Her Story
About Cherisse
Cherisse Taylor is a medical device sales executive, distribution principal, and entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry. She serves as Principal of CT Elite Spine Care, LLC, an exclusive Orthofix distributor, and is the CEO and Founder of SX/RX™, a digital postoperative recovery platform she launched to address patient needs following major spine and orthopedic procedures. Taylor has spent more than two decades in medical device sales, including 21 years selling the same device, and has demonstrated a strong ability to build lasting physician relationships, grow revenue, and develop successful business opportunities. After completing a non-compete period, she built her business from the ground up and achieved significant revenue results within a small territory.
Taylor's career was shaped by an early athletic experience that ultimately redirected her professional path. A gymnastics injury ended her college scholarship and led her to begin working with an ophthalmology group before transitioning to an orthopedic practice in Sarasota, where she helped expand the organization into additional locations. Her experience working alongside orthopedic professionals eventually led her into medical device sales, where she found an opportunity to combine her healthcare knowledge, relationship-building skills, and passion for helping patients and physicians. Her personal experience recovering from multiple ACL surgeries and a total knee replacement also provided firsthand insight into the challenges patients face throughout the postoperative recovery process, inspiring her to create SX/RX™ to make surgeon-directed recovery protocols more accessible, engaging, and easier for patients to follow at home.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Taylor remains deeply connected to athletics and mentorship. She is a USA Weightlifting member, owns a small gym where she coaches high school weightlifters, serves as an advisor to the Manatee High School Medical Academy, and holds a Masters World Record in weightlifting. She credits her background as a gymnast and competitive athlete with developing the discipline, resilience, determination, and adaptability that continue to influence her professional and personal life. Taylor earned an associate degree in Health Administration from Manatee Community College and a bachelor's degree in Health Administration from Canyon College, after beginning her studies at the University of Florida on an academic scholarship. She places a strong emphasis on authenticity and loyalty and believes genuine human connection remains essential to building meaningful relationships, earning trust, and creating lasting value in healthcare.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Cherisse
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute much of my success to my experience as a gymnast and the lifelong lessons I gained through athletics. Competitive sports taught me discipline, resilience, determination, focus, and the importance of continually challenging myself. I believe you can be a “forever athlete” because the drive and character developed through sports never truly go away; instead, those qualities carry into adulthood and become valuable in every aspect of your personal and professional life.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have ever received is to understand that not everyone will be in your corner, and that is okay. The people who genuinely support you, want to see you succeed, and encourage you to keep moving forward may be part of a small circle, but they are the people who truly matter. Surrounding yourself with individuals who motivate you, challenge you, believe in you, and stand by you through both the successes and the difficult days can make all the difference in your career and personal growth.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering the industry is to never underestimate the power of genuine human connection. In a world increasingly driven by social media, TikTok, Instagram, and digital communication, it is easy to lose sight of the importance of truly connecting with people. If you want to make a meaningful difference in your career, focus on building authentic relationships, understanding others, and creating value through the connections you make. Those relationships can become one of your greatest professional strengths.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in my field is breaking into the industry, as it can be extremely competitive and difficult to establish yourself. However, once you earn your place, there are significant opportunities to grow and make an impact. This is not a “cake job” it requires a strong sense of urgency, adaptability, and the ability to be a chameleon who can quickly adjust to different surgeons, practices, and situations while consistently demonstrating value. As more companies streamline their sales organizations and reduce the number of representatives, I believe successful reps will have greater opportunities, including larger territories and the ability to make an even greater impact within their organizations.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The two values that are most important to me, both personally and professionally, are authenticity and loyalty. I strive to be genuine and true to myself in every interaction, while also surrounding myself with people who share those same qualities. I want the people I work with to know that they can trust me, that I am loyal to them, and that I will always be honest and authentic in what I say and do. Building relationships based on trust, transparency, and integrity is something I value deeply in every aspect of my life.
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