There is no challenge too high or challenge too low. Shark Tank success Courtney Turich has been constantly pushed outside her comfort zone. Going out of the box and into the tanks of entrepreneurship is how she learned to thrive in her personal and professional endeavors. In this episode, Courtney sits with Samuel Gbadebo to discuss her sales coach and serial sales entrepreneur expertise. Tune in as we dive deep into her Shark Tank success with Mark Cuban and the things she learned coming out of that experience.
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Life Outside The Comfort Zone With Shark Tank Success Courtney Turich
We have Courtney Turich in part two of her experience as a sales coach and sales serial entrepreneur. We are about to dive deep into her experience on Shark Tank with Mark Cuban, in which she was successful. I am not going to spoil it for you. I’m going to let her describe and share it and everything she learned coming out of that experience and what it led her to. It’s a phenomenal story. As always, thank you for reading, and I do hope you enjoy this interview.
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No wonder I’m not being fulfilled. I’m not using my strengths.
I did not see this. Let’s all have some context here because when I see Shark Tank and these people close these deals, I’m like, “Okay.” I understand that business has its ups and downs, and things need to be worked out, but for the most part, I’m thinking, “If you got Mark Cuban on your side, success is inevitable. You entered a whole new realm of life. You’re going to be having this amazing company selling all these products. It’s a wrap.” Put some context on that. If you can, share a little bit more detail about what happened about you getting backed by this billionaire, I would think money is plentiful. What happened? Give us a little bit more.
Mark Cuban is amazing. He’s unbelievable when it comes to supporting entrepreneurs. I can’t say enough positive things about that man. He puts a whole support team. He pays for that support team that you have access to 24/7. You have an accounting and business manager who helps you find deals and marketing assistance. They’re getting pulled in many ways from various companies, but they’re there to help you be successful. He helped us at different levels.
We were on sales channels on TV. I got my stardom going there and got to be on TV selling Monkey Mats, which was fun. My business partner and I came to a point where we didn’t know how to keep growing, and others like, “Did we want to grow it to that next level?” There’s like that pivotal moment of, “Are we going to go out and get more funding?” They gave us funding, and you have to pay all that back.
Even though you were provided an initial round of funding, they’re not going to give you funding continuously.
They can, but we never went back for funding because we were at that crossroad with it.
The crossroad is to sell it and make somewhat of a profit or get another round of funding and let’s hope that we can take this to the next level?
Exactly.
You hit this crossroad and realized that you weren’t utilizing your strengths. Talk to us a little bit about that. What strengths weren’t being utilized? Why weren’t you being fulfilled?
The business became very operational at the end of the day. We were sitting behind computers. We were working, and we’re getting our inventory from China. We have a warehouse that was shipping and receiving. We were working with our customers who are big-box customers, like Target and Walmart of the world. It became very logistical. I’m not a logistical person. It is not something that makes me shine. When I look at my strengths, they fall more into the influencing category. I want to be out and about. I want to be talking to people. I want to be providing positive insight, all of that, and I wasn’t getting it anymore.
You made the decision to sell it. Share with us what you can. What was that like?
It might make me tear up because it’s a hard thing because, as an entrepreneur, you put your heart and soul into it. For me, it felt like a failure at the time. It took me a long time to vocalize that I needed to leave or walk away, and it was no longer serving my family and me anymore. It was a journey. It didn’t happen overnight. I remember talking to another Shark Tank entrepreneur who closed their business down a few months before I decided to leave. I talked to her for the first time ever on the phone. I said, “I need to leave, and I’m scared of failure. I felt like I was failing.”
[bctt tweet=”It takes a long time to realize that you need to walk away from things that are no longer serving you.” username=””]
That’s quite an experience. When we come to that place where we think we’re failing, the funny thing is, in the grand scheme of things, it’s a boom for more success. We cannot see that. I can understand that completely. You make the decision, you finally decide to close it, you sell your shares, and what happens next? Where did you take your career after that?
I worked for a startup with my old mentor. Interesting enough, the CEO at the company I went to was the one who managed me back when I was at Stryker Navigation way back when. The world is so small when we get down to it. I went to work for a startup called Veran Medical. Little did I know that’s when this came to the surface for me more than ever about honing in on your strengths and knowing how to let yourself thrive.
How?
We hired a lot of young people within Veran. That was my opportunity to take those individuals under my wings and help them develop and shine. That’s when I realized there was this fuel inside of me that every time they had that a-ha moment, I got even more excited than they did. I’m like, “Yes.” It was COVID, and everybody kept coming to me, “You need to look at this little more. You have a gift.” That’s when I started getting my coaching certification with that extra time to hone in on that skill.
That’s why you went to become a coach and learn the skills that you are able to exercise now. You got your coaching license, and you’re ready to go. What happened next?
It keeps evolving. I went to the same coaching program as you did, iPEC. It was very thorough. I’m still at Veran during the pandemic. This team has the best synergy ever that I’ve ever been a part of. Honestly, this experience was better for me at Veran than it was at Shark Tank because of the comradery and teamwork we all had built. We were all working for this common goal, and it was to help patients with lung cancer and to sell this company.
In December of 2020, we sold the company. We’re all excited, and lo and behold, it was like, “What happened?” As exciting as it was, we achieved our goal, but our life changed because now we’re part of this bigger organization. It’s not that they didn’t meet our expectations, we just worked in a different way, and it was changed.
Going back to that fulfillment, it adjusted, and you needed to say, “I need to reevaluate what’s going to fulfill me. Let me see what else I need to do.” You are a bit of a successful serial entrepreneur.
I love it. I don’t know if my husband does. He thinks I’m crazy, but he stays by my side.
Look at your track record. That’s impressive stuff that you’ve been able to be a part of and be a creator of. That’s beautiful, and it’s wonderful to see. As we talked about it, you’ve taken all these experiences and transformed them into this coaching practice that is helping people experience their own transformations.
It’s fair to mention after we got bought out by Veran, I did go to another company which was imperative to where I am now because I was only there for three months.
Can you share what made you want to do something different after three months?
[bctt tweet=”You have to put yourself out there and make your employees know that you’re not afraid to get your elbows greasy too.” username=””]
It was another hard decision for me because when I commit to something, I fully commit. I made myself stick it out for three months, but after 30 days, I knew it didn’t align with my own vision of myself and where I wanted to be. That’s when I had to make the hard decision to walk away, and that’s what brought me to kick off my coaching, my course, and do a few other things.
What’s the name of your course?
It’s Med Rep Coach, and the course is The Professional Development Academy.
I’m so glad we’re talking about this. You said that you made a decision to join an organization, and then within 30 days, you knew. Going through your program, they learn a lot about this. If you can share quickly, what can people walk away with from this episode that they need to make sure they ask themselves so that they can prevent something like that from happening to them?
I thought I did a lot of due diligence on my end to understand what I was walking into. I don’t believe I dug enough into the core of the company. In reality, I don’t know. Maybe I did have to experience it to be like, “Courtney, you’re not giving your all here, and they’re not getting what they deserve.” It was this two-way street. It’s not fair for them to have me now because it’s not doing me any good either.
That’s an even a great point to make because by you diving deeper into what fulfills you, you’ll know that in the process of research. If you’re teaching everybody the same thing, they’ll all know and learn that in the process of research so that whenever they make a commitment to any organization or decide on any organization, they know it’s the right fit.
It is okay. Now more than ever, people can find other people within the company on LinkedIn or make phone calls. More than likely, everybody’s willing to pick up the phone.
You can know a little bit about the culture from having those conversations. Let’s talk about this. I want to know what advice you have for the different types of people reading this. We have people who want to get into the industry, people who are in the industry, and then people who are leading the way within this industry who are reading this. What would you like to share with those that want to get in?
With those who want to get in, there are few things. It’s very easy to get frustrated and want to walk away because getting your foot in the door can be hard. There are so many avenues also to utilize your network and reach out to other people within the space and make yourself known. Not to mention, you have your course that you’re doing that helps outline, define, and evolve for success to start making that impact on getting into the industry.
For me, I helped those individuals know how to sell themselves and know who they are at the core to be able to articulate themselves confidently in that interview process. That is where I feel like my niche is with those individuals. There was one guy I placed, and he didn’t have B2B. He wasn’t right out of college. He had a clinical background. By watching him navigate his own process, he showed more drive than most B2B people or reps that I’ve worked with to find a network with people in the industry. It was amazing. It opened my eyes.
It is true. When they dig deep and evaluate what they’ve been able to do, there are so many connections to make on experiences that don’t have anything to do with having a B2B sales role or even having a sales role that still showcases that you do very well within a sales role. That’s excellent. What advice do you have for those that are within the industry?
With those in the industry, this has also been interesting for me because a lot of the people in my course have been in the industry a few years, like 1 to 5 years. They’re at that level where they’re trying to take their career to the next level. They’re trying to hone in on their own craft and understand how to take it to the next level. I can’t stress it enough. I’m a huge believer in understanding who you are at your core because if you can do that, you can sell yourself to anyone.
[bctt tweet=”Making people feel that they’re human pushes them to be better people in the workplace.” username=””]
Being the serial entrepreneur you are, having a relationship with Mark Cuban, what would you share with the leaders of this industry?
Keep putting yourself out there and making your employees, the people you manage, feel that you’re not afraid to be there and get your elbows greasy too with them. Also, making them feel important and like a person. We’re all people at the end of the day. If my manager can make me feel that I’m human and it’s okay at times, that pushes me to be a better person, that’s all I’m asking for.
Courtney, thank you so much for spending time with us. We will keep tabs on everything you’re up to. Make sure you check her out. What’s the website where people can find you and look into your program?
They can find me at Med Rep Coach. I also have another website kicking off in the next few months called the Turich Project, where it’s a place for women to empower women in the industry and share their voices.
Courtney, thank you for the time you gave us.
Thank you so much, Samuel. Keep doing what you’re doing.
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That was part two with Courtney Turich. I like this episode because Courtney shows the experience of someone that has an entrepreneurial dream and will not stop exploring options until they find what speaks to it the most. It’s not every day that someone can say they were on Shark Tank and had experience with Mark Cuban, but to go through that, experience success, some setbacks, get re-evaluation involved, and settle on where you want to be and what truly moves you, and then to start another business in that space and be successful again, that’s a beautiful story. That’s a story that Courtney was able to share with us.
Some of you might be reading this and read what Courtney experienced, people she works with, like medical sales reps, and you’re thinking to yourself, “I want to do something about it myself. I want to dive deeper and get into this field.” Maybe you’re in B2B sales, you’re in a customer service role, or you work in a clinic on an ancillary role, and you’ve seen these reps, and you’re saying, “I want to be in that position. What do I need to do to become a medical device sales rep, pharmaceutical sales rep, biotech sales rep, or lab diagnostic sales rep? What do I need to do to make that dream happen for me?”
What I want you to do about it is I want you to stop dreaming and start doing. The dream is there. You’ve had it. You’ve been thinking about it. You might’ve read a number of my episodes or someone else’s episodes, and you still haven’t pressed go, or you’re still not clear on what you should do to press go. Stop that now. Go to EvolveYourSuccess.com and follow the prompts, click Attain A Medical Sales Role, fill out the application, and get in touch with someone who can help you.
Maybe you’re reading, and you’re in the medical sales field. You want to show up differently. You want 2022 to be your golden year. Every year should be your golden year, but you want to learn what it takes to make this year be your golden year. Stop wondering about it. Stop guessing about it. Go to the website and select Improve Sales Performance. As always, we do our best to bring you guests that are going to bring you different insights, experiences, passions, all sorts of different things that you can learn from this industry. Thank you for reading. Make sure you read next time for another episode of the show.
Important Links:
- Courtney Turich
- iPEC
- The Professional Development Academy
- https://www.YouTube.com/channel/UCu-qG-i8tMWLrtRulbr2O7Q?app=desktop
About Courtney Turich
Leader. Motivator. Coach. Visionary. Achiever. Inspirational. Real. Authentic.
Courtney is an Indiana girl at her roots, but aspired to see what this world offered and hasn’t looked back since. Her personal and professional journey has given her the ability to live in 8 different states, which has constantly pushed her outside the comfort zone where she’s learned to thrive.
Her expertise and diverse background in MedTech, Shark Tank Entrepreneurship, working with large Fortune 500 companies, to small start up has given her a unique experience in various aspects of sales, marketing, and leadership.
She is passionate about helping and inspiring others to be the best they can be! There is no challenge too high or challenge to low, she’s always willing to roll up her sleeves and dig in!
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.
