The Powerful Journey Beyond Medical Sales and Job Titles
In this episode of the Medical Sales Podcast, Samuel sits down with Johnny Caffaro to unpack one of the most talked about career pivots in the medical device world. Johnny shares what it looked like to build a personal brand so big on LinkedIn that it drew attention inside Stryker, how weekly legal reviews and pressure to stop posting escalated fast, and why the company ultimately pushed for a mutual separation despite his strong performance. From being handed his severance at a hotel on the day of a course he helped build, to turning that setback into a consulting run where he landed contracts immediately and became a go to connector for surgeons and orthopedic brands, Johnny breaks down the real upside and hidden cost of being the face of the business. He also opens up about burnout, chronic pain, the strain on his marriage and personal life, and the moment he decided to shut everything down and disappear. The conversation takes a deeper turn as Johnny talks about his healing journey, including plant medicine experiences that reshaped his mindset, helped him confront ego, and changed the direction of his life. If you want the truth about personal branding in med sales, career risk, and what happens when your identity outgrows your job title, this episode delivers it.
Connect with Johnny Caffaro: LinkedIn
Connect with Me: LinkedIn
Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! Here’s How »
Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcast
Transcription:
Samuel 00:00:04 Hello and welcome to the Medical Sales Podcast. I’m your host, Samuel, the founder of a revolutionary medical sales training and mentorship program called the Medical Sales Career Builder. And I’m also host of the Medical Sales podcast. In this podcast, I interviewed top medical sales reps and leading medical sales executives across the entire world. It doesn’t matter what medical sales industry, from medical device to pharmaceutical to genetic testing and diagnostic lab, you name it, you will learn how to either break into the industry, be a top 10% performer within your role, or climb the corporate ladder. Welcome to the Medical Sales Podcast. And remember, I am a medical sales expert sharing my own opinion about this amazing industry and how it can change your life. You’re considered an influencer in the medical space and you’re well known influencer. So I think us just getting right into everything is fine. So let’s let’s do that. All right. So I’m going to take us back to I don’t remember the year, but a few years ago. And we had a conversation.
Samuel 00:01:09 We were pretty much parting ways with Stryker. Yeah, this was a shock to me because it was so cool. You remember when you joined Stryker? You did like this. The national signing, this this sports? I was like, if branding was a class, this is like The Godfather right here. What happened with Stryker? Why did they. What happened that said that put you in a position to say I’m going to make some choices? Yeah. So.
Johnny 00:01:34 I mean, I was blowing up. I mean, you saw me growing on LinkedIn, like Stryker, like they helped the brand of my brand as well. So we’re helping each other. And I was traveling and I was growing and I was doing so many shows, podcasts and so many different things, and they were getting more and more concerned that as I was growing, that I was overshadowing the brand or like not really doing the work that I needed to do, which was never the case.
Samuel 00:01:58 So. So hold on, hold on.
Samuel 00:01:59 Let’s hang out there for a second. You know I want, I want. I think this is worth everybody hearing. Because the cool thing about medical sales now is if you take the time to create a brand on the LinkedIn platform, you will you can dramatically improve your career, how you do it, but you can dramatically improve your career. So when you say they were concerned, give us some tactics. Like like the numbers dip a little bit. Was it were their numbers increasing? Like what exactly was happening that.
Johnny 00:02:26 They just saw me everywhere and every person knew who I was within the company. And they were just like, how is this person so famous? How is this person so and he’s just a senior manager within the hip division. But every division, there’s so many divisions that strike right. Like 17 divisions. I think everybody knew who I was because of a social platform. And so I think in the old days, and I get it like they’re kind of more concerned because like if they’re letting this one employee how what other employees might just, like, start ramping off and saying stuff, and I get employees have a right to be able to say, if you’re going to talk about a company, they can be able to look at your page.
Johnny 00:03:04 But like when I’m personal, when you’re talking about personal stuff, I don’t think they have a right to tell you what you can and cannot post. I think that’s my own personal opinion, but I think they were just so concerned that I was everywhere and I was posting and that my job wasn’t getting done, which wasn’t the case. I was actually like getting more people excited for sure.
Samuel 00:03:22 And that’s, that’s that’s where I’m I’m lost because I’m like, wait a minute. Right. I get striker feeling compromised with your with your notoriety and with the fact that you can talk about whatever you want, but I, I still can’t understand the business decision of. Well, it’s hurting us. Yeah. When my, my conclusion is it’s probably helping them, so.
Johnny 00:03:45 Oh, 100%.
Samuel 00:03:46 Take us there, man.
Johnny 00:03:47 I saw everybody reaching out to me, asking how they could be a part of Stryker. And what do you want more employee like?
Samuel 00:03:54 Yeah. So? So take us there. And of course, Johnny.
Samuel 00:03:57 Share what you can share.
Johnny 00:03:58 Yeah.
Samuel 00:03:59 What did it look like? Did the manager call you one day? It was an HR meeting. Like what happened? When they first. When they first. Not. Not the whole. You know, we’ll get into that. But when they first said what did that look like.
Johnny 00:04:11 Yeah. They just started saying like, we don’t want you going on podcasts. We don’t want you posting as much. I had to meet with Legal Weekly to talk about my post. Weekly. Weekly. Yeah. So that’s how it was that intense. And then I was at striker J.R. Striker joint replacement. Right. Striker. Main striker. Started reaching out to me because it was getting so big like they. So I had to meet with Striker Legal the head of there and be able to discuss and talk about. And then it just got to a point where they just said, we don’t want you posting anymore and we don’t want you on any more podcast.
Samuel 00:04:45 So I want to understand that.
Samuel 00:04:46 So was it one post turned them off? Oh my gosh, what did he just say. Get him in here.
Johnny 00:04:52 Or like that’s the cool thing is like I was very compliant on everything. Like, I always made sure that I was like, you’ve seen all my content. I’ve never done anything controversy. It’s just they thought that I was trying to act as a spokesman for the company when I wasn’t. It was just like, hey, I had a great time at this direct interior course where I had a great time in California with the team out here, and they just thought like, I was like trying to be a spokesperson and not really do my job. But in reality, it’s free marketing for the company, right? You’re just expressing. And so it just like they kept bringing me in. And then I’m going to be honest. My ego was like there. And I’m like, I was riding my ego. And I said, no, I’m gonna keep going. I’m gonna keep posting, I’m gonna keep.
Johnny 00:05:40 And I shouldn’t have done that. I mean, I should have been more respectful to that aspect, but I, I and that’s where I left and learned some things about my ego and did some self-healing and but I just said, no, I’m going to keep posting and actually kept posting more. And then we just came up with. They say, hey, I think we need to mutually separate ways. And it was just like kind of shocking, but I felt like it was coming because I felt like they just I was ahead of the times, I think in the medical industry with where I was at and with Stryker. They’re a very close knit, a lot of red tape. Right? Like, I have nothing against them. I, I’d like I don’t have any ill towards them, but they were primitive.
Samuel 00:06:19 Their, their culture very primitive.
Johnny 00:06:20 Yeah. And like, that’s my thing is it’s like it’s okay. But like, I also came from an ego place and I wanted to keep building the brand.
Johnny 00:06:27 And so that’s where I’m like, okay, I’m going to just keep writing this wave and leave Stryker and go on the Cafaro way, consulting til I disappeared.
Samuel 00:06:36 All right, all right. So let’s let’s talk about it. So we’re gonna have fun, Johnny. Come on, man, we gotta get into it. All right, all right. So from the time from the, you know, was it an email? Was it a phone call? The first sign of. We’re not sure you want you doing this. What what was it?
Johnny 00:06:52 It was just more of a conversation with my upper management manager.
Samuel 00:06:55 Okay.
Johnny 00:06:56 From that time, it was just like I was helping upper management grow their brand as well too.
Samuel 00:07:00 Right. No I know.
Johnny 00:07:02 Like, I was getting them on and I was showing them how to do LinkedIn. And yeah, I created the whole social media platform within Stryker Jr.
Samuel 00:07:09 And yeah, no I know.
Johnny 00:07:11 And I was the bad one.
Samuel 00:07:12 I know. Okay.
Samuel 00:07:13 So from that first GM conversation to your exit. How much time transpired.
Johnny 00:07:21 I mean it was it quick. It was probably like a month or so. Wow. It was real quick. A month. Yeah. So like at the beginning they knew what they were getting because that article, Johnny on orthopedics this week, the changing face of ortho sales was John that big article. Yeah. And that was huge. And so they knew that they were getting some kind of influential person as they come into Stryker. Right. So that’s why I had those weekly calls with legal to be able to make sure, okay, is Johnny going to be compliant in all of his posts? But then it’s just like, because, dude, I was only there nine months.
Samuel 00:07:50 Like, so, so okay, so hold on though. So? So okay, I guess the better question is, how many months were you there before they said pulled up?
Johnny 00:08:01 That’s the thing is like they didn’t it just like it came to a head so fast for some reason, I don’t know what it was, but.
Samuel 00:08:07 Like, they didn’t tell you and then they.
Johnny 00:08:09 Didn’t tell me specifically that they didn’t tell me, like you’re doing a bad job. They didn’t tell me to stop. There was a.
Samuel 00:08:15 Post that said, we don’t like these kinds. None of.
Johnny 00:08:18 That thing. Nothing like. And I always sent my post beforehand illegal to have her run through and read it all.
Samuel 00:08:24 Approved.
Johnny 00:08:24 Before you get all approved. And everything was good up until I. That’s the crazy thing. I still don’t know to this day what triggered it. What was the main like? Let’s get Johnny out.
Samuel 00:08:35 Okay. All right, so it is what it is. All right. So now we got to talk. Real income is coming from striker. Income is coming from your brother who’s who’s just you know one of the best shooters out in the world. And and and your brand you created with him and you’re living your life. Income from striker stops.
Johnny 00:08:55 Yeah.
Samuel 00:08:56 How? You know? I want to know where where what was happening, where you were like.
Samuel 00:09:01 So what? I’m good.
Johnny 00:09:03 Yeah, I mean, I wasn’t, but I was, I. So I was at Malwa and I was getting ready to go to the direct anterior course that I created with the team. And I got told that I can’t go to the course that legal was going to come to my hotel and give me my, my letter of resignation and my severance package.
Samuel 00:09:22 Wow. Okay. Hold on. Our audience does not know who Marwah is. Please, please, if moi.
Johnny 00:09:28 New Jersey is the headquarters of Stryker. George.
Samuel 00:09:31 Gotcha. Okay.
Johnny 00:09:31 Yeah. Okay. And so I was at the hotel, and I went there for meetings. And then later on that day, I was told not to come to the the course legal. And my boss were going to come to the hotel and give me, give me the package and the signing, which was kind of a slap in the face because it was our first home course to be able to get this direct entry course.
Johnny 00:09:54 That’s something that was my baby that I helped create with my team, and it was a great thing. And and so they came in and they said, here’s your seven package. And we’re going to part ways right now.
Samuel 00:10:05 They continue with the course. Oh yeah.
Johnny 00:10:07 Like all the like all my friends surgeons that I made friends with. They’re like, where are you? Why are you not at this dinner? Wow. I was like, bro, they just let me go. Okay, so.
Samuel 00:10:18 What happened next?
Johnny 00:10:19 Yeah. So I, I get in my hotel room and I just start, like, I’m thinking. I’m like, what do I do? I’m like, I’ve got to capitalize on something. Like, I’m really good at creating a brand and creating awareness and create this. And so I started calling all my connections and called all the surgeons that I was working with and said, hey, listen, let’s blow you up. I’m going to create a consulting company, or I’m going to be this medical mercenary for you and be able to be this middleman for you to be between these companies and introduce you to be these coals that I was just going to be this massive networker guy and be able to blow up and just like, start creating.
Johnny 00:10:55 Because I had they gave me a good, a good three months settlement at severance. So that that was huge for me and I was grateful for that. So I’m super happy with that. And so that gave me a runway to be able to create the consulting. But within the first week I was landing deals just left and right, like I was part of companies and then.
Samuel 00:11:14 Like, like like contract.
Johnny 00:11:15 Contracts. Like, yeah. Like I was like, first contract came in, it was organics. It was a CBD company. And I was like, wow, that was great. And then another one was Ortho Grid. Ortho grid just got purchased by Zimmer Biomet.
Samuel 00:11:27 Yeah, yeah, yeah. So like I was.
Johnny 00:11:29 Helping that brand and and so it’s like I was part of like these really Ortho Luke and then ortho masters like all these orthopedic companies. And then I was also helping individual surgeons connect with different companies. So I was like their agent. It was really cool. Like I was their surgeon’s agent.
Johnny 00:11:44 Yeah. Going through this.
Samuel 00:11:45 You were the first medical sales.
Johnny 00:11:47 Care what it was like. That’s the way I’m like.
Samuel 00:11:51 I’m just bringing.
Johnny 00:11:51 You.
Samuel 00:11:51 Around. I want you to find new roles. Come on. All right.
Johnny 00:11:54 Yeah. And so then, I mean, dude, I was the hottest thing in August. Like, I was wearing fedoras. I was changing the game. You don’t wear hats at orthopedics. Like. Yeah, I was trying to, like, just make a difference, and it worked. But I was still operating out of ego. I think I feel like I’ll show you. This is what you missed out on. This is something that like, I don’t know, I just like it was. And I was still in a lot of hip pain. So because I’ve had three hip replacements and for some reason my hip started acting up again and I’m like, man, I have to go through a fourth because I was getting all these recommendations and I’m like, gosh dang it.
Johnny 00:12:31 Like, what is going on? But but my career, like everything is successful, but my personal life is dipping. Like my marriage is dipping. Like religion is just like. So throughout this time I left Stryker, left my career, I left my marriage. Got divorced. Left religion.
Samuel 00:12:50 The divorce happened after leaving, right?
Johnny 00:12:52 Yeah.
Samuel 00:12:53 Okay.
Johnny 00:12:54 Yeah.
Samuel 00:12:55 Okay.
Johnny 00:12:55 Yeah. And then left Mormon religion on top of it all.
Samuel 00:12:59 No, I didn’t know that. You left. You left Mormon. I did not know that.
Johnny 00:13:03 Yeah. like I like. And when you leave Mormon religion, you’re not this. You’re not.
Samuel 00:13:08 Like. That’s a whole nother episode right there alone. Oh, okay. Hold on. We’re ahead of ourselves. Ahead of us. Okay. All right, so I want to slow it down just a little bit, because, you know, it’s awesome to know that when you left Stryker, you were. You were landing contracts. Yeah. Talk to us about the trajectory of that.
Samuel 00:13:29 And and did that continue? And you had to manage the personal side or did that stop and you had to like what happened?
Johnny 00:13:35 Oh, my. The trajectory was unreal. I mean, I was making so much money like it was, and it was like stuff that I loved doing. But then it was just, like becoming overwhelming and over, like exhausting. And I feel like almost in the sense that I was being used in a way where it’s like, oh, this person’s like it’s like what celebrities, in a sense. Like they get used for their brand, but they’re not getting like true, genuine friendships, right? Like, and I didn’t like that. I didn’t like that feeling. And it just became this whole thing. So it’s just like my personal life was taking a dip. Like, even though I was making so much money and having so much fun in the medical device, like I wasn’t being present for my kids, man, like I was always gone. And I have five kids and I was like, being present at their basketball games, football games.
Johnny 00:14:22 I wasn’t there, and then if I was there, I was on the phone.
Samuel 00:14:25 Because I hope you’re enjoying today’s episode and I want to let you know our programs cover the entire career of a medical sales professional, from getting into the medical sales industry to training on how to be a top performer in the medical sales industry to masterfully navigate your career to executive level leadership. These programs are personalized and customized for your specific career and background, and trained by over 50 experts, including surgeons. Our results speak for ourselves, and we’re landing positions for our candidates in less than 120 days in top medical technology companies like Stryker, Medtronic, Merck, Abbott. You name it. Would you run an Ironman race without training and a strategy? You wouldn’t. So why are you trying to do the same with the medical sales position? You need training. You need a strategy, and you need to visit evolve Chess.com. Fill out the application schedule some time with one of our account executives, and let’s get you into the position that you’ve always dreamed of.
Johnny 00:15:22 When you start a company just like as well as you know, and you’re a one man show, holy hell, dude, like you are just swamped and like and like, I didn’t know how to balance it, and I didn’t know.
Samuel 00:15:36 And you weren’t trying to build a team.
Johnny 00:15:37 At all because, like, I, I was also concerned and like, okay, the Cafaro way. Who else is going to emulate how I want them to do it right? Like I had that, like, kind of ego set. Like, how am I going to train somebody to be Johnny? Because everybody wants the Johnny effect, but they don’t want me to hire somebody to your your.
Samuel 00:15:57 Business was to contingent upon your face as opposed to showing.
Johnny 00:16:04 Your plan, you.
Samuel 00:16:04 Know, helping people implement our execute effective ways to market. Wasn’t that it was put my face on your stuff, watch your brand blow up and you got compromised. And how many places you can put, how many places you can be.
Johnny 00:16:19 At one time? Yeah, 100%. And so I tried to come up with it, but like, I was having one on one conversations with so many different people a day, a week, like it was just like, I feel like I needed a branch. I was, I was like, and I started suggesting people. I was like, what if I brought somebody on like, no, we want your touch. Like, we we see what you do. I’m like, damn. I’m like, am I that good? Like The somebody can’t emulate what I can do. I don’t think so. Like I’m not like the superstar. Like that has the magic sauce. Like, I just feel like I just bring a good energy and people stuff get done.
Samuel 00:16:53 You do attempt to build a team or you didn’t. I didn’t even.
Johnny 00:16:56 Try. Yeah for sure, no, I did, I attempted and brought stuff, but like, I think it was more towards the tail end when I was burning out.
Johnny 00:17:03 And then I’m like, I’m done.
Samuel 00:17:05 Like, right. So to take us there, man, was it a night? Was it a day? Was it a breakfast? What happened where you were like, I’m done.
Johnny 00:17:12 Yeah. The pain was so super excruciating. One morning I just woke up. I didn’t sleep all night. I was just rolling in bed in pain. And I was just thinking about everything that I had to do the next day. Like, I was just. What is my life like? I went from being in meetings all day with striker to like, feeling like I had financial freedom, but I didn’t. I was actually locked even more so by this consulting gig. And so then I just called everybody and said, I’m done. I will finish out the contracts or whatnot, but we’re done. And I completely ultimately just disappeared.
Samuel 00:17:50 So when you were the night that it was a morning, you said you had a pain. The more you woke up with pain in the divorce, the divorce has already happened.
Johnny 00:18:00 It was I we were we were separated.
Samuel 00:18:02 Separated. Striker’s gone. How many months had you or years had you been running the the the branding business before this morning?
Johnny 00:18:11 It was probably what it was a trigger. December. Probably a year closer.
Samuel 00:18:17 Okay.
Johnny 00:18:18 So yeah.
Samuel 00:18:18 Mike was gone. Separated a year of of potential financial freedom. But expanding yourself to the nth degree. Yep. Morning happens, you wake up, you’re like, this is no stops. Now I gotta reevaluate. Yeah. Call our contacts. You stop everything. What happened next?
Johnny 00:18:36 Yeah. So then I. I mean, so I’ll get into it, I don’t care. I started doing plant medicine. I did psilocybin because I heard it will help you with pain. It will help you neuro pathways help you be able to get unstuck.
Samuel 00:18:50 You know. So this is new to me. What is that like? Well, you know, talk to some mushrooms.
Johnny 00:18:55 Yeah. Mushrooms.
Samuel 00:18:56 No I’m. No, that’s huge microdosing mushrooms.
Samuel 00:18:59 Yeah I know a couple of physicians that are, that are doing that and are actually prescribing that. So yeah I know that’s life changing.
Johnny 00:19:05 It changed everything. Instead of going right, right, right, right. The mushrooms will help you program to finally go left and create a whole new pattern. And it will be able to show you subconsciously where you keep making that same mistake. So you don’t have to keep performing that again, because the universe is powerful. It’s going to keep showing you that lesson until you finally go left. Right.
Samuel 00:19:25 Okay.
Johnny 00:19:25 And so that’s the beauty of it. And so I went on this medicine journey, and it showed me a lot of stuff that I needed to work on. And it showed me things that like where I just kind of just took accountability for everything. And I stopped blaming everything on everything, on everybody and like, stop blaming the marriage. That it was her fault. It stopped like it was. I put everything.
Samuel 00:19:45 Ownership.
Johnny 00:19:46 Extreme ownership. I love that book.
Johnny 00:19:48 Yeah. Jocko. Right. Like 100% all on me. But I was still in pain. But I knew that I was like, I’m doing the right thing. I’m stopping. Like, I’m going somewhere that I’m like, I’m going in the right direction because.
Samuel 00:20:00 So how how did you find out about this? Was it a doctor that introduced it to you? Did you.
Johnny 00:20:04 Know? I mean, I was at the gym and I was talking to some friends and they said, hey, I just did this mushroom journey that changed my life. And I’m like, I want to change my life. Like.
Multiple Speakers 00:20:15 I find me up, like, right here, please. Like I’m good. Like, let’s go. Right, right, right.
Johnny 00:20:20 And I’ve never done any kind of drugs like that. Like I’ve never. I grew up mormon. I grew up with that. Like drugs, alcohol. You don’t drink, you don’t smoke, you don’t have sex, marriage, all that stuff. And so I was just like, clean this kid.
Johnny 00:20:33 And so then I’m like, mushrooms. Okay. And so there’s different, like, types of journeys that you do. So like they say, like five grams or more is like a hero’s journey.
Samuel 00:20:43 Now is this is this like. Is it a social circle that’s guiding you or do you? Did you eventually have to go to a physician, or is there a circle circle that includes physicians? How how do you know what cricket.
Johnny 00:20:53 Great question. So you don’t I didn’t I, I I’m Johnny and I just yeah. But most people there’s like there’s facilitators that be able to go into a social setting and be able to help guide you through if there’s some darkness that comes in, if there’s some deep, like shit that you don’t like shadow stuff. But I didn’t know much about it, so I did it on my own. Yeah. And I took seven grams the first night, and it was like, it, like allowed me to see so much of who I was and where I was going.
Johnny 00:21:25 And like my higher self, I believe in higher self and higher being. Like, thank you for stopping where you’re going, because where you are going with a trajectory of like burnout and chaos and destruction. So, like, for me, just to wake up and cancel everything. Disappear. Take this medicine to show me that I’m on the right path. It was life changing and it showed me where and. But like, there’s no physician really involved because they there’s, like, energetic healers. Spiritual healers be able to help guide you through it. It can be there’s dosages and stuff that you don’t have to, but there’s really no overdosing on mushrooms. Like you just are just going to have a really good magical trip or you’re going to have a dark one. And it just depends on where your headspace is at. And it’s called set setting and intentions like what your setting look like, what’s your what your intentions look like, and then what are your like intentions for the journey? Like, are you here to heal or because I’ve never done any kind of drugs partying, I’ve done it more spiritually.
Johnny 00:22:25 Be able to kill me.
Samuel 00:22:27 Right? Right, right. So okay, so that night happens, you’re like, okay, this is whoa. What was I mean, you know, did you have a conclusion from that first night that said, okay, I’m gonna put myself in a regimen and this is what we’re doing? Or was it more like, okay, I need to explore this way deeper. We need to find the next thing I can do. What what happened after that night?
Johnny 00:22:48 Wow. You just nailed it.
Samuel 00:22:49 Okay.
Johnny 00:22:49 There was no regimen yet. It was. I need to go deeper. Okay? I need to go a lot deeper. And the deepest, highest, most psychedelic thing they say is ayahuasca, so.
Samuel 00:22:59 Oh, gosh, I’ve heard I.
Johnny 00:23:00 Just got the chills just saying.
Samuel 00:23:02 I’ve heard. So again, I am not lying. Everybody I know physicians that do this and I and they have whole practices and so I, I have never done it. But I’ve heard so many people talk to me about was it did you have to like, join a group and they took you out somewhere? How do you even get your hands on the stuff? You know, I mean.
Johnny 00:23:21 So I, I started doing some research and I started doing like diving in. And Peru and Costa Rica are the biggest places that administer ayahuasca. You can find it in the States, but it’s illegal in the States. And so if we want to talk about you can cut that out or whatnot.
Samuel 00:23:38 But yeah, I mean it is what it is.
Johnny 00:23:40 It is what it is. But it’s the most healing.
Samuel 00:23:42 But yeah.
Johnny 00:23:43 Healing, most incredible. And so I’m in marketing. So I Google ayahuasca Costa Rica and the first top ten places come up. And I know the top seven are just ad and paid. And I’m like I’m not going to those ones. So I call number seven. And he was just like, okay, yeah, let’s get on a video call. And he does like an interview with you to make sure that you’re good and like, you’re not this crazy person.
Samuel 00:24:08 Yeah.
Johnny 00:24:09 And then he’s like, okay, it’s going to cost $1,500. And I’m like, hey, what’s the process look like? He’s like, there’s probably going to be a group of 5 to 7, and we are out in the jungle of Costa Rica and we do ayahuasca two nights in a row, but it’s a five day retreat.
Johnny 00:24:24 And before you go out there, you have to prepare no sugars, no salts, no like no alcohol, no sex. No. Like you got to be as clean, as pure as you can.
Samuel 00:24:33 Clean emotionally and physically.
Johnny 00:24:35 Oh, yeah. So, like, you start meditating, you get prepared for it.
Samuel 00:24:39 Wow.
Johnny 00:24:40 And I’m like, okay, this is going to be it. This is going to be my like start of everything. A hip’s going to heal everything. Is this going to be just like this magical, amazing place? I get there and Costa Rica I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Costa Rica.
Samuel 00:24:59 You know, I just went last year, so. Yes.
Johnny 00:25:01 Unbelievable.
Samuel 00:25:02 Yeah.
Johnny 00:25:02 The place is like an oasis. Yeah. It’s gorgeous.
Samuel 00:25:05 It’s.
Johnny 00:25:05 It’s amazing. We over went over by La Fortuna or by Arenal Volcano.
Samuel 00:25:08 That’s where I went. I went to LA. Yeah, yeah. Did you.
Johnny 00:25:11 Go to the hot.
Samuel 00:25:11 Springs? Yeah, I went to the hot springs and I hiked the volcano.
Samuel 00:25:15 Yeah, so did I. Okay.
Johnny 00:25:17 Yeah. And so then. So we get there, and the group is pretty powerful. There’s a lot of cool people there. And like, a lot of people just searching and seeking and looking for answers. And some people weren’t in pain. They were just looking for the ayahuasca experience that enlightened men to be able to know, like, okay, like I’m good. And so I had very high expectations, very, very high. Because imagine the medicine journey was so good with the mushrooms. I’m like, this is gonna.
Samuel 00:25:42 Be this is like next level. We’re going next level. I’m leaving the minor leagues.
Johnny 00:25:46 Yeah. Like I’m I’m going to the majors. Like, way past, like, right. Nothing happened the first night, bro. I was so mad.
Samuel 00:25:56 Like, why am I not feeling anything? I was like.
Johnny 00:25:59 I was throwing up, which there’s a like that’s like there’s something called the purge. Like, you purged out emotions and energy, but like, nothing magical happened.
Samuel 00:26:07 Like, okay.
Johnny 00:26:09 And I learned the biggest light, like, life lesson of my whole entire life. Stop having expectations and you’ll never be disappointed again. That’s what the medicine taught me that night. Because when I left that I, the shaman, asked around the circle, the facilitator, everybody have one word and say. Everybody was like saying positive things. And I said, disappointed. Everybody looked at me like like I’m being honest. Like I was super disappointed. I leave the meeting at 2:00 in the morning. I’m sitting in front of my bed looking over the. And I’m just bawling. I’m like, why did I come here? What am I doing? Like, why this sucks. This is terrible. But then like, it just registered. Like, man, I had high expectations throughout my whole life and I’ve been disappointed so many times, time and time again, if I can just leave the expectations at the door and just I’ll never be disappointed again. And that was like gold to me.
Johnny 00:27:09 Like I’m like, I can leave this retreat now and be like the best version of myself and not have anything, because that was like pure medicine for me, because I did have a lot of we all have a lot of expectations. We do. We grew up in a society of expectations like, you should do this. You should do this like you’re growing up, like even within the Mormon religion, you have to do this. You got to do this. And so there was a lot of expectations. And so then the next night I’m like, come what may, like whatever comes tonight. Like, are we good? Like I had no expectations. If it doesn’t work, I’m just already happy. So I take the ayahuasca like ten minutes, 15, 20 minutes into it. I start like, touching my toes, stretching, stretching. I get up like in this. You’re supposed to be quiet and meditating. Not me. Dude. I was like, moving around, stretching for sure.
Johnny 00:28:01 And the shaman was looking at me. He’s like. He’s like, sit down. I was like, no, I can’t, I can’t. And I like, stood up and like, did a hip thing and it popped like my hips just popped. All the pain, the emotion I’m getting, the chills, the emotion. Everything just vanished.
Samuel 00:28:17 Stop, stop.
Johnny 00:28:18 No swear, bro. Like everything you could ever imagine that I held into my head I’m getting I have the chills. Went away. Like everything from childhood to all my hip replacements. All that pain just vanished mid-air. Like the ayahuasca healed it. And I saw the energy come in to the healing of the grandmother. They call her. They come and heal my hip. And then I was the most flexible person in the whole entire world. Like I could bend in half. I could do everything because I was physically healed, but I wasn’t like in the physical realm. I was in the spiritual realm with ayahuasca, man.
Samuel 00:28:55 So hold on, hold on.
Samuel 00:28:56 This. This is awesome, by the way. Okay, so you’re saying that you had a moment of feeling like you were healed, or you’re saying that you had a moment and you were actually healed?
Johnny 00:29:14 I was actually healed. We. So Christ Jesus talks about thy faith have made thee whole, and he talks about frequency and energy. I tapped into the high frequency of the healing energy and we healed each other like I was open to the healing. I was open to receiving anything that the universe was able to give to me. And I had such hope and high like that, I could heal myself somehow, someway. Nobody understands. If you have never lived in chronic pain, it is the absolute hardest thing. Day in and day out. I hope.
Samuel 00:29:53 You enjoyed today’s episode and.
Multiple Speakers 00:29:55 Remember, I have a customized and personalized program that gets you into the medical technology industry. As a sales professional or any type of role for that matter. Become a top performer in your position and masterfully navigate your career to executive level leadership.
Multiple Speakers 00:30:11 Check out these programs and learn more at Chess.com by visiting our site. Fill out an application schedule some time with one of our account executives and allowing us to get you where you need to be. Stay tuned for more awesome content with amazing interviews on the Medical Sales podcast.
Medical Territory Manager!
I was a Regional Sales Representative for Long-Term Care pharmacy services. I had dreamed of getting into the med sales industry when I went into my career as a nurse, but the pharmacy sales job came to me, and I had just settled. Fortunately, I had a job shakeup that allowed me to determine that now was the time to pursue my original vision.
I absolutely would not have this position without Samuel and the Evolve Your Success community. A lot of people my age would just stop trying, but EYS believed in me.
EYS allowed me to break into the industry in 90-Days after I had been trying on my own for over two years! I had lots of recruiter screenings, and a few interviews with hiring managers, but I was never offered a position.
Before EYS, I didn’t realize I was doing the bare minimum to get hired. I was applying everywhere, hoping to get noticed and waiting. It just wasn’t working! I didn’t know that that was not enough to compete in an industry this sought after, and against people who knew what I didn’t know about the process.
Of course, I had to think hard before making a financial investment that’s reasonably substantial. But when I read the testimonials of real med sales reps on the site and learned that I wasn’t the only one taking a chance on my success, that EYS was sharing that risk also, I knew I had to do it. Though you might be able to cobble together some of the steps of getting a role in med sales from online research on your own, you just can’t know what you don’t know!
The process of going through EYS presents this insider knowledge to the student, as well as giving you a progression of difficulty as you obtain the information, and you begin to master it. Not only that, but they give you access to amazing mentors and instructors, allow you to practice your interview skills, and teach you how to market yourself through social media and your own website! I cannot stress enough that EYS was the factor that made the difference in my successfully landing my dream job! The support, structure, and knowledge gained was invaluable!
I would recommend this course to ANYONE looking to break into medical sales
Thank you so much, EYS! This journey has been life changing and has resulted in the successful culmination of my 18-Year ambition! 
Sports Medicine in Phoenix! I extend so much gratitude to the Evolve Your Success group as I land this role and get ready to pursue my dream job. I am a Physical Therapist who became a little stuck in the profession due to issues with reimbursement and the difficulty for continued growth upwards. I turned to EYS to assist me in learning about the medical sales industry and gain knowledgable mentors who were able to help coach me in this process. I am a strong believer in surrounding yourself with the best and good things will happen. I did work hard, but with the support of my mentors and other colleagues going through a career change, I felt a sense of community and it confirmed my drive to get into this industry. I have already learned so much through the interview process, and feel very blessed to have had the resources this group provided. I have made lifelong friends and I cannot wait to continue to follow others’ journeys to pursue this incredible field. I urge you to give Evolve Your Success a try to gain mentorship, guidance, and support through any career transition.
and am excited to make a difference in patients’ lives as a Pharmaceutical Sales Specialist.
! Though I truly enjoyed working as a physical therapist, I can’t wait to start my career in the sales world as a Clinical Account Executive.
. I owe this opportunity to Samuel, the program, and the incredible mentors at EYS.
