We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ucheonye Maple a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ucheonye, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry? Any stories or anecdotes that illustrate why this matters?

Corporate America can provide many opportunities for starting and growing a career. There are large companies that offer a wide range of positions in various industries, providing a diverse array of career paths. Further, these companies often offer extensive resources and training programs that can help employees develop new skills and advance in their careers. Furthermore, many corporations offer competitive salaries, benefits packages, and opportunities for advancement, making them an attractive option for job seekers.

However as a result of misaligned culture and environment, Corporate American have a tendency to forget people have options.

Overworked, tired, and burned out, I was at my wits’ end around fifteen years into my career. In spite of the value I brought to the organization, I had not been promoted and received the accolades I deserved. Mentally drained, I knew I needed to make a change in my life that would provide me with an environment and flexibility to grow faster and gain access to the network I needed.

To see my value, I had to shift my perspective on myself, where I knew I was valuable. Getting a life coach helped me see myself in all of my greatness, which led to this change. Once I saw myself in a higher position with more pay, I began to attract those opportunities.

As a result of my tough decision to leave this company, my managers were taken aback and speechless. I was wished good luck and told that if I ever wanted to return, all I had to do was ask.

There would not be such a mass exodus if Corporate America realized that most underrepresented and underserved people are high caliber, especially in the STEM field.

Ucheonye, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Having steadily climbed the corporate ladder, in 2015, I knew I needed to do something different. I was tired of the corporate environment, tired of workplace politics, and simply fed up with trying to prove my worth to break through the proverbial glass ceiling. I invested in myself by getting into a 6-month leadership program and getting a career coach because I wanted to be in control of my own career success. My coach enlightened me that I was allowing my environment to confine me. She also said that I was a circle inside a square. I need to get into an environment where I am able to expand.

Within six months, I found a new position with a 30% increase in salary. I also had the opportunity to create a high-caliber team of systems engineers who are considered experts and thought leaders in their fields.

In May of 2021, a life-changing event forced me to have a moment of reflection on “How did I get here?” And “What put me in this situation?” I found myself lying in a hospital bed thinking about all of the things I never got to do in life. I made a promise to myself that I would put myself first if I could just make it through this ordeal.

After returning to work after a 4-week leave of absence with everyone welcoming me back, it was the moment when I received a status report that I knew something was wrong. All I heard were the sounds of all the adults talking to Charlie Brown, you know the “womp, womp womp, womp,” because I could not understand what he was saying to me. I made the decision that day, this was going to be my last week at work. I retired after a 22-year career at the young age of 44.

I was able to retire early because 1) I was debt-free 2) I started my business while employed 3) I invested in myself. Unfortunately, many people work sick because they only have one stream of income. After retiring, I had so many people ask me how I was able to do it, so I started coaching them on how they could become financially independent. I became more intentional about mentoring and speaking to others about how I was in a position to create the life I wanted and not depend on my 9-5 as my only financial source. I gained clarity on my goals and my ultimate belief in God.

I created the Women’s Business Accelerator. This accelerator helps women in executive level positions start their own business to become financially independent and gain financial freedom by creating their own business. This is done using their natural gifts and abilities. Together we can keep striving, keep moving and keep breaking boundaries.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I love this question. In my book, Resilient: A key to Being Brilliant (which you can get on Amazon). I talk about how you need resilience to keep moving forward. Here is an excerpt from the book, “One major lesson I learned from my mom is to always bet on yourself. There were many times where I counted myself out, but I took the risk, and sometimes the results were fruitful and other times they were learning lessons. The lesson I learned is to LEAP. LEAP stands for Learn to Excel and Affirm your Power. This motto has help me accelerate in my career quickly, retire at 44 years old and become a successful entrepreneur.” When I started my side business, that was the ultimate motivation and that motivation alone has allowed me to help a multitude of women who were in need of career coaching, removal of self-beliefs and business coaching. Mom’s advice was sound and right.

Any advice for managing a team?

My advice for managing a team and maintaining high morale is to know that you are a servant leader. The primary goal of a team leader is to effectively lead and manage a team to achieve its objectives and goals.

This involves setting clear expectations, providing direction and support, communicating effectively, resolving conflicts, and continually assessing and improving the team’s performance.

A team leader must also motivate and engage team members, foster a positive and productive work environment. Ultimately, the goal of a team leader is to help the team to work together efficiently and effectively to deliver high-quality results, hence a servant leader. There are instances, where I have seen team leaders who have a dictatorial leadership which is off-putting and teams member slowly leave and go elsewhere. Overall, creating an engaging culture where people feel appreciated and valued will increase team performance and satisfaction.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ucheonyemaple.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ucheonye_maple/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ucheonyemaple
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uche-maple/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_YBuvJMIa8ePZHLeSS-wRw

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