Her Story
About Bree
My journey into medical device sales came from my background as a nurse. I was a nurse for 11 years before I transitioned into selling the Impella Heart Pump, which is the world's smallest heart pump. I started doing medical device sales specifically with this product because I just believed in the therapy - I saw it save people's lives. I felt what better way to have a bigger impact than just helping a singular patient coming in on a case that I was on, but to teach hospitals throughout the entire LA region. I really believe in the product, I love the product, and I've watched it save lives almost daily for 5 years now. The Impella basically supports the heart when people are having heart attacks - it's like a little straw that goes into the ventricle, and then they can stent and open up the blocked arteries. These patients are very, very sick, and it can be a bridge to heart transplant or hopefully a bridge to recovery where they go home with their own hearts. I'm now in a territory manager type role where I get to guide a whole team of people, which I've been doing officially for about 9 months. I've always really liked training people and guiding and mentoring people. One of my most notable achievements is building local heart programs, especially at the community hospital center level versus the big hospitals like Cedars-Sinai and USC Keck. I think building the community hospitals up so that they can do the same similar work provides those resources and extra options to underserved populations.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Bree
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to finding mentors who were doing something I was interested in and following what they did. Finding other influential people is kind of what has guided me throughout my career. I had a lot of mentors in the game getting me to where I'm at now, which is why I like paying that back now by mentoring others. I also believe that the most important thing is belief in yourself. The best advice I received was to sell yourself before you sell something else - be authentic, be genuine. You could really sell any product, I think, if you sell yourself first.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received was to sell yourself before you sell something else. Be authentic, be genuine. You know, you could really sell any product, I think, if you sell yourself first. The belief in yourself, I think, is the most important thing.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say find a mentor that's doing something you're interested in, and follow what they do. I think finding other influential people is kind of what has guided me throughout my career. I had a lot of mentors in the game getting me to where I'm at now, which is why I like paying that back now by mentoring others.
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