Ellie Pascazio: You Don’t Have to Be Academic to Succeed

Help Shape the Podcast: To keep improving the podcast, we’d love to know a little more about you. We’ve created a quick 2-question survey that takes about 10 seconds. As a thank you, you’ll go into the draw to win a $100 prize (drawn on April 30). 👉 Complete the survey: https://forms.gle/nK52PuGAdpQtBmjB9 Okay, Here Are Our Show Notes: What if being “not academic” was never the problem, just a sign your strengths were somewhere else? In this episode of More Than a Score, we sit down with Ellie Pascazio: makeup artist, small business owner, and someone who has built a life around people, connection, and creating meaningful experiences - channeling one of her talents related to the "more social side" of school. Ellie’s school experience wasn’t defined by grades or study. She didn’t love the academic side of school. As you'll hear, she found it hard. But she did love being around people, bringing energy into a room, and making others feel good. And importantly… she never saw that as a weakness. After school, Ellie followed that instinct. She stepped into beauty therapy, built her skills, and during COVID took a leap to start her own business from a small corner at home. From there, it grew through word of mouth into a thriving career where she now works on weddings, events, and with clients who choose her not just for her work, but for how she makes them feel. This episode is a great example of someone forging a pathway intentionally connected to values. Ellie shares how her family shaped her perspective, where kindness, being a good person, and living a balanced life mattered more than status or money. She speaks openly about: • Choosing flexibility and travel over chasing a traditional career path • Living within her means and building financial discipline • Creating a life that works for her, not what others expect • And why making people feel good is her version of success This is a powerful reminder that success isn’t one-size-fits-all. What You’ll Discover In This Episode: • What it really feels like to be “not academic” at school • Why Ellie still found pride in simply finishing and getting a score • The strengths that don’t always show up in classrooms • How people skills can become your greatest asset • Starting a business from scratch and growing through word of mouth • Why flexibility, travel, and lifestyle matter more than titles • The role of family values in shaping confidence and choices • Why kindness is not weakness — it’s a strength • How to build a life around what matters to you You don’t have to be the smartest in the room to succeed. You just have to know what matters to you...and build from there. 🎧 Help Shape the Podcast 🎧 At More Than a Score, we’re all about helping parents and young people redefine success and see there’s more than one pathway. To keep improving the podcast, we’d love to know a little more about you. We’ve created a quick 2-question survey that takes about 10 seconds. As a thank you, you’ll go into the draw to win a $100 prize (drawn on April 30). 👉 Complete the survey: https://forms.gle/nK52PuGAdpQtBmjB9 Read less