STELLAR SUCCESS: Leveling Up For Medical Pros with Dr. Tudor Francu

From his roots in New York to his leadership role at Southern California Permanente Medical Group, Dr. Neal Lonky has worn many hats—physician, educator, entrepreneur, and inventor. In this conversation, he shares his remarkable journey through medicine, including his pivot from frontline care to medical device innovation, public health policy, and wound care diagnostics.
Listeners will discover how his values—persistent patience, transparency, and value-based care—have fueled a mission-driven career that goes far beyond profit. Dr. Lonky dives deep into what it takes to bring a medical product to market, how he navigated failures, and why compassion must be at the center of innovation.
 
👉 Are you a medical professional with a powerful story, insight, or strategy to share? We’d love to feature you on our podcast! Apply here: https://stellarsuccesspodcast.com/guest #success #motivation #inspiration #health #wellness #mindset #business #leadership #career #growth #education #innovation #life #goals #positivity

What happens when chiropractic care meets the root-cause focus of functional medicine? In this episode, Dr. Tudor sits down with Dr. Tim Harrigan, the founder of Synergy Wellness, to explore how combining structural neurology and natural healing is helping patients avoid unnecessary medications, surgeries, and side effects.
Dr. Tim shares his personal journey from pre-med and optometry to chiropractic and functional medicine. He opens up about the pivotal moment that changed his career path and the philosophy behind his successful practice. With over 10,000 patients helped, he brings a wealth of knowledge on preventative care, movement, and nutrition.
Listeners will walk away with a better understanding of:
Why movement is critical for brain health
How functional medicine looks beyond symptoms to find true healing
The three things Dr. Tim measures in every patient: deficiencies, toxicities, and imbalances
Why conventional medicine may be missing the mark on chronic care
How to build habits that support healthspan, not just lifespan
This episode is packed with practical insights, inspiring stories, and simple habits that can change your life—and your patients'—starting today.
 
👉 Are you a medical professional with a powerful story, insight, or strategy to share? We’d love to feature you on our podcast! Apply here: https://stellarsuccesspodcast.com/guest #success #motivation #inspiration #health #wellness #mindset #business #leadership #career #growth #education #innovation #life #goals #positivity

In this powerful episode, Dr. Letizia Alto joins Dr. Tudor Francu to share how she stepped off the treadmill of trading time for money and embraced a life of financial freedom, impact, and fulfillment. From hospitalist to real estate entrepreneur and mentor, Dr. Alto opens up about her personal journey—including the pivotal moment that changed everything.
🧠 What You’ll Learn:
The conversation with her husband that shifted her mindset forever
Why real estate—not stocks—was the path to freedom
How she built a portfolio that replaced her clinical income
What Semi-Retired MD is and why it’s transforming physician lives
The role of mindset, failure, and learning in achieving fulfillment
Actionable advice for physicians ready to take control of their time
 
 
👉 Are you a medical professional with a powerful story, insight, or strategy to share? We’d love to feature you on our podcast! Apply here: https://stellarsuccesspodcast.com/guest #success #motivation #inspiration #health #wellness #mindset #business #leadership #career #growth #education #innovation #life #goals #positivity

Angela Tomei Robinson joins Dr. Tudor Francu for an eye-opening conversation about the vital but often overlooked role of medical laboratory professionals in healthcare. From her early aspirations in pathology to her rise as an associate administrator overseeing clinical and anatomic labs, Angela shares her inspiring journey of leadership, advocacy, and mentorship.
She candidly discusses the challenges in the field—from workforce shortages and lack of visibility to licensure inconsistencies across states—and how she's helping reshape the future through education, professional societies, and policy work. Angela also shares practical leadership insights, her thoughts on AI in lab sciences, and powerful lessons learned from her career.
 
👉 Are you a medical professional with a powerful story, insight, or strategy to share? We’d love to feature you on our podcast! Apply here: https://stellarsuccesspodcast.com/guest #success #motivation #inspiration #health #wellness #mindset #business #leadership #career #growth #education #innovation #life #goals #positivity

In a compelling conversation with host Dr. Tudor Francu, Dr. Lavine dives into his unconventional career shift—from practicing periodontics to launching a full-scale IT and cybersecurity firm for healthcare professionals. Drawing on his background in tech and dentistry, he created a niche business that's been thriving for over two decades.
You'll hear Dr. Lavine's thoughts on:
His early struggles and what pushed him out of clinical dentistry
The major risks dental and medical practices face with ransomware and HIPAA breaches
What every practice should do today to protect their patient data
The evolving role of AI in healthcare—for better or worse
Why cloud-based systems aren't a silver bullet (and what to do instead)
Dr. Lavine also shares some real horror stories from the field—including a devastating client loss due to improper backup systems—and what he learned from it.
 
👉 Are you a medical professional with a powerful story, insight, or strategy to share? We’d love to feature you on our podcast! Apply here: https://stellarsuccesspodcast.com/guest #success #motivation #inspiration #health #wellness #mindset #business #leadership #career #growth #education #innovation #life #goals #positivity

In this inspiring episode, Dr. Tudor Francu sits down with Dr. Cheryl Bryant Bruce—also known as “The Celebrity Doc”—to explore what it truly means to walk in faith, find purpose, and live a life of balance without being in balance.
Dr. Cheryl shares her deeply personal journey of resilience and transformation, from raising a medically fragile child to pioneering integrative and concierge medicine. Through her “Windmill Healthy Lifestyle Platform,” she teaches that true wellness stems from nurturing not only the body, but also the mind and spirit.
Listeners will hear Dr. Cheryl’s unique perspective on the two great purposes in life—to learn and to teach—and how every fall can become a powerful lesson in personal and professional growth. She also discusses the critical importance of touch, intuition, and compassion in modern medicine, and the urgent need to reconnect with the human side of healing.
 
👉 Are you a medical professional with a story, insight, or strategy to share about career, personal, or financial success? We’d love to hear from you! Apply to be a guest on our podcast here: https://stellarsuccesspodcast.com/guest #motivation #success #health #business #leadership #education #career #podcast #inspiration #wellness

Dr. Kelly Victory opens up about her journey from emergency medicine to public health and mass casualty management. She explains how resource allocation, teamwork, and hands-on training can make the difference between life and death in disaster situations. Dr. Victory walks listeners through active shooter preparedness, the importance of triage, and why real-world drills are essential. She also reflects on the lessons learned from tragedies like Columbine and Hurricane Katrina — and how hospitals and communities can better prepare for the next crisis.
The discussion turns personal as Dr. Victory shares how she manages the emotional weight of her work, the value of after-action reviews, and why she believes disaster training should start as early as grade school. Her message is clear: preparedness isn’t panic — it’s empowerment.
 
👉 Are you a medical professional with a story, insight, or strategy to share about career, personal, or financial success? We’d love to hear from you! Apply to be a guest on our podcast here: https://stellarsuccesspodcast.com/guest #motivation #success #health #business #leadership #education #career #podcast #inspiration #wellness

In this episode, Dr. Marc Kowalski shares his journey from growing up in sunny Florida to becoming one of the leading orthopedic and sports medicine surgeons in Connecticut. As a former athlete himself, Dr. Kowalski gives us a behind-the-scenes look at caring for athletes—from treating ACL tears to supporting their mental health during recovery.
He and Dr. Francu explore what it means to balance medicine, family, and self-care in a demanding surgical career. Dr. Kowalski talks about the lessons he’s learned from failure, including how being cut from his college football team led to a lifelong passion for rugby and a fulfilling medical career caring for players across all levels—even Team USA.
Listeners will hear powerful insights on resilience, balance, and success, as well as practical advice for young people considering a career in medicine. Dr. Kowalski also discusses financial discipline, professional burnout, and the importance of self-awareness and emotional intelligence in medicine.
 
👉 Are you a medical professional with a story, insight, or strategy to share about career, personal, or financial success? We’d love to hear from you! Apply to be a guest on our podcast here: https://stellarsuccesspodcast.com/guest #motivation #success #health #business #leadership #education #career #podcast #inspiration #wellness

In this heartfelt and insightful conversation, Dr. Tudor Francu welcomes Dr. Ron Fong, family physician, educator, and founder of True North Shepherding, to discuss what it truly means to build a legacy through mentorship.
Dr. Fong shares how his journey from clinician to academic leader to entrepreneur was driven by a deep desire to guide others. He reflects on the transition from parent to grandparent, the lessons of mentoring young physicians, and the importance of designing — not just planning — one’s professional and personal life.
Through stories from medicine, business, and even marathon running, Dr. Fong illustrates the power of perseverance, reflection, and purpose. He reminds listeners that our legacy is built daily through our words, choices, and relationships — and that mentorship is one of the most lasting gifts we can offer.
 
👉 Are you a medical professional with a story, insight, or strategy to share about career, personal, or financial success? We’d love to hear from you! Apply to be a guest on our podcast here: https://stellarsuccesspodcast.com/guest #motivation #success #health #business #leadership #education #career #podcast #inspiration #wellness

In this episode of The Stellar Success Podcast with Dr. Tudor Francu, we meet Dr. Kevin Chung, an ICU physician, military veteran, and Chief Medical Officer at SeaStar Medical. His journey from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan to the boardroom of a cutting-edge biotech company is nothing short of inspiring.
Dr. Chung shares how his time caring for critically injured soldiers fueled his passion for medical innovation and led to the development of a life-saving blood purification device. He opens up about the challenges of balancing medicine, leadership, and entrepreneurship—what it means to take professional risks, face setbacks, and stay resilient when the stakes are sky-high.
 
👉 Are you a medical professional with a story, insight, or strategy to share about career, personal, or financial success? We’d love to hear from you! Apply to be a guest on our podcast here: https://stellarsuccesspodcast.com/guest #motivation #success #health #business #leadership #education #career #podcast #inspiration #wellness