In this episode of Leadr. Podcast, host Steph Pliha sits down with Drue DeAngelis, founder of The DeAngelis Group and an industry veteran with nearly four decades in orthopedics. From carrying a Zimmer sales bag to leading at Stryker, and ultimately building his own retained search practice, Drue shares how his career evolved and why alignment between talent and company mission matters more than ever.
For medtech founders and investors, his perspective on leadership, fundraising challenges, and building resilient executive teams offers practical lessons. He also explains why he launched MSK Innovations as a platform for CEOs to pitch and connect with world-class investors.
00:00 – Introduction
01:23 – Breaking into orthopedics with Zimmer
02:25 – Building with Stryker and rapid growth
04:00 – Transition to entrepreneurship and search
05:30 – Why contingency recruiting fails
08:00 – Moving into retained search and C-suite roles
13:25 – Launching new ventures and MSK Innovations
16:00 – Building a pitch platform for medtech CEOs
20:30 – Acquiring Orthopedics This Week
24:00 – Reinventing a media platform for MSK innovators
28:30 – The founder’s challenge: technical vs. commercial leadership
33:30 – Traits that define successful medtech CEOs
40:00 – Capital raising, board dynamics, and runway risks
48:00 – Closing reflections
Guest Speaker(s):
Website: https://www.orthospinesearch.com/
LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ddeangelis/
🎁 FREE RESOURCES TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS:
✨Brand Brief Template: https://tribeagency.myflodesk.com/brandbrief
✨Entrepreneur Checklist:https://tribeagency.myflodesk.com/30daye-checklist
✨AutomatedMarketing:https://tribeagency.myflodesk.com/automatedmarketing
✨15 Strategic Investor Slides: https://tribeagency.myflodesk.com/getfunded
🚀 LAUNCH AND BRAND YOUR BUSINESS WITH ME!
https://30dayentrepreneur.tribeagency.org/
Brand Masterclass: https://tribeagency.myflodesk.com/brandmasterclass
🎙️ SUBSCRIBE TO LEADR. PODCAST:
Latest interviews with innovators and industry leaders:
https://tribeagency.org/leadr-podcast
CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL:
📱Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tribeagency1/
📱Twitter/X: http://x.com/TribeAgency1
📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephpliha/
📱YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@makeyourbrandaverb
ABOUT ME:
I'm Steph Pliha, Founder & Principal of Tribe Agency with 20+ years in leadership. After building multiple 7-figure businesses, I now help entrepreneurs transform their brands from nouns to verbs. My Make your Brand a Verb™ Framework has helped countless businesses dominate their markets through strategic positioning and marketing that delivers real results.
📱LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephpliha/
BUSINESS INQUIRIES:
hello@tribeagency.org
#MakeYourBrandAVerb #BrandStrategy #StartupMarketing #SmallBusinessBranding #MedtechMarketing #BusinessTips #LeadrPodcast #Medtech #Startups
FTC Disclosure: Some links shared are affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission from purchases made at no additional cost to you.
© 2025 Tribe Agency. All Rights Reserved.