Unleash YES (Your Entrepreneurial Spirit) with Tom Schimmer & Natalie Vardabasso — Business, Education, Mindset

Tom Schimmer & Natalie Vardabasso

The podcast for educators ready to turn their expertise into impact, income, and freedom. You've spent your career helping others learn — now it's time to build something of your own. Hosted by international education experts Tom Schimmer and Natalie Vardabasso, Unleash YES helps teachers, coaches, and school leaders break free from the confines of the system and step into their power as independent K–12 consultants, speakers, and thought leaders. Each episode blends real talk with actionable strategy to help you: → Clarify your niche and offer so you stop swirling and start selling. → Build authentic visibility through speaking, podcasting, and storytelling. → Shift your mindset from force to flow so you attract clients instead of chasing them. → Design a freedom-based lifestyle rooted in purpose, creativity, and joy. With global experience in 25+ countries, bestselling books, and hundreds of client success stories, Tom and Nat share the proven frameworks they teach inside the Unleash YES Bootcamp — plus raw conversations about the highs, lows, and hilarious moments of entrepreneurship. If you're an educator with a big heart, bold ideas, and zero desire to play small… this is your corner of the internet. ✨ New episodes drop every other Monday. 🛎️ Subscribe now and start building the business and life you were meant for!

  1. 2D AGO

    45 – Education Consulting 101: What It Actually Is (And Whether It Could Be for You)

    Think education consulting is only for keynote speakers with massive followings and published books? Think again. In this episode, Tom and Nat break down exactly what education consultants do, who hires them, how they make money, and — most importantly — whether you could be one. You'll learn the different consulting delivery models (from in-person PD to online group coaching), who's actually writing the checks and why, and the three biggest myths that stop qualified educators from ever getting started. Plus: the one question to ask yourself before anything else — "Which problem in education do I have receipts for solving?" If you've been sitting on the sidelines wondering whether consulting could be your next chapter, this episode replaces the confusion with clarity. 🔗 Ready to go deeper? Grab the Educators Business Blueprint — our two-day shortcut to identifying your niche, designing your offer, and landing your first client: [Grab the Blueprint] Connect with Tom & Nat: >> Follow Tom on Linkedin >> Follow Nat on Linkedin >> Follow @unleashyes on Instagram >> email info@unleashyes.org >> Book a call.

    57 min

  2. FEB 23

    44 – This Is Marketing by Seth Godin (Book Summary for Educators Who Hate Marketing)

    Most educators think marketing means advertising, promoting, or "selling yourself." And if you've ever felt that resistance rise in your chest at the thought of doing marketing, you're not alone. In this episode, we break down our biggest takeaways from Seth Godin's bestselling book This Is Marketing and explore why educators are actually uniquely positioned to thrive in this new era of marketing. If marketing is the act of making change happen, then teachers and leaders have been marketers their entire careers. We unpack five powerful ideas from the book, including serving the smallest viable market, why authenticity isn't the goal, and how culture is strategy, and connect each one directly to the strengths educators already have. Along the way, we share the moment our own relationship with marketing shifted, and why building community changed everything for us. If you've ever thought, "I just don't want to do marketing," this conversation will reframe it entirely and leave you with practical action steps you can use right away in your consulting or leadership work. Join our email community for deeper reframes, practical tools, and behind-the-scenes thinking on building a values-aligned education business: 👉 Join the mailing list: https://www.unleashyes.org/email-list-opt-in And if you'd like to read This Is Marketing by Seth Godin for yourself, you can find it here: 📖 Get the book: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/this-is-marketing-you-cant-be-seen-until-you-learn-to-see/9780525540830.html If this episode resonates, make sure you're following the podcast so you don't miss what's next. Connect with Tom & Nat: >> Follow Tom on Linkedin >> Follow Nat on Linkedin >> Follow @unleashyes on Instagram >> email info@unleashyes.org

    42 min

  3. FEB 9

    43 – Pricing Without Flinching: What to Say When a School Asks Your Rates

    You finally receive the email you have been hoping for. The subject line says, "PD Request." For a moment you feel excited, and then you open it and see the question: "What are your rates?" Suddenly the confidence you had about your expertise disappears. Most educators were never taught how to talk about money. In schools, you show up, do meaningful work, and move up a salary grid. But consulting is different. The moment you name a price can feel uncomfortable, awkward, or even selfish. In this episode, Tom and Nat explain why pricing is not separate from your impact — it communicates your impact. They discuss why higher investment often leads to better implementation, why underpricing quietly undermines credibility, and how to interpret budget pushback without taking it personally. You will also hear Natalie's story of increasing her fee and realizing that pricing is less about money and more about leadership. By the end of this episode, you will understand how to respond to pricing questions clearly and calmly, without apologizing or guessing. If you have ever found yourself staring at a reply email wondering what number to type, we created a resource specifically for that moment. The free Educator PD Pricing Guide shares real pricing ranges educators are using right now, explains what actually changes the price, and helps you respond professionally with confidence. Download it at: unleashyes.org/pricing If the episode helps you feel more grounded in your work, please consider leaving a review. Send us a screenshot of your review at info@unleashyes.org and we will mail you a physical book as a thank-you. Connect with Tom & Nat: >> Follow Tom on Linkedin >> Follow Nat on Linkedin >> Follow @unleashyes on Instagram >> email info@unleashyes.org >> Book a call.   Show Notes:

    36 min

  4. JAN 27

    42 – Teachers Deserve It: How Rae Hughart is Reimagining K-12 Consulting

    👉 Feeling called to make a bigger impact in education? If you're curious about building aligned, paid work beyond your current role, you can book a clarity call with us here: [Book a Time] Some people talk about innovation in education. Rae Hughart lives it. In this episode of Unleash YES, we sit down with Rae Hughart—former middle school math teacher, education leader, and founder of Teachers Deserve It—to unpack what it really looks like to build a learning-based consulting business that respects teachers and creates systems-level change. Rae shares how her journey evolved from the classroom, through leadership at Teach Better, to launching a consulting model that challenges traditional PD as we know it. Rather than one-off workshops or surface-level inspiration, Teachers Deserve It is grounded in mastery-based learning, human-centered design, and deep co-creation with schools and districts. In this conversation, you'll hear: How Rae knew her impact was meant to extend beyond her own classroom What she learned about scaling a learning-based business inside an existing organization Why she launched Teachers Deserve It—and what problem she was determined to solve How co-creation, alignment, and integration shape her consulting model The identity shifts required to move from teacher → leader → founder How Rae now defines success—and what she actively protects If you've ever felt called to make a bigger impact in education without burnout or permission-seeking, this episode will meet you right where you are. 🎧 Listen, reflect, and keep your notebook close. Connect with Tom & Nat: >> Follow Tom on Linkedin >> Follow Nat on Linkedin >> Follow @unleashyes on Instagram >> email info@unleashyes.org >> Book a call.

    50 min

  5. JAN 12

    41 – Stop Doing These 5 Things to Grow Your Educator Business to $100K in 2026

    You're posting. You're speaking. People tell you your work matters. And yet… your business is still stuck. In this episode of Unleash YES, we name the real reason so many educators stay under $25K—not because they lack ideas or expertise, but because they're giving hobby-level consistency to something they want to be real. It took both of us far longer than we want to admit to cross our first $100K. Not because we didn't know what to do—but because we hadn't stopped doing the things that kept us playing small. In this conversation, we break down the five behaviors we had to stop before anything truly changed, including: ·       Waiting for validation instead of trusting our expertise ·       Overbuilding brands instead of selling real offers ·       Trying to help everyone instead of choosing focus ·       Doing everything alone instead of building in aligned community ·       Expecting full-time results from part-time commitment This episode is for educators who already have visibility—but are ready for traction. The kind that proves this isn't a hobby. It's real. If you're done circling ideas and ready to build a consulting business with clarity and momentum, your next step isn't another post—it's a conversation. 👉 Book your Clarity Call here: [Chat With Us] Your work already matters. Now it's time to build it like it's real.

    43 min

  6. 12/22/2025

    40 – The One-Year Tipping Point: How Kendra's Business Exploded as a Side Hustle

    What does it actually look like to go from classroom teacher to in-demand PD consultant—and hit the one-year tipping point in a learning-based business? In this episode of Unleash YES, we're joined by Kendra Jacobs (@mathematizing247), a mathematics thought leader who, in just one year, grew her audience from 2K to 11K, launched a thriving membership community, created an online membership, and saw her professional development requests from districts explode. Kendra shares the exact moments that changed everything: ·       The identity shift from teacher to thought leader ·       How she clarified her niche and stopped trying to serve everyone ·       What actually unlocked her audience growth and PD demand ·       Why she now chooses to teach part-time while growing a business she loves If you're an educator who feels the pull to build something beyond the classroom—and you're wondering if this path is really possible—Kendra's story is the proof. 👉 Ready to create your own one-year tipping point? Book a Clarity Call to explore joining the Educator Freedom Lab, our signature experience for educators ready to turn their expertise into an aligned, in-demand consulting business. Our next cohort begins Jan. 4th and only 20 spots are available. Connect with Tom & Nat: >> Follow Tom on Linkedin >> Follow Nat on Linkedin >> Follow @unleashyes on Instagram >> email info@unleashyes.org >> Book a call.

    42 min

  7. 12/13/2025 · BONUS

    BONUS – Introducing...The Educator Freedom Lab!

    The Unleash YES Bootcamp is officially becoming the Educator Freedom Lab. In this short bonus episode, we share: Why "bootcamp" no longer fits the educators we serve What freedom actually looks like when you go independent Who the Educator Freedom Lab is for (and who it's not) If you love education but feel like your role can't hold you anymore… this episode will land. 👉 Curious if the Educator Freedom Lab is aligned for you? Book a clarity call with us and let's find out.  Let's go.

    6 min

  8. 12/08/2025

    39 — Why the System Loved You… Until It Didn't

    If you've ever wondered why the school system loved you… until it didn't, this episode will feel like someone finally turned the lights on. Natalie and Tom unpack the research-backed pattern behind why innovative educators go from "golden child" to "too much," and why the very qualities that once made you indispensable are the same ones pointing you toward your next chapter. You'll hear what 95 in-depth educator interviews revealed about the Innovator Backlash, and the deeper truth that you were never misaligned — you were miscast. And once you see what's actually happening? You'll understand why your biggest impact on education won't come from inside the system… but from finally stepping outside it. If this episode hits you in the chest, that's not a crisis — it's a calling. 👉 Book a free Clarity Call to map out whether the Educator Freedom Lab is your next step. 👉 Or, if you already know this is your moment, join the Lab directly using the link in the show notes.

    33 min
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The podcast for educators ready to turn their expertise into impact, income, and freedom. You've spent your career helping others learn — now it's time to build something of your own. Hosted by international education experts Tom Schimmer and Natalie Vardabasso, Unleash YES helps teachers, coaches, and school leaders break free from the confines of the system and step into their power as independent K–12 consultants, speakers, and thought leaders. Each episode blends real talk with actionable strategy to help you: → Clarify your niche and offer so you stop swirling and start selling. → Build authentic visibility through speaking, podcasting, and storytelling. → Shift your mindset from force to flow so you attract clients instead of chasing them. → Design a freedom-based lifestyle rooted in purpose, creativity, and joy. With global experience in 25+ countries, bestselling books, and hundreds of client success stories, Tom and Nat share the proven frameworks they teach inside the Unleash YES Bootcamp — plus raw conversations about the highs, lows, and hilarious moments of entrepreneurship. If you're an educator with a big heart, bold ideas, and zero desire to play small… this is your corner of the internet. ✨ New episodes drop every other Monday. 🛎️ Subscribe now and start building the business and life you were meant for!

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