We were lucky to catch up with Coach Sakilé recently and have shared our conversation below.
Coach, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?
If I could change one thing about the education system, it would be to make experiential learning the centerpiece of every child’s education. Children don’t just need knowledge; they need experiences that allow them to apply that knowledge in meaningful, tangible ways. Learning shouldn’t just happen within the four walls of a classroom—it should happen in the world, in the real-life scenarios where they will one day thrive.
As someone who has homeschooled for 20 years and embraced the world as my children’s classroom, I’ve seen firsthand the transformational power of experiential learning. Statistics show that children retain 90% of what they experience but only 10% of what they read and 20% of what they hear. This is why we design our homeschooling life around immersive, hands-on experiences—traveling to new places, exploring museums, volunteering, interning, and learning through curiosity and adventure.
When I was a child, I used to ask my teachers, “How does this apply to the real world?” And, honestly, I rarely got a satisfactory answer. The system was so focused on memorization and regurgitation that the why behind the learning was often lost. It wasn’t until I attended university that I finally saw how education could connect to life. I remember taking Business Calculus, where every problem was tied to a real-world scenario—things like calculating profit margins or optimizing production. It finally made sense! In Environmental Science, we didn’t just talk about ecosystems; we tested the quality of water, visited recycling plants, watched controlled wildland burns, and went to water filtration sites to understand the full cycle. Those lessons stuck with me not just for weeks or months but for life because I experienced them.
Now, as a worldschooling family, we take this philosophy to heart. My children have seen history come alive while standing in ancient ruins, developed leadership skills while volunteering in underserved communities, and discovered new interests through exploration and internships. Instead of memorizing facts, they’re living lessons that are shaping who they are and the impact they will make in the world.
Imagine a system where every child could learn this way. Instead of sitting at desks all day, students could explore their communities, solve real-world problems, and develop skills like critical thinking, collaboration, and adaptability—qualities that are essential for a fulfilling life and career. The world is full of lessons just waiting to be discovered, and I firmly believe every child should have the opportunity to learn in a way that’s connected to their future.
The change is simple yet profound: prioritize experience over memorization. Let students ask, “How does this apply to the real world?” and make sure they get an answer—by letting them live it. That’s how we prepare children not just for careers, but for life.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Thank you for asking! I’m Sakilé, and I wear many hats, but at the heart of it all, I’m a worldschooling homeschool coach, author, entrepreneur, and creative strategist committed to helping families design lives of purpose, freedom, and connection. My journey into this field began with a deep desire to create a life for my family that wasn’t limited by traditional structures. I wanted to provide my children with an education that embraced their natural brilliance, respected their individuality, and allowed them to experience the world as their classroom.
I’ve been homeschooling for over 20 years and started our worldschooling adventure in 2008, traveling to more than 100 cities across the globe. Along the way, I saw firsthand how experiential learning—through travel, exploration, internships, volunteering, and cultural immersion—transforms children into lifelong learners who are curious, confident, and capable. This philosophy became the foundation of my coaching, products, and services.
Through my company, Embrace Your Free LLC, I offer resources and guidance to help families simplify homeschooling, embrace worldschooling, and make education an adventure. Some of my most popular products include:
*The Brainiac’s Blueprint Planner, a 280+ page digital homeschool planner that helps parents organize, simplify, and excel in their homeschooling journey.
*E-books and Guides like From Pajamas to Prodigies and Make That Money Honey, designed to empower families with strategies for successful homeschooling and financial independence.
*Coaching and Masterminds, where I help families align their homeschooling approach with their values, passions, and goals, and find ways to live and work while traveling the world.
I also host the podcast Learning Outside the Box: The Homeschool Chronicles, where I share stories, tips, and inspiration for parents on this unique path. My Facebook community, Black Homeschoolers Unite, has over 20,000 active members and serves as a vibrant hub for homeschooling families seeking support, resources, and connection in their homeschooling journeys.
The problems I solve for my clients are practical and emotional. I help families overcome the overwhelm of homeschooling by offering tools, systems, and personalized guidance to build confidence and clarity. I also address the deeper desire many parents have to create a life that’s not bound by societal norms—a life of freedom, fulfillment, and purpose.
What sets me apart is my lived experience. I’m not just a coach—I’ve walked this path myself as a mom of six and have designed a lifestyle that reflects my values. I know the challenges of balancing work, family, and education, and I’ve developed solutions that actually work. I also bring a global perspective, having lived in places like Mexico, Ghana, and France, and learning from diverse cultures along the way.
I’m most proud of creating a life that aligns with my family’s purpose while inspiring others to do the same. I want people to know that homeschooling doesn’t have to look like school at home—it can be an adventure where learning is natural, joyful, and limitless. Whether through my books, podcast, or coaching, my mission is to empower families to embrace their freedom and create lives they love—not someday, or one day, but today.
If there’s one thing I want potential clients or followers to take away, it’s this: You don’t have to settle for the life society says you should have. You can design a life of your dreams—where your children thrive, your passions are fulfilled, and your family grows together in love and freedom. I’m here to help you get there.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn is that “Done is better than perfect, because perfect never gets done.” I first heard this phrase from Sandra Yancey, and it hit me like a ton of bricks because I’ve always been a perfectionist. As a student, there was one right way to do things, and the goal was to master that way flawlessly. I graduated Summa Cum Laude as an undergrad and maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA in graduate school. For years, perfectionism was my standard. It was the focus, the goal—and the trap.
But in the real world, perfectionism doesn’t lead to fulfillment. It leads to procrastination, self-sabotage, and endless delays. I found myself caught in this cycle—always preparing, planning, and tweaking for perfection but never actually launching. I would spend months and months working on a book or a course, only to leave it unfinished because it wasn’t “perfect.” I missed opportunities to chase dreams like going on trips or starting new projects because I thought I had to have everything perfectly lined up before taking the first step. But life doesn’t wait for perfection—life happens.
The breakthrough came in 2017 when I finally decided to just get it done. I wrote my first book in a single day, spent a week editing, and launched it. It wasn’t perfect, but it was out there, and that changed everything. I started learning that the value wasn’t in perfection—it was in progress. I could always make a second or third edition if needed. Since then, I’ve embraced this approach in all areas of my work. When I sell a live coaching program or course, I don’t spend months designing every detail upfront. Instead, I create as I go, surveying my clients before each class or session to tailor the program to their needs. It’s more fluid, more authentic, and it gets things done.
The same lesson applies as a parent. I’ve learned that there’s no such thing as a “perfect” parent, but there’s the moment. Being present, moving toward a worthy goal, and appreciating the journey are far more important than trying to control every detail. Yes, we all fall—but what matters is how we get back up. Watching a baby learn to walk or feed themselves reminds me of this truth. It’s wobbly, messy, and oh-so-beautiful to watch. They’re making progress, taking steps, and getting somewhere—and that’s exactly how life works.
Now, I remind myself daily that fast and rough is sometimes better than slow and never finished. My books, my programs, even my travels—they don’t have to be perfect to be impactful. They just have to be. Progress over perfection, every time.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
In 2016, we made the bold decision to shift from part-time worldschooling to full-time, kicking off our 100-city tour. At the time, both my husband and I were thriving in the e-commerce space. He was focused on dropshipping, while I was managing a Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) business. My days were spent visiting stores, hunting for bargains, and sending inventory to Amazon warehouses to sell for a profit. It was profitable, no doubt—but it wasn’t sustainable for our new on-the-road lifestyle.
Managing physical products while traveling proved to be a logistical nightmare, especially without fully transitioning to suppliers like Alibaba, which came with its own learning curve. We quickly realized that to maintain the freedom we wanted for our family, we needed to pivot to something more adaptable.
That’s when we transitioned into the coaching and consulting space. It was a shift from selling physical products to offering information products and services. This pivot allowed us to work with clients from anywhere in the world, providing value without the constraints of inventory, warehouses, or shipping logistics. It wasn’t an overnight process, but we embraced it as a learning journey.
Now, coaching and consulting are at the core of what we do, allowing us to align our business with our purpose and passion while living a location-independent lifestyle. This pivot not only transformed our work but also deepened our connection to the families and individuals we serve. It’s a decision I wouldn’t trade for anything—it gave us the freedom to fully embrace the life we envisioned.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.embraceyourfree.com
- Instagram: @embraceyourfree
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sakile.embraceyourfree/
- Youtube: @embraceyourfreetv
- Other: tik tok @embraceyourfreetv
Image Credits
Thomas Barwick