Her Story
About Odalys
My professional journey has been shaped by diverse experiences across multiple industries. At age [AGE], my father gave me a flower shop business, which taught me the foundation of leadership and how to treat people. He told me I had to treat my employers better than myself, that if I ordered pizza, I should eat last because they give me my livelihood. After that, I wanted to see if I could work for someone else, if I could follow directions and grow, so I went into corporate with Sony Corporation of America, working in professional audio and video equipment sales to Central and South America. I'm fluent in English and Spanish, written and oral, and I learned everything about telecommunications from my mentors Ishimaru and Matsumoto, who taught me how the Japanese structure their work and helped me understand the corporate ladder. I even got a degree in conversational Japanese, though I'm rusty now. From there, I moved into the banking industry with Latin Finance magazine, which is partially owned by Euromoney of London, working in management in the subscription and distribution department and in sales, all focused on Latin America and Central America. During the telecom boom, I launched my own magazine called CommonLink Magazine, combining telecom and periodicals, but unfortunately after September 11th, telecom tanked, and that brought me to pharma. My first manager in pharma was Tina Palmer, who currently works for Amplifier. She was such an incredibly sweet woman with a special way of coaching. When I told her I didn't know if I was cut out for this, she said I was definitely cut out for it, that I was a natural. I told her I didn't think I'd ever sold anything in my life, that I just have discussions and conversations to help people with problems and situations, and sales is a result of helping them. Now as a business manager, my greatest accomplishment is helping my representatives attain their first Circle of Excellence win, which is so coveted in our industry. Seeing my team succeed and exceed even their expectations, believing in them even when they didn't believe in themselves, and seeing their faces when they achieve their goals is something you can't beat. Every morning without fail, I send my team a motivational quote for the day to motivate them and tell them it's going to be a great day. I feel I am vicariously living the life of a physician as a pharmaceutical sales manager because we really are instrumental in healthcare and achieving positive outcomes. I don't think I've worked a day in over 30 years because when you love what you do, it's not work.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Odalys
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my mindset. I never see problems, I see opportunities. My father gave me a flower shop business when I was [AGE], and he taught me how to treat people and be responsible for my results. He told me I had to treat my employers better than myself, that if I ordered pizza, I should eat last because they're the ones that give me my livelihood. That foundation really shaped me as a leader. I also believe it's about flexibility and being nimble, which my first pharma manager Tina Palmer taught me. She believed in me when I didn't believe in myself and told me I was a natural. I learned that I don't sell anything, I just have discussions and conversations to help people with problems and situations, and sales is a result of helping them. When you love what you do, you don't work a day in your life. I haven't worked in over 30 years because I love what I do. Every morning I send my team a motivational quote to set the pace for the day, because what you feed your mind sets the pace for the day. I believe in my team even when they don't believe in themselves, and seeing their faces when they achieve their goals and exceed them is something you can't beat.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I ever received was from my first manager in pharma, Tina Palmer, who currently works for Amplifier. When I asked her what this pharma thing was all about, she said to me, 'You have to be flexible.' That really resonated with me. Flexibility and being nimble is key because it's an ever-changing track that you're running on. Maybe you're going through very flat terrain, and then all of a sudden, it's an uphill battle because you're launching a new product. But you have to think ahead, think of solutions, be an outside-the-box thinker, and be creative. She also told me I was a natural when I didn't believe in myself, when I told her I didn't think I was cut out for this because my previous careers were in international sales, business, and banking. She helped me understand that I don't sell anything, I just help people with problems and situations, and sales is a result of helping them.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Get ready! It's the best field in the world, but you have to be flexible and nimble. Flexibility and being nimble is key because it's an ever-changing track that you're running on. Maybe you're going through very flat terrain, and then all of a sudden, it's an uphill battle because you're launching a new product. But you have to think ahead, think of solutions, be an outside-the-box thinker, and be creative. I think that's where, as women, we have a spark of creativity innate in our DNA. We like to understand things and find ways to maybe improve a process, so that's where flexibility comes in. It's an incredible field. You're going to love it. You're going to help a lot of people. I feel that I am vicariously living the life of a physician as a pharmaceutical sales manager because you really are instrumental in healthcare and achieving positive outcomes. Get ready, it's a bumpy road. It's very competitive. But if you have the grit and the resilience and the mindset, you will succeed.
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