Why you should build a business

What happens when the career you worked so hard to build is no longer the life you want? For Cassandra Sonma Ukaobi, popularly known as Cass Uk, the answer was to reinvent herself. Cass moved from Nigeria at just 19 to study nursing in the Caribbean before eventually relocating to the UK. She worked in care homes, private hospitals and later the NHS in Newcastle, building a career in healthcare while quietly nurturing a desire to become an entrepreneur. But burnout, motherhood and a near-death experience during childbirth changed her perspective on life and career. Rather than continue playing it safe, Cass decided to go all-in on Tolicious — the nurse-led wellness brand she had been building alongside her career. Today, Tolicious has grown into an award-winning wellness business, while Cass has also become an author, speaker, podcast host and founder of Blueprint Academy. In this episode of Winning Across Borders, we discuss: • Moving from Nigeria to the Caribbean at 19 • Why she chose nursing as a pathway abroad • Her experience working across healthcare settings in the UK • Burnout in the NHS • The life-changing experience that pushed her to take a risk • Building Tolicious while working a 9–5 • Turning nursing knowledge into entrepreneurship • Winning Best Female-Led Wellness Brand UK 2025 • Building a personal brand alongside a business • Her book, The Tolicious Way: Detox Your Body and Life • Why she created Blueprint Academy for diaspora women • Funding and grants available to entrepreneurs • Balancing business, motherhood and wellbeing • The importance of creating an exit strategy • Starting a business while navigating immigration and visa restrictions One of the biggest lessons from Cass's journey is that leaving a career doesn't necessarily mean throwing everything away. She still maintains her nursing licence, but today nursing is an option rather than something she has to depend on. If you're an immigrant who feels trapped in a job, especially because of sponsorship or financial security, Cass's story offers an important perspective: you don't necessarily have to make a reckless leap. You can start building your next chapter while you're still in your current one. **00:00 – From NHS Nurse to Entrepreneur** **01:27 – Why Cass Keeps Building** **02:30 – Growing Up in Nigeria** **04:48 – Why She Chose Nursing** **07:23 – Why She Moved to the UK** **08:27 – Working as a Nurse in the UK** **10:31 – When Burnout Became Real** **11:52 – The Moment Everything Changed** **14:33 – How Tolicious Started** **16:06 – Can Social Media Transform Healthcare?** **18:45 – Winning Best Female-Led Wellness Brand UK 2025** **20:22 – Building Cass Uk as a Personal Brand** **23:06 – The Tolicious Way: Her Book** **25:19 – The One Lesson From Her Book** **27:40 – What Is Blueprint Academy?** **31:29 – Why Women Should Build Businesses** **36:45 – Quick Fire: Lessons From Nursing & Business** **38:23 – What Migration Taught Her** **39:31 – The Best Investment She Made in Herself** **40:30 – What Work-Life Balance Really Means** **42:00 – Tolicious, Blueprint Academy & Her Work** **44:13 – Advice for Immigrants Trapped in Their Jobs** **47:03 – Final Thoughts** 🎙️ ABOUT WINNING ACROSS BORDERS Winning Across Borders explores the real experiences of Africans navigating careers, relocation, entrepreneurship and opportunities abroad. Subscribe for more conversations with Africans building meaningful careers and lives across borders. #WinningAcrossBorders #CareerAdvice #AfricansAbroad #UKJobs #Immigration #Entrepreneurship #NHS #CareerChange #Wellness #Diaspora