Meet The Shanti Team

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I'm Kunal Shah, uh, and the business is Shanti Aesthetics and Wellness Medicine. Um, and we serve everyone. Yeah. I'm Jill Hamm. Um, I'm a nurse practitioner, and, um, just getting a chance to join the practice. Awesome. I'm Varunik Shah. I'm the other co-owner with Kunal. Awesome. I'm so excited to hear everybody's story. So each of you has a unique background and path into the industry. Can each of you just share your journey into aesthetics, health, wellness, and what ultimately led you to become part of Shanti Aesthetics? Sure. It's been a long journey. So I started with medical school. I actually did general pediatrics and then, um, allergy, immunology. And along the way, I just got into aesthetics more so because there was a need in our area. But

Personal Paths Into Aesthetics

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over the last eight years with aesthetics, everything we talk about in the chair is often related to wellness and lifestyle and trying to stay healthy. So this evolution into wellness has sort of just naturally come about because it just better serves our patients, like, more globally. Yeah. Um, so I think my story's been one of, what am I gonna do when I grow up? Um, I started off getting a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Kinesiology, um, from Indiana University, but by the time I graduated, I decided I was gonna go into nursing school then. Um, got a bachelor's degree, um, in nursing at St. Louis University, came back and started working, um, on a Level 1 trauma at a Level 1 trauma unit in Indianapolis. Did that for a while and decided, "I don't think I like this either." So then, um, I found an allergist who was looking for an RN to come work with him. And I realized... When I went in to interview with him for the first time, he said, "I want you to come back, and I want you to do three interviews with me before you decide you're gonna take this job." And he said, "I want you to do that because in a lifetime, you're gonna spend more time with the people you work with than you do with your own family. So I wanna make sure you like what you do." Um, and I did like what I did there, so, um, I worked with him, really liked what I did there, decided I wanna do more of this. So I went back to get my master's to become a nurse practitioner. Um, moved on to Fort Wayne, Indiana, worked for 10 years for a phenomenal allergist there, and then ended up out here. Um, my husband brought us out here for business. And, um, that's... Fast-forward a little bit, and, um, I started working in 2020 at the same allergy practice that Dr. Shah was at, and that's, um, that's how we met. And she may shake her head and say no, but I felt like we kinda hit it off right away. We did. Oh, yeah. We did. Definitely. We're similar age, you know, similar personalities, um, similar practice structure and the way we do things. Similar mindset, too. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um, started working with her, went back to school, got my doctorate, um, and I think over the years we've had just short conversations of, "As they're growing at Shanti, maybe I'll join them at some point." But I think it was just a few months ago when she started talking about expanding the wellness program that I'm like, "This is it." Like, we're in that age where we're looking... All of our friends are in the same age. Um, we're all about this perimenopausal/menopausal hormone stuff, and it's a way to incorporate my past life, my passion for the exercise and fitness and wellness all into, to one, um, to help people feel good, look good inside and out. Awesome. Yeah. Um, so I, I went to medical school too, and I've been a practicing emergency room physician for the last 25 years. Um, I made the critical, uh, decision of my life and I married her in 2005. Um, and we just... She's always talked about do- doing something aesthetic-wise, and I, you know, I just kind of like, "Okay, yeah, whatever. One day, one day, one day." And then as the business star- you know, as the... Then it came to fruition. And then it was like, "Okay, I'm interested, but, what can you do over here? What can you do over here?" And, you know, and, uh, you know, she, she kind of got me believing in a lot of the stuff that was doing, and I saw the results of it in myself, but also in people around us. And in the ER, I'm always, I'm always seeing people at the end of a series of bad decisions kind of thing. And it was more like, "Hey, maybe there's, there's a better niche to be filled in seeing people before they start ending up in, in these situations, and maybe we could be a little bit more proactive." And so that's how my journey into Shanti Aesthetics and Wellness has been, uh, um, started. Awesome. So lots of different paths. Cool. And then what are some milestones or moments along the way that have been especially meaningful to each of you within your careers? I just think opening Shanti was a big deal for me, 'cause it was always a dream that I put off for the longest time, and then it started almost like a hobby, and I was like, "Well, we'll just start small. If it works, it works. If it doesn't, it doesn't." And it, it took off pretty fast. And then we had to kinda grow into a, a larger space, and then move into

Career Milestones And Growth

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an even larger space, and I think that was the second big, like, really exciting thing in relation to Shanti. Just kind of moving into Versoville about a year and a half ago, and having our own space, and being able to do so much more now that we had the space. Yeah. Yeah. I think I kind of touched on mine initially. Mm-hmm. Um, you know, I've done all this schooling and thinking I'm gonna do this or I'm gonna do that, and I think it's- it's really taking this step that finally is, like, the aha moment. I can put everything that I've done through my career all together in one place. So all those passions that I have come together, and, um, that's what I'm excited about now. Yeah. Yeah, and for me it's the same thing, is that we started as a one-room, you know, and between the two of us, mostly 90% her doing everything, to suddenly it's, "Hey, we have our first employee," and now we went from one room to two rooms, and now we, you know, we- we renovated a building in- in the heart of Purcellville, and that's when it- it was this, We felt legitimate suddenly. Yeah. It's like, "Oh, this is..." Yeah, I mean, we, you know... Uh, it went from an amateur-ish kind of feel g- to suddenly, "No, this is a real business. It's successful, and it's doing well, and it's growing, and we're excited for it." Yeah. And it's amazing to watch, like, the progression, too. Yes. Yeah. And also to develop staff. Initially it was just us. Right. Yes. And- and it's so great to have a team now. And we love our team. Mm-hmm. Yes. So it's been- Yeah it's been a blessing to have such great people who help us out. Awesome. And so over the years, Shanti Aesthetics has b- has expanded beyond aesthetics into wellness, longevity, and preventative health. What inspired that evolution, and why did it feel like the right ne- the right next step for the practice? I think Veronica touched on it a little bit, but in our training, for all of us, it- it was a few years ago. So it was you know, "Here's the problem, here's how you treat it. Here's how you figure out what the problem is, here's how you treat it." But there's more of a push, I think, also as

Why Wellness Became The Next Step

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we are getting older, to what can we do for prevention, to kind of get ahead of it. So it just came from the idea that we all want to live longer, but we all want to live healthier. So we call it health span. Right. Like, living a healthy, long life. We want to be strong, we want to be active, and we need to do things now to get there, and I think all of us have that similar mindset. And so we were like, "Well, there's so much information out there we need to sort through and tackle things from all the different angles so we can just kind of lead our healthiest lives." Yeah. Yeah. I think that's interesting to think about, too, as well, 'cause I think a lot of people wait until there is a problem or they have obvious symptoms and then they're like, "Okay, what can I do to fix this?" But- Yeah I like that you guys can focus on that preventative side of things. And it was kind of a- a shame that in all our training, they- that focus wasn't there. I'm hoping that changes, in- in all the healthcare schools now. But I- I kind of wish we had that sooner, but we're just- we're trying to make it happen now. So personalized care is a major part of the Shanti Aesthetics approach. Why is it so important to create customized plans rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach to aesthetics and wellness? I think, and any of you guys can jump in if you want, but I think the reason it has to be personalized is everyone's... The end goal is the same. We want to be healthy. But where everyone starts is different, and so we have to make small, actionable steps that suit them, that they're going to make habits to get there. And everyone's

Personalized Plans Over One-Size-Fits-All

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health is a little different. Everyone's family health is a little different. Everyone's social health is a little different. So we sort of have to tailor it to best optimize each individual person. Yeah. Human beings don't come in one size fit all. Right. And so what we can't do is try and box them into that one size fits all. Um, you know, the, my health needs are different than her health needs are different than her health needs, even though there's a lot of similarities, uh, you know, they're both women, so okay, hormone issues, sure. But they- Jill's hormone issues are different than Kunal's hormone issues, and are very different than my issues. And so we have to take that... And then also how the plans that are formulated, how they can fit into people's lifestyles too. If I see a 30-year-old who's single and doesn't have any children, the recommendations to that person can be very different than to a, a 50-year-old who's well-established in their career and has three children that he's, he or she has to get to soccer games on Saturdays. Well, you can't go and work out for two hours on Saturday if that's the case. So we need to be able to customize for that as well. Yeah. How would each of you describe the experience that you strive to create for every client who walks through the door? I think you can do this one. I mean, I think I want them to come in and think that they're almost coming to visit their friend. You know, you come in, it's a welcoming environment. Yes, we're gonna talk health. We're gonna, we're gonna talk wellness, but it doesn't have to be like a doctor's appointment, right? Come in, enjoy the atmosphere, enjoy the people there, and we want it to be somewhere where you wanna come with your friends or you wanna bring

A Friendly No-Judgment Experience

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your family, um, and, and somewhere that you're excited to come visit. Yeah. And I bet they appreciate that, too. Like, it takes the nerves off a little bit. I think we also have a very, like, no judgment starting point. "Hey, we're gonna give you recommendations. Do what you can. We'll keep working on the others." But, like, there's never any judgment, and I think people like that. But we call everyone our friends after they've been with us, like, for one consultation. I love that. It's just... That's just how it is. Yeah. Yeah. As healthcare providers, what are some of the most common frustrations you hear from people who feel like their concerns aren't fully being addressed through d- uh, traditional healthcare alone? Do you want it? Sure, yeah. Well, so the difficulty that... And, and I think that's exactly what we're seeing here, is that, uh, healthcare in the country is very much at in- what has been at an inflection point. I think that there has been a little bit of some trust difficulties that developed after COVID.

What Traditional Care Misses

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The politics involved, and we don't need to go into the politics involved, but obviously those, they, it pervades everybody's uh, the subconscious of the country. But also what has happened is people are become... With the power of the internet, with the power of AI, people are b- are coming into their doctor's offices, and the model has changed. We've gone from a paternalistic model, which is, "You come in, you have a problem, I'm gonna tell you what you have, and you're gonna listen to me," to now it's, "Let's have a conversation. Let's make, let's..." It's called shared decision-making. Mm-hmm. "Let's have a conversation about what we can both do, what you... You know, I'll listen to your suggestions, you listen to my suggestions, and we can work together." But as a result, there's also things that going back to the one size fits all, there are things that we as, as physicians or nurse practitioners address because we have tests to do for it and we have a definitive plan. There's also a lot of gray zone that we're only just discovering what it is. You know, for years it was like, okay, women would say, "Oh, I'm feeling tired, I'm feeling fatigued, I can't concentrate." "Oh, you're about 45 years old? Lose some weight and take some antidepressants and you, you'll, you know, this is part of natural living." No, it's not. Um, and so w- as we're now able to put names to some of these things, we c- we're now empowered to actually do something about them. Yeah. And I like that shared decision-making process- Mm-hmm instead of feeling like you only have one option. Right. Right. Yeah. There is so much information online about hormones, wellness, longevity, peptides, and preventative medicine. How does the team at Shanti Aesthetics help people separate helpful information from trends or misinformation? I think we try to hear what people have heard, and then there's a lot of times that we're like, "Yep, that's true. Do that." But other times that we're like, "You know, the data's not there on this," or maybe we try something else first. But I think as we try to just keep it an open dialogue,

Sorting Facts From Wellness Hype

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most of the time people are comfortable asking us about something they've heard online or from a friend or a neighbor, and we can educate them on it. So it's a lot of talking in our consults. It's a lot of education. We actually try to write some notes out, too, because I feel like, I mean, I talk so much in there that by the time you leave, you're like, "What did she say?" So we actually try to leave with notes as well. I think education. Like all we can do is, is try to stay abreast of all the data and be able to give them what we know, with the caveat that we were just at a conference and somebody said, "You know, currently there's so much research out there that the half-life of information in medicine is about two years." I can totally change my entire opinion every two years based on what data comes out. So we sort of do say like, "Here's what we know now. Maybe that would be something good in the future, but right now this is the best or safest plan." Yeah. I think the best thing that we can offer as healthcare providers is we use Google, we use Wikipedia, we use the s- we're watching TikTok, we're watching Face- Mm-hmm. We're watching all the same thing, but we have the ability to kind of put that in the context of our actual knowledge base and then help separate out, "Okay, this sounds a little hokey. This sounds legitimate. Let's look it up. Let's look at the study," and then help people interpret those studies. Mm-hmm. Yeah, and I think it's really easy to fall into misinformation when you have- Mm-hmm so many different opinions on so many different things. Yeah. I think we do have recommendations, too, in, in, in the gurus kind of in the area. Like if you like watching podcasts, well, let us give you a couple names of some, some good podcasts to look at where you'll get accurate information. And so we like to share that, too. Yeah. We've been, we've been watching a lot of podcasts and, um, and reading a lot of books out by some of the top names in, in some of the, you know, perimenopausal and menopausal, um, world right now. Spaces. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Mm-hmm. And then kind of tying back into that preventative care, what do you all believe some of the most, um, important lifestyle habits that people can focus on today to improve their long-term health, energy, and quality of life? Diet, exercise, sleep, stress management. Yeah. I mean, what else would you guys add? Those are the big ones. Yeah. I think that, um, we... Again, when we talked about some of the big names that we listen to in one of the podcasts one of the physicians we were listening to said, "Before I

Lifestyle Foundations Before Add-Ons

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go and start recommending, you know, say some type of peptide that, that hasn't been studied, I wanna make sure you've optimized every bit of your life that we know has good research." So we know there's a benefit in, in good quality sleep. We know there's g- a good, um, benefit in diet. We know there's a great benefit in- And exercise. Um, and even, you know, some of the hormones. So we look at what we can optimize, um, first and what the studies are to, to make sure that we, we do everything that we can that is well-studied. Yeah. I like that. Kind of like building a strong foundation before- Exactly adding different things. Yeah. Right. Cool. And then I wanted to talk about the men's health and wellness that hopefully you guys are launching this fall. Um, what are some of the unique challenges and/or opportunities you guys see when it comes to helping men take a more proactive approach to their health and wellbeing? It's dealing with men. And it's, it's that men are very different than women i- in a lot of ways, but it's the, the first thing is getting them in the door. Yeah. Um, and being open to talk about some of the things, some of their issues and concerns.

Men’s Health Barriers And Opportunities

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And men are getting better about it, but it's hard to get them to, to not try and fix a problem if the problem hasn't occurred yet. So trying to talk to a 35-year-old about, "Hey, when you're 50 and you're, you're gonna feel tired," and things like that. And the other thing is also the male ideal of like, you know, I always gotta have lots of energy, this, that, and the other thing. And so it's hard for men to acknowledge when they hit their 50s that, "Oh, I'm, I'm just kinda slowing down. I'm getting tired." So they'll keep doing it, but they're taking a three-hour nap in the middle of the afternoon, and that's just, "Well, I woke up so early." We tend to rationalize things until it's too far. Plus, men are just... They don't go to the doctor. They, just- Mm they, they don't. Um, and so to convince men that, hey, this is something... And, you know, like, one in four men have low testosterone, and it starts dropping off when you're in your 30s by 1% per year. One to 3% per year. So by the time they're there in their 50s, they're down 20, 20 to 60%, and they just assume that it's just them getting old. Excuse me. Um, so it's, that's the biggest challenge. And then to have them come in and talk frankly about things, and especially because with men, the big thing that they notice is sexual, sexual, um, dysfunction, and they hardly ever wanna talk about that. Mm-hmm. Yeah, so just getting them comfortable with being in- Sure the door and having those conversations. Yes. I think they assume a lot of Shanti is for women, even though we have a lot of male clients. Mm-hmm. Almost every male client who comes in the first time thinks they're the only one that come to us. Right. And we're like, "No, there's multiple." I mean, sometimes they're there at the same time, and that helps. But they, uh, make assumptions about what we do. Mm-hmm. And once they learn what we do and our approach, they're usually more open to it. But just getting them to come in, and everyone is busy, but taking time out of their busy lives to prioritize themselves is, is almost as bad as, as women, especially moms who need to take the time to prioritize themselves. Yeah. Yeah. And even on the aesthetic side, we see it. W- we, we have women who come in, and their husbands don't wanna know that they're getting Botox. Yeah. Yeah. You know? Yeah. Because, oh, you're doing something unnatural to your body. But they like the way that their wife looks afterwards kind of thing. You know? So it's this they don't wanna see how the sausage is being made kind of situation. Yeah. But then they, God forbid that they come in and get Botox, and then pe- they're afraid- Brotox. They... Well- but they're afraid that other men are gonna find out and kinda make fun of them, but other men are like, "Hey, what are you doing?" Yeah. Yeah. You know, kinda thing, so it, there's an element of that. And our aesthetic, on the aesthetic side, and I think why we've grown is our niche is just looking healthy. Looking like yourself, looking healthy. No one looks- So frozen or plastic. And I think once men see that, like we're just trying to make you look not worried or not angry or not tired- Yeah They come around. But they assume we're gonna make them look like something they saw that was botched on TV. Mm-hmm. So it, it's a trust thing too. Yeah. And I feel like aesthetics and wellness is for everyone. It is. It is. And then we kind of talked about that, helping your clients put their best self forward. Exactly. Yeah. That's our, our hashtag, best self forward. Yeah. Yeah. As Shanti Aesthetics continues to grow, what excites each of you most about the future of the practice and the impact you hope to make on the clients and the community that you serve? I just think the growth has been amazing, and the fact that now we can take care of their insides and their outsides is just very exciting. It's been a great practice. We've actually every month do give back to the community because this community has given us so much. So we usually have a different school or PTA or sports team or something that we try to

Community Impact And Early Screening

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sponsor every month. So I think we just have a lot of gratitude for the growth and, and the ability to be able to pivot and make everything a little bit more all-encompassing for people's wellness. Yeah. I think one of the things I'm looking forward to in this is just that we're approaching wellness from not maybe your typical or traditional way. We're looking at the, uh, more. And what I mean by that is, um, Dr. Shel and I went, we had a body composition test. Um, we're getting ready to do DEXA scans, but you know, your traditional DEXA scan isn't covered by insurance until you turn 65. But if you look, the m- greatest amount of bone loss occurs right around the age of 50, 51 when you're hitting menopause. So looking at these things early and, and starting prevention before it's too late. Um, and so just the, just the things that we look at do, that we want to do and the screenings that we can look at, that can be so beneficial in, in disease prevention Yeah, and I'll let go just the same sentiment. We love being part of the community, and we love, you know, we went to a kid's track, track dinner yesterday and pulled her aside, somebody pulled her aside and wanted to just talk about stuff, and we just love being part of the community- Yeah. Yeah that, that has given us so much. And so we, we love giving back to the community as well. Yeah. I love that. And when someone is searching for a provider, what do you think makes a difference between simply receiving a service and finding a team they generally trust, connect with, and want to continue their wellness journey with? I think I kind of say what you said with your interview before. Like, often when people come for their consultation, they have to like us as much as we like them. It has to be both of us feeling like we trust each other, like we're communicating well. So it's a little trial and error. You do wanna see what someone's credentials are

Trust, Fit, And How To Connect

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as well as their experience. Um, but otherwise, I feel like you just kind of have to get in there and, and see how you feel talking to that team. Yeah. Yeah. So getting to know them. Yeah. Cool. And for those interested in learning more about Shanti Aesthetics, exploring wellness services, or connecting with your team, where can they find you? So the website is, uh, shan- www.shantispas.com, and we are on Instagram and Facebook @ShantiSpa, or you can just Google Shanti Aesthetic Medicine. Or just drive down Main Street in Purcellville. Yeah. You can't miss our building. We're right in the heart of Purcellville. Um, there's a big sign and a re- a newly renovated building. It, it, it pops. Awesome. Yeah. So bunch of different places to find you guys. As we wrap up, is there anything that you'd like to add that I haven't touched on today? I don't think so. I think my biggest excitement is bringing Jill on and hopefully launching men's, the men's wellness side a little deeper. I mean, we do do it, but I think it can go deeper. And just helping as many people as we can help. Yeah. Yeah. Lots of exciting things. Awesome. Well, thank you all so much for joining me on the podcast today and sharing your knowledge, passion, and inspiring story with us. I wish you all the very best that comes your way in the future. Thanks for having us. Thank you. Thank you for having us.