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A Conversation with Michael Borja Miami Medical Sales Superstar

Michael Borja is a successful medical sales representative based in Miami, Florida. He provides orthopedic surgeons with access to some of the most cutting-edge technologies available for total hip and total knee arthroplasty.

He is a trusted medical sales representative with over 8 years of experience with full line trauma and joint reconstruction orthopedic implants. Michael has a passion for understanding technically complex products and find ways to bring them to market. He believes that everybody deserves to get honest and straightforward advice and impeccable service.

Michael Borja earned a full scholarship to study at the University of Florida, where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and Masters in Decision Information Sciences. He began his career as a data management consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers. He later spent 6 years in the financial advisory industry before starting a career in medical sales.

He currently works as a sales representative for Orthopedic reconstruction device companies. Michael has used his insights in these different industries to bring a unique perspective and technical ability to help his clients.

Michael Borja loves to travel and appreciates different foods and cultures, but Miami has always been his home. He is the proud father of Grayson and Harper, who remind him every day that the future is worth working hard for.

What was the best job you ever had and what did you learn from it?

The best moments I have had when working is when I am wrapped up in a tough problem that completely consumes me. I enjoy going to sleep or taking a long shower while I go over a complex problem and see what insights come to me. It can make me temporarily single minded but when I work my way through a resolution, I get such a great feeling from it.

What was the most difficult job experience you ever had and what did you learn from it?

I got my first internship after freshman year of college working in the finance department of CSX after winning a competition with tough case studies requiring weeks of problem solving. The project I was there for was to help roll out a new Hyperion system for the company. Unfortunately, the system was months behind schedule so I was stuck without much to do.

I learned a good lesson early on that the business world is not like school. You are not always handed assignments and structure and you have to create your own success. I spent that summer getting on as many projects as I could, broadening my skills to get more use out of programs like Excel. From then on, I created my own internships every year, from a marketing group in Chicago to Business Intelligence consulting in Gainesville.

What’s one trend that really excites you?

I am excited about the expansion of battery power and off grid electrification of cars and houses. My family from my mother’s side is from Texas and seeing them lose power when they were most vulnerable was a punch in the gut for me. As somebody that evaluates risks and places a premium on mitigating them, I appreciate the great strides that off-grid technology has made in recent years. Companies like Tesla and Enphase are creating solutions to keep the lights on when disasters strike. The good news is that these technologies can help keep fossil fuels in the ground and are getting cheaper by the year.

What is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

I trap all my stray thoughts. Throughout the day little reminders or thoughts light up in my head and I make a habit of catching them all. I keep note pads wherever I work, and I write notes down electronically if I am not at my desk. I always keep the thoughts in a place I know I will see it often. I am constantly switching from one task to another and I like to give myself the benefit of all the stray thoughts that will help my productivity.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

A 40-pound box of used Legos. It has kept me and my 5 yr old son endlessly entertained throughout the Covid pandemic. I learned that you could download instruction manuals off the internet, so we have put together countless sets of Legos that were buried in this huge pile. It’s fun for me to figure out the new sets we can build from what we have and it takes a lot longer to build one since you are looking for a specific brick out of a few thousand bricks instead of a few dozen. My son Grayson has gotten a lot better over the last year at putting the Legos together and it’s been fun to see him evolve throughout this time.

What is the one book that you recommend everyone should read and why?

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. An incredible English teacher had me read it in middle school. Even though most of it went over my head, I gained confidence early on that no book was too difficult to tackle. I read it again when I was doing service work in Paraguay one summer. The second time I was old enough to appreciate how masterful Tolstoy is at understanding what makes humans tick, and he creates a universe of deep and interesting characters. The size of the book is intimidating but once the book gets going you will not want it to end.

What serves as a guiding principle in your life?

I have been preoccupied with trying to live a decent life and I put a lot of effort into working on giving others the benefit of the doubt.

I think its relatively easy for people to extend the benefit of the doubt to their children. Why is it so much harder to do with strangers, or people that we know disagree with us?

Throughout my day I try to maintain a calm presence by keeping some habits of mind. Eating well, sleeping and exercising are a big help so that when I am in a stressful situation I can respond with humility and empathy. I also have to work to try and give myself the benefit of the doubt and not get too negative on myself if I make a mistake. It’s a constant struggle but it’s an important one.

Many thanks to Michael Borja for sharing some insights and advice to our readers.

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Tamela Phillippe

Update: 2024-05-07