In this powerful, in-person episode of the Unlearned & Unlimited Podcast, the conversation slows down — and gets honest.

Hosted by Dr. Sito Narcisse, this episode centers on a message many educators, leaders, and high-achievers rarely hear enough:

You’re doing a damn good job.

Even if it doesn’t look like you thought it would.

Even if it doesn’t feel that way today.

Even if the results aren’t loud yet.

In this episode, Tatiana Echevarria steps into the guest seat and reflects on growing up with high expectations — being told early on that anything less than an “A” wasn’t enough. The drive to excel brought success, involvement, leadership, and impact — but it also created a quiet fear of imperfection. A fear of stepping outside the box. A pressure to always perform, always prove, always deliver.

Tatiana talks openly about choosing teaching at a time when it was deeply respected — not for the pay, but for the impact. About teachers who questioned the path, mentors who pushed excellence, and the internal voice that equated worth with achievement.

This episode explores:

How perfectionism can motivate — and limit

What happens when excellence becomes a cage

Why impact matters more than appearance

And how unlearning the need to be perfect is often the key to real leadership

This is not a highlight reel.

It’s a reminder.

If you’re an educator, a leader, or anyone carrying the weight of expectation — hear this clearly:

You’re doing a damn good job.

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On this powerful episode of Unlearned & Unlimited, hosts Dr. Sito Narcisse and Tatiana Echevarria sit down with entrepreneur, educator, and coach Angelica Pompy, also known as the “Yes Queen,” to unpack her journey from health administration student to six-figure business owner and mentor to women entrepreneurs across the country.

Angelica shares how she started Pompy Portraits as a side hustle in 2017 while working a 9-to-5, often putting in 12-hour days during her “five-to-nine.” Despite being told photography couldn’t be a real business, she leaned into her creativity, saved a full year of living expenses, and made the calculated leap into full-time entrepreneurship in 2019 — photographing her first international wedding in Italy the same year.

Since then, her ventures have expanded into multiple businesses, including Angelica Pompy Education, Simply You Studio, and her growing coaching membership Business Church, helping women build systems, confidence, and clarity in their businesses.

In this conversation, Angelica breaks down:

Why “doing it messy” beats waiting for perfection

How systems like CRMs separate struggling businesses from sustainable ones

Why community beats competition, especially for women entrepreneurs

How visibility and using your voice directly impact revenue

What it really means to “stand on business”

Why women-led startups still receive only 2% of venture capital — and how knowledge gaps play a role

How to calculate risk with data, pivot strategically, and protect your work-life boundaries

Angelica also opens up about being the first in her family to graduate college and become an entrepreneur, how she turned a personal weakness into a leadership strength, and why choosing joy should be central to any entrepreneurial path.

This episode is a must-watch for:

Aspiring and current entrepreneurs

Women building service-based businesses

Creatives thinking about leaving corporate life

Anyone ready to unlearn traditional definitions of success

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What if the key to fixing high school starts with ninth grade?

In this episode of the Unlearned & Unlimited Podcast, hosts Dr. Sito Narcisse and Tatiana Echevarria sit down with Kaaren Andrews, National Director of the Center for High School Success, to unpack why the first year of high school is one of the most critical—and misunderstood—moments in a student’s life.

With over 20 years of experience as a principal, system leader, and education reformer, Kaaren shares powerful insights from her work building alternative education models in Seattle and scaling student-centered systems across 14 states. She explains why belonging and connection are not “soft skills,” but foundational drivers of academic success, especially for students with disabilities and those navigating systemic barriers.

This conversation also explores how schools can build internal capacity instead of constantly chasing new programs, why listening to communities matters more than top-down reform, and how AI in education could either widen gaps—or help schools finally meet students where they are.

Whether you’re a teacher, principal, district leader, policymaker, or advocate, this episode challenges you to rethink school structure, student support, and what real education reform looks like.

Key Topics Discussed:

• Why the first semester of ninth grade predicts long-term success

• How belonging impacts learning and student retention

• Lessons from alternative high schools that traditional systems can adopt

• Supporting students with disabilities beyond compliance

• Building sustainable capacity within schools

• The real promise—and risk—of AI in education

• Community-centered leadership in K–12 systems

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