By Laura Thill
As one rep has discovered, when you set your mind to something, the possibilities are limitless.
Tashaunna Nola
Whether she is running a marathon, competing in a triathlon or proving her loyalty to a new account, Tashaunna Nola is clear: You can always accomplish more than you think. Indeed, the McKesson Medical-Surgical account manager welcomes a good challenge, knowing that each of her accomplishments motivates her to work toward the next.
A psychology major in college, Nola began her career in cognitive psychology. From there, she moved into real estate development – a field she quickly came to enjoy. However, in 2008, the economy in her home state of California was flailing – perhaps even more than in other parts of the country – and at 23, she sensed it was time for a career change. “I had always liked healthcare and decided to research the industry,” she recalls. McKesson caught her eye, and she reached out to a friend there who put her in touch with an account manager. In time, she was hired as a sales associate.
From there, Nola moved to Denver, Colo., to fill an account management position at McKesson, during which time she was responsible for a territory that included Wyoming, Montana. and half of Colorado. In a brief 4 ½ years, she managed to grow her territory from 2 million to 5 million.
As much as she enjoyed living in the Plains states, Nola missed her native California. When an account manager position became available in Orange County/San Diego in 2015, she accepted the opportunity. “My family lives in Southern California as well, so this was also an opportunity to be closer to them,” she points out. The move has been a success: She has grown her new territory from 8 million to more than 10 million. In addition, a longtime animal lover, she finds time to volunteer at pet shelters and foster dogs waiting to be adopted.
Respect and loyalty
In spite of the fact that Nola’s sales career has progressed quickly, as for many newcomers, her first year was a time of transition. “The dynamics were new,” she recalls, noting that “the greatest challenge was to earn the respect and loyalty of my customers. I found the best way to address this was to simply get out and get to know them. New sales reps need to let their customers know who they are and show them they can be trusted and have their best interests at heart.”
Sure, new positions come with new responsibilities and a learning curve, she admits. But, “it always comes down to working with your customers and becoming their true partner,” she says. The goal should be to find the best solutions that permit our customers to provide the best patient care, she points out. In fact, “the worst mistake sales reps can make is to not follow up with their customers. We get busy, and it’s easy to forget to do this. But, neglecting to do so will make your job that much harder. It’s best to get a system in place early on.”
Full speed ahead
When it comes to servicing her customers, Nola is all about quality. Once she leaves the office, however, she’s all about speed and endurance. Having run five marathons in recent years, at press time, she was training for her first triathlon. A longtime athlete, she “grew up playing soccer and took up running in college. I have run the San Diego Marathon and the L.A. Marathon, [among others]. The year I ran the L.A. Marathon, it was hot – 85 degrees! People had hoses on their front lawn [to cool down the runners].” She’s also had her share of marathon mishaps, she admits. “During marathons, they often hand out gel packets to the runners,” she says. “In my first race, I thought I was handed a gel pack with a tongue depressor, and I began to eat it. Then, I noticed the woman running next to me apply it under her arms to help prevent chafing!” In all fairness, most medical sales reps will tell you that a tongue depressor belongs in the mouth. But, Nola chose to view it as a learning experience. And, the good news: “I didn’t get sick and was able to finish the race.”
Marathons offer Nola a great way to stay in shape, plus “they teach you to keep pushing through and meet your next goal,” she explains. That said, it was actually her boyfriend who convinced her to register for her first triathlon – the Olympic, scheduled for late June in San Diego. “I was the one who got him to sign up for his first marathon, and ironically he convinced me to do a triathlon,” she says. It’s important to start training three months out and follow a sound nutrition plan, she notes. “We take fish oils and glucosamine for our joints, multi-vitamins, and eat plenty of vegetables, protein, sprouted and whole grains, and oatmeal.” White bread and alcohol are taboo, she adds.
“Competing in the Olympic won’t be as difficult as an Iron Man,” she says. Still, it involves a 0.93-mile swim, followed by a 24.8-mile bike ride, and a 6.2-mile run. And, she admits to being an unenthusiastic swimmer, as well as terrified of ocean sharks. “Swimming definitely will be my greatest challenge. [During training], we’ve been biking on a trail that runs along the ocean, but we have done our swimming in a lake.” On the plus side, swimmers are more buoyant in a saltwater ocean. (Wetsuits also are designed to help keep swimmers afloat.)
Her running time has improved since her first event, when she “just wanted to be able to finish it.” And while she hopes to beat her best time of 3:56 in future marathons, as far as the upcoming triathlon is concerned, “I just want to see how it goes,” she says. “If I’m much better at it than I expect, maybe I’ll do a half Iron Man at some point.
“We can learn and accomplish anything if we put our mind to it,” says Nola. “Just as we have good days and bad days at work, the same is true in our personal life. But, we can always push back.”