Meet Lisa Apple, a physical therapist looking for a change. Her story serves as an inspiration for anyone who wants to do a successful – and fast – career transition. She joins Samuel Adeyinka to share how a PT like her graduated from the Medical Sales Career Builder Program and now thriving and happy med rep. Lisa discusses how the program helped her evolve professionally and become prepared to pursue her passion in medical sales. Learn how Lisa courageously chose herself above anything else and fought for the life she truly wants to live. Tune in now and take a chance on yourself!
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Physical Therapist to Med Device Rep in Record Time with Lisa Apple
In this episode, we have with us a special guest. Her name is Lisa Apple. She is special because she is another graduate of our program, the Medical Sales Career Builder. She was a physical therapist that was looking for a change. She stumbled upon us, and now, she is a medical sales rep, and the rest is history. I’m not going to spoil it. We are going to get into the details in this interview. I am proud to bring another student that went to the program and talk about her success.
If you are trying to get into the industry, you already know this is an episode you have to read. If you are someone that is already in the industry, maybe you had a hand in helping her get where she is now. Once you have through our program, also tune in. We do our best to bring you guests that are breaking into the industry as well as creating innovative ways to do things differently in the wide, vast world of medical sales. I do hope you enjoy this interview.
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Lisa, how are you doing?
I’m good, Samuel. It is good to see you. How are you?
I’m fantastic. No complaints over here. Why don’t you tell everybody who you are and what you do?
I can officially say that I am a territory manager in the neuro rehab division.
This is the treat I’m going to share. Lisa was a physical therapist that found our program, invested, and took a chance on herself. On the other side of the program, she is now a territory manager. This is a big deal. This is exciting. I’m happy to have her on the show. Talk to us about what life was like as a physical therapist. Before you found us, where was your head? What were you thinking of doing? What was going on?
I have been a physical therapist for several years now. I owned my own business. I have done many different iterations of that business. I had a brick and mortar for five years and had employees. I had a packed schedule. Once COVID hit, my lease was up in the middle of COVID in 2021. I had been slogging through and working hard. I was like, “It would be nice not to have that big overhead because leases out here in the Seattle area are as much or more than most mortgages.”
In 2021, I had that feeling that I wanted to start and use not only my skills as a PT but in the business side of things. I thought, “What else can I do?” Most nonclinical jobs will go to nurses. Those are the first PTs. I have all these skills. It is hard to get your foot in the door. I ended up moving my business home because I felt huge loyalty to my patients. I love working with people. I brought it home and created my own in-home business. That was going on for about a year before I was like, “I still have that desire to do something different and challenging.” I didn’t quite know where to get started.
[bctt tweet=”Always have the desire to do something different and challenging, even if you don’t know where to get started.” via=”no”]
I was listening to an interview that Phillip McGee did with you on LinkedIn. I thought, “Who is this guy Samuel?” I was impressed. You mentioned some of your backgrounds, saying that you have studied a lot of biology and sciencey stuff in school. You knew you didn’t want to be a doctor, but you wanted to use that. I thought, “That is where I’m going here. I want to be able to use my knowledge because I nerd out on everything science.”
You also said that you had done some work with Tony Robbins, and you had gotten this sense of, “I’m back on my game.” There is something about the way that you presented yourself and your personality. I’m like, “He knows what he is doing.” We got on the call together, and you convinced me the rest of the way how this is worth your investment. Would I be a good fit for the program? I looked in, but you don’t take everybody. You look and make sure they are the right fit for you, and you are the right fit for them.
Let’s fast-forward to that. After the discussion, you had with me the first time we spoke on the phone, I’m sure you talked about it with your family. What said, “I’m going to make this happen?” Was it someone that spoke to you? Was it you were already convinced as soon as we got off the phone? Were you something that you saw or did? Talk to us a little bit about that.
You explained to me that in the program, there was going to be a lot of coaching in terms of you are going to dig deep into your story. You are going to craft your story in such a way that you will be able to be honest with recruiters and hiring managers but tell a compelling story of how your skills or how my skills could benefit them. I thought, “That is what I need.” I had done some interviews, and I had gotten up three rounds. It fell apart for whatever reason. Some were good, and some were my choice. I walked away from a few.
I had been at the beginning stages of an interview even months before I met you. I hadn’t heard anything for a while. I thought, “I’m going to do something to make this happen.” It felt right for me because I’m being able to use my clinical skills in that neuro space and talk to providers. You said to me, “Lisa, you talked to providers all the time. You have done that in your own business. You could do this.”
It was how you explained the program and how it was laid out in a structured way, but you also had some interaction with industry leaders because you have been there and had that career in medical sales and been successful. I felt like you had a lot of knowledge to share. I wasn’t sure how it was arranged before I got in.
I want you to be honest and crystal clear on what your role is. Give us a little bit about what it means to be a territory manager. Who is your call point? What are you selling?
As a territory manager, I will be responsible for capital sales. That means going into sales rehab facilities and talking to them about bringing on the products that are part of the neuro rehab division. Some of those are big expensive pieces of equipment, and some are more for an individual patient. It’s someone who is used on the whole patient caseload, and some would go for individual patients. I work closely with the clinical specialist. We would be a team. That was appealing to me because, being out on your own for a while for several years, I created my own team, but I wanted to have that.
Is it you and the clinical specialist, or is there an associate territory manager? Give us a little out the team.
There is an associate salesperson and clinical specialist, the territory manager. For one of the products, they have a specialized team. I would be the person who would get the leads and get them in the door. They would work with them because you have to configure things that are part of their infrastructure. As the director of sales for the West Coast, I would be interacting with a ton. It is probably 6 or 7 people.
You got into the program, you logged in, and you are in. Tell us what you experienced. Was it what you thought? Are you surprised? What happened? Walk us through your experience.
I joined on a Tuesday evening, and you said, “We are having our group call on Wednesday at 3:30 Pacific Time. I expect you to be there.” I was like, “I got to do some homework.” I started going through a lot of the beginning lessons and listening. You had said, “Listen to some of my podcasts.” I took it on like it was homework, and I dove in. You recommend 3 to 6 hours a week. I had done it six hours before that first group meeting on Wednesday because I could do that anyway, where I dive deep.
I showed up for that first group meeting. You had said we might get on the hot seat. I got a little nervous, but I jumped right in. It was in a little bit different section than I had started with at the beginning, but that was okay because you assured me that we would circle back around to other material. We would always go back. It is fun. It was a little bit of performance anxiety, which was good.
That is something I want to highlight. It was a classroom dynamic. It is almost like you are part of a little family. How did that help through your process of going through the multiple interviews and everything you did to get this position? If it didn’t, tell us the truth. Did it help? Did it not help? What was it like for you?
That first night, what you did was you threw something out there as your first interview, and you talked about the first person to break the ice. It puts them at ease. You gave an example of an interviewee who would be like, “It is nice to meet you.” That was it, versus picking something about that person that they had discovered through LinkedIn or doing some research or even commenting on something in their environment, saying, “Tell me about that,” as a way to make it more human instead of feeling like, “I’m the underdog.” You were specific about saying, “Put yourself on that even playing field.” I thought to myself, “You can do that? I didn’t even know.”
I come from a PT background. At school, you do your clinical. A lot of times, people will get jobs from that last clinical or one of them that they have done. Usually, you do three twelve-week clinical and a four-week clinical. You can go back to all those employers and say, “Remember when you saw me work for that long? Do you want to give me a job?” It is unless they offer it to you. It is not a huge long interview process for a physical therapist. The idea of having 6 or 7 interviews in front of me to get a medical sales position was extremely daunting. I said to you, “Are you kidding?”
You handled it with amazing prowess.
By the end, I had done seven.
Were there any pleasant surprises you had throughout your experience in the program? You were with us for four months. Give us what surprises and the things you did not expect that you were like, “I didn’t know I didn’t get this?”
I love the mock interviews. I didn’t expect it until I got into the program or spoke to you about it. Those were helpful. I ended up doing three mock interviews. That made all the difference because I got to practice telling my story in an authentic way. You would give me tips like, “Bring this in more because they are going to want to know that about you.”
[bctt tweet=”Mock interviews can help you practice telling your story in an authentic way. ” via=”no”]
Once you get your foot in the door, it’s like getting the one-year business plan and getting the 30, 60, and 90-day plan together. It’s having all of that stuff in the view, which is your career portfolio. I followed your advice, and I sent it to the hiring manager digitally. When I met them, I brought it in physical form. They honestly said to me, “That is the extra step you are going to need to do this job. You did it without me even asking.” That was hugely reinforcing that you know what you are doing. It does put you a cut above any other applicant.
Tell us this, Lisa. We have readers trying to get into the industry and are already in the industry. What would you say to someone reading if they are considering taking a program and using something that can give them the edge to get the position? What would you tell them?
They can trust Evolve Your Success, and you have a great team and great information. There are many coaches out there now, and I have done a few other coaching programs. They are more theoretical, which is great, but I was at that point when I met you that I was ready to get the tangible steps that it took. There are many PTs out there that are hoping to move on. They want to get outside the clinical realm and utilize that different part of their brain. They take their skills along with them. Your program would appeal to that.
Let’s fast forward to the moment you heard that you got the job. What was the anxiety level? What did you think when you heard the words? Could you believe it? Take us to that moment.
I did my huge happy dance. I was messing around everywhere. I couldn’t believe it. It had been going on for quite a while. I interviewed on the phone and via Zoom. I ended up doing about a four-and-a-half-hour in-person interview with the director of sales as well as the clinical specialist. I got reassurance from the director of sales. He was like, “We like you. I want an offer to come your way.” He said it might take a little while because it was the holidays. When it finally came through, I was incredibly happy, but I could not believe this was happening to me.
Lisa, it is a pleasure to have worked with you, to have you go through the program, get these results, and be exactly where you want to be. It is a beautiful thing.
We are impressed with you and the team you have put together. It is amazing. You are doing good work.
With that being said, we will bring this to a close. We are going to have our Lightning Round. Before I do that, is there anything you want to share with any medical sales reps reading, anything you want to share any life philosophy? Now is your time to share with the world.
Doing that work, getting to know yourself, and knowing what you are looking for was part of your program. Not that I have done a lot of that in the past. It appealed to me to do more of that work with you in a targeted way. It resonated with me. That is amazing.
Let’s go to the Lightning Round. You have ten seconds to answer these questions. I’m going to ask four questions. The first one is, what is the book that you have read in the last couple of months?
Untamed by Glennon Doyle.
What is the premise of that one?
It is all about standing up for your voice. Stop being a people pleaser. Go out and get what you want.
[bctt tweet=”Stand up for your voice. Stop being a people-pleaser. Go out and get what you want. ” via=”no”]
I’m going to check that one out. Next one, what is the best movie you have seen or TV show in the last several months?
I saw the new Avatar, and I loved it because I love the visuals. Have you seen it?
No. The first one was the biggest thing ever. Does it even come close? I haven’t seen it.
I would say it is better. It is long. I got up on my knees. The visuals have a lot of underwater stuff. It talks about the underdog in the world and how some people shun people. They don’t know the whole story. There are some themes about bringing that person back into the fold. It is heartwarming.
What is the best meal you have eaten in the last several months?
It’s a sushi meal that I have had out here because I love sushi. It is in Downtown Bellevue. It is at the top of this floor. It’s gorgeous. They also have wagyu beef. If you are not a sushi fan, they got that too. I’m going to have to get back to you on that.
Last thing, what is the best experience you have had in the last several months?
In the late summer of 2022, I went back to Boston to pick my daughter up after she did a summer ballet intensive. We went on an East Coast tour of colleges. We wrapped it up with an 80th birthday party for my dad in Kentucky.
Lisa, it was such a pleasure to have you on the show. We can’t wait to see the amazing things you are going to do with your company. We are going to be following up with you. Thank you for being on the show.
Thank you so much, Samuel.
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That was Lisa Apple. It is refreshing to have a guest like that, a client we worked with that trusted us to help her get to where she wants to be and see her there. It is a beautiful thing. I’m grateful to be a part of it and be able to share it with all of you. If you are someone that wants to get in, you read it firsthand. What are you waiting for?
If you have been banging your head up against the wall because you are not getting the success you want in getting a role, or you are at the top of the journey, and you have no idea where to turn to or where to start, what are you waiting for? Visit EvolveYourSuccess.com, and let’s turn you into one of our success stories and get you into a medical sales position.
If you are someone out there reading this, and you are in the field, you are already working and have a role, but you know there are things to be desired and you want to see more success, what are you waiting for? Go to EvolveYourSuccess.com and select Improve Sales Performance. Let’s have a conversation and get you to where you deserve to be.
As always, we love bringing guests on the show that I can now say we help get positions, guests on the show that bring innovations to medical sales, and guests on the show that are trailblazing new ways to do things in this industry. I’m grateful for all of you readers that come back every single week to read. Thank you for reading, and make sure you tune in for another episode.
Important Links
About Lisa Apple
Lisa is a highly experienced medical practitioner with an exceptional combination of clinical care, patient relations, and health education and training skills gained from managing successful healthcare clinics, as well as serving on multi-disciplinary teams within Seattle Children’s Hospital, Lynch Dance Institute, and other major medical centers and institutions.
She has been recognized throughout her career for extensive knowledge of injury prevention and rehabilitation issues, as well as the ability to serve as an effective and emphatic ambassador on healthcare topics to patients, families, medical staff, and the community at large. To date, she has been an invited speaker on physical therapy, injury prevention, and rehabilitation topics to numerous medical groups including the UW Department of Orthotics, Seattle Children’s Hospital, and G2 Sports—in addition to authoring multiple local media articles on health/wellness/fitness.
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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.
