Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Shelton.
Hi Kelly, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was raised in Cody Wyoming where I trained to be a CNA my Senior year of highschool because I wanted to be in healthcare following some great classes I took in highschool that introduced me to the hospital setting. My Senior year is when 9/11/2001 occured and my boyfriend at the time who was a couple years older joined the Army on 9/12 and became stationed at Fort Carson Colorado. I followed my boyfriend – and eventually husband to Fort Carson Colorado in 2002 following high school graduation. I attended Nursing School at UCCS and worked at a local hospital as a CNA while in nursing school. While at the hospital I became motivated to move from working on the floor to move to the emergency department and learned I needed to be an EMT to work in the ED. So i subsequently enrolled in a community college to become an EMT while I was going to nursing school. I landed by “dream job” in the emergency department in 2005.
I graduated in 2007 from nursing school. That was also a wild ride as we received military orders to move to Germany at the same time, so my husband left for Germany, I sold our house and couch surfed with my 2 dogs for about 4 weeks so I could stay back and take my NCLEX test for my nursing license. I took my test as soon as allowed (6 weeks post graduation) so I could join my husband as soon as possible. I was scheduled to take the test on a Saturday and fly to Germany on that same weekend on Sunday. If that huge life change was not enough, my mom called be on Friday night before my test – she was experiencing uncontrolled vomiting and wanted me to ensure her she was not having a heart attack in which my response was “if you think you are having a heart attack you are.” And I was right, she had a neighbor drive her to the Cody ER where they put her on a helicopter to Billings Mt to have stents placed for her heart attack. I was given every reason to not pass my NCLEX with the stress of my mother and an international move all within the same weekend. I took my test and got on the airplane with 3 suitcases, 2 dogs and could not get to my mother. WIld! When I landed in Germany I started planning where I could retake the test in Frankfurt Germany.
Much to my surprise, I passed my test and began by career as a RN in Germany working for the military as a civilian and my first daughter was born during our time in Germany. We then moved to Fort Drum New York four years later where I started my career in the Operating Room. I started transitioning into leadership roles through my nursing career by being “voluntold” and never sought out to be a leader. We moved to Erie Colorado in 2014 for a recruiting assignment (my second daughter was born enroute to Colorado from NY in the great state of Montana 5 weeks early). I decided to get my MBA in 2015 as a result of the unexpected leadership journey because I didn’t understand the first thing about excel spreadsheets and budgets as a Registered Nurse. Life then threw another curveball and I became a single mom to two girls in 2017 (ages 3 and 7). My ex left the state and I stayed alone in Colorado with my young girls as I had a solid RN Manager job that paid the bills and allowed me to care for them. At the same time I went through my divorce, my Dad had traveled to Denver for surgery and experienced complications which left me providing care for him in my house with daily infusions, mobility challenges, single momming it with my 3 and 7 year old daughter, Manager job, no family and a million reasons to quit my MBA program. I didn’t realize what a strong mom tribe I had that rallied around me with meal trains and child care support. And I didn’t quit.
My dad healed and was able to return to WY with my mom and I met my now Husband at the hospital. He was a Senior Project Manager for Design and Construction and he was building me an OR. I graduated with my MBA and they had a ceremony at Disney World – so of course my baby girls earned such a celebration so we headed to Disney World in 2019. Later that year my now Husband experienced a tragedy and his 17 year old daughter passed away. His son was deployed to Kuwait at the time and came home to be with us after the event.
Soon after I was recruited to the hospital I am at now to work as a Director of their operating room and has since been promoted to the VP of Surgical Services and I oversee 11 departments over an adult and pediatric hospital. My husband is a cattle rancher and in 2021 we ventured out to create our own home together. We purchased a healthy chunk of land together and lived in a camper while he built us a home (there will be a theme here). Our first big purchase was a backhoe together as he dug out the basement foundation. He built the house himself! We have over 100 head a cattle, approximately 10 chickens and 2 cats (depending on coyote activity) and a cattle dog. Now lets throw in a minimum 90 minute one way commute 5 days a week with kid activities and all things. I was slightly exhausted.
2023 I discovered Hydrate IV Bar as a client. I drove by the Bonnie Brae location every day on my way to work at the hospital and saw the window decals that said “glowing skin.” I wanted glowing skin as I had been battling with awful skin and acne my entire life. After contemplating it for months I finally pulled over and tried it. The spa RN came around the corner and said “I thought that was my bosses voice” – I have an annoying 2 year old voice. I asked her what she was doing there and she told me it was her fun side hustle! I asked her what to get and she said Katie Cocktail and a NAD injection. I was like – go big or go home. In nursing school they teach you that vitamins do no more than make expensive pee as they are not FDA regulated/could be full of fillers/gut breaks them down. So I am a skeptic and new nothing about vitamin infusions that our sourced out of FDA regulated pharmacies. I received my infusion and injection – didn’t feel much different. Went home and used the bathroom and got the strong vitamin smell of the B complex and my mind immediately said “there is the expensive pee.”
The next day the RN that served me at Hydrate was working away in my PACU. She asked how I felt and I said -unexpectedly good. I was able to not hit snooze on my alarm, made the girls breakfast and beebopped my way in feeling like a normal human. What is this wild stuff. I didn’t know I did not feel normal and thought my exhausted state was normal/warrented. I tested the IV again when I started to get a sore throat on a Friday – I do not have time to be sick – and Saturday morning symptom free! Holy crap! I signed up for a membership. I discovered the vitamins helped with muscle cramps and headaches along the way along with supporting a positive mood. Magic to me! I was standing at the front desk of the OR and telling my nursing team how much I loved these IVs and said that I want to open an IV Bar. At the same time an Anesthesia provider, Dr. Strock, was walking by (who I had no previous outside of work relationship with) and I said “Dr. Strock can be my Medical Director!” He was like huh? And I told him he can me by Medical Director for the IV Bar and he said he would totally do that – and that he was serious. Fast forward and he is my business partner!
We opened our first Hydrate IV Bar in Centennial the summer of 2024. It has been a journey building the right team and I even employ my 16 year old daughter to run the front desk and my 12 year old daughter holds the title of the VP. My husband built me the spa (see the trend – he built me an OR, a house and now a Hydrate). I have 3 incredible team members who have been with me since day 0 – these are my ride or dies! And I have 3 amazing full time team members that believe so passionately in the brand and the services. 3 days ago Dr. Strock and I signed a second lease and we will be opening up a second location in the Sountlands!
As you know, we’re big fans of Hydrate IV Bar. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Hydrate IV Bar® is a collection of IV therapy spas promoting wellness from within by delivering high-quality products and services administered by experienced and trustworthy medical and wellness professionals in a relaxing, spa-like atmosphere.
Clients come to us for our vitamin injections, signature IV therapy cocktails, NAD+, Niagen, peptides and vitamin infusions, but they stay for the atmosphere. With comfortable chairs, soothing music, and a team of unbeatable staff, Hydrate IV Bar® spas are a place for everyone to relax, recharge and refresh their routine.
At Hydrate IV Bar®, our spas are overseen by a medical team consisting of award-winning doctors, nurse practitioners, and medical professionals, and all of our services are administered by some of the best registered nurses in the industry. Additionally, we pride ourselves on sourcing only high-quality, pharmaceutical-grade vitamins from trusted and reputable pharmacies
We offer monthly memberships for clients who want to maintain a healthy lifestyle, Shot Passes for clients looking for a quick pick-me-up, and a build-your-own IV (BYOIV) option for clients looking to meet specific needs. Appointments are highly encouraged, but walk-in IV and injection appointments are always welcome for those who need to feel better fast.
Pricing:
- Shot Passes at $50/month provided unlimited injections for 50% off!
- Membership options starting at $169 that get you any IV up to $199 value and injection per month
- Southlands will be offering founding Memberships for first time clients for $119 in October!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hydrateivbar.com/centennial
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hydrateivbar_centennial/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Hydrate-IV-Bar-Centennial/61557047127000/
