it off and remember that there's more than just work as well. So that's one of the things that we, kind of, have a tough time doing is actually, like, we'll sit down at the dinner table and we'll talk about a difficult situation or, like, you know what, let's talk about Audrey's day, you know?
Rosalyn Barrett: Yeah.
Dr. Barrett: Let’s talk about our kids.
Rosalyn Barrett: I think a lot of people are, like, what, I could never work with my spouse. How could you guys work together all day long? And I think we do work extremely well together. I think one of our flaws is that we have a hard time shutting it off. And I'm, like, all right, let's flirt a little bit. Let's, let's talk about...
Dr. Barrett: ‘Cause we maintain a pretty professional, it's a professional relationship here at work.
Rosalyn Barrett: Absolutely.
Dr. Barrett: And but then yeah, we got to turn that off and remember that we're still married. And it, that's, that's fun. I remember though, there was a few months when I was first getting my practice started. And I was doing all the moonlighting. And I remember, you're, like, okay, you're gonna be home at 6:30 and I'd be like, home at like, 6:45 and you would just flip your shit. And I was just like...
Rosalyn Barrett: I am very punctual.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah, you are. And I was just, like, you know what, like, you really don't understand, like, how crazy this day was. This is, I'm a doctor, there's medical things that happen. And then I was, like, you have to start working in the office. And as soon as you started working in the office, you're, like, oh, that's why you were 15 minutes late. You kinda, you kinda got it, you know, and I thought that was, kind of, a big, a big help in a way, even though we're working, we're working together, but it actually helped our relationship because it gave you understanding of what I do. The other part that is interesting, and a lot of people ask about, is how do you feel when your husband works with naked women all day?

16:05 HOW ROSALYN FEELS ABOUT HER HUSBAND BEING AROUND NAKED WOMEN EVERY DAY

Rosalyn Barrett: So you mean how do I feel when you've touched 10 girl’s breasts in a, in one day? Maybe 12? Maybe 20? I don't know how many girl’s boobs are you touching, Dr. Barrett?
Dr. Barrett: It’s probably 10 to 20 easy.
Rosalyn Barrett: Okay.
Dr. Barrett: And butts, we do some butts.
Rosalyn Barrett: And you know, you don't touch my boobs every day. You don't touch my butt every day. So, how do I cope with that?
Dr. Barrett: I try.
Rosalyn Barrett: So, you know, before I did start working in the office, I’m not gonna lie, I'd watch you walking out the door and I'd be, like, oooh, where are you going looking like that? And I did have insecurities. I don't think I fully understood exactly what does go on in a day. And in my mind, many, you know, probably, like many people think that plastic surgery is all for these, like, very superficial predator type women that want my husband. But after coming and working here and really meeting the patients and, like, I love them. I adore them. We've not had any patients ever trying to do anything but get their boobs done.
Dr. Barrett: Get their work done. Yeah.
Rosalyn Barrett: And you're very professional, obviously, with patients and whatnot. But I think that was like a very aha, just transition for me just going from, like, being naive about what was going on to, like, okay, this is fine. And I don't lose any sleep about it.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah, I think that was a game-changer for us. To, you have that understanding. Because this is, like, I can't imagine what was going, you know, I don't know what it's like to be a woman. I don't, like, I don't know what it's like to be a woman in a relationship. But that, that to me would be really challenging. And I was, like, what, what's the solution here? She's just got to see what it's all about.
Rosalyn Barrett: Yeah.
Dr. Barrett: Now, another question from Dee Frangiand: Rosalyn, would you consider any cosmetic procedures for yourself?

17:47 WOULD ROSALYN CONSIDER COSMETIC PROCEDURES FOR HERSELF

Rosalyn Barrett: Absolutely. I've gone through phases where I've, like, really wanted things. And it's so funny because Dr. Barrett tells me no. You're, like, I'm, like, the last to get anything done. I'll be, like, begging and pleading.
Dr. Barrett: Because we’re so busy. Just kidding.
Rosalyn Barrett: No, but also. I mean it’s fine. I'm thankful, I'm very confident with the way that I look and feel and I, you know, I, I'm not going to say never, I'm sure the time will come. But I have not yet gone under the knife. I'll go to you when that time comes. But I've also thought about it this way. I know how critical you are of your work. And I know how meticulous you are with everything. And the last thing I would want is to be in an intimate situation with you and have you really looking at my body as your work.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Rosalyn Barrett: I don't want to become that. And you love me, you love my body the way it is. I would never want you...
Dr. Barrett: This is true.
Rosalyn Barrett: Analyzing the...

18:40 “I LOVE YOU EXACTLY AS YOU ARE” IS THE BEST THING TO SAY TO A SPOUSE CONSIDER PLASTIC SURGERY

Dr. Barrett: On the record. I love you for how you are. Which by the way for any man that's listening or any woman who's listening, for spouses considering plastic surgery. Those are the best words to say. I love you for exactly how you are but if you, this is something that you want to do, I support you 100%. That's the best line that you can say, as a spouse.
Rosalyn Barrett: Absolutely.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. So you never want someone to come in here because their spouse is saying that they should be.
Rosalyn Barrett: Exactly, yeah. So you made me feel very confident to where I don't feel I need to change anything about myself. And I would never want you to be, you know, checking my scar. And looking at me and seeing your work when you look at my body. That, and maybe one day it will become that way, but...
Dr. Barrett: I think you’re beautiful just the way you are. I don’t think you need anything...
Rosalyn Barrett: For now.
Dr. Barrett: All right, I have another question here from Savannah Bushnoff. She asked, where did you guys grow up? So you want to start with that?

19:37 ROSALYN GREW UP IN HALF MOON BAY

Rosalyn Barrett: Sure. So I think we have, kind of, similar upbringings in some ways, and we, I grew up in Half Moon Bay. Which is a very small city south of San Francisco.
Dr. Barrett: When I first heard of Half Moon Bay, I thought it was, like, next to Cuba. Honestly. I was, like, where is this place, Half Moon Bay? Sounds like it's, like, next to Cuba.
Rosalyn Barrett: It's the most gorgeous little beach town south of San Francisco, north of Santa Cruz and Monterey. Population 12,000 people, it may have grown since I left. But it's, it's a beautiful place. And I still have all my family there, most my family. But it's just very small and it was, like, a big deal when we got a Starbucks in our city. So just to, kind of, explain how small that city really is.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah. And what's it like going from a small place like that to Los Angeles?
Rosalyn Barrett: You know, when I was 18 years old, I couldn't get out fast enough. I was, like, I need to go meet people and enjoy life and I have goals and things I want to go do. And it's so funny because now, living in Beverly Hills, working in Beverly Hills, and now having children I'm, like, oh, wait a second, Half Moon Bay was really nice, because we could, you know, we did beach parties and bonfires. And we rode bikes on the street and played Capture the Flag. And we didn't have these traffic problems and crime and, you know, like...
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Rosalyn Barrett: Yeah. So it's, it's something I didn't appreciate, I don't think, until, like, now becoming a mother and having a family.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah, I, I love going up there. And in fact, we proposed on, on the bluffs on Christmas, just before Christmas. And it was so funny because you were, like, I don't want to go out there. I was, like, let's go for a run. I've been cooped up all day, the call center, and, and, or on-call. And I get off the plane and I'm, like, let's go for a run. You’re, like, I don't want to go for a run. I'm, like, I’ve got this, I’ve got this diamond engagement ring I'm trying to give to you. Come out to the goddamn bluffs.
Rosalyn Barrett: I was like, no it’s cold.
Dr. Barrett: Because I thought it was beautiful. I know. And I was just, like, oh my god. But that’s, that's where we proposed was actually up in Half Moon Bay.
Rosalyn Barrett: Yeah, you got down on a knee and put a ring on it.

21:40 DR. BARRETT IS FROM VIRGINIA

Dr. Barrett: Yeah. Yeah. Great. And the rest is history. But no. So where I grew up, I grew up in a little town called Warrenton, Virginia. Small, horse country, right outside of DC, about an hour and a half. Washington DC, so Northern Virginia. It’s now, kind of, gotten a little more populated. But it, it was, kind of, rural. We didn't have any water nearby, like an ocean or anything, but, I mean, beautiful farms and just countryside. I, I had woods and a creek in my backyard. And it was just really a great place to grow up as a kid. Absolutely nothing going on there. So, like, you know, when, when we got older, we actually moved closer into Northern Virginia and there was actually a mall, a movie theater, you know, Manassas, and then into Fairfax and Centerville and things are actually closer and you can actually walk to places which is something that I take for granted now. But I remember growing up, it's, like, I couldn't walk anywhere. I couldn’t go to 7/11 if I wanted a Slurpee. I had to, like, I had to, like, have my parents drive me there. And that was, like, you know, 15-minute drive.
Rosalyn Barrett: Too far for a Slurpee.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah, but it was cool. We had horses. We had like, nine dogs at one point. About eight cats, hamsters, gerbils, fish, you name it. Which was great. It's a great place to grow up. So but yeah, again, nothing going on. And then I was, like, I, I want to go someplace, I want to go, go someplace big. And I remember in medical school, in training, I was in Richmond, Virginia, and I look on a map and I was, like, you know, I really loved my time out in California, when I came to visit and I, kind of, made that my goal of where I wanted to end up.
Rosalyn Barrett: Yeah, it's so funny. I have this memory. Well we went back to the house that you grew up in.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Rosalyn Barrett: We went there, like on Thanksgiving Day, we were on our way to your brother's house. This was just a couple years ago.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Rosalyn Barrett: And we knock on the door. These people were so kind. You were, like, I grew up here. So...
Dr. Barrett: It was, like, imag...it was Thanksgiving.
Rosalyn Barrett: It was Thanksgiving but...
Dr. Barrett: And, and they were, like, do you want to join us for dinner? And we're, like, no, we're not really, we just wanted to...
Rosalyn Barrett: But the important thing is we went to the backyard and you said, this is the shed that I built. This shed was perfectly built with electricity wired standing now 20 plus years later. And it's just such a testament to, like, anything you touch is perfect and beautiful.

23:44 DR. BARRETT LEARNED A LOT OF SKILLS IN CHILDHOOD

Dr. Barrett: I learned a lot of skills when I was young, a young boy. I mean, you grow up with land, you have to, you have to take care of it. You have to mow the lawn, you have to, like, I remember I used to rebuild stuff. And, you know, fix stuff. And just learn, it's a great place to learn and explore. And, and you could be creative in some ways and, and you know, you can have projects like that. And I remember I built that shed with my mom. She's very handy.
Rosalyn Barrett: How old were you?
Dr. Barrett: I was 14. Yeah.
Rosalyn Barrett: Oh my God.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah, it was a pretty big shed. And I wired the electricity to it.
Rosalyn Barrett: And they were using it. They loved it. They had, like, all their stuff...
Dr. Barrett: I checked the lights. The lights still worked. I was, like, that’s great. Because I definitely didn't build it to code.
Rosalyn Barrett: Not to code.
Dr. Barrett: But it still worked.
Rosalyn Barrett: Yeah.

24:20 WHY DR. BARRETT CHOSE PLASTIC SURGERY

Dr. Barrett: This is from Dee Frangiand again. Why did you choose to specialize in breast augmentation? Well, you know, it’s imp...this is, I guess a good question for me and maybe Rosalyn you can chime in about it, but breast, for plastic, for full board-certified plastic surgeon, breast is, kind of, our territory. Like, nobody else can do breast surgery. You, if you do, I can do facelifts, I could do noses. But you can have head and neck doctors do those surgeries as well. And I think, I remember we chatted about it. I was, like, I love doing breasts. I actually love doing those other procedures as well. But I became known for the breasts because it's really just, it's, no one else is competing for it. So, but it's something that I love, and I, I'm really, really really good at and our training is really good. So that's why a lot of my early-on work was breast surgery. And now I, now I do pretty much everything. Tummy tucks, Mommy Makeovers, fat transfer, some of the latest stuff for the face, as well. But I think that's, kind of, how we, kind of, came out the gate strong with breast surgery and why I'm so well known for it.
Rosalyn Barrett: Mm hmm. And I think what's important and what, and why patients do come to you is maybe because of your background. You're from Virginia, you're very much not into this fake look. And so the demand for moreso the holistic and natural, you're very much into health, wellness, fitness, and you do not want anything looking augmented. You want the same for your patients. So we have a breast patient who runs Ironmans. Or no doesn't run, sorry, completes Ironman triathlons, and with her breasts that were done by Dr. Barrett and they do not get in the way. They're modest. They're proportionate. And I think that's why a lot of patients do come to you, you, kind of, encompass that more natural aesthetic.
Dr. Barrett: So this pat...this particular patient, she, she came back in for, because she also gets injectables. And she had all these rashes on her arms. I was, like, I was, like, why do you have all these rashes on your arms? And she's, like, those are jellyfish stings. I'm, like, what the hell? And I was, like, it's wintertime. She's like, oh, not in, not in Belize where I did my Ironman. I'm like, you did an Ironman? And this is, like, this little, not, I mean, normal-sized woman, but meek. Comes in business clothes. I'm like, you did an Ironman? She's like, yeah, I've done like, ten. I'm, like, holy crap. She's, like, I do one every year. And like, this one, she got jellyfish stings and she still finished an Ironman. I was, like, wow, that made me think maybe I should do one.
Rosalyn Barrett: Well, and that's, is that, okay, so for those of you who don't know, this has been, like, the most challenging year for me in so many ways. Because not only have I become a mother and now we are, you know, we're having another. I am pregnant. But this is also the year my husband decided that he wanted to do an additional 10 to 15 hours of training for an Ironman on top of his already, what 60 hour a week workweek?
Dr. Barrett: Probably.
Rosalyn Barrett: Probably. So. So why are you torturing me with this?

27:14 THE LA MARATHON MADE HIM DO IT

Dr. Barrett: So, so you know what happened. So when Audrey, when you were pregnant with Audrey, my brother came out to visit and he looked in good shape. We, we were sitting at the pool, and I was, like, wow, he's looking pretty good. And I feel pretty fat, out of shape. I can barely run a mile. And I was like, you know, this is, why am I like this? I'm younger than him. And he's run several marathons and did really well. Especially, he still lives in Virginia. And I, and I was, like, I thought and then, like, the next weekend, I, I walked to the office, and I see the LA marathon running by the whole office. Right outside these windows. The, the runners were going and I was, like, wow, this is such great energy. I was, like, I want to do this next year. So I literally, I downloaded an app. It was called SportMe and it's still a pretty good app. There's, there's definitely better ways to, to go about it if you want to, but it's a great way to start with that app. And it gives you a training plan. You plug in your date, when the marathon is, and then it tells you, like, you tell it how much you're, kind of, working out right now. And then it gives you a plan. Like, what you should be doing every day. And so I just followed that. And I got in shape. And I was, like, starting to run 8, 10 miles, 12 miles, 16 miles, 18 miles, 21 miles on the weekend. And I felt great. It was weird. It was, like, I remember my surgeries used to exhaust me. And I was, like, now I feel like I have better energy at the end of the day. And I feel like I’m, I can be a better doctor. I have better energy for my patients, my surgeries, and when I get home for my family. So I was, like, this is a really good feeling. And I, and I got in such good shape for that marathon. I got the best time and I've run six marathons back when I was in medical school when I was 10 years younger. But I got a better time on this being this much, 10 years older. So...
Rosalyn Barrett: It’s, yeah, it's so funny. To your point, you're a better doctor. I would, like, laugh when patients are, like, is he going to be tired for my surgery? I’m not...
Dr. Barrett: It’s the opposite.
Rosalyn Barrett: Well, what's funny is I, we booked you a day where you were operating for, like, 12-14 hours. And you are so crazy. You went on a 12-mile run after surgery. And I will tell patients this too because they think that they can exhaust you with their surgery.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Rosalyn Barrett: But you're, you’re on another level at this point.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah, no surgery is very, it's very physical and mental. And sometimes when I like to run, it's like a meditation. I can just kind of get out there, it may not be my hardest run, but I'm out there, like, just decompressing from the day. It's, it's, what I try to tell people is like surgery, you're making lots of tiny little micro-decisions every, every second or two. And that creates a lot of fatigue on your brain. And, and I, I do take breaks, quick breaks, in between my surgeries. Sometimes I meditate. That's been a new thing that's actually brought me to a new level as well. Transcendental meditation, which I forced you to go to that class as well. Because we could do it together as a couple. And anyway, so the exercise is kind of, it's, kind of, a, an escape, it’s, kind of, a, it helps me with everything. It helps me with surgeries. It helps me mentally focus. It helps me physically, some of these liposuction, these, these full-body 360 lipos and Mommy Makeovers takes a lot of energy, you know? And it's no joke. And people paying a lot of money to get these surgeries done. And they deserve to have it done right with, you know, precision and attention to detail. And I, and I do limit my days to about 12 hours. I don't go over that because then I, I start to see my performance, kind of, go down. But even then, it's just feels great to get out and go for a run afterwards.
Rosalyn Barrett: No, absolutely. And I, I must say, you know, I think this is great that you're doing this and you look better than ever, if I do say so myself.
Dr. Barrett: Thank you.
Rosalyn Barrett: But just promise me you're not doing another one when the new baby comes.
Dr. Barrett: Not with a new baby, but I did sign up for the LA marathon again, which is March.
Rosalyn Barrett: Okay, I'll cheer you on for that one. But I don't know about these Ironmans.

30:54 DR. BARRETT IS DOING AN IRONMAN IN NOVEMBER

Dr. Barrett: Yeah, so I don't know. I'm gonna do so, so guys, if you, if you wanna know this, I'm doing the Arizona Ironman, November 24th. All right, so it's gonna be my first Ironman. I did a half Ironman back in Santa Cruz last month, that went really well. That was my first triathlon. But what had happened is I did the LA marathon. I beat my brother, which mattered the most. I, he came out. So, so it's, like, sibling rivalry it’s, like, I gotta beat my brother. And so I, I beat him, but it's not fair. He actually had a calf injury the first mile, so he needs to heal up and rest. And we need to really, to really...because we, we grow up, we grew up in the backwoods, like, beating each other up all the time and just competing with each other. And so he, he didn't really have a fair chance because he kind of blew out his calf. But anyway, so I did, I did the LA marathon. And then I was like, you know, I, I'm feeling in such good shape. I want to try something else. I want to do something, you know, I like riding and bicycles, and I, I never actually swam before. So I was like, let me do an Ironman. I actually had a nurse who, her name is Tracy, and if she's listening, this is because of you, Tracy. But she said to me, I said, she was, she just did an ultra race or something like that. I was, like, well, you know, why’d you do that? And she's like, well, what have you done? I was, like, well, I don't know. And she's, like, have you done an Ironman? I'm, like, no. And she's, like, have you done a duathlon? Have you done a 100-mile race? Have you done a 50-mile? And I'm like, no, no, no. Have you done a marathon? I was, like, yes. She's like, okay, well come talk to me when you, you know, you do an Ironman. I’m, like, all right, fine, Tracy.
Rosalyn Barrett: Well, let's call Tracy. So she's to thank for this.
Dr. Barrett: Tracy is to thank for this. No, but it's really, it's just, like, it's cool to learn something new like swimming. Swimming’s amazing. You can get lost in the pool, just kind of just drowning your thoughts and just, just, you know, it's actually meditative as well. Bicycling is a great way to see Southern California. It’s such a great place to cycle. So...
Rosalyn Barrett: I mean, as annoying as it is that you spend so much time working out, and focusing on your fitness, and spending hours on end I, I do feel that it does inspire me. And I think especially being pregnant, for a lot of people, it's a time when they, kind of, sit back and relax. But, like, this morning, I was on the Peloton, you were doing your bike ride. And I feel that being in good shape is the best thing that you could do for your pregnancy, for your childbirth and for your postpartum. Honestly, aside from a Mommy Makeover.
Dr. Barrett: Uh oh, she's melting down. Yeah. So I, I mean, I think you're, in terms of what you've done, you know, with Audrey’s first delivery. I mean, you had Audrey out in about 20 minutes. I remember we got to Cedars just in time. And you were able to get, you know, you were basically, your water broke in the hallway. And then you had Audrey out, literally, within 20 minutes. It was, it was incredible feat. And they were just so surprised how fast you were able to get, you know, to get Audrey out. They were just shocked.

33:45 ROSALYN’S FIRST LABOR EXPERIENCE

Rosalyn Barrett: Well I, I, it was my first labor, obviously, and I was here about five o'clock. Or, like, three or four o'clock. And I had had, like, false labor for a couple days. And I was, literally, talking to a patient, checking her out. She was, like, trying to find her schedule and I was having contractions. And I was, like, okay, you can just call us when you figure it out. And she was, like, you know, and she had no idea. Obviously I didn't say anything. But literally went home, you know, and then, we got to Cedars, what midnight? And she was out at 12:20.
Dr. Barrett: I know.
Rosalyn Barrett: So we'll see for this next one, but I, I do think staying very active, staying very busy. It, it can help a lot.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah, but let's talk about that a little bit. You didn't have any epidural, you didn't have any…you had Tylenol, that's it. You had a all-natural delivery. I mean, you were so strong. You know, I can't believe you did that. I was, I was, like, yeah, my wife is Superwoman.
Rosalyn Barrett: I mean, I didn't have an option, to be honest, because the timeframe was so short. But to be totally honest, I'm probably the worst patient. I hate medicine. I never take anything if I can help it. When I get sick I'm having like echinacea and honey and garlic. I'm just not into it. And I'm probably more terrified of, like, and I know we love our anesthesiologists, they do...but an actual nerve block injected into my spine.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah, it's kind of a scary concept.
Rosalyn Barrett: It's very scary to me. And so I was more terrified of that than anything I, I could feel from the pain of the delivery. And it hurt but I, I must say I'm so thankful. I have a lot of supportive sisters and my mother, she's incredible. She had eight children, all natural, and so I felt up for the challenge. I was confident in it. So…
Dr. Barrett: No, I mean you, you are incredible. And, and the funny thing was is like I was, I spent the, you know, the next morning there with you. But then there was patients coming to the practice and you're, like, go to work.
Rosalyn Barrett: Oh, yeah. It was bad enough I had to sit there. I was, like, trying to get out of there so fast. I have a hard time even sitting still.
Dr. Barrett: I know, they put this little LoJack thing on your baby. So you can't go anywhere with the baby. You gotta stay there. And I was, like, all right, well, I'm, I, you know, what am I doing here? I'm not really helping and so, you know, you, you had it under control from the get-go.
Rosalyn Barrett: Yeah. But it's been, you know, it's been great. And it was a big transition for us having a baby. And, you know, we'll have to stay tuned having a second baby but...
Dr. Barrett: Yeah, I think we'll have to do it, we'll do a repeat podcast when the second baby comes.
Rosalyn Barrett: Oh boy.
Dr. Barrett: Yeah.
Rosalyn Barrett: Big changes.
Dr. Barrett: Awesome. Well, Rosalyn, great. Anything else you want to share with the, with the viewers or listeners about, you know, the special, special relationship we have and working here at Barrett Plastic Surgery?
Rosalyn Barrett: I just, I'm so thankful. Really I am. To come to work with my husband and get to see you all day long. I can't imagine and I've said this and I get it, everyone's situation is different. But two people who love each other and they get in a car and drive in traffic and go sit opposite places, like, there's so much I gain from working with you. And working with the patients. And having this thing growing, you know, it's, it's, like, our baby before we've had babies. And so I am so thankful. You inspire me in so many ways. I can't keep up with you and I keep trying. But...
Dr. Barrett: I think, it's just, it's, it's a true love of taking care of our patients. And it just, it shows through. It's, it's a big priority in our lives. Both me as a doctor and both you as, as, kind of, a coordinator. You know you, I think you really, kind of, fully understand what people are going through and it matters. You know, and I, and I think that's what makes a difference.

Thank you for tuning into our podcast. If you liked today's podcast, don't forget to share, rate, review and subscribe. Also find out if plastic surgery is right for you by using our virtual consultation at DrDanielBarrett.com/virtual-consultation. See you soon.

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