Meet Luba Patlakh

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Luba Patlakh a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Luba, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.

Where does my optimism come from?

Not from comfort.
Not from luck.
It comes from being evicted in 5th grade while my parents worked themselves to the bone.
It comes from watching my mom hold the weight of the world — raising kids, running businesses, and caring for my dad after his heart attack.
It comes from knowing nothing was ever handed to us — not stability, not success, not even peace.

But still, I chose to believe.
Not blindly — fiercely.
Because even as a little girl, I knew:
I was meant to win.
I had the drive. The vision. The hunger to create something bigger.

Even when I lost my mother — while pregnant — I didn’t stop.
Because I carry her strength.
Because my story isn’t just mine — it’s for every woman, every mother, every underdog who needs proof that it’s possible.

My optimism is survival.
My mindset? Unshakable.
And if you’re reading this, I want you to know:
You’re capable of everything you want — and more 🙂

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Hi! I’m Luba Patlakh — a mom of three, speech-language pathologist, and the founder of Kidology Inc., a pediatric therapy practice serving children from birth through young adult (21) across Pennsylvania.

At Kidology, inc, we believe every child deserves access to the tools and support they need to thrive — whether through speech therapy, sensory play, behavioral services, or our new mobile therapy bus that brings services right to schools, daycares, and communities in need.

What’s most exciting about what I do? It’s the impact. Watching a child say their first words, connect with a peer, or regain confidence after a surgery or even simply, consistency — there’s nothing more powerful. We don’t just treat — we transform lives. And we do it with a team of passionate clinicians who lead with heart.

Right now, we’re expanding one of our flagship locations to include:

✨ 8 more private treatment rooms

🏀 A half basketball court

⚽ A soccer turf

💃 Enhanced programming like yoga, dance, and Special Olympics prep!

Outside of Kidology, inc. I’m building my personal brand as a speaker, entrepreneur, and host of The Growth Lab Podcast — where I talk about scaling businesses, motherhood, resilience, and everything in between. My journey — from being evicted as a child to becoming a self-made millionaire — fuels my mission to inspire others to build what they dream, even when the odds feel stacked against them.

Follow along at www.lubapatlakh.com, kidologyinc.com or @lubalove and @kidologyinc and @thegrowthlabpodcast— the best is still ahead. 💫

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

the three qualities that were most impactful in my journey as a mom entrepreneur, CEO, and clinician are:

1. Resilience
Life didn’t hand me success. From being evicted in 5th grade to losing my mother while pregnant — I had to choose to keep going. Resilience allowed me to see every setback as a setup.
Advice: Strengthen your mental muscle, find your zone of genius. The best way to build resilience is to keep showing up — especially on the hard days. Let failure be feedback, not a finish line.

2. Resourcefulness
I didn’t always have the capital, connections, or perfect plan — but I made it work. Whether it was hiring creatively, stretching a budget, or building a mobile therapy bus, I learned how to solve before I stalled.
Advice: Ask better questions. Instead of “Can I do this?” ask “How can I do this with what I already have?” Solutions live in your creativity, not just your cash flow.

3. Vision
I could always see what didn’t exist yet — the clinics, the team, the impact, the brand. That vision kept me moving when the path wasn’t clear.
Advice: Write it down. Dream out loud. Map your vision visually. Your brain needs something to chase — and your team needs something to believe in.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

The number one obstacle I’m facing right now is balancing the size of my dreams with the limits of being just one person.

I have a big life — a growing business, a growing brand, and most importantly, a beautiful family. I want to be everywhere — building, scaling, nurturing, showing up — and in many ways, I am. But it’s not always so simple.

There are days I feel stretched between motherhood and entrepreneurship, between giving and growing.
I want to have it all — and honestly, I do — but carrying it all at once sometimes feels heavy.

What I’m doing to overcome it is learning to honor seasons.
I’m learning that balance isn’t rigid, it’s rhythmic.
Some days I’m more CEO, some days I’m more mom, and both are deeply enough.
I’m also investing in building stronger systems and stronger teams so my businesses can thrive without me needing to be everywhere at once.

And most importantly, I’m giving myself permission to live fully present — not perfectly balanced.

Because the truth is, having it all doesn’t mean doing it all at the same time.
It means loving the life you’ve built — even on the messy, beautiful, overwhelming days.

Contact Info:

• Website: www,kidologyinc.com www.lubapatlakh.com
• Instagram: kidologyinc, lubalove, thegrowthlabpodcast
• Facebook: kidologyinc; lubalove
• Linkedin: lubapatlakh
• Youtube: kidologyinc