Andrew Maly spent twelve years building a career in orthopedic medical device sales, one of the most talked about paths for anyone leaving college and eyeing big money. Five kids and a mortgage later, he walked away from the stability of a W2 to start his own distributorship from zero.
In this episode of the Risky Assets Podcast, Andrew sits down with Charlie to pull back the curtain on an industry most people never get to see. What medical device reps actually do inside the operating room, why it takes two to three years to become competent, how the money really works, and what pushed him to trade a proven paycheck for the risk and freedom of owning his own thing.
If you have ever wondered whether to leave a good job to build something of your own, this one is full of the honest tradeoffs nobody posts about. The rosy glasses, the brutal downside, and the advice that kept Andrew from panicking three months in with no revenue on the board.
This is a real conversation about betting on yourself with your eyes wide open.
Timestamps
0:00 The dream: a team that can thrive because of the business
0:19 Welcome and meet Andrew Maly
0:49 The path into medical device sales
3:00 Getting the job that was not a formality
4:00 Married young, paying dues, and changing perspective fast
9:00 How medical device reps actually get paid
10:20 Why it takes two to three years to get competent
13:40 Real income ranges, from intro rep to twenty year veteran
16:00 Why the money compressed: reimbursements and a race to the bottom
17:40 Five kids, a mortgage, and the math that changed everything
19:30 Talking to Dad: why start over after twelve years
20:50 From idea to launch in a matter of months
22:30 Launching Mainly Medical and specializing in upper extremity
25:00 Player coach versus building a business bigger than you
27:50 Rosy glasses versus the brutal side of entrepreneurship
29:00 Three months in with no revenue and staying the course
30:00 The 18 month rule: head down before you reevaluate
33:40 The three year problem and building a team
37:00 What a rep actually does inside the operating room
39:40 The income potential of going out on your own
40:00 What success looks like at 55
43:30 The big pro and the dirty side of med sales
ABOUT THE GUEST
Andrew Maly is the founder of Maly Medical, an independent medical device distributorship serving surgeons across Los Angeles, Kern, Ventura, and Santa Barbara Counties. After twelve years in the industry, he launched his own company to build something bigger than himself and create opportunity for a future team.
Visit Maly Medical: https://www.malymedical.com/
ABOUT RISKY ASSETS
The Risky Assets Podcast is produced by Greyhawk Premier Insurance Solutions. Every episode is an honest conversation with entrepreneurs about building businesses, taking smart risks, and protecting what you create.
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Instagram: @greyhawkinsurance
What is Risky Assets?
What do you really know about insurance? Charlie Deaver and Daniel Clarke host Risky Assets, a podcast about insurance, financial strategy, entrepreneurship, and business management. They talk about how insurance is a means to investing in the future, and a necessary tool to be wielded by business owners. Their goal in both the podcast and their work at Greyhawk Insurance is to educate people on what proper structure is for their insurance, to think creatively about risk, and to share their experience with business owners who care about doing insurance right.