Today’s story is for every nurse (and clinical pro) who feels tapped out, under-appreciated, and knows there’s more out there. Meet Robert Lazar, 27 years old, former nurse, and now a medical device rep breaking in at over six figures. He’s literally in a new city apartment-hunting as we speak. Let’s walk through how he did it  and how you can, too.

Who Is Robert Lazar?

Robert’s from Fairfield, Connecticut. He grew up an athlete, played college sports, and a labrum tear ended that run. The surgeries he went through sparked a real interest in healthcare. Med school felt too long, so he chose nursing.

In the hospital he kept seeing reps, got curious about the medical device industry, and went down the rabbit hole, podcasts, videos, learning everything he could. That’s where our worlds crossed.

Why Leave Nursing?

Robert’s words: “Nursing was a great experience for me.” He learned a ton working with incredibly smart people. But the earning potential felt capped without going back to school, and there are only so many hours in a day. He found himself working 5–6 days a week, night shifts, overtime fast track to burnout.

What clicked for him: the passion for helping people didn’t have to change. In med device sales, he could still serve patients just on a broader scale with a “larger net to cast.”

The Mindset Shift (Fear vs. Value)

Was it scary? Yep. Friends and family didn’t all understand the switch. He’d put time and money into nursing, why change?

Here’s the shift: you’re not throwing anything away. You’re leveraging it. The clinical experience becomes an advantage in med device sales. Robert decided to bet on the value he already had, not on the fear of losing what he’d built.

He showed up, did the work, and his confidence grew week by week to the point he was coaching other nurses in our group on exactly how to frame their strengths. That confidence helped him land a six-figure offer and a fresh start.

“You Don’t Have Sales Experience” — Robert’s Rebuttal

If you’re clinical, you’ll hear this. Robert did too. His response:

• Nurses sell every shift to doctors, surgeons, patients, and families.
  
  
• He shared real examples (like escalating a patient’s care plan): present the need, explain why it matters, get buy-in that’s sales.
  
  

In interviews, he acknowledged the concern and then flipped it: it’s sales experience, just not the B2B label they expect.

The Nursing Skills That Transfer

Robert leaned on what he practiced in the hospital:

• Critical thinking
  
  
• Time management
  
  
• Communication
  
  
• Operating under pressure
  
  

Those are exactly the muscles you use as a rep and hiring managers know it when you present them clearly.

What Interviewing Actually Felt Like

Early networking calls were rougher. He kept going. Each call got better. Each interview sharpened his answers. He didn’t treat “no” as failure — just reps (the good kind). That steady improvement is what moved him from “nervous nurse thinking about it” to “confident candidate getting offers.”

And now? New city. New role. Six-figure runway. Same heart for patients just bigger reach.

Robert’s Advice to Nurses (and Clinical Pros)

• “Don’t be afraid to take the jump.”
  
  
• Leverage your value. You bring more than you realize.
  
  
• Focus on what transfers, not what you “lack.”
  
  
• Worst case? You can go back to what you were doing.
  
  
• Bet on yourself. You practice sales more than you think.
  
  

Final Thoughts

If you’re a nurse feeling unfulfilled, burned out, or capped you’re not crazy. Robert was there. He didn’t abandon nursing; he built on it. He reframed his experience, handled the “no sales experience” objection with real clinical stories, and walked into med device sales with confidence and purpose.

You can do this. Focus on your value, not your deficiencies. Treat every touchpoint like it matters (because it does). And remember: the same heart that made you great at the bedside can make you great in this industry just with a broader impact.

Want More Details?

For the full story and more insights, watch the full episode on YouTube or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Don't miss out on valuable lessons and experiences!

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All the best,

Jacob McLaughlin