Interviews

Movers & Shakers Interview with Cindy Uhlir

Published

5 years ago

June 29, 2018

Tell us your name and a little about yourself.

I am Cindy Uhlir, Founder and owner of Business Break-Thru and Education Break-Thru, two consulting firms dedicated to helping small to medium-sized businesses as well as schools and school systems to grow and to be successful.

What exactly does your company do?

Business Break-Thru helps guide and direct small to medium-sized businesses to grow and to become successful in the midst of changes and transitions. Education Break-Thru helps schools, school systems, and instructional and learning development professionals to improve their processes and procedures to meet the needs of students and their families, faculty, and staff, and district-level leaders.

What were the biggest challenges you have faced and how did you overcome them?

I faced the challenge of a woman breaking through the male-dominated field of Engineering at a time when women were not going into the field and those who were going into the field were being forced out before given the opportunity to graduate with an Engineering degree. I stayed true to my dream, to my calling and I was the only woman to graduate as an Engineer in a graduating class that started with only three women admitted to the program.

What piece of advice do you wish someone had given you at the start of your career?

Never give up! Every opportunity no matter how small or, seemingly, insignificant is an opportunity for a breakthrough.

Who are your biggest influences and people you admire and why?

As an Engineer by training, I have always admired Albert Einstein. He was a visionary and one who could see unapologetically the world around him and the universe in a new way that defied his critics and that revolutionized his field of endeavor.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are?

My mother and father instilled in me the work ethic, the determination, the compassion, and the pride that has enabled and empowered me to start and to run several businesses in my career, to seek challenges that would stretch me, test me, and hone my skills, and to help others to become successful.