Her Story
About Kelli
My journey into pharmaceutical sales started back in college when I worked as a server and bartender, constantly serving pharmaceutical reps. I loved to sell, and I knew what they were selling not only helps people but made them money. After graduating college, I realized early on that you needed 3-5 years of pharmaceutical experience before they'd hire you, or B2B experience. So I went out and got a sales job in inside sales for 10 years. Then someone trusted me and put their faith in me, and I moved on to what became the hardest selling job I've ever had - copiers and printers, which I was hired for during COVID. It was absolutely wild. Two and a half years later, someone saw on LinkedIn that I did medical device sales, and finally someone took a chance on me in pharma. I've been with Sunflower State Vital Care for 2 years now. I go to about 15 offices a day and speak with doctors and nurses about the drugs doctors are writing and getting them to utilize our service for home infusion. We do infusion drugs in the pharmaceutical realm across all specialties - neurology, rheumatology, gastroenterology, immunology, and pulmonology. I cover two states in my current role.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kelli
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would definitely say how I was raised. My dad, and my mom as well, but more so my dad was just really, you know, he'd get up, he'd make to-do lists, and he would checkmark, he'd be checkmarking off all day. So I have to say, my dad, and my dad was also the one that got me and took me to church. I really, really attribute a lot of my grind and grit to him. And then, when it comes to my heart, it's my mom, you know? I got the best of both worlds. I got taught how to work hard from both parents, got some of that grit from my dad and organization and cleanliness from him, and then, you know, I got the best part of each person.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would just always say, don't give up. If there's something that you really, truly think you should be doing as a career, just do anything to get there. What I always say is, if you're not winning, you're learning, and just grind. That's really just the gist of it. The dream doesn't work unless you do.
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