From Medical Sales to Real Estate Wealth
In this episode of the Medical Sales Podcast, Samuel Adeyinka sits down with Christopher Price, a pharmaceutical executive with over 20 years in life sciences who built a parallel path to wealth through real estate investing. Christopher shares his journey from Division I football and early pharma internships to leading content and marketing operations at a top pharmaceutical company. He opens up about becoming an accidental landlord, navigating financial uncertainty through major market crises, and discovering passive real estate syndications as a way to build generational wealth. This conversation explores career longevity in pharma, operational leadership, financial education, and how medical sales professionals can think beyond a paycheck to design long term stability and freedom.
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Transcription:
Samuel Adeyinka:
Welcome to the Medical Sales Podcast. I’m your host, Samuel Adeyinka, founder of the Medical Sales Career Builder. On this podcast, I interview top medical sales reps and executives from across the industry, including medical device, pharmaceutical, diagnostics, and biotech. Whether you’re trying to break into medical sales, become a top 10% performer, or grow into leadership, this show is designed to help you do exactly that. Everything shared here reflects my personal opinions and experience in medical sales.
Today, I’m joined by Christopher Price. Christopher, welcome to the show.
Christopher Price:
Thanks, Samuel. I appreciate being here. I usually describe myself as a pharmaceutical executive by day and a real estate investor by night. I’ve spent over 20 years in the life sciences industry working across sales operations, medical affairs operations, marketing operations, and content excellence. At the core of everything I do is a focus on impact—especially impact on patients.
Samuel Adeyinka:
That’s a great way to frame it. Tell us a little about how you first became interested in building wealth outside of your career.
Christopher Price:
Like a lot of people, my wife and I started thinking seriously about wealth building and long-term security. We both worked hard and wanted to create something lasting, not just for ourselves but for future generations. We became accidental landlords when we moved out of a condo and decided to rent it instead of selling it. That experience completely changed how we thought about money, cash flow, and control.
Living through the 2008 financial crisis and later the European debt crisis really opened my eyes. Watching retirement accounts fluctuate so dramatically made me realize how little control we actually had over our financial future if everything was tied to the market.
Samuel Adeyinka:
That resonates with a lot of people in medical sales. What does your current role look like today?
Christopher Price:
I currently work in marketing operations for a top 15 privately held pharmaceutical company. My responsibility is content excellence. That means overseeing the review and approval of all promotional and educational materials to make sure they meet regulatory, legal, and medical standards. This includes everything from TV commercials to sales iPad materials, brochures, and patient-facing content.
I lead the review process for my therapeutic area and manage a team that supports these workflows. Our goal is to ensure content is compliant, high quality, and delivered efficiently to the field.
Samuel Adeyinka:
You’ve clearly built a strong career. Let’s rewind a bit. How did you originally get into pharma?
Christopher Price:
I went to Marist College, where I played Division I football. I was fortunate to be an All-American my senior year. While football was a big part of my life, I also interned throughout college at the same pharmaceutical company I work for today. Those internships exposed me to different parts of the business, including R&D, sales training, and sales operations.
After college, I pursued football seriously. I went through multiple combines and tryouts. Ultimately, it didn’t work out, and that was a humbling experience. Seeing elite athletes up close made it very clear how competitive that world is.
Samuel Adeyinka:
That transition can be tough. How did you pivot mentally?
Christopher Price:
It wasn’t easy, but I had already built relationships and experience in pharma through my internships. Once it became clear football wasn’t going to be my long-term path, I leaned into pharma full time. My first role was supporting a newly formed Medical Science Liaison team from an operations standpoint.
From there, my career evolved naturally. I moved through sales operations, medical operations, and eventually into marketing operations leadership. I’ve now spent about 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry, primarily in operational roles.
Samuel Adeyinka:
And alongside that, your financial mindset continued evolving.
Christopher Price:
Absolutely. Even as my career progressed, I couldn’t shake the feeling that relying solely on a 401(k) wasn’t enough. Watching market volatility reinforced that. I started educating myself through podcasts, books like Rich Dad Poor Dad, and eventually learning about passive real estate investing.
Real estate syndications really stood out to me. They allow investors to pool capital to purchase large assets like apartment complexes. You’re not managing properties day to day, but you still benefit from cash flow, tax advantages, and appreciation.
Samuel Adeyinka:
That parallels medical sales in a lot of ways.
Christopher Price:
It really does. Due diligence is everything. You evaluate people, track records, alignment, and risk—just like you would when choosing a company or territory in medical sales. The discipline that helps you succeed professionally applies directly to investing.
Samuel Adeyinka:
Before we wrap up, what advice would you give to someone listening who’s thinking about investing but feels overwhelmed?
Christopher Price:
Start with your “why.” For us, it was diversification and generational wealth. Once you’re clear on that, take the time to learn and evaluate opportunities carefully. Focus on people you trust, understand the risks, and don’t rush. The same patience and preparation that lead to success in medical sales will serve you well in investing.
Samuel Adeyinka:
Powerful advice. Christopher, thank you for sharing your story and insights.
For those listening, if you want help breaking into medical sales, becoming a top performer, or growing into leadership, check out our personalized programs at Medical Sales Career Builder. Thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you on the next episode of the Medical Sales Podcast.