12 Months Ago, She Was At The Bottom…Today, She’s REP of the YEAR
What do you do when the territory you spent years building gets cut in half overnight?
This week, Cindy flips the mic and interviews Lisa — fresh off winning Rep of the Year for the first time in her 25+ year career. Lisa pulls back the curtain on the year she almost walked away: the $3 million ripped from her paycheck, the months she spent angry and underperforming, and the morning she finally looked in the mirror and got honest.
This is the real story behind the stage. The grit, the planner, the cold calls she swore she was "too good for," and the moment her name was called.
Must-Hear Insights and Key Moments
Setting the Stakes – Cindy opens by reminding listeners that they are still in the field, still on call, still doing the work they preach about every Sunday.
The $3 Million Gut Punch – Lisa walks through the call that cut her territory in half after she'd spent years building it from zero, and the year she spent stuck in resentment.
The Mirror Moment – The day Lisa stopped blaming corporate and admitted she wasn't being Lisa anymore — that her reaction, not the cut, was killing her numbers.
Going Back to Cold Calls at 25 Years In – Why no rep is ever too tenured for the basics, and how the "too good for this" mindset was the real obstacle.
The Planner That Changed Everything – Lisa initially dismissed Cindy's planner. Then she used it. Then she got obsessed with checking the boxes. Discipline made visible.
Trust Yourself First – Lisa's rule: if you can't keep promises to yourself, no one else can trust you either. Accountability is a private practice before it's a public result.
The One-Hour Speech – The phone call from her VP an hour before the ceremony, the scramble to write a speech, and the moment her name was called.
What She'd Tell the Audience – Three pieces of advice for any rep currently sitting where Lisa was a year ago: ownership over conditions, intentional over busy, and confidence is built through action.
Words of Wisdom: Standout Quotes from This Episode
"I had to change my mindset. I wasn't being Lisa. I wasn't being the over-above overachiever. I was super down, and I was pissed — and that stopped me from being successful." — Anneliese Rhodes
"How can other people trust you when you can't trust yourself?" — Anneliese Rhodes
"There's nothing wrong with starting over again. And how great will it be when you build it back up and put yourself back on that stage?" — Anneliese Rhodes
"Nobody's too old to do cold calls, by the way. I'll stand by that." — Anneliese Rhodes
"It's not the thing that happens to you. As CEOs of our own business, it's about how you react to it." — Anneliese Rhodes
“Lisa truly, truly today gets to preach what she practices." — Cynthia Ficara
"If your bank account is telling you you are not doing what you're supposed to be doing, then you've got to look in the mirror." — Cynthia Ficara
"Busy doesn't win. Intentional wins." — Cynthia Ficara
"Commission is tuition. If I didn't get up and go work, the money wasn't gonna come." — Cynthia Ficara
"Confidence isn't something that's given to you. It's something you execute through the actions you do." — Cynthia Ficara
Mentioned in the episode:
The Grit Sales Success System & Quarterly Planner
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We'd Love to Hear Your Stories!
Every woman in this industry has a comeback story: the territory cut, the slump, the moment you almost walked away. We share ours, but this community is built on yours too. We'd love to hear your story!
Blog Transcript:
Note: We use AI transcription so there may be some inaccuracies
The Reveal: Welcoming Rep of the Year
Cynthia Ficara: Welcome to a very special episode of Secrets and Medical Device Sales. Cynthia Ficara here, one of the Girls of Grit. As you notice, if you don't hear Hmm, on this end of the mic, I'm missing a Girl of Grit. I wonder why that is. Well listen in because our special guest is no one other than our amazing, my amazing cohost Anneliese Rhodes to be interviewed by me today.
And I gotta tell you, this was, yay. This was my idea and I'm gonna tell you why. This is my idea because you know, we are coming up on our third year of doing this podcast, and any of you that listen, know, Lisa and I have really made it our mission to impact you out there in the field. And we come up with, we'll say this week, it's important to talk about this piece, it's important to talk about this piece next week, but ultimately what we've done over these three years and much more content to come is kind of wrap everything up in a package and all the things that we talk about. Accountability, showing up what not to do. What to do is something that yes, we sit here and preach about, but you know, the old saying, practice what you preach.
Lisa truly, truly today gets to preach what she practices because I am about to announce this very special guest. Who took her territory from the bottom to the top. Now, has she won President's Club in the past? Multiple, multiple times? The answer is yes. We've talked about that. Our special guest today has been in this career for over 25 years. Okay? She was 22 years old when she came out and she started in sales. She was told no by doctors right away. She overcame, she did different jobs. She climbed to the top. But there is one thing that Anneliese Rhodes had never done until last week, and that is win Rep of the Year. Oh my God.
It like makes me cry. Hearing that there's, it really does it like brings tears to my eyes.
There's the top reps, but for those of you that work in different sectors, understand the company in which Lisa works is an elite group of people get to the top and go to President's Club. They're recognized for their excellence, but every year there's just one person that inches out above somebody else. And so I just really wanted to take today to interview this very special person, to tell you her story. So without further ado, I would like to invite Anneliese Rhodes, Rep of the Year, multiple President's Club winner, and my very special co-host.
Anneliese Rhodes: Thank you, Cindy. That was such a kind introduction. I'm like literally like waving away the tears right now because it was really sweet of you. Thank you. Yes, I am still riding high. From winning this award. Boy, it's like fresh, right? Uhhuh, like, it was just this past weekend or I guess I should say like yesterday,
Cynthia Ficara: It's all coming together.
Anneliese Rhodes: It's all the same day.
Cynthia Ficara: Yeah. Seriously. It all rolls into one.
Anneliese Rhodes: Um, yeah. So, you know, you know, you know the story, Cindy, but, um, we're gonna talk about some really good stuff today, you guys, and I really hope that my story can inspire all of you, as well as give you some really thoughtful things to think about when you face adversity in this job, because you're going to, and that adversity can look like so many different things. Um. And we'll talk about it in more in detail, but for me it was, well, it was a lot of things. So why don't we jump into this? Yes. And, uh, yeah, let's get going.
Cynthia Ficara: I think it's, I important that we first kind of set the stakes. Okay. Okay. So there's a lot of listeners that know you work like that's, that's I guess something very different about the two of us is that we have real jobs. We are in the field with you. One is a rep, one is a director, and we take these times on our Sundays to give you what we see, what we know what's working, because we wanna make you better. That's what this is about.
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah. And oh, by the way, like. Um, Cindy is no longer on call, but I'm still on call like 24 hours a day, seven days a week. My phone can ring at any given moment of the day or night or early morning or Sunday afternoon or while I am, you know, at a kid's sports event. Like, I gotta go, I gotta go to the hospital. So it is absolutely one of the toughest positions to be in, in medical device industry, and I'm saying that not to toot my own horn, but to make sure you all understand, like we are in the top echelon of all medical device sales and it is a demanding job. Um, and we've been there. I mean, we've been in so many different situations. So anyhow, just how to say that, yes.
Cynthia Ficara: Happy to share, happy to share and to let you know. So I, I'm gonna kind of set the stage a little bit here. Okay. And just. And just say, like I said, we know Lisa has been very, very successful in the current role. She's, she's been at this company, I think it's You're coming on nine years.
Anneliese Rhodes: Uh, yeah, nine years,
Cynthia Ficara: Yeah. Okay.
Anneliese Rhodes: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Cynthia Ficara: So I say that because I think that's very important because there's many people out there that are starting new or they think, oh, they climbed to the top, then they, you know, oh, they stay up there or whatever. But you know, we're all human. And Lisa had realistic things happen to her in this last year and a half that went from President's Club win to things like having her territory cut in half. These things happen. It's corporate America. It can happen to anybody, right? Yeah. And so, um, that's, that is not easy to handle.
The Cut: $3 Million Gone Overnight
Cynthia Ficara: Yeah. So I wanna, can we start there? Can we kind of
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah.
Cynthia Ficara: Take me back.
Anneliese Rhodes: Sure.
Cynthia Ficara: To a little bit about when your territory was cut, what did that feel like?
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah.
Cynthia Ficara: What did you do with that information?
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah.
Cynthia Ficara: And go with it.
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah. So, all right. So let me set the stage for all of you. Um, you know, a couple years ago I had a pretty rocking territory, A lot of, a lot of territory to cover, obviously driving wise. It was a fantastic territory. I built it up from basically nothing. They had zero business in this entire territory for this company. And I started a while back and then just built it, built it, built it, and built it into about a five and a half, $6 million territory. Um, which is pretty big considering that, um, I was covering a lot of area as well, and I only, I mean, I had some, I don't know, I, I can't remember how many customers I had, but they were all really high demanding customers.
And of course, like I said, you know, it's a 24 hour job, so like. I can't tell you how many times I'd get a call and I'd have to hop in the car and like race to a case with like, I'd just gone running at 6:00 AM and I got a call. I'm not even joking. You get a call at, you know, six 15 after I'm like halfway out, right? Halfway out in mileage and it's like, Hey, we got a dissection coming in. You gotta race into the hospital. Come, come deal with it. And it's like. Snap. So you gotta like race home and you gotta, you know, pretend to take a shower like the, you know, the sink shower, the
Cynthia Ficara: Italian shower, yes.
Anneliese Rhodes: Spray on that perfume and deodorant.
Cynthia Ficara: Exactly.
Anneliese Rhodes: Spray the perfume in. I'm not joking. You put on scrubs and still sweat, like legit. I've done that so many times. Throw everything I can in the car and just go. So, um, you know, I did a lot of that and I built the territory up and it was very successful. And then I got a call about a couple years ago that said, Hey. You know, great job, but we're gonna cut your territory in half. And I had already won President's Club a number of times with this certain territory that I had. 'Cause I just kept building it and building it and building it. And of course your argument is, well, I am so ingrained in these accounts. What do you mean you're gonna take it from me? Like, these doctors love me. They count on me. And they're like, yeah, well, it doesn't really fit the plan. So it was cut in half, like literally $3 million of business. Bye-bye. Wow. Out my page, out of, you know, my paycheck in terms of a commission statement, out of my territory, out of my rankings, out of everything.
$3 million. And, you know, it was a hard pill to swallow, Cindy, and I was really upset. I took it personally. Um, I mean, I remember at one point thinking I wanted to quit, you know, like. Forget these guys. They don't care about me anymore. They just wanted to have me build it up and work really hard and then take it from me. You know, they don't value what I do, right? They don't value who I am. They don't value my relationships. And it was really tough. I mean, I was extremely upset over it. And it took a full year for me to really look at myself in the mirror and realize, you better pull yourself up by your bootstraps and get something going again. Um, because, oh.
Cynthia Ficara: That you know, I mean, I'm glad you shared that, how, you know how frustrated, you know, you sound like you were frustrated and, and you beat yourself down because that feels terrible and everybody listening is going to be in that position someday where you doubt yourself, you get frustrated. But you said something too, where it's almost like your reaction to what is corporate reality almost became a blame game. So yeah. Then, you know, what made you stop blaming somebody else or a situation and stop to say, okay, you just mentioned time to pull up your bootstraps. So like, what wasn't working that made you realize, okay, what can I do to make it work?
The Mirror Moment: Mindset, Planner, Accountability
Anneliese Rhodes: Well, I wasn't working like I really wasn't. I mean, I was working, but I wasn't. I wasn't being Lisa. Okay. I wasn't being the over above overachiever, just go, go, go, go, go churn and burn. Like I was super down. I was really upset and I was pissed. And what it did is it stopped me from being successful. And I didn't realize it tele. I looked myself in the mirror one day and I'm like, what the hell am I doing? Right? Like, oh, we might have to bleep that out. What the heck am I doing? You know, like. Why are you getting up outta bed every morning and not doing what you're supposed to be doing? Why are you not cultivating new customers? Why are you not doing the cold calls? And truthfully, Cindy, I was like, I'm too good for that. I've been doing this too long. I don't have to go do cold calls. I had all that business and they took it from me and I was upset over that. And then one day I realized, you know what? You are not any more immune to this than anybody else. If you wanna make a difference, Lisa, you are gonna have to change something. And I had to change my mindset, Cindy. And about that same time you sent me, and this is not a plug, but it is a plug. You sent me your planner that you used to get you to President's Club. And I truly, and I've said this before in the podcast, I was like, whatever, dude. I do not need a fricking planner.
Cynthia Ficara: Cindy's too organized. I don't need that.
Anneliese Rhodes: Cindy is too organized. I don't need that. I don't wanna use it. It's a lot of work, right? Like I gotta use my brain. I gotta write everything down and oh, it keeps me accountable. And it was like, do I really wanna look at myself in the mirror every morning and have to write it down? And the same task that I was supposed to do yesterday, I'm now supposed to do today. And there it is again on my list for next week. Right? Like it's ugly truths. Um, but I think at some point, Cindy, I just was like. I gotta do this. And you know what? I'm not gonna let them beat me down. I'm not gonna let them tell me that I can't do this. And I sure as heck, I'm not gonna leave this company on a downswing. No way. So that was it.
Cynthia Ficara: And I'll say, you know, um, having the insight of knowing our very special guest today, that it's interesting kind of what you're describing. I almost forgot about because I remember, you know, talking to you during that time where you were so frustrated and you know what, maybe I'll just put it this way. You weren't Lisa.
Anneliese Rhodes: No.
Cynthia Ficara: So can you talk us through what you had to stop doing to get Lisa back?
Anneliese Rhodes: Aw, that's really cute. I like that. Um, I had to stop being a poor me. I had to stop being the person that I talk about on this podcast that's like, don't be that rep. Right? Like, I, I literally had to be like. Lisa, you are totally being a loser right now. Like what is your problem? You are blessed to be in this job. You are lucky to have a wonderful company that supports you. You are lucky to have the life that you have. You're lucky to have the physicians that you do have. And oh, guess what? Um, there's nothing wrong with starting over again. And how great will it be when you build it back up and put yourself back on that stage? And I'll never forget, I sat down, you know, the year. Leading into this year, and I basic, one of my goals, I wrote it down and I said, I will hit President's Club
Cynthia Ficara: Because she wrote it down.
Anneliese Rhodes: I did.
Cynthia Ficara: When you put pen to paper and you write it down, that's like hangs over you.
Anneliese Rhodes: It totally does. Cindy it, and it almost makes you feel really guilty when you, and when you don't do it, you're like, I promised myself something. I didn't do it. And I'll tell you right now, you asked me something as we were talking a little bit before the podcast, and, um, this is, this is the truth. How can you, how can you trust, how can other people trust you when you can't trust yourself? So what do I mean by that? Let's just say you wake up in the morning and you're like, I'm gonna go for a run. But you don't really feel like going for a run and it's kind of cold out and it's like, Ugh, I don't wanna do it today. I don't feel like it. The next day rolls, same thing. And before you know it, you've now given yourself excuses every day. And you're no different than all those people that never achieve anything because they cannot hold themselves accountable. And that's exactly what I told myself with this situation that I was in. I'm thinking, I don't wanna be that person that I look back and go. What hap, what if I had pushed myself? What if I had gone out and made that whole call? What if I had actually wrapped my arms around the fact that I was gonna have to build the business back up? And I wasn't gonna be that rep that didn't do it. So I have to be able to trust myself to when I put something on paper, or I give somebody my word, I follow through with it no matter what. And that I think is so important, especially in our industry because there are so many hurdles that you hit. Getting your territory cut is just one of 'em. But it's like, if you don't hold yourself accountable, who else is gonna hold you accountable? Who else?
Cynthia Ficara: Well, you know, this is, this is really important to to point out is at one point you just decide, you're looking at your, your. What's going on in your territory? Your numbers are plummeting, so your paychecks are plummeting along with it. And then you're kind of faced with this crossroads.
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah,
Cynthia Ficara: Either I do something about it, bring the money back in, or I'm not gonna stay here. And the thing that I really appreciate in the story that you're sharing with everybody is the, the time that it's one of the hardest steps to do is that first look in the mirror.
Anneliese Rhodes: Ah,
Cynthia Ficara: But it's gotta be an honest one. Yeah. You know, you have to truly assess where you are and if your bank account is telling you you are not doing what you're supposed to be doing, and then you've gotta look at the mirror. Mm-hmm. Like, well, darn, if I want this bank account to fill back up, I've got to take accountability. Yeah. But you took ownership in recognizing you just. How to, you know, a downfall, like Yeah, there's ebbs and flows, not only in this business, but in people. Well, and I think the most important thing is to understand that it's not how, it's not the thing that happens to you. Like, okay, your territory was cut as. CEOs of our own business as high performers that we're speaking to. It's about how you react to a situation, how
Anneliese Rhodes: You
Cynthia Ficara: Handle it. And we wanna take this time to build you to be strong and understand that you may feel one way, but then rationalize, reset, and think, is this the right way to be?
Vulnerability and Going Back to Cold Calls
Anneliese Rhodes: Well, let me tell you, I mean, I'm being super vulnerable right now. Like, I do not like admitting that I was super depleted mentally, right? Mm-hmm. Like, I don't like to admit that because I hold myself up to a super high standard.
Cynthia Ficara: That's true.
Anneliese Rhodes: And I don't like to be seen as anybo. I don't like to be seen as weak at all, and I was really weak at that point. Um, so I totally just lost my train of thought. Oh, I know what I was gonna say. So, you know, I wanna say, I wanna say this to all of you. A lot of these episodes that we've done over the past couple years, and especially this past year, I was living them, Cindy. I was literally living them firsthand experience here. Hi, cold calling. Hi, lunches and dinners. Hi. You know you
Cynthia Ficara: Actually wait, I have to stop right there. Do you remember? That's why we did it. Yes. You and I had this power hour. I remember it. Yes.
Anneliese Rhodes: You were down and it's like, what? I'm like, wait, wait. Just step back. Go back to the basics. Remember? And you're like, oh my gosh, I gotta go back to cold calling and starting and
Anneliese Rhodes: And I had to do it. I legit had to fucking do it. It was so bad you did. And I'm like, I can't believe I'm doing cold calls again. I cannot believe it. Like you did it at this stage in my life. I have to do this, but I did it. And then I was able to capitalize on it, you know, so it's like nobody's too old to do cold calls, by the way. I'll stand by that. Um, but you know, like, I just wanna reemphasize, I was being super honest with all of you while we were doing those episodes because I was living that. Yep. And it was tough and it was not easy, but I'm here to tell you, you know, I stood on that stage and I gave my acceptance speech and, you know, I really had, I had to get, I had to come and be truthful with myself. Um, what did it, so
The Stage: Rep of the Year
Cynthia Ficara: Wait, you know, um. Just, just to bring us to, to that moment, like there were, there were so many things this year that got you to that, but I just wanna pause for a minute and just ask you, you know, what did it feel like?
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah.
Cynthia Ficara: To have your name called as Rep of the Year?
Anneliese Rhodes: It, uh, it was crazy. So I got a call about an hour prior to our award ceremony from one of our VPs, and he basically was like, Hey, so you might wanna have a speech ready. And I'm like, what? Wait a minute. I got one hour to shower, get dressed, do my hair, put on makeup. All the things, and now I have to write a potential speech because I might be, he's like, well, it's really tight between you guys. And I'm like, oh my gosh, this is real. Like this is real. It's like, it's almost like the things that dreams are made of. Right? Like you, in your head, you know, I knew I was gonna win President's Club. I did know that. Right? Because the, the year was unbelievable. I mean, it just, it was a lot of blessings from above and, and a lot of hard work. A I thank you. And I knew that I was gonna be on that stage. What I didn't know is how close it was gonna be, but of course, in the back of my head I'm like, okay, if I win, this is what I wanna say. So I did know ahead of time who I would think, what I would say all the things, but I still was like, I didn't know until like an hour before. And then I. And then like the moment that they announced it on the stage, I mean, I just started crying like, I'm gonna cry again. And it, you know, some people listening to this might be like, oh my gosh, that's so silly. But it's like when you put so much hard work effort, blood, sweat, and tears, whatever it is that you wanna call it. As well as the sacrifices that you give, especially in this job, to your physicians and your patients, and your foregoing things with your family, with the things that matter more to you than life itself. That's when it really hits you, that it's like, wow, I'm actually gonna be recognized for this stuff. And it's a really cool feeling, you know? It really is, and it's, I don't know, it's something that I, you know. I'll never get again, even if I win Rep of the Year again. I don't think it's the same feeling because it's like the first time ever. I mean, look, I've been doing this for 25, 26 years. I've never won Rep of the Year. I've always been the runner up. I have always been the runner up, but I have never won. And it was like I, I actually didn't actually think I would ever be the number one, but when I got it. I gave that speech, it was like, oh my gosh, this is real. This is really cool.
Cynthia Ficara: So when did it hit you that every, everything, was it almost like a spinning room or like people talk about right before they die, their life flashes over their eyes and they, they see all the hard work. Could you give us a blink of like when you realized all that came into that moment?
Anneliese Rhodes: If
Cynthia Ficara: You
Anneliese Rhodes: Can rewind.
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah. It hit when I was standing on the stage. And I was looking at, at all of my peers and my colleagues and I, you know, of course I, I love you to death and I thank you for so much. 'Cause you really have been amazing for me. Um. But it was really like when I was reading the speech and I was thinking, and I was looking out into the crowd and I saw people, that really helped me through, because let's be honest, Cindy, nobody gets up on that stage because they did everything themselves. No, not one person in the entire world can ever look. It's like an acceptance speech in Hollywood, right? It's the same thing. They go through their list of people that they wanna thank because those people actually help get them to the stage. You know? At the end of the day, they're the ones being honored, but it's all the people behind the scenes that should be getting honored as well. So. I really, it really hit me like, holy cow man, this is, this is me. This is actually me here up on this stage. And it just, it was a really great feeling. And I think also after that speech, um, you know, 'cause you all break and you do your own thing. People came up to me afterwards and commended me. Not only am my speech, but what I said and how I said it. I was trying to be very thoughtful on what I said because I wanted people to get something. I wanted them to take something away from what I was saying. I didn't wanna just be up there and be like, oh, I'm so awesome. I'm so cool. Right. I didn't wanna be that person. I wanted to be somebody that would maybe inspire the next person to follow me the next year, so.
Cynthia Ficara: So what did this prove to you about yourself?
Anneliese Rhodes: That I can do it, that I can do hard things. That even when you face massive adversity and you have to start all the way over from scratch, that if you put your mind to something, you can absolutely achieve it. It just takes discipline, it takes hard work, and it takes accountability. And that accountability is staying consistent every day, you know, day in and day out. And I'm not saying I didn't have some tough days, but I will tell you, and again, I'm gonna plug it because it's so freaking true. That planner kept me accountable because every day that I wrote in that planner and I got to check something off or I realized that I actually accomplished what I had set out to accomplish. And then I was moving forward and making new goals and keeping myself accountable to those. And then I was checking those off and I was still moving forward. It was like this, it was like it, it was like a shining moment. I actually got to the point where I got excited about pulling it out every day and filling it out. 'Cause I'm like, I did that check. I did that check. And then, you know, also just being busy. Anybody out there in the field understands this. When you're busy and you've got cases rolling, it's weird. But more cases roll like the bus. It's the momentum you're Yes, the busier you are. People feel your energy, they wanna be around you. They enjoy your excitement of doing your job, you know? And in my speech, I mentioned passion, and we've talked about this, Cindy, the true key in the uc, into your success, especially in this business, is the passion for what you do, what drives you. Absolutely. Why do you do what you do? You know? And I think when people feel that they really want a part of it, I mean, it's a total personal like switch.
Advice, Takeaways, and the Reflection Question
Cynthia Ficara: Absolutely. So, you know, um, I'm sure there's people listening that either right now just have their territory cut or have always been runner up. Or I've never made it to President's Club and are just trying to get there.
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah.
Cynthia Ficara: So it's been quite a year. I mean, to go from the top then almost to the bottom. I mean, it was, it was a, it was a dip and, and then stuck with, now it's a blank slate. I need new customers. Excuse me. I need to start over. So what can you say? Were to, to tell the audience two to three pieces of advice that you did that you know, contributed to this success. 'Cause they're feeling that way. They're having those doubts. Yeah. They're sitting there right now going, oh my God, I hate feeling like this. Or at least, you know, I'm sure somebody's resonating. So what, two to three things truly stand out for somebody that is on their way there that you could share with?
Anneliese Rhodes: Well, I can say this. You know, no territory is perfect. No, you know, nobody gets to the top because they have like this amazing territory, right? Like everybody has. Hard conditions in their territory, no matter what that looks like. Bit hard doctors, lots of competition. You know, tenured competition products that may be a me too. Um, back orders, like, uh, people that don't like you, like, I mean, getting thrown out of a hospital. I mean, there's all sorts of things that can create a territory, good, bad, ugly, whatever. It's not about the conditions of the territory, it's you taking ownership of it and being disciplined to not only manage it, but allow it to take you to success. And what do I mean by that? You know, you have to be accountable. You have to do the hard things. Every day, and you have to continue to do them. And over time, those territories will change. You will mold that into your own little world and you will create whatever you want. If you go into a territory and you're super negative about it and you look at it like you're never gonna make it anything, well then you probably won't. But if you go in and you say, you know what, that doctor who has told me no 10,000 times, I'm gonna get him to say yes tomorrow. That is discipline, that's determination, and that's accountability. So nobody gets it easy. Nobody gets it perfect. It's what you do with it, I would say. And you know, nothing good comes easy.
Cynthia Ficara: No, I mean, what fun would that be, right? Like, what fun would that be?
Anneliese Rhodes: Even though I will say that one year of being super depressed, that was not a fun year. So pull yourself out of that. If that's where you're sitting currently, take yourself out of that because there is hope. And you know, I think another thing, like I mentioned, is being intentional with what you do. You know, if it, if the planner helps you, we have one. Go to our website, you can download it. It's not expensive at all. We separate it out by quarters. If you don't wanna do that, do something. That makes you be accountable and intentional about why you're stepping foot into your territory every day. Do something towards your territory every day that builds it up and makes it stronger. Don't take something away from it.
Cynthia Ficara: And that is so huge.
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah.
Cynthia Ficara: I have to interrupt you for that, to emphasize that, you know, we have said this time and time again, like when we use the phrase, knowing your why, but like there's a reason you get up every single day and there's a reason you work. And when you don't think of that reason or focus on that reason, you lose all that momentum and discipline to even do anything. But when you focus, oh yeah, this is the whole reason I need to do this. I've said this in previous podcasts. There were days I wasn't motivated, but my motto was, commission is tuition. If I didn't get up and go work, the money wasn't gonna come. I couldn't pay for my kids' college. So your reasons can be a multitude of things, but it's just important that you think and let that reason be your North Star. Let it guide you to do the things that sometimes are painful and sometimes they're not.
Anneliese Rhodes: I agree. Yeah,
Cynthia Ficara: I interrupted your thought you were gonna say that.
Anneliese Rhodes: No, I was, no, I was just gonna say, you know, write it down and then execute on it, make it happen however that looks. And I, I just, I can't emphasize that enough, you know? I mean, I got to a point where I would have a little running list and every account had their own little index card, and every single time I'd roll into a hospital, I pull out that index card. And I would think to myself. Did I, I'm gonna go meet with this doctor today. I need to talk to him about these three things. And then when I left, I would ask myself, did I accomplish that? Because if I didn't, then I didn't do what I set out to do that morning. So execute on what you write out. Hold yourself accountable, however you do it. And it's crazy because things add up, right? Like little small activities add up to big activities which add up to cases, and then successes just build on success. It is crazy how that works.
Cynthia Ficara: It's so crazy how that works. And you know, I think that, um, can we hit pause real quick?
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Cynthia Ficara: Oh my God. I have these five different emails and Liz is like, I need you to approve this right now. Right now there's. This is just such an exciting listening to you, this episode of being able to just take a minute and really spotlight the work you do. You know, we love to really deliver good messages and I just called, called you and thought, I, I need people to hear your story. So I just wanna reiterate, you said so many great things. Here's some takeaways for anybody that's gonna climb to the top. Never, ever, ever, ever give up. Always keep your eye on the prize. And the three things I take away from Lisa were, number one, you don't really need a perfect condition. You just need ownership. So don't let the territory or all the other reasons distract you. Number two, busy doesn't win. Yeah, I know you mentioned at the very beginning of this podcast how to be intentional. Okay. And that's where you pulled in the planner, where it intentionally gives you activities for the day. And at the end of the week you follow up. Did I do it, did I not? And then you answer yourself, what works this week, what doesn't? So moving the business forward, it takes intentionality, but I think the last part is something that. You exude confidence very well. You always have Lisa, but in your vulnerable story you mentioned about when you get down, you, you, you do lose a bit of that confidence, and I think it's a good reminder to everybody out there that you can get your confidence back because confidence. Isn't something that's given to you isn't something that you just possess, it's something that you execute through the actions you do, and the more actions you do, the, the more momentum you get, the more confident you do get. So I want to thank my guest for coming on to this amazing podcast, and I think that, uh, this story needed to be shared. I'm very proud of you. Thank you. And we're all proud of you because we all are in this together. And for you to share that We don't just sit up here with our podcast and tell you this is how you need to be.
Anneliese Rhodes: Yeah.
Cynthia Ficara: We're telling you this is how you need to be. And then we're, we're taking these actions ourselves to make ourselves better. And this year was such an example of fortitude and grit and resilience and persistence. I wanted you all to know that behind the scenes, we are out there doing it. And she showed. Such an exemplary performance that I just wanted you all to hear her story. So a little peek behind the curtain of us in our, in our real world lives. And I wanna thank you all, all for listening. And I also just want to leave you all with a thought, kind of two thoughts. So one thought is. Remember to always know your why, but now I'm gonna dig a little bit deeper and give you a little reflection question, and I'm gonna end this with you. What's one thing you would tell the version of yourself at the lowest point you had this year? Thanks for listening. Everybody. Leave us a review. We love to hear it. Signing off with the Girls of Grit on a fabulous interview from Anneliese Rhodes.
Anneliese Rhodes: Thank you.
