Trapped in the need to prove yourself? This is what helped me break the cycle
21 hard-won lessons from life in big pharma that are helping me build a business grounded in clarity, not performance
WRITTEN BY: NYAMBE “YAM” SUMBWANYAMBE, FOUNDER, THE BLACK SHERPA
You don’t leave a two-decade career in corporate without carrying some of it with you. Some of it’s baggage. Some of it’s gold.
When I left, I had a generous package… but more importantly, I had a manifesto.
Not one I downloaded. One I lived.
Over the years, I started noting down the patterns I saw again and again. What helped people grow. What held them back. The invisible levers no one told you about. The traps even talented people fall into. And how those of us who never got a blueprint could still climb… without losing ourselves.
That became The Black Sherpa Manifesto: 21 principles for growing your career without compromising who you are.
I built it inside the system.
Now it’s helping me survive, and start to thrive, outside of it.
And I think it might help you too.
Why I’m sharing this with you
If you’re in The HoLT community, I’m guessing you’re building something bold, personal, and hard to explain to people who’ve never stepped off the "safe path."
Maybe you’ve left corporate. Or maybe corporate never saw you. Either way… you’re now the strategy team, the talent, the marketing director, the finance lead... and the inner critic.
You're no longer chasing titles. But approval? That’s still a tempting drug.
This blog isn’t about my story… it’s about what you can take from it.
Because if you’re going to build something that lasts, you’ll need more than skills and services.
You’ll need clarity, resilience, and language for the business you’re really in:
Becoming someone who doesn’t need permission anymore.
The 3 buckets that changed everything
The Black Sherpa Manifesto is built around three big ideas that apply as much to solo entrepreneurs as they do to corporate climbers.
Let me break them down and show how you can apply them directly to your business.
1. Self-Awareness: Know yourself so you can lead yourself
💡 Why it matters to you:
Without self-awareness, you’ll say yes to the wrong clients, waste time performing for the algorithm, and quietly burn out while pretending it’s working.
💬 Try this:
Define your own version of success - not one based on income alone, but on lifestyle, values, and legacy.
Create your “Hell Yes” filter for clients, platforms, and partnerships: if it’s not aligned, it’s a no.
Rest like it's strategy - because if you’re depleted, your business will be too.
🎯 One powerful shift:
You are not your output.
You are the operator of the machine. Treat yourself like the asset.
2. System Savviness: Play the game without losing your soul
💡 Why it matters to you:
You may have left the org chart behind but you’re still navigating systems: Instagram algorithms, client expectations, pricing psychology, cultural norms.
💬 Try this:
Stop waiting for confidence. Take action. Progress builds belief.
Learn what creates value - not just what feels like effort.
Build relationships that open doors - not just followers who tap "like."
🎯 One powerful shift:
Don’t just work hard.
Make sure the right people know how your work creates results.
3. Influence & Visibility: Be seen. Build trust. Lead change.
💡 Why it matters to you:
Your story, your offer, and your values only matter if people feel them. You can’t be a secret and a success.
💬 Try this:
Communicate your why with the same energy you promote your what.
Build community around your mission - not just your marketing.
Create systems to make your invisible work visible (think: testimonials, case studies, clear positioning).
🎯 One powerful shift:
Popularity fades.
Purpose compounds.
The atomic insight that keeps me grounded
Here’s what I learned… painfully… over years of trying to “get it right”:
Approval is a currency that always runs out.
Values are your bank account… build it once, spend it forever.
When you know your values, decisions get simpler. Boundaries get clearer. Confidence gets stronger.
And that’s the kind of business and life worth building.
Your Turn: Pause. Reflect. Realign.
You don’t need to write a manifesto.
But you do need to know what you stand for… or risk being shaped by whatever screams the loudest.
Before you go, take a moment to sit with these questions:
What are 3 values that truly matter to me in life and business?
Where in my day-to-day am I honouring those values?
Where might I be compromising them… for approval, survival, or ease?
What’s one small thing I could do this week to bring my business (or life) back into better alignment?
You don’t have to overhaul everything overnight.
But you can take one honest step today toward something that feels more like you.
Want the Full Manifesto?
The Black Sherpa Manifesto was created for corporate climbers trying to rise without losing themselves.
But the lessons apply far beyond the boardroom.
If it spoke to you, I’d love to share it.
📩 Just drop me a note at yam@theblacksherpa.com and I’ll send you a copy.
Because whether you're in a corner office or your kitchen studio, you deserve to grow without compromise.
Climb steady,
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yam is the founder of The Black Sherpa, a mission-led platform helping underrepresented talent break through systemic barriers to build careers with purpose and power. After nearly two decades in the pharmaceutical industry, including an award-winning run at MSD, Yam left corporate life to create something deeper — a space where clarity, confidence, and lived experience are the currency.
Through The Black Sherpa podcast and platform, he now supports bold career moves and meaningful business growth for those navigating unfair systems. He’s passionate about turning quiet ambition into visible impact, and helping people succeed without compromising who they are.
Yam is a father, strategist, and speaker on a mission to make diverse leadership the norm, not the exception.
