Building Foundations, Breaking Cycles

Trigger Warning: This episode contains honest discussions around mental health and suicidal ideation. Please take care while listening.

In this episode, Kelly Kirk sits down with Lauren Duke, founder of Core Ops Collective, a powerhouse in operations leadership and real estate systems strategy. From hairstylist and military spouse to multi-business entrepreneur, Lauren’s story is one of grit, grace, and real growth.

Lauren shares her winding journey—from doing hair in Alaska and Italy, to launching a virtual assistant company supported by family, and then an unexpected leap into real estate. After working within a high-powered expansion team that did over 3,000 transactions a year, Lauren saw the cracks in the foundation of hustle culture—burnout, blurred boundaries, and reactive systems. Instead of patching holes, she set out to build something different.

Peaks & Valleys of Her Journey:

• Burnout and Breakthrough: While juggling a high-pressure role and motherhood, Lauren found herself losing presence—especially during pivotal moments like childbirth. A wake-up call came when she realized she couldn’t remember the birth of her second son because she was mentally absent.
• Postpartum Darkness: During her third pregnancy, Lauren faced deep depression, weight gain, and near-hospitalization. It wasn’t until after giving birth that she felt the “clouds lifted,” attributing healing to a mix of support, medication, and faith.
• Mental Health and Boundaries: Lauren now relies on a mix of medication, deep self-awareness, and values-based decision-making to stay grounded. Her mantra: “Core values are the North Star.”
• From Chaos to Clarity: Core Ops Collective was born in May 2023 after a business pivot. She now guides agents in building businesses with a foundation—prioritizing systems, sustainability, and soul.

Powerful Reflections:

• “Someone else’s urgency is not your emergency.”
• “Ask yourself: Do you want comfort or do you want solutions?”
• “If the best-case scenario is better than the worst-case, go for it.”

Lauren is rewriting what it means to thrive in business and life. Her story is a masterclass in resilience, redemption, and rising with purpose.

Connect with Lauren:

• IG: @coreopscollective
• Website: www.coreopscollective.com

Resources Mentioned:

• The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer

Contact the Host, Kelly Kirk:

• Email: info.ryh7@gmail.com

Get Connected/Follow:

• IG: @ryh_pod & @thekelly.tanke.kirk
• Facebook: Reclaiming Your Hue Facebook Page
• YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@RYHReclaimingYourHue

Credits:

• Editor: Joseph Kirk
• Music: Kristofer Tanke

Thanks for listening & cheers to Reclaiming Your Hue!