Ana Lansink

I attribute my success to being a continual learner and having a genuine desire to learn. I think a big piece of it is just being humble and not having this big ego that I know everything. I'm honest with people, telling them I'm new to this industry and asking them to teach me. I just step back and be a student. I also think it's important to connect with people and learn from other people. Even though I'm often the least knowledgeable person in the room, especially with the cardiac knowledge gap I have, I embrace that. I step back and say, that's okay, and I ask people to teach me. It pushes me to grow so much being in this environment where I don't know everything and I'm just starting to figure it out.

The best career advice I've ever received is to always just be a learner, and you never want to be the smartest person in the room. With the change I've made lately into medical device sales, the gap in my cardiac-related knowledge means I am the least knowledgeable person in the room most of the time. But I've learned that's okay. It's so beneficial and pushes me to grow so much, being in this environment all the time where I don't know everything and I'm just starting to figure it out. I've learned to step back and just be honest with people, saying, hey, I'm new to this industry, I'm new to this world, can you teach me? Just being a student and having that desire to learn has been the most valuable advice I've received.

Don't be afraid to ask questions. That's the biggest thing. Just be yourself. Don't try to be a person you're not. Be you, and that's the only way you will connect with people. That's such a big part of the job, having those relationships with the providers, with the nurses, with everybody. You have to truly and honestly be yourself to build those connections.

The biggest challenges and opportunities in my field right now include learning complex cardiology clinical information, managing territory workflows, and coordinating insurance, documentation, and logistics to ensure patients receive timely care, while also addressing barriers such as rural access and language differences that can impact equitable treatment.

Honesty and integrity are at the top for me. Family is a huge value, both personally and professionally. My personal life is centered around my family, but for work, my why is family. That's what motivates me to do what I do. Seeing the difficulties my mom has faced not having a formal education, and growing up having seen people discriminate against her because of the language barrier and look at her differently, has really helped me to see and understand the privilege I've had in my life. It's very much motivated me to take advantage of the opportunities in front of me, not only just for myself, but for my family, to make them proud of me, and just knowing that I'm in a better situation than they were.