Detained Abroad: A Medical Device Rep’s 70-Day Fight for Freedom, Faith, and Survival

Kevin Whelan has spent his life competing.From professional baseball with organizations including the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds and Oakland A’s, to building a successful career in medical device sales and ultimately becoming Vice President of U.S. Sales at Nevro. Kevin learned early how to work, compete, lead and overcome adversity.Then, at 40 years old and seemingly in the best shape of his life, Kevin was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive head and neck cancer.In this deeply personal conversation, Kevin joins the Chase MedSearch Podcast to talk about the journey from professional baseball to medical device leadership, what separates elite performers from average ones, the mistakes leaders make when hiring and promoting talent, and why the transition from top sales rep to sales leader can be so difficult.But the conversation goes much deeper.Kevin shares what it was like telling his wife and children he had cancer, enduring multiple surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation, confronting his own mortality, and wrestling with the question so many people ask in difficult seasons: “Why me?”Eventually, Kevin began asking a different question:“Why not me?”That shift changed the way he thought about adversity, faith, leadership, family and success.This is a conversation about grit — but even more, it is about perspective. About controlling your attitude and effort when you cannot control the circumstances. About being present with the people you love. And about using whatever battle you are facing to make an impact on the people around you.Kevin’s message is simple:We all have battles. We don’t know how much time we have. So be present. Care about people. Control what you can. And make the days count.🎧 Love what you hear? Share this episode with a friend and subscribe to the podcast! / @chasemedsearchpodcast.  Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and let us know what resonates with you most.📄 Looking for your next role in medical device? We’d love to connect with you! Send us your resume and let’s get started! 

Medical device leadership becomes deeply personal in this conversation with commercial executive Don Donnelly.For more than two decades, Don has helped build commercial organizations, launch disruptive neuromodulation technologies, and develop high-performing sales teams. But the greatest leadership lesson of his career didn't happen in a boardroom—it happened when his nine-year-old son suddenly became seriously ill.Don shares how his family's two-year search for answers ultimately led to a diagnosis of PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections), and how that experience transformed the way he thinks about leadership, physicians, patients, and advocacy.Jordan and Don also discuss:• Building startup commercial organizations• What separates good sales leaders from great commercial leaders• Why the best leaders listen first• Lessons learned from launching breakthrough neuromodulation technologies• The future of neurotechnology• Patient advocacy and navigating rare diseases• Why "sometimes behavior is biology"Whether you're in medical devices, healthcare leadership, or simply love stories about resilience, this episode is filled with practical wisdom and genuine humanity.Resources:To purchase "Navigating PANDAS: A Family's Journey to Healing and Advocacy" by Don Donnelly, click here: https://bit.ly/4wFklO7To connect with Don: https://bit.ly/3TFzJeT🎧 Love what you hear? Share this episode with a friend and subscribe to the podcast! / @chasemedsearchpodcast.  Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and let us know what resonates with you most.📄 Looking for your next role in medical device? We’d love to connect with you! Send us your resume and let’s get started! 

Breaking into medical device sales—or landing your next opportunity—has never been more competitive.In this episode of the Chase MedSearch Podcast, Jordan Chase sits down with recruiter Jay Waggoner to share three decades of hiring experience and discuss what separates candidates who consistently receive offers from those who never make it past the interview.Whether you're trying to break into medical device sales, advance your career, or simply understand how top MedTech companies evaluate talent, this conversation is packed with practical, real-world advice from professionals who interview thousands of candidates.In this episode, you'll learn:How to stand out in today's competitive medical device job marketThe biggest mistakes candidates make during interviewsWhat hiring managers actually look for beyond the résuméHow networking can accelerate your careerThe habits and characteristics shared by top-performing sales professionalsAdvice for recent graduates, experienced reps, and career changersWith more than 30 years of executive recruiting experience and thousands of successful placements, Jordan shares lessons learned from helping many of the industry's leading medical device companies build high-performing commercial teams.Whether your goal is your first medical device sales role or your next leadership opportunity, this episode will help you approach your job search with greater confidence and a clearer strategy.Connect with Chase MedSearch🌐 www.ChaseMedSearch.com Connect with Jay Waggonerhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-jay-waggoner-637b0560/#MedicalDevice #MedTech #ExecutiveSearch #SalesCareers #Leadership #Recruiting #MedicalSales #CareerDevelopment #ChaseMedSearch🎧 Love what you hear? Share this episode with a friend and subscribe to the podcast! / @chasemedsearchpodcast.  Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and let us know what resonates with you most.📄 Looking for your next role in medical device? We’d love to connect with you! Send us your resume and let’s get started! 

Christy Brown has spent her career leading high-performing teams, driving strategy, and delivering results at the highest levels of medical technology. But nothing prepared her for the day her four-year-old son, Alexander, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of pediatric brain cancer. In this deeply personal conversation, Christy shares how one moment changed everything—her perspective on leadership, success, pressure, and what truly matters. She also sheds light on the heartbreaking reality of childhood cancer research, why pediatric cancer receives less than 5% of federal cancer funding, and how families can make a difference through awareness, advocacy, and action. This is a conversation every healthcare leader—and every parent—should hear.RESOURCES:AlexanderStrong.org🎧 Love what you hear? Share this episode with a friend and subscribe to the podcast! / @chasemedsearchpodcast.  Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and let us know what resonates with you most.📄 Looking for your next role in medical device? We’d love to connect with you! Send us your resume and let’s get started! 

What does it really take to succeed in medical device sales in New York City?In this episode of the Chase MedSearch Podcast, host Jordan Chase sits down with Tyler Nader, a Medical Device Sales Leader and former NYC Territory Rep who built dominant businesses across Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens.  New York is different. It’s dense. It’s political. It’s hyper-competitive. And it's home to some of the most prestigious academic hospitals and Level 1 trauma centers in the world — including Columbia, Cornell, Mount Sinai, NYU, Montefiore, and Northwell.Tyler shares what it’s really like to:• Sell into Level 1 trauma centers at 22 years old• Navigate hospital politics and institutional hierarchies• Handle logistics in the most demanding healthcare market in America• Launch a new therapy from zero to nearly $2 million in two years• Exceed quota 11 consecutive quarters• Become the #1 rep nationally (and globally)• Build physician trust in elite academic institutions• Compete in a market where “there are 100 of them to one of you”• Transition from top producer to hiring managerHe also talks candidly about imposter syndrome, getting kicked out of ORs (operating rooms), working 365 days straight in trauma, and why New York reps are built differently.This episode is a masterclass for:• Medical device sales reps looking to break into competitive markets• Startup MedTech companies launching new therapies• Hiring managers evaluating territory-building talent• Reps who want to understand how to build true physician credibilityIf you can make it in New York City, you really can make it anywhere.RESOURCES:https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-nader-24bba6b1/🎧 Love what you hear? Share this episode with a friend and subscribe to the podcast! / @chasemedsearchpodcast📄 Looking for your next role in medical device? We’d love to connect with you! Send us your resume and let’s get started! 🎧 Love what you hear? Share this episode with a friend and subscribe to the podcast! / @chasemedsearchpodcast.  Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and let us know what resonates with you most.📄 Looking for your next role in medical device? We’d love to connect with you! Send us your resume and let’s get started! 

What does it really take to succeed in medical device sales in New York City?In this episode of the Chase MedSearch Podcast, host Jordan Chase sits down with Tyler Nader, a Medical Device Sales Leader and former NYC Territory Rep who built dominant businesses across Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens.  New York is different. It’s dense. It’s political. It’s hyper-competitive. And it's home to some of the most prestigious academic hospitals and Level 1 trauma centers in the world — including Columbia, Cornell, Mount Sinai, NYU, Montefiore, and Northwell.Tyler shares what it’s really like to:• Sell into Level 1 trauma centers at 22 years old• Navigate hospital politics and institutional hierarchies• Handle logistics in the most demanding healthcare market in America• Launch a new therapy from zero to nearly $2 million in two years• Exceed quota 11 consecutive quarters• Become the #1 rep nationally (and globally)• Build physician trust in elite academic institutions• Compete in a market where “there are 100 of them to one of you”• Transition from top producer to hiring manager He also talks candidly about imposter syndrome, getting kicked out of ORs (operating rooms), working 365 days straight in trauma, and why New York reps are built differently.This episode is a masterclass for:• Medical device sales reps looking to break into competitive markets• Startup MedTech companies launching new therapies• Hiring managers evaluating territory-building talent• Reps who want to understand how to build true physician credibilityIf you can make it in New York City, you really can make it anywhere.RESOURCES:https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-nader-24bba6b1/🎧 Love what you hear? Share this episode with a friend and subscribe to the podcast! / @chasemedsearchpodcast📄 Looking for your next role in medical device? We’d love to connect with you! Send us your resume and let’s get started! 

What would you do if everything you controlled… disappeared overnight?In this episode of the Chase MedSearch podcast, I sit down with Ryan Watson—a top-performing medical device sales rep whose life changed instantly after being detained in Turks and Caicos over a mistake he didn’t even know he made.What followed:- 72 hours in a jail cell with no light, no time, no control- A potential 12-year prison sentence- Becoming the center of an international media storm- A fight for survival that tested his faith, leadership, and identityThis isn’t just a story about travel risk.  It’s about:- What happens when high performers lose control- How faith anchors you under extreme pressure- The mindset required to survive—and lead—through chaosIf you’re in medical device sales, leadership, or high-performance environments, this conversation will change how you think about pressure, risk, and resilience.🎧 Listen now.#MedicalDeviceSales #MedTech #caicó  #Faith #SalesMindset #newbookalertConnect with RyanPurchase the bookLearn more about Ryan's story at:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01N7tXbHCPkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdJ0EPPT4wshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QTGjgwJzN4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAyCuf6OT20https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE60GVn6BVE🎧 Love what you hear? Share this episode with a friend and subscribe to the podcast! / @chasemedsearchpodcast.  Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and let us know what resonates with you most.📄 Looking for your next role in medical device? We’d love to connect with you! Send us your resume and let’s get started! 

In this episode of the Chase MedSearch Podcast, host Jordan Chase sits down with Kate Willis, a rare commercial leader whose career spans Broadway stages and boardrooms at some of the most influential medical technology companies in the world.Kate shares her unconventional journey from performing eight to ten shows a week as Dorothy in the national tour of The Wizard of Oz to leading commercialization efforts at Medtronic, Nevro, and Neurovalens. Along the way, she’s built markets from scratch, launched FDA-cleared devices, secured 100% Medicare coverage, negotiated VA national contracts, and scaled high-performing sales and marketing organizations across neuromodulation, sleep medicine, and digital health.This conversation dives deep into:- How storytelling and performance translate into elite healthcare sales leadership- What it really takes to commercialize disruptive medical technologies- Selling into the VA system vs. traditional commercial healthcare- Building trust through clinical credibility and consumer marketing- Leading high-performing teams in competitive medtech markets- The transition from top sales rep to enterprise-level leader- Women in leadership, bias in promotion decisions, and building inclusive cultures- Ethical boundaries in healthcare marketing and influencer partnershipsKate also reflects on her work advising early-stage companies, serving on nonprofit boards focused on youth advocacy and access to care, and building a resilient, sustainable career while raising a family.This episode is a must-listen for medical device sales professionals, commercial leaders, founders, and anyone interested in how great leaders earn trust and build markets in healthcare.RESOURCES:🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/katewillis-medtech/🤝 https://www.lys.org/🤝 https://www.childrenslawky.org/👩‍💼 https://chief.com/ #medicaldevicesales #medtech #leadershipinhealthcare #healthcarestartup #careergrowth🎧 Love what you hear? Share this episode with a friend and subscribe to the podcast! / @chasemedsearchpodcast.  Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and let us know what resonates with you most.📄 Looking for your next role in medical device? We’d love to connect with you! Send us your resume and let’s get started! 

Howard “Hojo” Johnson is one of the most accomplished commercial leaders in medical device sales, known for being the first hire trusted to build markets from zero and scale teams into category leaders. In this episode of the Chase MedSearch Podcast, Howard shares how he helped launch and grow organizations at Nevro and Axonics—turning early-stage companies into national forces in neuromodulation.We dive into what it takes to build high-performance MedTech sales teams, how to lead people through rapid growth, and why servant leadership and belief drive sustainable results. Howard breaks down his approach to hiring elite talent, developing future leaders, executing go-to-market strategies, and avoiding the common mistakes new managers make.This conversation is essential listening for medical device sales reps, managers, and executives who want to scale markets, build winning cultures, and grow long-term careers in MedTech.RESOURCES:🫶  Hojo’s was heavily involved with this non-profit in 2025.  If you like to learn more and support this cause, please go to Naplesshelter.org📕 One of the top influential books in Hojo’s life: The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.Click here to purchase at Amazon:  https://amzn.to/4qyKXO0 🎧 Love what you hear? Share this episode with a friend and subscribe to the podcast! / @chasemedsearchpodcast.  Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and let us know what resonates with you most.📄 Looking for your next role in medical device? We’d love to connect with you! Send us your resume and let’s get started! 

In this episode of the Chase MedSearch Podcast, Jordan Chase sits down with Peter Calabrese — Senior Digital Product Program Manager and longtime neuromodulation leader—to unpack how digital ecosystems, data interoperability, and AI are transforming deep brain and spinal cord stimulation.Peter shares how the next era of neuromodulation will be defined not only by implantable devices, but by the data they generate—and how that data improves outcomes from the PACU to long-term follow-up. He explains the emerging shift toward software-as-a-subscription in MedTech, the growing expectations from payers for interoperability, and why companies are racing to build secure, scalable data “lakes” before deploying front-facing AI tools.Peter also takes us through his personal career arc: 15 years as a high-performing field rep, his fascination with solving complex problems, and the transition to in-house marketing and product development. He shares the real profile of a Medical Device Sales Rep. who should consider this path—and what the first week in marketing feels like after years in the operating room (OR).Whether you're a medical device rep, sales leader, or someone tracking the digital shift in MedTech, this episode delivers key insights into where neuromodulation is going next—and how sales professionals can prepare for the future.RESOURCESBiodesign Courses Recommended by Peter Calabrese:  https://med.stanford.edu/biodesign/programs/stanford-courses.html🎧 Love what you hear? Share this episode with a friend and subscribe to the podcast! / @chasemedsearchpodcast.  Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and let us know what resonates with you most.📄 Looking for your next role in medical device? We’d love to connect with you! Send us your resume and let’s get started!