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Your career doesn’t always make sense while you’re living it. Sometimes, it takes the next chapter to see how the earlier ones prepared you. In this episode of MSLead Chronicles, Jamie Baldus hangs out with Chad and Mary as we talk about staying open to unexpected opportunities, recognizing the value of each career experience, and building a leadership legacy through the people you help grow. We also explore Medical Excellence: what it means in practice and how connecting science, strategy, and execution turns good ideas into meaningful impact. It’s a conversation about finding the connections in your own career and helping others see what’s possible in theirs.

Chad and Mary are joined by Marsie Ross to discuss LABELS. What they mean, how they can inspire growth or stunt it, why it matters who assigns the labels, and encourages listeners and viewers to consider a few key things, like: "Labels can become badges or limitations" "Chasing growth is more important than chasing titles" "Find your giftings and step into them"

In this episode of MSLead Chronicles, Mary and Chad sit down with Jennifer Mohawk, PhD, to explore a side of leadership that doesn’t get enough attention: how physical well-being affects the way we lead. Drawing on her background in biological psychology, circadian neuroscience, Medical Affairs, and fitness, Jennifer discusses the science behind movement, sleep, stress, and recovery and why these factors matter for both MSLs and the leaders who support them. The conversation looks at the unique demands of Field Medical, including frequent travel, disrupted routines, long days, and the risk of burnout. Jennifer also shares practical ways leaders can create healthier team cultures without turning wellness into another item on the corporate checklist. From recognizing the effects of circadian disruption to encouraging movement and modeling sustainable habits, this episode challenges leaders to think differently about performance. Because taking care of your team isn’t separate from leadership. It’s part of it.

The line between Field Medical and Commercial is becoming harder to define. But are these functions truly becoming more alike, or have they always shared more than we acknowledged? In this episode, we examine the activities and capabilities that increasingly overlap, what still makes Field Medical distinct, and why these boundaries are shifting now. We also discuss what this evolution means for MSL careers as roles become more fluid and professionals gain more options for where their skills can take them. If Medical and Commercial can perform many of the same activities, does the distinction still matter? And how should MSLs prepare for what comes next?

Leadership doesn’t have to happen on a timeline. In this episode of MSLead Chronicles, Mary and Chad sit down with Shannon Payne, National Director of MSLs at BioCryst, to talk about a leadership path that didn’t begin with chasing the next title. Shannon moved into formal leadership after building a broad career in science, clinical development, and Medical Affairs. That experience shaped how she now thinks about influence, service, career development, and what it really means to lead people well. The conversation explores why leadership can be practiced long before someone has direct reports, whether waiting to move into management can actually make someone a stronger leader, and why ambition shouldn’t always be measured by how quickly someone gets promoted. Shannon also shares her philosophy on developing people, even when that development may ultimately take them somewhere else, and why trying too hard to retain someone whose time with an organization has run its course can sometimes do more harm than good. For experienced MSLs wondering whether they are “behind,” and for those who assume management is the only meaningful next step, this episode offers a different perspective: Leadership isn’t a deadline. It’s something you build long before the title arrives.

In this episode of MSLead Chronicles, we’re joined by **Mitch D’Rozario** to explore what actually makes a field observation a meaningful Medical Affairs insight and why collecting more information does not necessarily create more value. Mitch discusses how feedback loops, relationships, structured and unstructured data, and AI can help teams identify the signals that should influence strategy. He also shares common mistakes in insight gathering, including confirmation bias and over-escalation, and how organizations can maintain insight quality over time. The conversation ultimately focuses on turning field intelligence into better decisions and lasting institutional knowledge.

If you've always wished you had a step by step guide to approach any situation, personal or professional, that will ensure the best possible result, this is the episode you won't want to miss. John Sandstrom walks us through M.O.R.E., a framework for guiding you to success in any circumstance.  Mindfulness Outlook Relationships Empowerment

In this episode of MSLead Chronicles, Mary Morton and Chad Fellers sit down with rare disease Medical Affairs leader Teresa Fecteau to explore why lived experience must be more than a source of occasional feedback. It should be a consistent foundation for research, strategy, trial design, and decision-making. Teresa explains why patients, caregivers, and families often understand the realities of rare disease long before the science or healthcare system catches up. The conversation examines the prolonged diagnostic odyssey, the practical and financial burden of care, the importance of co-creating with rare disease communities, and the role patient insights can play in identifying meaningful endpoints and uncovering what traditional clinical data may miss. They also discuss the uniquely important role of MSLs in rare disease, including the need for deep scientific expertise, strong relationships with multidisciplinary care teams, and systems that translate field insights into meaningful action. Throughout the episode, Teresa challenges Medical Affairs teams to move beyond simply listening and ensure that lived experience actively shapes innovation and improves outcomes for patients and families.

In this episode, Chad and Mary explore the transformative role of AI in medical affairs, focusing on practical implementation, governance, and future trends. Our guest, Paul Minne, shares insights from his 30 years of experience and introduces his newly published and invaluable resource, "The Medical Affairs AI Playbook."

In this episode, we explore the evolving role of medical affairs, strategic engagement, and how to measure impact effectively. Our guest, Corinne Floyd, shares insights from her extensive experience in medical affairs, emphasizing the importance of strategic alignment and impactful metrics.

In this episode of MSLead Chronicles, Chad and Mary welcome Denise Meyer, a tenured medical affairs leader to explore the all the things necessary for leading ‘the whole team’, meaning those directly in your charge, the need for inclusive practices within teams, but also the entire ecosystem around them, emphasizing the value of understanding individual team dynamics and communication styles. With key takeaways focused on the importance of resilience and curiosity, this is one you’ll no doubt come away with things you implement immediately.

Chad recently presented at the 5th BioPharma Nexus Medical Affairs Conference, received high praise for his concepts, and received countless requests for the info contained in his presentation. So our viewers will now have the opportunity to see and hear the presentation, as well! Enjoy!

Kunal Ramani joins Chad and Mary for PART 2 of the resume and interview discussion for MSLs.  Kunal offers up some best practices for interview preparation, presentation skills, and effective communication strategies for experienced and aspiring MSLs. They share practical tips on research, organization, engaging storytelling, and leveraging AI tools to stand out in the competitive pharma industry.

Would you like to know everything about how your resume can attract the attention of a hiring manager and encourage a fruitful and productive interview? You don't want to miss this episode with our returning guest, Kunal Ramani, in a podcast two-parter!

Join Mary and Chad as we explore the inspiring career journey of Roland Elwell, from rock star to the newly anointed (by Mary) Kidney King. Rowland's origin story and career journey is fascinating! He shares insights on leadership, embracing change, and the importance of curiosity and humility in professional growth.