Niki and I explore something we immigrants feel but seem to avoid naming, that is the relentless pressure to over-perform. She calls it the high-achiever syndrome, brought on by the financial weight of immigration.

I mean, there's the internal pressure of every sacrifice that got you here. Added to the reality of operating in a system where, as she puts it, you seem to sense that you don't have a plan B.

That pressure sits at the heart of the immigrant experience Niki has spent years studying. The cultural adaptation that nobody prepares you for, the quiet identity crisis that creeps in as you navigate immigrant life without a map, and the cost of building in a new country without a village.

We also chat about:

• Building a village in a new country, what to let go of, and how to grow your circle

• The diaspora child and the inheritance immigrants pass on whether they plan to or not

• The four outcomes of acculturation theory, and why integration is both the healthiest and the most disorienting path

• How representation constructs reality

• What happens to your sense of home when the anchors back home start disappearing

----------

Dozie's Notes

A few things that struck me as I listened through this week's conversation:

1. The rules for connection cannot be copied from home. The version of friendship that formed back home, built over years of proximity and shared history, cannot be replicated quickly. Carrying those expectations into a new country is what sets people up to feel like they are failing socially when they are doing fine. One shared interest is enough to start. That's how Niki built her circle in Toronto, via dog parks and crochet circles.

2. Your kids will be seen through an identity they never lived. Niki talks about her daughter, who will be perceived as a woman of color, a South Asian, an Indian-Canadian, and who may not have the lived experience of any of those places to draw on. And as immigrant parents, the work is to understand the systems our children will operate in, and teach them how to navigate them. Because our battles do not have to become their battles.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Niki Wagh on LinkedIn

✅ Follow her on Instagram

The rise and rise of AI means the bar for getting hired has gone to the stratosphere. Everyone's resume looks the same (because you know, we are all using the same prompts and LLMs), which means recruiters are having to sift through thousands of applications before shortlisting for a single role.

For newcomers, the timing of all this is brutal. You arrive Canada carrying amazing credentials, years of hard-earned experience, and real competence.

But the workplace is no longer just asking what you know. It's asking whether you can communicate your value, whether you can build relationships, and whether someone would want to work alongside you.

That question has always mattered but now it's most of the hiring game.

Luki and I chat about this and...

• Why "Canadian experience required" is, in his words, the polite Canadian way of saying "I don't believe you can do the job"

• How communication became the single most critical skill for newcomers in this market

• How AI is reshaping what signals employers use to decide who even gets an interview

• What the human skills toolkit actually looks like, and why mindset is the meta skill underneath all of it

• Why "get better at communication" is useless advice, and what to focus on instead

----------

Dozie's Notes

A few things that struck me as I listened through this week's conversation:

1. The concept of "Canadian experience" gets treated like a credential gap, but Luki believes it's a communication problem. Employers aren't withholding jobs because newcomers lack local context. They're withholding jobs because they can't see the value clearly enough to take the risk. So this probably means that this is a fixable thing, right?

2. "Get better at communication" is useless advice. Nobody gets better at basketball by trying to get better at basketball. You work on dribbling, on your shot, on reading the court. Soft skills are the same. Stand up straighter. Look someone in the eye. Slow down when you speak. Those are skills you can actually practice.

3. Relationships are the real hiring mechanism. As Luki puts it, "It's not what you know, it's not who you know, it's who knows you." Some immigrants I talk to understand this in theory and delay it in practice. They wait until they need the network before they build it. By then, the savings are low and the pressure is high, and asking for help from strangers you've never invested in is nearly impossible. The time to build is before you need it.

Official Links

• Connect with Luki Danukarjanto on LinkedIn

• Read the takeaways from our AMA with Luki

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please consider sharing it with one Canadian immigrant you know.

----------

In this episode, I'm chatting with Jonathan Oldman, the CEO of Immigrant Services Society of BC. He's a founder member of The Canada We Believe In coalition, a group of 200 civil society and business / labour groups calling for a renewed and positive vision for Canadian immigration. Plus Jonathan has gone the full nine yards as a Canadian immigrant; he moved to Canada as a temporary foreign worker, became a permanent resident, and finally, a citizen.

Our conversation was a huge inspiration for my piece asking if the words we use to talk about immigration are choosing our policies for us.

But what I loved most about the conversation was the point we made about reaching the people who fundamentally understand immigration's importance but are hearing louder and louder arguments that are pulling them in the other direction. They're not ideologically opposed but they're uncertain. And uncertainty plus misinformation is a dangerous combination.

Because if we are being honest, the people who care about immigration (people working in the sector, advocates, we podcasters) are mostly talking to each other. We are preaching to the converted.

The real work of rebuilding trust in the Canadian immigration process is finding ways to engage those folks I call the stretch audience.

Jonathan and I also chat about:

• How social media accentuates the extremes and makes it nearly impossible to reach the people in the middle

• Why calling a system "broken" is a pejorative that shuts down problem-solving

• Why immigration success should be measured through population goals, skills gaps, newcomer investment, humanitarian work, and the country's global brand, not just annual arrival numbers

• What Canada stands to gain if it gets immigration right over the next decade, and what it stands to lose if it doesn't

----------

Dozie's Notes

A few things that struck me as I listened through this week's conversation:

1. If you have an overcrowded bus route, you increase the capacity of your transit system, not ban passengers. We need to adopt a similar heuristic when planning or having the Canadian immigration planning conversation. The question isn't whether we need people. It's whether we'll build the infrastructure to support them. For newcomers navigating a new country, the infrastructure they land in shapes their entire immigration journey.

2. The immigration system isn't broken. A broken system is one that's in total disarray, in pieces. Every day, settlement workers provide newcomer support by helping people find homes, jobs, language skills, networks, and belonging. That's not a broken system, it's one that's under strain and needs to be improved or optimized. The word "broken" is a pejorative that shuts down problem-solving and opens the door to dismantling. And the people most eager to use it are often the least interested in repairing it.

3. We need to measure immigration by what it builds, not just how many people arrive. Jonathan wants immigration success measured through skills gaps filled, investment brought in, population strategy, humanitarian contribution, and Canada's global reputation. Not just total arrivals and population rates. He draws a parallel to how we're slowly realizing GDP alone doesn't capture a country's real wealth and wants the same rethinking applied to how we measure immigration success. If we measured immigration through those lenses, the public conversation would probably change from "did we bring in too many" to "are we building the country we want to be." That could help change how we think about the Canadian immigrant experience.

4. We need to spend more time talking to the stretch audience. Jonathan splits public opinion into three groups: intuitive supporters, implacable opponents, and the bigger uncertain middle. The middle fundamentally understands immigration's importance but is being pulled by louder voices. The people who care most about immigration are posting on LinkedIn for the converted or fighting on X with the immovable. Neither reaches the stretch audience. The newcomer challenges that concern the middle group are real. Jonathan says settlement organizations and advocates need to spend far more time thinking about how to engage that middle group in communities, through direct conversation, through explaining the system, and through listening to their concerns.

5. Unless you're indigenous, every Canadian has a relationship to immigration somewhere in their history. Jonathan's family was in the UK for only three or four generations. Before that, they were refugees from Eastern Europe, fleeing religious persecution. Most of us have lost touch with that reality. And losing touch with our own immigrant stories makes it easier to view current newcomers as something separate from ourselves. The work of reconnecting Canadians to their own immigration histories, not as a guilt exercise but as a fact of Canadian identity, might be one of the most underused tools in rebuilding public support. Cultural diversity in Canada isn't a recent experiment but one on which the foundation of this beautiful country has always stood on.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Jonathan Oldman on LinkedIn

✅ Support the 2026 ISSofBC Education Bursary Awards

✅ Read the piece on how language is choosing our immigration policies

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please consider sharing it with one Canadian immigrant you know.

This conversation was an opportunity to explore something I think about a lot, which is: what's the Canadian dream for the immigrant?

As Victor rightly mentions, every newcomer's story is different. For someone fleeing war, safety is the dream. For someone acquiring their first passport, the freedom to move is the dream.

But we have to push past the individual stories and ask ourselves, how do we create the optimal conditions for people to reach their maximum potential in Canada.

Because when a newcomer lands in Canada with potential at 100 and only achieves 50, that person isn't benefiting, society isn't benefiting, and the country isn't benefiting.

Victor and I also talk about:

• How the dominance of networks in hiring puts newcomers at a structural disadvantage

• How eliminating barriers to labor mobility between provinces could create more competition and opportunity

• Why more newcomer voices in politics at every level, city, provincial, federal, is essential to changing policy

• Why we need to move the immigration debate from quantity to quality of integration

----------

Dozie's Notes

A few things that struck me as I listened through this week's conversation:

1. The smaller the network, the stronger the need to network. In a market of 41 million people, with highly localized labor markets, networks become the dominant hiring currency. And for newcomers who arrive without the Canadian education, the social context, or the connections, that's a disadvantage they have to overcome.

2. Canada's institutional mindset favors stability over growth, and that mindset affects everything else. The institutional preference for status quo shows up in the quasi-monopolies across industries, the cost of phone bills and insurance, the trade dependence on the United States, and the snail-like approach to building the infrastructure needed for diversification. Victor says this trickles into the labor market, into salaries, into the cost of living, and is a major reason why skilled immigrants hit a ceiling and leave.

3. The Canadian immigration debate needs to shift from numbers to quality of integration. Victor points out that Canada has been talking about becoming a country of 100 million since the 1910s. We're still at 41 million. Part of the reason is that people keep coming and leaving. If the policy conversation shifts from "how many people did we bring in this year" to "how well did they integrate and what prevented them from reaching their potential," you start asking entirely different questions. You ask about retention. About credential recognition across provinces. About why someone with a career in international development applied for hundreds of jobs and got silence. That alone would transform how settlement support is designed and how communities engage with newcomers.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Victor Neagu on LinkedIn

✅ Read his piece where he reflects on his seven years in Canada

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please consider sharing it with one Canadian immigrant you know.

The big question for me as I was planning this episode was if population growth could be a bottleneck or an economic tool, and what that meant for Canada's productivity and Atlantic Canada.

The question I think we ended up answering was if one immigration policy can work for a country with wildly different demographic realities.

We also talk about a lot of other interesting things, such as:

• How international students contribute $12,000 to $15,000 in indirect taxes per year

• Why firms facing labour shortages in Atlantic Canada moved to Brampton instead of investing in automation

• Why immigration targets should be set based on provincial and local need, not applied nationally

• How immigrants tend to be more entrepreneurial than average, and how that's helped the startup community in Atlantic Canada

----------

Dozie's Notes

A few things that struck me as I listened through this week's conversation:

1. The gap between what different regions need is enormous, and our immigration policy seems to treat them as the same. In Peel County, Ontario, there are 169 births for every 100 deaths. In Queens County, New Brunswick, there are 41. The recently released Public Policy Forum publication authored by David adds another dimension to the newcomer conversation, which is: by 2035, 175 communities across Atlantic Canada will have at least a third of their population over 65, up from 12 in 2011. A national immigration policy that applies the same cuts everywhere ignores the fact that some of these communities are literally running out of people while others are congested.

2. When you bring in 1.5 million students but only have space to grant permanent residency to a fraction of them, you've built a system that manufactures disappointment. The people caught in that gap made life decisions based on what they were told. Now many of them, including people David says are in career jobs, are being sent home because their work permits aren't being renewed.

3. The yearning for a 1950s world, as David puts it, is a yearning for something that never existed. Even in New Brunswick's history, Catholics and Protestants fought like cats and dogs. There was never a time when everyone shared the same background and culture. David says Canada works because you don't have to agree with your neighbor's religion or views, you just have to tolerate that they can hold different ones. Cultural diversity is the foundation Canada was built on. When people push for restricting immigration to return to some imagined cultural homogeneity, they're chasing a past that was always fictional. And they're willing to sacrifice the economic and demographic future of their communities to get there. That's a Canadian identity question every citizen, newcomer and multi-generational alike, will have to answer.

Official Links

✅ Connect with David Campbell on LinkedIn

✅ Check out his Substack; It's the Economy, Stupid

✅ Read his March 2026 Public Policy Forum publication on solving Atlantic Canada's growing labour force challenge

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please consider sharing it with one immigrant you know.

Mo grew up in Jordan, left in 2011, lived in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and Ukraine before moving to Canada. He's been working with entrepreneurs for over a decade, starting in banking, then running his own fundraising business working with startups, and now supporting young entrepreneurs through Futurpreneur.

I kinda already sensed this, but the point Mo makes about how the immigration process itself is preparation for building a business is such a great one. Because mahn, if you get through all the paperwork, the financial planning, the risk, and the uncertainty, I don't see why you can't go ahead and build a business.

But there are other things that separates those who launch from those who stall.

Mo and I chat about that difference, we also talk about:

• How to tailor a business idea from home for the Canadian market

• What 15 years away from home teaches you about adaptability and identity

• How Futurpreneur's newcomer initiative bridges the credit score gap

• Why Mo spent months saying no to jobs in Canada

----------

Dozie's Notes

A few things that struck me as I listened through this week's conversation:

1. A lot of newcomer entrepreneurs who fail do so because they don't understand their customer. You bring a product from home and you assume people here will want it the same way. But the customer here is different because their habits and tastes are different. As Mo says, when a customer says no, they're not rejecting your identity. They're telling you the product needs to meet them where they are.

2. Values-based job searching as an immigrant takes a kind of nerve that most people can't afford. Mo spent six or seven months without a steady income, saying no to jobs that didn't align with what he wanted to do. That wait was expensive but it's also what landed him at Futurpreneur, where his values matched the mission. Not everyone can afford to wait. But for those who can, Mo's story is proof that the wait can pay off. The wrong job at the right time is still the wrong job.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Mo Altaqatqa on LinkedIn

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please consider sharing it with one immigrant you know.

Bontu has met and still meets newcomer entrepreneurs at every stage of their immigration journey; from folks who just landed and are looking to run with an idea to those who have been on the grind for a few years and are looking to figure out why the business can't seem to grow beyond their little circle of friends.

And the common thread is these people mostly skip the research phase. They assume that business works the way back home with some little changes. They don't spend time understanding all the million nuances that could put you in trouble or crater your business.

Bontu and I chat about how to solve that, we also talk about:

• How personal credit determines your business lending options till a certain stage

• Why banks can't help with everything

• The fantasy of being your own boss

• Why crowdfunding, pitch competitions, and micro-grants might be better starting points than bank loans

• When you should take your first loan

----------

Dozie's Notes

A few things that struck me as I listened through this week's conversation:

1. The best market research sometimes is a job. Getting a job in the industry you're hoping to launch a business in means you have a front-row seat to everything. You'll learn the regulations, find the gaps, and even build the relationships that could lead to your first clients or your first mentors.

2. Starting a business as a newcomer can be hard. Not to be a downer here but people (myself included) often fantasize about how starting our own business can mean some form of freedom. But you get in and discover that if you can't fund the business, the business won't fund itself. Capital is scarce. Grants for for startups are hard to come by. Lending requires personal credit you might not have yet. So you end up running the business on top of a survival job, funding it from your nine-to-five, and testing your product on weekends. Know this and plan for it.

3. Immigrants sometimes come from economies that have solved problems the Canadian market hasn't even identified yet. The challenge is knowing how to position that expertise in a market that doesn't know it needs it yet. Bontu thinks one way to do that in Canada is to pair that knowledge with local understanding. And execute fast.

4. Network outside your community. It's natural to stay within your diaspora community when you arrive. But if you want to build a business that reaches beyond that community, you need relationships outside of it. Especially because in Canada, your network is a big part of far you go.

-----------

Official Links

✅ Connect with Bontu Galataa on LinkedIn

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please consider sharing it with one immigrant you know.

When I asked him if he feels fully Ghanaian when he goes back, his answer was no. Things he once accepted as normal, he now questions. And yet, no place feels like home as much as Ghana for him.

He thinks he'll go back eventually.

----------

Emmanuel and I chat about:

• How a song, a spontaneous trip, and a failed credit card led to four and a half years in Budapest

• The gap between what the algorithm sells you about Canada and what you actually find

• Why parenting far from home forces you to become your own village

• The lessons he'd share with anyone thinking about moving

----------

Dozie's Notes

A few things that struck me as I listened through this week's conversation:

1. Every country you live in installs something in you that you can't uninstall. Emmanuel picked up a European habit in Hungary, which is mind your own business even in the elevator. Then he moved to Canada and found people who wanted to chat as "too friendly." Every country you make home, even for a little bit reshapes your sense of what's normal, what you tolerate, and how much control you expect over daily life.

2. Home doesn't require you to fit perfectly inside it. Emmanuel is probably never gonna fit in fully into Ghana again. And I think one lesson I took from reflecting on this point he made is that home isn't the place you currently agree with on everything. You can question it, outgrow parts of it, or feel frustrated by it. But deep in your bones, you just know it's home.

3. Immigration will reveal all your biases. For Emmanuel, things that were fine in Ghana aren't fine to him anymore. Things that were normal in Hungary feel strange in Canada. Each move peels back another layer. And if you're not willing to do that work, you'll struggle, because the country you moved to doesn't care about preserving the version of yourself you arrived with.

----------

Official Links

✅ Connect with Emmanuel Ahiafor on LinkedIn

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please consider sharing it with one immigrant you know.

Since that time, she's launched the African Society of Strathcona County, written a children's book called Our Story, Our Voice, produced a documentary of the same name, and is organizing community dialogues between policymakers and immigrant families.

This was one of those conversations where we got into it, albeit productively and respectfully.

So here's the gist. Busayo's position on integration is the environment, its leadership, and its organizations have to create the conditions for integration. Without that, she says, any individual effort by the immigrants just generates unnecessary conflict.

While I agree that society plays a part, I also think the immigrant needs to do the work of nudging society along to create those conditions.

Healthy conflict is the way the world changes. This was a fun one.

----------

Busayo and I also chat about:

• How she's building community dialogues between policymakers and immigrant families

• How her children's struggles pushed her into community building

• What Canadians can do to welcome newcomers

• Why she thinks immigrant parents need to get involved in building the society their kids are going to grow up in

----------

Dozie's Notes

A few things that struck me as I listened through this week's conversation:

1. The gap between policy and practice is where immigrants get lost in the workplace. Organizations will say they have a diversity and inclusion policy. But what are the actual steps? How is feedback received across cultural lines? Are there strategies for intercultural communication, or just a document filed away somewhere?

2. "Passionate" can be a compliment or a code word, and the difference depends entirely on who's saying it. Busayo went to multiple job interviews where interviewers told her she was "so passionate." She later found out that it was polite Canadian for "you're too much." In Nigeria, it's okay to be passionate and direct. In a Canadian professional setting, it can be seen as aggression. This is one of those invisible cultural translation problems that no settlement guide covers. I think the fix is for both sides to understand that communication styles are culturally coded, and different doesn't mean wrong.

3. Integration requires infrastructure that most communities don't have yet. And we immigrants need to do the work of building that connective tissue. Don't wait, stretch out your hand and kick off the conversation. Sometimes you'll get a handshake, sometimes you won't. And that's okay.

4. The most effective immigrant advocates I've spoken to on this podcast don't wait for permission. Busayo got county funding for her book. She got the mayor to write the foreword. She got it into schools by aligning it with the Alberta curriculum. She's organizing a community dialogue in the council chambers with policymakers, MLAs, school principals, and religious leaders. She's the first Black member of the library board. All these happened because she showed up and made the case. That's how societies change.

----------

Official Links

✅ Connect with Busayo Disu on LinkedIn

✅ The Avid Readers of Africa website

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please consider sharing it with one immigrant you know.

Abdullah studied medicine in Turkey, came to Canada in 2018, and has gone on to build arguably Canada's biggest car care platform.

Abdullah is a straight-shooter, and I do appreciate folks like him. Launching Panda Hub with his co-founder, Reza Ahmadi, means they've dealt with Canadian VCs firsthand.

His assessment? A lot of them are slow, small-minded, and are always looking for safe bets. And if we stay the same way we are, we're going to be left behind eventually.

----------

Abdullah and I also chat about:

• Giving up his medical degree

• The door-to-door sales experience that changed everything for him

• Starting a business during COVID

• Why you shouldn't celebrate your wins too early

• What he's hoping Panda Hub looks like by year 10

----------

Dozie's Notes

A few things that struck me as I listened through this week's conversation:

1. Being honest in business is a practical and moral position. In the early years of building a business, when everything is messy and relationships are fragile, honesty and consistency is worth more than any short-term advantage a lie could give you.

2. "Extract as much as you can from the opportunity in front of you" seems to be a better framework than goal-setting. Goals are useful, but they also create a scorekeeping mentality where you either hit the number or you didn't. Abdullah approaches it differently. He looks at whatever opportunity exists right now and asks: what's the maximum value I can pull from this? That mindset kept him from stalling when COVID killed his agency and when door-to-door sales hit a ceiling It's forward-looking without being rigid because there's always more value to extract.

3. Survival jobs can be more than placeholders. Abdullah's door-to-door sales job was some experience; commission only, no base salary, and dealing with constant rejection. However, it taught him to connect with strangers, handle "no" without crumbling, and figure out quickly what language makes people trust you enough to buy. Those are skills that have come in handy today as he works on Panda Hub.

----------

Official Links

✅ Connect with Abdullah Sharief on LinkedIn

✅ Check out Panda Hub

✅ Read our profile on Abdullah Sharief

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please consider sharing it with one immigrant you know.

Maria is a psychologist by training, which means that when she talks about money, she doesn't start with budgeting or spreadsheets. She starts with your childhood, your parents, and the patterns you inherited from them, as well as the patterns your culture or society drilled into you about money.

In her words, "How you treat money is how you treat everything else." Worth pausing on that for a bit, people.

----------

Maria and I chat about:

• The baseline assessment every newcomer should do before anything else

• How banks profit from immigrants' ignorance about how credit works

• How to handle "black tax" and family remittances

• Why financial planning is best done progressively

• The Finanzo origin story

----------

Dozie's Notes

A few things that struck me as I listened through this week's conversation:

1. With money, we're often struggling with the money habits we inherited from our parents and our culture's relationship with worthiness. To solve bad money patterns, one needs to tackle these two layers; the family and cultural layer. The family layer, which is what your parents modeled for you as a child, consciously or not. And the cultural layer, which is what colonisation embedded in entire populations about who deserves wealth and who doesn't. Money is tied closely to our identity.

2. Most people know the right financial move. Where it falls apart is actioning it. Most of us already know that high-interest credit card debt isn't great. But we keep collecting those credit cards like the souvenirs we buy at the duty-free shops. This behaviour is why Maria treats financial literacy as therapy.

3. The first step in taking control of your finances is understanding your baseline. Before any financial tool works, you need to understand where you stand, not just financially but psychologically. How much debt do you carry? How much are you sending home? But also: are you afraid of money? Do you feel you deserve wealth? Do you repeat the same financial mistakes every few years?

----------

Official Links

✅ Connect with Maria Kamila González on LinkedIn

✅ Check out the Finanzo website

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please consider sharing it with one immigrant you know.

Mustafa moved from Pakistan to Canada in 2018. After completing his master's degree at Smith School of Business, Queens University, he couldn't find a job in his preferred industry; economic development. So he bounced around a few temporary and contract jobs, and eventually took a junior social media position at TBDC just to get his foot in the door.

They then handed him two industries that had zero creative marketing and no public appeal (trucking and skilled trades) and told him to go figure it out.

And Mustafa went on a roll.

----------

Mustafa and I chat about:

• Why some of the most overlooked careers in Canada might be the smartest career choices for immigrants

• The myths that pervade the skilled trades sector

• Why he disagrees with the perception that skilled trades are for people who couldn't make it elsewhere

• Using video game design principles on the TBDC career website

• His advice to his younger self if he were to make the immigration journey again

----------

Dozie's Notes

A few things that struck me as I listened through this week's conversation:

1. Women are often told these industries aren't for them. The women inside say otherwise. Mustafa and his team at TBDC now run women-focused programs where they invite other women practitioners to come share their stories and possible pathways to joining the industry.

2. Field trips have done wonders for getting people interested. Mustafa got tired of watching people fall asleep or look glazed during bootcamps. Now he gets them talking directly to people in the industry, riding along in the truck, joining "show-me-how-you-do-it" workshops.

3. We need to find a way to make these jobs cool. The public image is costing everyone. People don't realize that their are companies in these industries that are properly organized, have well-run HR departments, and growth paths to executive roles. The perception is stuck in an older era. And until that changes, the talent gap keeps widening.

4. A three to five week course can change everything. You don't need a four-year degree or have tens of thousands of dollars stashed away for tuition. A few weeks of training, pass the test, and you're earning. As an apprentice, you also make money while you learn.

----------

Official Links

✅ Connect with Mustafa Ansari on LinkedIn

✅ Read the Starter Guide to Skilled Trades for Newcomers in Ontario

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please consider sharing it with one immigrant you know.

Diana moved to Canada in 2011 with all the credentials you'd think would make settling into the country easy. She had a PhD and five years of UK work experience. It still took her two years to land her first job. And she only got it because someone she knew referred her.

That was almost 15 years ago, and not much has changed. We are still underutilising talent. And now we have a public trust crisis on top of it.

----------

Diana and I chat about:

• The communities across Canada that are desperate for people and can't get them

• How the Chamber network is advocating for regional immigration strategies

• The global war for talent and why Canada risks being left behind

• Why she believes immigrants are being blamed for problems they didn't create

• The paradox of selecting for PhDs when most job vacancies require a high school diploma

• What the business community can do to bring Canadians back on side

• Why immigration success happens at the local community level

----------

Dozie's Notes

A few things that struck me as I listened through this week's conversation:

1. We need to recover public trust before anything else can work. Diana frames this as the foundation. If immigrants land in communities and don't feel welcomed and valued, everything else falls apart. We all just end up retreating into ethnic enclaves which ends up causing more damage to an already fractured society. The work now is about showing Canadians that immigration benefits everyone, not a few regions or employers , but everyone.

2. When Diana spent two years unemployed, she lost. But Canada lost too. Those were two years where she wasn't paying taxes or contributing to the economy. We talk about immigrant resilience like it's a badge of honour. But the question we should be asking is: should it be this hard? And what does it cost us all when talented people are stuck on the sidelines?

3. We've allowed immigrants to be blamed for systemic failures. Diana says the silence from government on this hasn't been helpful. Housing, healthcare, education—Canadians keep pointing to immigrants as the cause. But that isn't exactly true. The youth unemployment piece, for example, is far more complicated than "immigrants took the jobs." AI is eliminating entry-level roles. Trade uncertainty has businesses freezing hiring. None of these issues deserve simple answers, but simple answers are all we keep getting.

4. Immigrants are not a monolith but the Canadian immigration system tends to treat them like they are. It's frustrating to see people assume all immigrants are the same: desperate, penniless, struggling with English. The reality is wildly different. Canada attracts some of the most talented and experienced people. Folks with advanced degrees, global networks, and multinational work experience. The settlement sector, the policy system, the public conversation just seems to collapse all this diversity into one box. And then we wonder why nothing works.

---------

Official Links

✅ Connect with Diana Palmerín Velasco on LinkedIn

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please consider sharing it with one immigrant you know.

Ruairi is one of the OGs when it comes to helping newcomers move to Canada, find jobs, and settle in nicely. So he was a must-have on The Newcomers Podcast.

As someone who's been recruiting local and global talent for Canada for over a decade, he's seen what works, what doesn't, and he's not afraid to tell you the difference.

And he dished out dollops of that tough love on this episode.

----------

Ruairi and I chat about:

• The red flags that tell him an immigrant is likely to struggle in the job search

• The three risks employers are evaluating you on during the interview process

• Why Canadianizing your resume is about the content, not the format

• How to proactively address your immigration pathway in an interview

----------

Dozie's Notes

A few things that struck me as I listened through this week's conversation:

1. "I can do anything" is a red flag, not a selling point. It screams you haven't done the research. Pick one or two job titles that match your skills in Canada and build your resume around those. Spraying and praying something sticks is exhausting.

2. Canadian employers are evaluating three risks you probably aren't addressing. Settlement risk: Will you stay? Immigration risk: Can you stay? Local experience risk: Can you adapt? Ruairi says employers in professional roles aren't hiring for six months. They're investing in training you for three to four years. If your answer to "How long will you be in Canada?" is "I have a two-year work permit, we'll see if we like it," you've just told them you're a flight risk.

3. Refusing to adapt your resume can mean you might struggle to adapt to the role. Ruairi says it's a pattern he's seen over the last 12 years. When he suggests improvements and a candidate says "my resume is fine the way it is" or "I paid someone to edit this so I'm not changing it," he steps away. Time and time again, that response has usually meant the individual might not be exactly willing to adapt to a new way of doing things in a new country. Brutal? Right?

----------

Official Links

✅ Connect with Ruairi Spillane on LinkedIn

✅ Check out the Outpost Recruitment Jobs Board

✅ Join the 170K+ strong newcomer community on Moving2Canada

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please consider sharing it with one immigrant you know.

There's a lot to reflect on here, folks. But I think the one I kept coming back to was the point Rodrigo makes about all that gets lost in translation as you go through the messy process of fitting into your new home.

---------------

Rodrigo and I also chat about:

• Feeling like a prisoner while waiting for PR approval

• What it means to think in Portuguese but converse in English

• The gap between what Canadian immigration promises and what it delivers

• The impossibility of being mediocre when you've left everything behind

• The three F's that immigrants miss the most

---------------

Dozie's Notes

A few things that struck me as I listened through this week's conversation:

1. Your immigration pathway can sometimes become your identity, even when it shouldn't. Rodrigo finds himself introducing himself through his Startup Visa pathway because it's the easiest thing for people to understand. However, that's just how he got here, not who he is.

2. One person should not define how you see a country. It's easier said than done when you're raw and sensitive as a new immigrant. Hold onto that principle though, it does wonders for your mental health.

3. Autonomy is something we immigrants take for granted before we land. The freedom to be yourself without wondering if you're fitting in or getting it right usually disappears once you start over.

---------------

Official Links

✅ Connect with Rodrigo Cotrim de Carvalho on LinkedIn

✅ Check out Babette Food Experiences

✅ Listen to Rodrigo's Due Tramonti Podcast

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please consider sharing it with one immigrant you know.

Any sense of accountability on the part of the government for where we are today with immigration has been largely absent from the raging public debate. The now-infamous “come to study or work, come to stay” messaging was pushed hard at some point.

And it worked. Hundreds of thousands of temporary residents moved to Canada with the intention of earning permanent residency. Now, the government can’t fulfil those promises for some very obvious reasons. Yet, the blame for everything wrong with the process through which these folks came into the country has landed squarely on their shoulders.

The big question I hope this episode helps kickstart is: What kind of nation do we want to build? And are the decisions we make going forward grounded in those values?

Deanna believes that whatever path Canada chooses, it must be fundamentally grounded in being upfront, truthful, direct, fair, and accountable.

-----------

Deanna and I also talk about:

• The TikTokification of immigration narratives

• The exhausting policy whiplasy of the past 20 months

• Why she thinks public trust has collapsed

• Why she thinks good, fair, humane decision-making is expensive

------

Dozie's Notes

A few things that struck me as I listened through this week's conversation:

1. The policy whiplash means it’s sometimes hard to know what’s working and what isn’t. We keep changing immigration measures. For example, there are measures in place to reunite families. Then it’s suddenly withdrawn. Processing times keep changing. All this is not only exhausting, but it also means that it’s impossible to make measured, empirical decisions about what policies actually achieve their goals, because no plan lasts long enough to be evaluated.

2. Accountability is needed in the immigration discourse. The silence from the government is corrosive and will harm the Canadian brand in ways that will take us years to comprehend. Of course, we are allowed to make hard decisions. But let’s take ownership of what led us here in the first place.

3. The Canadian government appears to have become enforcement-minded. So much prioritisation has gone to enforcement. This approach has fundamentally altered the relationship between the government and its citizens. Once the government starts regarding the public as a threat, something that needs to be surveilled, it becomes a totally adversarial relationship.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Deanna Okun-Nachoff on LinkedIn

✅ Listen to the Borderlines Podcast

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please consider sharing it with one immigrant you know.

I must say this was a sobering conversation, but also an enlightening one for me. Aashrit is not one to hold back on what he thinks about the world and how geopolitics and history shape most of what we’ve seen in recent times.

And for someone who’s lived in Dubai, India, Canada, the United States, Germany, and speaks English, Hindi, Japanese, and German, he has the lived experience to back up his takes.

Aashrit and I talk about:

• Why he thinks the West has always struggled with multiculturalism and diversity

• Why he believes the current anti-Indian hate is actually a lesson for Indians

• The “great divergence” that made the West wealthy, and the “great convergence” happening now

• Why the question of a multicultural future belongs to the West, not immigrants

• What he finds exciting about the world’s trajectory

When Rania’s family moved to Canada, she had to stay behind to complete her university studies. However, watching her parents struggle to settle into the country and find their footing meant that when it was time to return, she hesitated.

She came over anyway, years later, because watching her siblings integrate gave her hope that Canada could give her kids something she had never had…a place to call home.

Then she lost her baby brother in 2010.

And processing that loss made Rania realise that she had been mourning an imagined version of herself for the last ten years. A trajectory of a self she should have been. The social circles and friends she had to leave behind to move to Canada.

Rania and I chat about:

• Why children of immigrants grieve belonging while parents grieve status

• How moving from a collectivist to an individualist culture creates friction

• Why understanding matters more than acceptance

• The difference between systemic acceptance and social acceptance

• How civic engagement builds belonging faster than job hunting

My primary reason for interviewing Dapo on the podcast was to learn the story behind his TEDx talk.

The version that includes the number of times he choked up in tears during rehearsals. The version where he describes a 19-year dream that started before he’d even applied for immigration. The version where he describes the day his family had to decide between gas and food.

The one where he gets moody, irate, and flares up at the small things.

Dapo and I dig into:

• The moment he realized the struggle of the Canadian immigrant professional is systemic

• The day his Nigerian credit card saved him at a Canadian ATM

• Starting his podcast (The Immigrant Life) to sort out the mess in his own head

• Building Mentorfy to connect immigrant professionals with mentors who get it

• The one thing he’d do differently if he were to start over

There’s a trap that awaits most immigrants. It’s subtle, and it sounds like self-awareness: Maybe they won’t pick me because of my accent. Maybe I don’t belong here. Maybe I should expect less.

Precious knows this too well. She describes sitting before a performance review at Shopify, telling herself to calm down, preparing for disappointment despite knowing she’d worked harder than anyone. When her supervisors told her she’d earned the highest rating, she screamed on the call. They paused, confused. Why this reaction? Because she’d already decided she wouldn’t get it. “It’s very funny how we think,” she says. “We think too much. We’re immigrants.”

But what makes Precious different is how she reorients herself. She traces it back to coding, specifically, to debugging. When you debug code, errors are problems that always have a solution, that’s if you’re willing to keep looking.

And that mindset has carried into how she approaches her immigration journey in Canada.

Precious and I dig into:

• Leaving behind a medical degree, a Microsoft Nigeria offer, and communities she founded

• How her family stays connected across four countries through mandatory Sunday calls

• Why Canada’s talent visa puts power in employers’ hands, and what that costs the country

• The Nobel Prize effect and the danger of letting success make you comfortable

Every immigrant has felt the tension of the pull towards your people as you settle into the new country. The comfort of shared references, familiar jokes, conversations that don’t require any literal or cultural translation.

Bryan McInnis was no different. But he and his wife left the United States specifically to give their kids a more robust picture of the world. You can’t do that if you only hang out in the expat bubble.

And so 6+ months into life in Kampala, Bryan’s learning about cultural differences that only show up if you dig in.

Bryan and I chat about:

• What it’s like to move the United States to Uganda

• The trip that kicked off everything

• The Ugandan entrepreneurial impulse that defies the “Africa is slow” stereotype

• What it means to raise third-culture children

• Why he thinks his family is more intentional now than ever

And so the big question I hoped to answer with this episode is one I have been noodling on for a bit, which is:

"How do we help more immigrants see that their skills are exponential, not linear? And that the work you did in your home country can apply across multiple industries here.”

Simon and I also chat about:

• The hidden job market and how TRIEC helps immigrants access that pool of opportunities

• How informational interviews can help you land a job in Canada

• Why networking is non-negotiable for immigrants

• Why work connects to identity and how that complicates the immigrant experience when you have to take a role beneath your qualifications

Canada wasn’t Aman’s first choice when he and his wife started considering immigrating. He wanted Ireland. The time-zone difference wasn’t much. Flights back home lasted about 13 hours.

But the pandemic meant that didn’t happen. They also considered Australia. That didn’t work out too. So Canada it was. His wife moved over first for an MBA.

Aman and their toddler followed along six months after. But this was only possible because a member of parliament stepped in to help with the family reunification.

Aman and I chat about:

• Making Fredericton, New Brunswick home

• Landing a job within weeks through preparation

• What four months of unemployment taught him

• Why he believes immigrants need to stop complaining and start contributing

A major part of his success is an interesting approach he takes to career coaching. He won’t start coaching with resume work. Instead, he begins with a soul-searching session to identify what people want.

Then, if they have the financial means, they can focus on getting their target role. If they don’t have savings, they get something quickly that’s still somewhat related to their profession or has transferable skills.

1 like that. Because more often than not, immigrants take jobs that are not in sync with who they are or their skillset, and then continue doing that for many years.

Yauhan and I also chat about:

• His journey from India to Dubai to Canada

• How he dropped out of engineering and ended up as a career coach

• Why he’s passionate about helping fellow immigrants get their best jobs

• How long it took him to settle somewhat into Canada

There’s this unspoken rule about being the good and perfect immigrant. Don’t say too much. Stay in your box. Be grateful. And if you ever step out of line, if you ever start speaking up about stuff you think could be better, someone will curtly remind you to go back and fix your country.

And sadly, it happens to immigrant women more often than not. It happened to Selene on LinkedIn.

But after five years in Canada, here’s Selene’s biggest lesson: belonging does take time, but you can’t wait until you belong to use your voice to advocate for good. And I agree. Your voice matters. And if you’re going to make Canada your home, you need to shape what that home becomes.

There’s this quote Selene loves that captures this sentiment beautifully: first understanding, then adjustment. As immigrants, we’ve already done the first part.

We’ve listened. We’ve observed. We’ve learned how things work here. We’re more empathetic, more adaptable, because we’ve had to be. Now comes the adjustment part. And that requires you speak up and offer perspectives that come from a place of understanding.

That’s the advantage you have as someone who’s lived in multiple cultures.

Selene and I also chat about:

• Language as identity

• Why she always makes pasta from scratch

• Words as emotion, not just communication

• How immigrating forces us to start thinking of things we took for granted, and more

Rim moved from UAE to Canada as a teenager. And we explore what it means when you’re born without a place to call home. Her granddad left Palestine. Her parents were born in Lebanon as refugees. She was then born in UAE with refugee documents.

And her kids, they were born Canadian. The first in three generations to be born with citizenship. “It was a huge deal in our family,” she says.

She talks about arriving in Canada at 17. Her dad had gotten sick in UAE, and couldn’t pay her school fees. Which meant she couldn’t certify her high school diploma. She went to Concordia, told them her situation. And they said, “You’re Canadian. You have the right to education.” They enrolled her immediately. That’s when she knew, she could do well here.

But being in Canada did something else. It allowed her to become who she actually was. She became more Palestinian in Canada than she ever was in the Gulf, where saying you’re Palestinian wasn’t something you advertised.

Rim and I also chat about:

• The lessons she’s gathered from living across three countries

• Why her kids speak French but she doesn’t

• Moving back to Canada from Qatar and starting over

• How struggle makes you attached to your identity

However, Kundan fell into entrepreneurship by accident. He needed a summer job after first year as his Dad was struggling to find work. He looked for software engineering jobs but couldn’t find any.

But not having a job wasn’t an option as he had to support the family. So Kundan took the best option at the time; sales.

And so, door-to-door energy sales. Selling credit cards at the intersection of Yonge and Dundas. Then a mall kiosk selling high-speed internet. He did so well that the owner told him, “You won’t make this much money in a year after you graduate. Why go back to school?”

But Kundan went back to school. But he also became a franchisee for Rogers, selling high-speed internet at Weston St, London, Ontario.

Kundan and I chat about:

• How failures expose your blind spots

• Why approaching every person you meet without judgement is freeing

• His entrepreneurial journey

• Why every crisis is also an opportunity

Jennifer and I explore what happens when you’re too young to grasp the full weight of immigration, when you don’t have the words to explain the churning feelings inside you. But then you grow up. You become an immigrant yourself. And suddenly, your parents’ impossible choices start to make sense.

She talks about that moment when her dad left her in Canada and returned to Nigeria for two more years. As a teenager, she felt like he had abandoned her. Now she gets it. Especially after making sure she secured a job before she moved to the United Kingdom.

But we don’t only talk about heavy stuff.

Jennifer and I also chat about:

• Taking professional risks when you don’t feel ready

• Why showing up beats being perfect

• Immigrating to the UK as an adult and the lessons she learned

Imole and I explore a nagging question I have about Canada’s much-talked about productivity decline: Are we declining in productivity because we lack talent OR because our broken systems aren’t able to take advantage of all the talent we have seating around in Canada?

Imole thinks we’ve created a strange contradiction. We bring in immigrants through Express Entry (a competitive immigration pathway meant to attract young, educated, upwardly mobile individuals.) Then we act like we’re doing them a favor. Like immigration is charity work. It’s not.

45% of recent immigrants have university degrees but work in jobs that don’t require post-secondary education. Which is an absurd waste of talent in my opinion.

Imole and I chat about:

• Why businesses need to culturally integrate just as much as immigrants

• Why immigration is investment, not aid

• How to build systems that actually deploy immigrant talent

• The misalignment between immigration policy, employment strategy, and economic growth targets

Jerry never intended to formalize his knowledge. He’d see misinformation about Canadian taxes, correct it with detailed explanations, and move on with his day. People stopped arguing and started asking more questions. Eventually someone told him, “You need to formalize this. We don’t have anyone in the community who explains taxes this way.”

And that’s how he launched Tax Whiz. Still, he was surprised by the number of people who reached out for clarity on their taxes.

Jerry and I discuss common tax mistakes immigrants make. We also explore:

• The confusing Canadian tax system

• Why your tax planning needs to start in January instead of May

Roy’s philosophy for life seems simple but I think it’s a hard one for most of us to adopt: fix yourself before you fix the world. If you’re a good husband, you raise good kids. Good households create good communities. Strong communities build strong societies. Strong societies make stronger countries.

And I think Canada needs a lot of this at the moment. Everything is ground up, not top down. The government can’t control what goes on in your head or within the four walls of your home. No regulation can stop that. So it comes down to individuals—not as a selfish notion, but as a recognition that you need to fix your flaws before pointing out others’ shortcomings.

Roy spent a decade after arriving in Canada blaming everyone else for his struggles. At 31, he realized he was the problem. He went to war with the man in the mirror, sought therapy for PTSD, and completely changed his approach to life.

Roy and I chat about my biggest lessons from reading his book. We also explore:

• Why the 2010 Winter Olympics was the most Canadian he’d ever felt

• How Canada can unite people across differences

• Why we need to lower the barrier but not the bar

• Moral exhibitionism vs. real solutions

• Lying to yourself versus being honest about mistakes

Nisrine usually works with newcomers and second-generation immigrants, helping them work through something most immigrants don’t recognize as trauma: people-pleasing.

Surprised? I was too. She says people-pleasing isn’t about being nice or accommodating. It’s a survival response called “fawning”—your nervous system’s way of keeping you safe by making others happy. For children of immigrants especially, people-pleasing becomes how they survive in families where belonging feels conditional.

Conditional on you operating within the rigid rules about behavior, identity, and cultural adherence.

Nisrine and I chat about why your nervous system adapts to keep you safe. We also explore:

• The coconut effect and why strict parenting backfires

• Canada’s systemic barriers for highly educated newcomers

• Why discrimination triggers old wounds, and how to process them

• How to connect your children to their roots without imprisoning them

There’s a lot to unpack in this episode, but the part I can’t stop thinking about is when Kristina talks about “post-immigration stress disorder,” a term she coined to describe what many immigrants go through as they try to settle into their new home. I believe it’s also called Ulysses Syndrome.

There’s the constant anxiety. There’s the uncertainty that has you feeling unsettled. There’s the mental load of running two parallel tracks—getting through today while worrying if you’ll even be here tomorrow.

For Kristina, it was LMIA complications. Provincial nominee programs that wouldn’t work in time. Express Entry launching with 800-point cutoffs. Submitting her PR application two months before her work permit expired, then living on implied status for months.

During that time, Christina lived with two pots, two plates, two glasses. Everything she owned fit in a suitcase. Because if immigration forced her to leave, she wanted it to be easy.

Kristina and I chat about the emotional toll of living in limbo for years. We also explore:

• Living two and a half years out of a suitcase

• Why she started “As Told by Canadian Immigrants”

• Why we need to put boundaries around how one consumes immigration information on social media

• Being ‘in-betweeners’ caught between cultures

Paul is big on first impressions. And he still remembers his first impression of Edmonton: no bus from the airport to the city. You had to drive or find a cab. Even now, the bus only goes to the train station, not downtown.

His vision for Edmonton in two years if he wins? A city that looks and feels alive, not one littered with "for lease" signs. A place that feels safe, not just in police statistics but in actual lived experience.

But Paul is practical in how he expects to achieve all these goals. He accepts that Edmonton needs to get more competitive with business taxes and become an open, smart, and fun city that attracts businesses and sets a cultural tone that values what newcomers bring.

In this conversation, Paul and I chat about how his view of Canada has changed over the past 15 years. We also explore:

• Why Alberta’s immigration boom creates challenges and opportunities

• Why the city’s own hiring practices matter for the broader market

• Why he still believes in the promise of Canada after 15 years

• The importance of judging newcomers on merit, not credentials

• The city’s role in setting the cultural tone on hiring newcomers

In this episode, I’m speaking with Keely Cronin, Co-Founder of WorkSpark, where they support professionals who have migrated to Canada as well as anyone looking to make a mid-career transition.

One conversation she has over and over again with the folks she coaches is the gap, or more like valley between your qualifications, experience, skillset, and the infamous first survival job most newcomers have to start with in Canada.

Keely’s point of view is even if you’re a deep-sea engineer working at Tim Hortons, you should see that time as valuable Canadian experience. And as roles that immerse you in everyday Canadian culture.

Which means you should put them on your resume and frame them as work experience that shows you have soft skills to fit into your potential new job like a glove.

In this conversation, Keely and I chat about the soft skills you develop in such jobs. We also explore:

* Why she thinks Canada’s immigration narrative doesn’t match reality

* Culture and self-promotion

* Why moving countries makes you a baby again (but with baggage)

* Why it’s a good idea to experience Canada before job hunting ( but them bills don’t wait though)

Dozie’s Notes

A few things that stuck with me as I listened through this week’s conversation:

* During the immigration process, the focus is usually on what the immigrant brings to Canada. However, once we land, the narrative seems to shift to all Canada is giving you. This weird shift seems to be creating an environment where the public doesn’t recognize the talent or contributions of immigrants to the economy and the country.

* Structural barriers need policy solutions, not resilient individuals. We should celebrate resilience. But…individual resilience and networking can only go so far. Issues like inconsistent credential recognition across provinces and unclear processes need government fixes.

* Moving to a new country literally resets you to ground zero. You are like a baby experiencing the world again. Except this time around you carry the burden of your previous life’s experiences and expectations. Accept this reality. That’s the first step towards turning this mental burden into a strength.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Keely Cronin on LinkedIn

✅ Schedule a free career assessment

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Or join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

In this episode, I'm speaking with Mher Mardoyan, a career coach who's been helping newcomers to Canada find jobs with a 90%+ success rate.

With the rise and rise of AI in job applications, it's beginning to seem like traditional online job applications are a losing game for newcomers to Canada. Because for every job posting, there are thousands of applicants and only a tiny weeny number get called in for interviews. Mher thinks its about 2%.

The way out, Mher believes, is the hidden job market. This is where majority of the hiring happens. And the only way to access these opportunities is through networking and referrals.

Because people help people they know and trust, not strangers asking for favors.

In this conversation, Mher and I chat about his seven-step coaching process. We also explore:

* Why applying for jobs should be your last resort, not your first

* The importance of celebrating small wins during your job search

* His one tip for standing out in today's competitive job market

* Why investing in your career pays off faster than waiting for free help

Dozie’s Notes

A few things that stuck with me as I listened through this week’s conversation:

* Networking is like banking; you first deposit then you withdraw. That someone accepted your connection request on LinkedIn doesn’t mean you should ask them if they can help you find a job immediately. I personally think it’s cringe. Spend some time investing in the relationship. And in due time, you’ll build up enough social credit that allows you ask for help with your job hunt or a referral.

* Tell your story. Mher thinks if your story demonstrates how you save employers time, money or increase profit, you’ll be in demand. Methinks same too.

* Job hunting in today’s market is emotionally exhausting. Take breaks. Celebrate small wins. Ask for help.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Mher Mardoyan on LinkedIn

✅ Book a career consultation

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Or join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

In this episode, I am speaking with Ben Joffe, a French native who's lived and worked across Japan, Korea, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, United States, Germany, and currently Portugal. Ben also speaks fluent French, English, Japanese, pretty bad Korean and Chinese, and average Portuguese (thanks to high school Spanish classes).

Talk about being a global citizen. This lived experience means Ben has developed a great understanding of how much our default cultural programming defines how we see and interact with the world.

Having your default cultural programming turned on is not necessarily a bad thing. However, it’s important we recognize that we all have these underlying prompts which influence our language structure, our views on material success, personal relationships, and more. Especially when we move to a new country.

In this conversation, Ben and I explore why some cultures lead with “what do you do?” while others consider that question rude. We also chat about:

* Local comedy and why it’s a great way to understand cultural nuances and codes

* Why he’s more focused on teaching his kid curiosity than nationality

* The phone call that changed his understanding of Korean culture

* Why he doesn't identify as an immigrant or expat despite living in 7+ countries

Dozie’s Notes

A few things that stuck with me as I listened through this week’s conversation:

* The same word can mean different things depending on where you are from. A major barrier to cross-cultural understanding isn’t a lack of shared language but the hidden cultural codes behind words. A term like “friendship” or “car” has a completely different meaning in Korea, the U.S, or France. Learn to ask “What do you mean?” whenever possible.

* Cultural fluency which then leads to proper integration is an everyday activity. To truly understand a new country or society requires deliberate effort. Learn the language, watch local stand-up comedy, volunteer, engage in local activities. Being a passive observer rarely helps.

* Your multicultural identity is additive. A multicultural identity is not about losing a piece of one culture to gain another. Instead, it’s you adding new layers to your identity that end up creating a human that’s more than the sum of their parts.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Ben Joffe on LinkedIn

✅ Check out Ben’s vibe coding course

✅ Consider reading The Culture Code by Clotaire Rapaille

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

In this episode, I'm speaking with Gabriela Casineanu, author of Job Fairs: How to Get the Most of Your Participation, and founder of Introverts Academy.

A big part of why I wanted to chat with Gabriela is because I believe that when you move, you temporarily become an introvert. She did disagree with my theory. She thinks immigrants or newcomers become quiet or withdrawn because when you face a lot of rejection while job hunting, you become shy or afraid to speak up.

There's more. And she breaks it down in great detail. But you have to listen to the episode.

In this conversation, Gabriela and I chat about detaching your identity from your profession. We also explore:

* Why immigration is an opportunity to ask yourself what you really want to do

* Her one-word advice for immigrants struggling to integrate

* How to focus on what you can control in the job search process

* The importance of bringing your “human side” to the job search, not just your diploma or degree

Dozie’s Notes

A few things that stuck with me as I listened through this week’s conversation:

* A lot of us move physically but don’t move mentally. In that case, you really haven’t immigrated. Integration starts when you become curious and adopt a beginners mind. That’s how you start learning the rules of your new home.

* Proactive connection beats passive application. Sending resumes are great but they can only get you so far. Reach out, book informational interviews, volunteer at conferences. These tactics help you build visibility, trust, and launches you into the hidden job market where there's less competition.

* "Reframing" is the ultimate immigrant hack. Learn to reframe your challenges. By changing a negative statement (I hate networking) into a curious question (Who can I ask for information?), you alter your energy state, your actions, and the outcomes.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Gabriela Casineanu on LinkedIn

✅ Learn more about Introverts Academy

✅ Get the Job Fairs: How to Get the Most of Your Participation book for FREE to learn more about reframing

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

In this episode, I'm speaking to Sweta Regmi, who's lived in Canada for over two decades.

Two decades is a while, and Sweta says if she were to compress all she's learned over those years into one piece of advice for new immigrants, it would be "ASK FOR HELP."

I agree. I learned this the hard way. And maybe someday I'll tell that story. But yes, ask for help. Don't try to figure it out all on your own. But there are caveats here. As Sweta puts it, "Watch out for folks who who project their own limitations onto you, like someone who tells you that making six figures is impossible."

I think the key message Sweta is passing on here is find people who have lived the life you want to live. This isn't about finding someone with a PhD or a fancy title, but someone with relatable, lived experience who can offer genuine guidance.

In this conversation, Sweta and I chat about the importance of finding mentors who are honest about their struggles. We also explore:

* Why she sees her 25-year journey in Canada as beautiful

* The origin story behind her business, TeachnDo

* Why she resisted celebrating Canadian holidays at first, and what changed her mind

* Why you shouldn’t compromise your identity just because you want to fit in

Dozie’s Notes

A few things that stuck with me as I listened through this week’s conversation:

* Not judging anyone, but those little compromises you make to fit in can often backfire. Integrate all right, but don’t erode your sense of self in the process. You have a heritage that’s beautiful in its own right.

* Continuing from above, moving means you can curate the culture you want to uphold or live by. You can choose to discard the negative aspects of your heritage or home culture (like gender biases in Sweta’s case) and replace them with the positive elements from your new culture. The result is a new personalized way of life. Sounds utopian, but it’s doable.

* The source of your advice can make or break you. I would go further to say the folks you speak to within the first two weeks in the country can limit or propel you forward.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Sweta Regmi on LinkedIn

✅ Check out the free career resources on the TeachnDo website

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

In this episode, I'm speaking with Shriya Ghate, who moved from India to the UK, back to India, and finally to Canada.

Shriya and I explore a theme that's often ignored; the starting line is different for immigrants. And for immigrant women, it's often miles behind everyone else.

She talks about being seated at a networking event for women, and as she listens to the challenges faced by women who grew up in Canada, she realizes that before she can even think about networking or getting better at small talk, she has to first figure out the basics:

* Where to buy food

* How to pay for the bus

* How to feel safe in a new place

But it's not all gloomy. Shriya believes starting over is also a chance to build a new life with some intention. An opportunity to decide who you want to be as a professional and as a person, away from the cultural expectations of your home country.

Shriya and I explore the lessons she’s gathered from immigrating twice. We also chat about:

* The difference between moving as a student vs. a permanent resident.

* The psychological burden of the immigrant job search.

* Why Canada felt more like home than the UK.

* How to find your place in the world after leaving home

* Why small talk can be a hurdle for many immigrants

Dozie’s Notes

A few things that stuck with me as I listened through this week’s conversation:

* Progress compounds but it comes from showing up, fully prepared or not. The feeling of not being ready, of not knowing what to say, or do, or wear can be paralyzing. But they say courage is action in the face of fear. And it’s one thing you have to embody as an immigrant. Show up and learn by doing.

* Cultural norms around social interactions are real. So give yourself some grace. Is small talk hard? That’s okay. Don’t beat yourself up about it. But keep an open mind to learning the new social norms or create ways to navigate them.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Shriya Ghate on LinkedIn

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

In this episode, I'm speaking with Stefana Sopco, who moved from Romania to the Netherlands seven years ago.

Stefana had never thought of leaving Romania. But after her husband moved to the Netherlands for better job opportunities, she reluctantly followed; with €80 in her pocket and a lot of anxiety.

Now, this isn't a zero to hero story. What I loved about Stefana is how she absolutely refuses to romanticize the immigrant experience. She reminds me of Anam Zakaria of Qissa. She talks about the depression, the anxiety, and the identity crisis that comes with trying to find belonging and acceptance in a foreign culture.

Like Stefana, maybe we all need to stop trying to fit into boxes that weren't made for us. Because life is usually much better once we accept ourselves—strange accent and all.

In this conversation, Stefana and I chat about the impact immigration can have on one’s mental health. We also explore:

* Why immigrants find it easier to make friends with other immigrants

* Accepting herself and its benefits

* The permanence of being an in-betweener

* The guilt and heartbreak that comes with watching your parents age from afar

Dozie’s Notes

A few things that stuck with me as I listened through this week’s conversation:

* Every immigrant’s biggest fear is getting the dreaded call that something has happened to their parents. And then depending on when you last travelled back home to see them, you’ll lash yourself with guilt for months or years.

* It can be exhausting trying to perform as someone else because you are desperate to fit in. I don’t think there’s anything like being perfectly integrated, except you are a 4yo kid.

* You are never going to fully belong to your new country or the old one. I am not sure, but maybe accepting that is the best thing we can do for ourselves. That liminal space is not a problem to solve. It’s an identity that we’ll carry forever.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Stefana Sopco on LinkedIn

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

In this episode, I'm speaking with Neel Parekh, the Founder and CEO of MaidThis® & MaidThis® Franchise, which helps homeowners and short-term rental hosts (Airbnb, VRBO, etc.) with their cleaner needs.

I'm usually curious about two kinds of immigrants; second-gen immigrants because I am trying to understand some of the challenges my kids might face, and immigrants who migrate from the Global West to the Global South.

Neel ticks both boxes. His parents moved from India to the United States in the early 80s. And then after seven years of backpacking and running his cleaning business remotely, Neel decided to settle down in Rwanda for a bit.

Neel and I chat about the differences between the Western “go go go” culture and Rwanda’s pace where nothing feels as urgent. We also explore:

* Falling in love with Rwanda

* Building community as an immigrant

* Growing up in an immigrant household and now understanding his parents better

* Why he’s thinking of splitting his time between East Africa and Los Angeles

Dozie’s Notes

A few things that stuck with me as I listened through this week’s conversation:

* I wish I spent more time trying to learn or at least have an idea of Canada’s communication style before I moved. Neel talks about moving from America’s low-context culture (direct, literal communication) to Rwanda's high-context culture (implied meanings, indirect answers) and the friction it came with. I suspect that a lot of the frustrations we encounter early-on in a new country are usually miscommunication issues.

* Maybe it’s time to accept that most people are never going to understand the immigrant experience until they’ve lived through it. I’m saying this because part of why I launched this publication was to also help non-immigrants sorta understand their immigrant neighbours better. But I guess experience is the best teacher in most situations, immigration included.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Neel Parekh on Twitter

✅ Chat with Neel about franchising 

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

In this episode, I'm speaking with Miracle Inameti-Archibong, who moved from Nigeria to the United Kingdom 18 years ago.

We don't often talk about the costs of immigration. And by costs here, I don't mean the financial costs (I think we all have a fair idea of that most times and we somehow hope the move means that won't matter in the long run).

I'm talking about realizing that your kids will never had what you had growing up; the beautiful chaos of Christmas mornings with cousins everywhere, the ability to drop by without notice at your sister's home; the ability to just exist within family without having to organize, plan, or explain yourself.

This conversation with Miracle left me with more questions than answers.

In this conversation, Miracle and I chat about the cultural code-switching that never stops. We also explore:

* How she found her voice in the corporate world

* Parenting in-between cultures

* The subtle ways cultural misunderstandings knock your confidence

* The difference between existing and thriving

Dozie’s Notes

A few things that stuck with me as I listened through this week’s conversation:

* Overt racism is bad, but it’s not the thing that usually wears immigrants down. It’s the small misunderstandings, the cultural references you miss, the microaggressions, the fact that you have to explain your background over and over again, and the subtle signals that you don't quite belong here.

* The biggest cost of immigration, especially for those of us who grew up in collective cultures, is how moving across countries breaks down family connections across generations.

* The biggest paradox of being an immigrant is you can succeed by conventional metrics (career, financial stability, opportunities for your kids) while simultaneously losing something irreplaceable (extended family connections, cultural belonging, community rituals).

Official Links

✅ Connect with Miracle Inameti-Archibong on LinkedIn

✅ Book Miracle to come speak about all things SEO and digital marketing

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

In this episode, I'm speaking with Anam Zakaria and Haroon Khalid of Qissa, one of the most interesting immigrant storytelling platforms I have come across in recent months.

Qissa's flagship project, "Driving Canada," started as casual conversations with Uber drivers as Anam and Haroon navigated doctors appointments, daycare, and all the stuff new parents have to deal with.

Almost all the drivers were immigrants. Almost all were overqualified. Almost all had stories about the systemic barriers that shoved them into the gig economy.

The shitty thing about all this is you sometimes see people term this struggle as a "rite of passage." We call it resilience. And instead of pushing for policy changes that fix the system, we celebrate the immigrants ability to survive it.

With no care for its toll on the individuals, their loved ones, their community, and Canada.

In this conversation, Anam, Haroon, and I explore the cost of resilience. We also chat about:

* Why most immigrant settlement programs serve yesterday’s immigrants, not today’s

* Why we need to fix the system instead of glorifying the struggle

* Launching Qissa

* The power of stories

Official Links

✅ Connect with Anam Zakaria on LinkedIn

✅ Connect with Haroon Khalid on LinkedIn

✅ Read the Driving Canada Report

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Join us as we explore the bittersweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

In this episode, I'm speaking with Robert Ndoping and Oumar Dicko of Windmill Microlending, Canada.

When Robert and Oumar tell you that Windmill has funded over 14,000 skilled immigrants to get re-credentialed in their professions, with an average loan size of $10,183, totaling nearly $146 million in approved loans, and a repayment rate of 95%…

You'll probably go, ‘Wow, that's impressive.’

When you hear the story of the ENT surgeon driving Uber in Toronto while kids wait months for surgery, you realize that it isn't just impressive, it's necessary.

There are a lot of things Canada does right about immigrant settlement. But there are also a lot of areas in which we could do better. The skilled immigrant credential recognition is one of those areas.

And Windmill Microlending is proof that Canada wins when we make sure skilled immigrants can contribute to the economy as fast as possible. Because for every 10,000 clients Windmill empowers, an additional $3.6 billion in lifetime tax revenue is generated for Canada.

In this conversation, Oumar, Robert, and I chat about Windmill Microlending’s loan model. We also explore:

* Walking the talk when it comes to skilled immigrant settlement

* Why the work is personal for both of them

* The human impact of their work

* Why we need to move the immigrant conversation from “immigrant struggling” to “untapped potential”

* Why immigrants don’t need saving

Official Links

✅ Connect with Robert Ndoping on LinkedIn

✅ Connect with Oumar Dicko on LinkedIn

✅ Read Windmill’s Impact Report ⤵

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

In this episode, I'm speaking with O'Nell Agossa, who moved to Canada from Benin as a nine year old.

At 13, a lady on a bus told O'Nell to “go back to where you're coming from.” But he's refused to give that experience the power to define who he was or who he has grown up to be.

Instead, he thinks that the confusion others feel is not your problem to solve. You don't owe anyone an explanation of who you are. You don't need to fit into their narrow categorizations that make them feel comfortable. You just need to be.

In this conversation, O’Nell and I explore curiosity as a way of life and why he’s writing a book about the trait. We also chat about:

* Why the immigrant experience is about hope and renewal

* Immigrants as bridges between worlds

* The weight immigrant parents carry

* Why you don't need to ask permission to belong

Official Links

✅ Connect with O’Nell Agossa on LinkedIn

✅ Follow along as he prepares to publish his book, Curiosity and I

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

In this episode, I'm speaking with Kelly Boyi, who left Canada for the United States after 12 years of building a life here.

First off, this isn't a "Canada bad, America good" story. Kelly spent over a decade in Canada. His entire family lives here. He credits Canada for giving him his first job, first relationship, and first house.

But when you're an ambitious individual watching the best minds from UofT and Waterloo migrate south, when you hear that you could get better pay while working with folks building potential rocket ships, you would be forgiven for getting a tad introspective.

I also like that Kelly didn't mince words about our flaws as a country. Look, Canada is a fantastic country. But we aren't moving forward if we don't get good at having uncomfortable conversations about the kind of country we want to build for those coming after us.

In this conversation, Kelly and I explore why loving Canada isn’t enough to stay anymore. We also chat about:

* The grant system’s interesting “apply early” secret

* Why Canadian monopolies and bureaucracy are stifling innovation and ambition

* The famous Silicon Valley “energy”

* Why you can’t afford to be complacent as an immigrant

Official Links

✅ Connect with Kelly Boyi on LinkedIn

✅ Speak to Kelly for career coaching and other related services

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

In this episode, I am speaking with Ritika Saraswat, Founder & CEO of Re-Defined, a members-only community for international students by international students.

The past 18 months haven't been exactly fair to international students in Canada. They've been blamed, labelled, and threatened. They've had to deal with policy changes, uncertainty, and expiring permits.

And while all that sounds depressing, Ritika has a refreshing take on all the chaos: Come to Canada. Learn. Make new friends. Build connections. And if you get the chance to stay and contribute, great. If not, take what you've learned back home.

I know this is easier said than done. You probably have nothing to go back to back home. You probably can't even afford to relocate back home. But where there's a will, there sometimes is a way.

In this conversation, Ritika and I chat about why international students need to focus on what they control. We also explore:

* How to get feedback from your Canadian colleagues or counterparts

* Why playing the long game matters more when planning to immigrate

* Why you can’t afford feeling like a victim as an immigrant

* What she’s learned after seven years in Canada

* Why she thinks immigrants have a responsibility to come prepared, do their research, and contribute to their new society

Official Links

✅ Connect with Ritika Saraswat on LinkedIn

✅ Join the Re-Defined community

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

In this episode, I'm speaking to Aishwarya Khanduja, who moved from India to Canada at age 12, learned English watching Hannah Montana during her first Canadian summer, and has permanently left Canada to build her venture fund in New York.

This conversation left me with a bittersweet feel. Canada keeps losing its best and brightest to the south of the border. It sucks because we aren't just losing talent. We are losing the future.

And it's a worrying trend that seems to be accelerating by the day.

We talk a big game about immigration being a talent pipeline. But it means nothing if the immigrants end up leaving for other countries because their chances of succeeding are higher outside Canada.

As Aishwarya puts it, "Canada doesn't have the resources for me to thrive." This is what the Canadian brain drain looks like up close.

In this conversation, Aishwarya and I chat about what Canada loses when builders leave. We also explore:

* How immigration helps build anti-fragile societies

* What you need to qualify for the O-1 visa

* Why she’s all for building a life she doesn’t have to escape from

* Watching her parents sacrifice everything and start from zero

Official Links

✅ Connect with Aishwarya Khanduja on LinkedIn

✅ Follow Aishwarya Khanduja on Twitter

✅ Explore her personal blog

✅ Check out what she’s building with Analogue

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

In this episode, I'm speaking with Oluwaseun Ayebiwo, who moved from Lagos, Nigeria to Halifax, Canada with a ready-made community.

Most immigrants wait till they get to Canada before they start building a community. Taking this approach means they start with zero social capital, they have no one to turn to when trying to understand the unspoken cultural rules, and they find integrating slow and frustrating.

Well, Oluwaseun rolls different. The dude connected with 40+ people who were all moving to Nova Scotia from Lagos at the same time. They planned their trips together, some even flew on the same aircraft, and they've been supporting each other ever since.

What started as finding "one person and the other" quickly became a coordinated movement of 40+ people from Lagos, all planning their new lives together. That community has grown to over 700 people over the years.

In this conversation, Oluwaseun and I explore his community-first approach to immigration. We also chat about:

* How their success attracted and transformed Halifax's existing Nigerian community

* Finding people in your new country who share your values and goals

* What it means to serve on IRCC's Advisory Council for newcomers

* Why Halifax is a geographical hidden gem for Nigerians

Official Links

✅ Connect with Oluwaseun Ayebiwo on LinkedIn

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

In this episode, I'm speaking with Saïd M'Dahoma, neuroscientist turned pastry chef.

For reasons I can understand, people love to flatten the immigrant experience into simple or monolithic narratives. Be one thing so we can understand you.

Saïd's story pushes back against this oversimplification. Growing up in Paris as the son of Comorian parents, he had to be French, full stop. His parents' heritage was something to minimize, not celebrate. Integration meant a silent erasure.

Then he immigrated to Canada. “I think I am French. I am Comorian. I am Canadian,” Saïd says. “Sometimes people ask you to choose, like, what are you? Which one are you out of the three? I think I'm all of them at the same time.”

Saïd’s story isn't just about Canadian multiculturalism being nice in practice. It's a story of what happens when we allow individuals to accept the various parts of themselves, to be complex, and luxuriate in all the nuances that come with being human.

In this conversation, Saïd and I chat about how long it takes to feel like you’ve truly settled into your new country. We also explore:

* His journey from a PhD holder in neuroscience to pastry chef

* Why food is one of best ways to pass on cultural heritage

* The immigrant as a monolith

* Why the immigrant experience resists categorization

Official Links

✅ Connect with Saïd M’Dahoma on LinkedIn

✅ Learn how to make pastry the French way

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

In this episode, I'm speaking with Victoria Patenaude, a communications coach who helps immigrants find their voice. Literally.

For most immigrants, especially the non-native English speakers, they think the reason they struggle to express themselves clearly is due to a limited vocabulary, poor grammar, or a bad accent. Well, Victoria thinks otherwise.

And she's not just talking as a coach, she has the lived experience. Victoria grew up constantly code-switching between Polish, Greek, and English cultural contexts. By her twenties, she was what she calls “a very careful person.”

That hypervigilance followed her through university and through moves between Quebec and the United States. Even as a successful professional with advanced degrees, she still carried the emotional burden of never feeling quite confident in her communication.

Her breakthrough came when she realized confidence isn't something you earn through perfect pronunciation. It's a choice you can make right now, regardless of your skill level.

Now she helps other immigrants break free from the same patterns.

In this conversation, Victoria and I chat about a teenage years embarrassment that led years of anxiety whenever she tried to speak French. We also explore:

* How we pass on our immigration-induced anxiety to our kids

* The science behind her method of coaching

* Practical tips you can try out for building language confidence

* And why we need to stop assuming negative intent when we have cultural misunderstandings

Official Links

✅ Connect with Victoria Patenaude on LinkedIn

✅ Work with Victoria on your communication skills

✅ Check out her TEDx talk on Why We’re Connected To The Internet, But Not Each Other

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

In this episode, I'm speaking with the amazing journo, Alyanna Denise Chua, who moved from Philippines to Canada in 2019 to study at University of Toronto.

One of my biggest gripes with the dominant immigrant conversation is we often seem to disregard the human in the loop. Policies change overnight (for good reasons they say), and suddenly folks who have followed all the rules find themselves stranded.

That is Alyanna's story. She moved to Canada, paid 10X the fees of domestic students to study, excelled academically, gained Canadian work experience, and integrated into the country.

She did everything the immigration system told her to do. But by the time she graduated, Canada had moved the goalposts. The same pathway that led to permanent residency now led to... uncertainty.

In this conversation, Alyanna and I explore what it felt like to watch the rules change. We also explore:

* Missing home while building a new life

* Immigrating as a student vs. a PR

* Why Canada's rhetoric shifted from “we want you to stay” to “study doesn't guarantee residency”

* The unfairness of retroactive rule changes

* How Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie inspired her journalism career

Official Links

✅ Connect with Alyanna Denise Chua on LinkedIn

✅ Read her piece on The Walrus; Pay Tuition, Follow the Rules, Then Pack Your Bags

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

In this episode, I'm speaking with Gabriela Gutierrez, who's lived in seven cities across four countries.

Gabriela believes that the gift of immigration is the opportunity to become a better version of yourself for the world. A kinder human. A more resilient human. An individual who's a bridge between cultures.

I personally think being an immigrant is a superpower. But Back to Gabriela. This philosophy has guided her as she's journeyed from Honduras to Spain to Canada and now the United States.

And it’s why she insists that before you move to a new country, you should “Connect with your purpose. If you're thinking about immigrating, why? What motivates you to be there? How do you see yourself in five years in that new country, in that new city?”

In this conversation, Gabriela and I chat about watching her MBA classmates do great things while she was making minimum wage in Canada. We also explore:

* Why she’s kept her minimum wage stub 10 years later

* How to deal with immigrant imposter syndrome

* Why she thinks immigration is a net-positive to the world

* Why focusing on what you control is the best thing you can do for yourself while settling into your new country

Official Links

✅ Connect with Gabriela Gutierrez on LinkedIn

✅ Sign up for Gabriela’s Personal Growth newsletter

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

In this episode, I'm speaking with the beautiful ball of positive light called Dennis Agbegha, who resigned from Big Oil and moved to Canada.

Dennis is what you would call a super-connector. And while many folks in his shoes would probably worry about not being accepted, Dennis approaches it differently. When he walks into any room, he tries to answer one question, “How can I love and serve these people?”

And in his experience, people start seeing him as “one of us” more often than not. I don't think this is naive optimism or toxic positivity. Dennis had to deal with a divorce while settling into Canada, went through the usual immigrant struggles, and dealt with the feeling of being the “other.” But he's refused to carry that as a burden.

His approach is simple. Focus on the universal human fundamentals; love, kindness, and service. And let everything else be background noise. The result is he's never met a room he couldn't eventually belong in.

In this conversation, Dennis opens up about dealing with a divorce while settling in. We also chat about:

* The back-and-forth years and what they taught him

* Why cultural obedience can limit immigrants

* How to judge beliefs by usefulness, not absolute truth

* Why the “spaces weren't made for us” mindset can trap you

* Why settling is more than just a change of location

Official Links

✅ Connect with Dennis Agbegha on LinkedIn

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

In this episode, I'm speaking with Chris Friesen, Chief Operating Officer at Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISSofBC) about Canada's need for a long-term vision for immigration and why the current system is failing everyone involved.

Chris calls Canada a "giant global cohesion experiment." And despite all the challenges that come with our immigration approach in recent years, he thinks we're doing a lot of things well that other countries envy. The challenge now is getting past the current moment where everything feels "grindy."

His preferred approach to the immigration conversation? A all-hands-on deck Canadian conversation about immigration. Not screaming or accusing each other on social media. Not electoral soundbites (we recorded this episode before the election). But an informed discussion that considers all the nuances about the kind of country we want to be.

The solutions Chris proposes aren't complicated, but require political will. A 10-year population growth strategy. National credential recognition. Better success indicators. Proactive rather than reactive planning.

And most importantly, rebuilding public trust by communicating what immigration actually delivers for Canada.

In this conversation, Chris and I chat about the economic realities of Canada’s population numbers. We also explore:

* Moving beyond “us vs. them” to inclusive nation building

* Why we need a national vision for immigration beyond reactive policies

* How the temporary resident system became a runaway train

* The difference between nation building and short-term labor market needs

* Building welcoming communities that work for everyone

Official Links

✅ Connect with Chris Friesen on LinkedIn

✅ Newcomer in BC? Check out ISSofBC immigrant settlement services

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

In this emotional episode, I'm speaking with Stephanie Kubi, who went from having her entire life planned out to becoming undocumented overnight. All this happened while she was six months pregnant with her first kid.

Stephanie had done everything by the book. “I had applied for renewal. Nobody got back to me. I had applied for restoration. Nobody got back to me... I was literally applying based on all that. And even when they didn't get back to me, I was like, in case it's a loss in the system, let's apply for restoration,” she says.

One day, she's preparing for maternity leave, setting up a nursery, planning for her delivery. The next day, she's holding a deportation notice, wondering if she'll have to choose between leaving everything behind or staying and figuring out what went wrong with the system.

In this conversation, Stephanie and I chat about the constant anxiety. We also explore:

* The hidden costs of immigration uncertainty beyond the legal fees

* The psychological toll of being the “responsible” firstborn who suddenly can't control anything

* Finding your village when you need it most

* The fragile nature of the immigrant dream, even when you follow all the rules to the book

Official Links

✅ Connect with Stephanie Kubi on LinkedIn

✅ Check out the Kubi Kollective 

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

In this episode, I'm speaking with Clint Boodram, Regional Manager, Business Development for Western Canada at TD Bank.

Clint moved to Canada from Trinidad when he was in Grade 9, over 40 years ago. On landing in Toronto, everything looked normal. But on the plane ride to Edmonton, “I found myself surrounded by people I saw on TV,” he says.

Immigrating to Alberta at that time meant Clint literally knew every Black person in his community. “I remember walking around going to different events, just going to the gym, hanging out. I kind of knew every Black person," he says. Fast forward to today, Clint struggles to keep up with the new faces he comes across daily.

While he's proud of the progress the Black community has made, Clint remains committed to building a welcoming support system for newcomers. His goal? “All I want people to remember is that if they need anything, they can call Clint.”

In this conversation, Clint and I explore the concept of systemic change as a marathon, not a sprint. We also chat about:

* Transitioning to high school in Canada

* Raising kids

* Community building and holding space for the next generation

* Why we can’t recreate the home we often miss

* Cultural adaptation without losing your identity

Official Links

✅ Connect with Clint Boodram on LinkedIn

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Dots Oyebolu, a paid media professional who moved from Nigeria to Canada and insists immigrants need to think differently about success.

The immigrant journey often comes with unsaid rules about what success looks like. Pursue certain kinds of jobs. Buy a house as soon as possible. Get a good car. You know, just fit in.

Well, not for Dots. For him, following the ascribed survival routes end up limiting what's possible for immigrants. And while it's hard to break free of the herd mentality and the cultural pressures, “we live somebody else's life,” he says.

Now, I think I agree to some extent. However, I also acknowledge that the psychological toll of trying to integrate into a new country makes this doubly hard for an immigrant. It's much simpler to just go with the crowd and reduce the stress of settling in as much as you can.

But there's also value in being finding our own path, being open-minded, and being willing to look foolish.

In this conversation, Dotun and I chat about his view of identity especially from the lenses of an immigrant. We also explore:

* The limitations of cultural obedience

* The need to play the long-term game

* Why we need to move beyond our obsession with real estate

* The balance between adapting vs. changing

Official Links

✅ Connect with Dots Oyebolu on LinkedIn

✅ Check out Dots podcast on marketing

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Bukky Wonda, who moved from Nigeria to Canada about 11 years ago, and has gone on to become a successful tech founder in the immigration space.

When trying to settle into a new country, finding optimistic people can make all the difference. As Bukky explains, “Immigration is so difficult that you don't want to find people who all they come and do to you is make things worse... Find people who are optimistic, who have agency, who are persistent.”

I believe this mindset has been key to her success, from landing her first job at CIBC as a financial advisor rather than starting at entry-level positions to pivoting into entrepreneurship.

In this conversation, Bukky and I chat about what it was like to move and settle in Canada 11 years ago. We also explore:

* Her transition from accounting to immigration tech founder

* Why she describes herself as a “happenstance entrepreneur”

* Tips for anyone planning to immigrate to Canada in 2025/2026

* Why preparation matters when you’re looking to immigrate

Official Links

✅ Connect with Bukky on LinkedIn

✅ Request Bukky’s immigration services

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Lauren Mostowyk, Head of Integrated Marketing and Communications at Interac, about the company's recent survey on newcomers' financial experiences in Canada.

Asides from rebuilding social capital, one of the hardest things to rebuild as a newcomer is financial confidence. You know, the idea that you are in control of your bills, you understand how the financial system works, and you are working towards your long term financial goals.

The startling thing for me here was that while 61% of newcomers feel financially confident when they arrive in Canada, that confidence is cut in half within one month.

And that's quite worrying. We get in folks who can contribute to the country's growth. And within 30 days, they start feeling like they're floundering, probably due to a combination of the typical grueling Canadian job hunt, the need to prove to a potential landlord that you can pay your rent, and the steady hum of everyday expenses.

As Lauren puts it, “We don't talk enough about how much of your happiness is driven by your financial confidence.”

In this conversation, Lauren and I talk about why Interac is best positioned to help newcomers in this regard. We also chat about:

* Why financial education underpins everything else

* Practical strategies for those preparing to move to Canada

* The biggest financial barriers for newcomers

* How Interac is helping reduce financial stress for newcomers

Official Links

✅ Connect with Lauren Mostowyk on LinkedIn

✅ Read about the Interac survey

✅ Check out the Credit Canada Butterfly App

✅ Find a job through ACCES Employment

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Hugo Onuoha, who moved to the UK twice –first as a student, then years later as a working professional with his family.

Prior to this episode, I've always believed that immigrating as a student makes it a bit easier to settle in, integrate, and get going. Hugo's story challenged that belief. This is why I now say that the immigrant isn't a monolith. Everyone's story is different.

During his first stay in the UK, he experienced such intense homesickness that he shortened his degree program from four years to three just to return to Nigeria faster. Yet surprisingly, seven years later, he found himself drawn back to the same country – this time with a completely different experience and outlook.

I also found it particularly fascinating that unlike many immigrants, including his wife, he doesn't pine for Nigerian food, weather, or culture. As he puts it, “Apart from family, I don't really miss much.”

In this conversation, Hugo and I chat about the economic realities that had me reconsidering the UK. We also explore:

* What it means to create your identity beyond national boundaries

* Finding gratitude in the immigrant journey

* Maintaining relationships with family and friends back home

* His first vs. second “missionary journey”

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Fikru Kebede , an Ethiopian artist who moved to Canada as a refugee after ethnic and religious conflicts made it impossible for him to continue his life and artistic career in his homeland.

One of my biggest takeaways from our conversation is how Fikru handles negative experiences. When faced with discrimination on the public transit, rather than feeling like a victim, he chose to focus on spreading positive energy instead of absorbing and transferring the frustration to another person.

“When you manifest positive vibes, you receive positivity,” he explains. This philosophy has helped him navigate the challenges of building a new life in a country where, as he puts it, "everyone lives on their sides" rather than in the communal way he was accustomed to in Ethiopia.

In this conversation, Fikru and I chat about adapting to the Canadian way of life. We also explore:

* Being realistic about one’s expectations as an immigrant

* How his artistic style is evolving in Canada

* The differences between the Ethiopian and Western painting styles

* How Impakt Foundation changed his life

* Finding internal peace through audiobooks

Official Links

✅ Connect with Fikru on LinkedIn

✅ Explore Fikru’s work 

✅ Read about Impakt Foundation’s approach to newcomer support

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Donovan Francis, who traded the sunny beaches of Jamaica for the frozen skies of Edmonton, Alberta. But that's not all.

Donovan moved to Canada as a communication professional. I mean, he was a television host for a quasi-government organization back in Jamaica. “Things were good. But we wanted to see someplace else," Francis explains. “Jamaica is a small place and there's just this big world out there.“

But the transition wasn’t seamless. It took nearly a year to return to a communications role similar to what he had back home. But this superhero wasn’t done. He went ahead to chase a long-held dream of becoming a lawyer. And after seven unsuccessful law school applications, he got into Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto.

In this conversation, Donovan and I explore what it’s like to start afresh. We also chat about:

* How taking “whatever jobs present themselves” allows immigrants to find stability in those early days

* Why food and music are great ways to pass on our cultural heritage

* Spending a year in East Africa with the family to help the children connect with their roots

* Canada’s cultural diversity and its benefits

Official Links

✅ Connect with Donovan on LinkedIn

✅ Book a free 30 minute immigration strategy call

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Uche Joel Ughonu, who moved from Lagos, Nigeria to Halifax, Canada in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moving during the pandemic created what I call the “double isolation” effect (where a newcomer dealt with the combined isolation of being new to Canada plus the restrictions that came with the pandemic) for most immigrants, Uche included.

And so, in my opinion, I'm not surprised Uche Joel has gone ahead to join forces with Banke Falade to build the Nigerian Canadian Life community. Together, these two amazing humans are building a safe space for Nigerians in Canada.

A space without the burden and status-led incentives I think come with the usual formal community associations.

In this conversation, Uche and I chat about what it's like to run a community for immigrants. We also explore:

* What it felt like to move to Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic

* Their goals for the community

* His biggest lessons from running the community

* Why formal community associations have the wrong incentives

* Why he can’t be there for everyone, and a lot of good stuff

Official Links

✅ Connect with Uche Joel on LinkedIn

✅ Connect with Banke Falade on LinkedIn

✅ Check out the Nigerian Canadian Life community

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Derek Sivers, author of Useful Not True, who moved away from the United States after voting for Obama and hasn't looked back.

What would the world look like if we saw people from other countries or cultures as ‘cousins we haven't met yet?’ A more peaceful and accepting world maybe? Or at least one where we are a bit more open-minded. Because as Derek puts it, “This world is my home.”

In this conversation, Derek and I chat about why he left America. We also explore:

* Why he thinks integration is on the immigrant and not the local

* Raising his kid in multiple cultural contexts

* How to keep your mind flexible as an immigrant

* And his one tip for settling into a new country

Official Links

✅ Connect with Derek 

✅ Buy the Useful Not True book

✅ Check out Derek’s website

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Nadine Niba, a passionate community builder and an author in the making.

Nadine moved to Canada about 10 years ago, and in that time, she's worked with three of the big four consulting firms. So if there's anyone qualified to speak about the experience of working as a Black woman and immigrant in Canada, it's Nadine.

While a lot of work has been done, Nadine thinks that Black women need less mentors, more sponsors. And I agree, because Black women are some of the most educated women you'll ever meet.

In this conversation, Nadine and I explore being Black and female in the Canadian workplace. We also chat about:

* Why immigrants need to stop selling themselves short in the job market

* Not being afraid to speak her truth

* Why we need to do a better job of educating potential immigrants back home

* How a sponsor changed her career trajectory, and more good stuff

Official Links

✅ Connect with Nadine on LinkedIn

✅ Chat with Nadine 

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking to Dikachi Chizim, who moved from Lagos, Nigeria, to Freiberg, Germany, for an MBA.

Germany isn't the typical destination for skilled Nigerian immigrants, especially in the past five years. According to Dikachi, even the Germans she met in Freiberg, a town of over 40,000 in Eastern Germany, were surprised she moved to their town to study. “Well, I came to study because tuition was free,” she says.

But the culture shock was dramatic. Now, this isn't surprising if you've been to both or any of the two cities. Lagos and Freiberg are different in every measurable way. From population to density to the economy to the urban character to the language.

“I was lost,” Dikachi says. Getting a student job became the unlikely path to understanding the language and how the country worked.

In this conversation, Dikachi and I chat about dealing with the contrast between Nigerian "African time" and famed German punctuality. We also explore:

* How her workplace became more valuable for integration than her international student community

* Passing her Nigerian cultural heritage to her German-born daughter

* The surprising differences between Eastern and Southern Germany's social climate

* Why optimism might be an immigrant's most valuable asset

Official Links

✅ Follow Dikachi on LinkedIn

✅ Sign up for Dikachi’s Thinking Out Loud newsletter

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Tunji Banwo, who along with his bags, took his 11 years project management experience and moved from Nigeria to the UK.

He soon found out that moving to a new country is one thing. Building a career there is another challenge entirely. Cultural differences, workplace dynamics, and the dreaded "UK experience" barrier made the journey anything but easy.

In this conversation, Tunji and I explore him feeling like a misfit, struggling to be recognized, and the pressure to quickly assimilate. We also chat about:

* Overcoming the "UK experience" hurdle when job hunting

* Adjusting to the new workplace interactions and social norms

* Discrimination, bias, and how media shapes societal perceptions

* Tips for project managers intending to move to the UK, and a ton of other great stuff

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Tunji on LinkedIn

📖 Buy Tunji’s book, No Blacks, No Whites, where he addresses issues of discrimination and bias in society

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Nella Gatumo, a lawyer who moved from Nairobi, Kenya to London, England for work.

One of the hardest things to rebuild as an immigrant is that invisible support system that you always took for granted. The brother you could call when things were topsy-turvy, the comfort of knowing what your colleague meant when they used a turn-of-phrase, the door that was always open with your Mom's smile waiting for you once you walked past the curtains.

This need to adapt and integrate means you suddenly find yourself second-guessing every interaction, every word you say, and everything you do. And through it all, life continues relentlessly back home.

As Nella puts it, “Life actually moves on. It doesn't stop from where you left it. People grow up. People die. People change.”

In this conversation, Nella and I explore the persistent duality we immigrants inhabit. We also chat about:

* Weighing the emotional costs of moving against career gains

* Making friends in London

* The famous British communication style

* Missing important milestones back home

* The emotional labor of maintaining meaningful connections with family from thousands of miles away, and a ton of other good stuff.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Nella on LinkedIn

👋🏽 Follow Nella on X

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Iqbal Chowdhury, a Research and Teaching Assistant at Dalhousie University, Canada, whose academic work on immigrant integration and mental well-being is deeply informed by his personal journey to Canada.

When we talk about immigration, we often focus on the logistics or the challenges, such as finding a home or similar. Now these are important. But I think the the psychological journey of rebuilding your identity in a new country is probably more important.

And Iqbal’s research reveals how economic stability serves as the first steps towards cultural integration and belonging. You need economic security before you can truly engage with your new community.

Iqbal explains the troubling phenomenon of the "healthy immigrant effect" and how it deteriorates over time as newcomers struggle to find suitable employment that match their qualifications. This disconnect between expectations and reality ends up affecting the immigrant's mental health and integration process.

In this conversation, Iqbal and I chat about the stark contrast between our imagined and actual immigration experiences. We also explore:

* The work we need to do as immigrants to accept our multiple identities

* The importance of maintaining connections with one's cultural community while building new relationships

* How language barriers create cascading challenges in professional and social settings

* Finding the delicate balance between integrating into a new culture while honoring your heritage

* Plus, Iqbal shares practical advice for prospective immigrants to better prepare mentally for the journey ahead

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Iqbal on LinkedIn

📚 Read about Iqbal’s research

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Urmi Hossain, who after 14 years in Canada, still identifies as an Italian-Bengali living in Canada rather than Canadian.

In her words, “I feel like I'm betraying my origins if I put Canadian because I only became Canadian later on in my life.”

I find her position so fascinating because she's one of the few immigrants I've met who don't struggle with the state of in-betweenness - where you feel like you're suspended between your former culture and the new one.

To Urmi, Canada will always be her second home, the first place where she felt she could be comfortable in her dual identity. The first place where she met people who were navigating multiple cultural identities like herself. People who spoke more than one language. Unlike Italy where her friends were ‘strictly Italian.’

But...Urmi still thinks she probably is going to retire to Italy.

In this conversation, Urmi and I chat about Canada’s multiculturalism and how it helps people like her feel at home. We also explore:

* What do we mean when we say “Canadian culture”

* The quality of Canadian coffee vs. Italian coffee

* Choosing to move to Canada

* Why she’ll probably retire to Italy at some point, and more good stuff.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Urmi on LinkedIn

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

For our seventh and final #IWD2025 episode, I'm speaking with Rehana Malik-Mbanga, CEO, Stimbok Corporation, and Founder, When African Women Talk (WAWT).

As immigrants, we often tiptoe around the emotional and psychological toll immigration places on us. As Rehana puts it, “You are under immense pressure to achieve. You didn't come here to fail.”

Aside that, you are also expected to constantly represent your community in good light. And so we end up always in defense mode, always looking to swat away stereotypes and show that we are capable of being good, of being smart, of being worthy of recognition.

It’s exhausting.

To combat this and create a safe space where Black women can be themselves, Rehana founded WAWT.

In this conversation, Rehana and I chat about What it was like to move to Edmonton, Alberta 10+ years ago. We also explore:

* The idea of our “immigration age”

* The importance of rejecting victimhood narratives

* Creating genuine relationships through intentional community-building

* Launching WAWT and how her mission for the community changed along the way

* The diverse experiences of Black immigrants in Canada, and more great stuff.

Official Links

👋🏽 Connect with Rehana on LinkedIn

👉🏽 Apply to join WAWT

📰 Read the current issue of the WAWT magazine

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

For our sixth #IWD2025 episode, I'm speaking with Sindhu Mahadevan, Quality Assurance Team Lead, Vital Bio, and creator of This Immigrant Life newsletter.

Sindhu moved from India to to the United States as an international student. After nine years in Uncle Sam's country, she moved to Canada as a permanent resident.

The immigration journey comes with an interesting emotional burden that shapes how an immigrant engages with their everyday life. And for individuals on a temporary status, the uncertainty often has them in a state of existential anxiety:

* Will I get kicked out if I lose my job?

* How do I go on PTO even though I am feeling burnt out?

In her words, “Canada was where I truly felt at home. People will say immigration is just paperwork, you shouldn't let it define you...I think it sounds good for the movies, but it makes a huge difference what that scrap of paper says.”

In this conversation, Sindhu and I chat about the differences between the immigration systems of Canada and the United States. We also explore:

* The renegotiation of identity that comes with being an immigrant

* Her relationship with borders

* Finding belonging in Canada

* How to approach Canadian immigration in 2025,

* Plus a vetted list of immigration experts you can follow on LinkedIn.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Sindhu on LinkedIn

👉🏽 Sign up for Sindhu’s This Immigrant Life newsletter

📰 Read about Sindhu’s story on CBC Canada

🗣️ Follow Sindhu’s vetted list of immigrant experts:

* Matthew McDonald

* Kubeir Kamal

* Veronica Sepehr

* Madhur Parashar

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

For our fifth #IWD2025 episode, I'm speaking with Fatemeh Alhosseini, Executive Director at Impakt Foundation.

Resilience as a function of the system, personalized support, narrative therapy as a tool for cultural immersion, Fatemeh left me with a lot to think about after this conversation.

And I think it’ll be same for you.

Fatemeh moved to Canada from Iran 10 years ago as an international student. After an MA in Developmental Psychology, and then a PhD in same with a focus on resilience, she joined Impakt Foundation as the Executive Director.

In this conversation, Fatemeh and I chat about Impakt Foundation’s “for newcomers, by newcomers” model. We also explore:

* Moving to Canada 10 years ago to study

* Why we immigrants need to get involved in building and implementing immigrant settlement and support programs

* Why she chose to work at Impakt Foundation

* The Impakt Foundation origin story (The Tailor Project)

* Why resilience isn’t a personal feature, and more good stuff.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Fatemeh on LinkedIn

🫶🏽 Learn more about Impakt Foundation

💖 Learn more about The Tailor Project

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

For our fourth #IWD2025 episode, I'm speaking with Shamira Madhany, Managing Director & Deputy Executive Director at World Education Services (WES).

“We're having the wrong conversation about immigration.” If there's one person qualified to say this, It's Shamira. Her family came to Canada from Kenya in the early 1970s, fleeing potential political instability after Idi Amin expelled Ugandan Asians.

Despite being well-educated with business experience, Shamira's father couldn't find employment in his field. Her father took a job at a golf club (cleaning, picking up towels), while her mother worked in a factory.

This experience led to Shamira's life mission—solving the disconnect between Canada's need for workers and the barriers preventing high-skilled immigrants from getting jobs.

In her words, “I don’t want to give out umbrellas anymore because it’s too tiring. I want to change the climate.”

In this conversation, Shamira and I explore how it felt watching her parents struggle to find their footing after immigrating to Canada. We also chat about:

* Why she joined WES

* The economic impact of immigrant underemployment

* The cost of workforce shortages to Canadian businesses

* The biggest issue with the Canadian immigration system

* How we can connect the macro (immigration policy) with the micro (the immigrant experience

* The work she and a host of other amazing souls are doing to make it easier for high-skilled immigrants to get the jobs they deserve, and more good stuff.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Shamira on LinkedIn

🫶🏽 Learn more about WES

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

For our third #IWD2025 episode, I’m speaking with Kateryna Havrylova, Co-Owner and CEO, Best Solution Windows & Doors.

Helplessness, panic, worry, uncertainty, guilt, longing...Kateryna has probably felt all these emotions and more in the past two years. A routine family vacation for her husband's birthday turned into an extended stay in Poland when Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24th, 2022.

Her city (Kharkiv) was among the first to be occupied by Russian forces. And so with her 3yo and husband in tow, Kateryna moved to Germany after some months in Poland, then Germany, then back to Poland, and then Canada.

Canada was supposed to be a 10-day visit to spend time with some familiar faces. However, the family made the spontaneous decision to stay because Canada felt welcoming and safe.

For the first time in a while, Kateryna wasn't afraid anymore.

In this conversation, Kateryna and I explore the impact of the war on her 3yo son and her relationship with her parents and grandmother. We also chat about:

* Her unfounded fears of integration

* Becoming antifragile

* Why she feels safe in Canada

* Losing her car import business and starting afresh

* Tips for newcomers to Canada, and more good stuff.

Kateryna is a superhero!

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Kateryna on LinkedIn

🫶🏽 Check out Kateryna’s new business, Best Solution Windows & Doors

FREE Immigration Webinar

In a time when Canada's immigration plan emphasizes skilled, bilingual newcomers with in-Canada experience, make sure you’re positioned for long-term success!

Join Veronica Sepehr of Westdale Immigration for a 30-minute power-packed session where she’ll answer any pressing immigration questions you might have and break down key updates that could impact your preferred immigration pathway.

Here’s what she’ll cover:

📌 New Prioritized Categories for Express Entry – Focusing on what they mean for Education & STEM professionals

📌 Why French Matters – Boosting your chances for temporary & permanent residence

📌 2025 Immigration Trends – Key updates (OWP, CEC, PNP, RCIP)

Sign up HERE | Only 18 seats left out of 30.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

For our second #IWD2025 episode, I’m speaking with Wunmi Adekanmbi, lecturer and biochemist researcher turned immigrant tech talent advocate, and Founder of Immigrant Techies Alberta.

There's this quote on Wunmi's LinkedIn profile that exemplifies how she approaches the immigrant journey and her life in general:

“There are no paths anywhere, paths are made by walking.”

Antonio Machado

Wunmi moved to Canada in 2011 with high expectations as a highly skilled biochemist lecturer and researcher. “I came here with the mindset of Canada is looking for me because I had been handpicked by Canada to bring all my awesome skill set here,” she says.

But after three years of trying break into academia in Canada, she had to change tack and reinvent herself.

Her experience of career disruption plus the frustrating waste of immigrant talent Canada has been famous for in the past decade led to the birth of Immigrant Techies Alberta, a tech enthusiast group for highly-skilled immigrants (and those who share similar interests) who are already in or are interested in pivoting to tech careers and startups.

In this conversation, Wunmi and I explore her immigration journey and all the lessons it came with. We also chat about:

* The psychological toll of career disruptions

* Why immigrants need to manage or run the immigrant settlement services

* Her biggest wins with Immigrant Techies Alberta

* Why we mustn’t settle for less, and a ton of other good stuff.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Wunmi on LinkedIn

🫶🏽 Join the Immigrant Techies Alberta group

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In our first #IWD2025 episode, I’m speaking with Maroro Zinyemba, Zimbabwean-Canadian, and Dean, Faculty of Skills & Foundational Learning, NorQuest College, Edmonton, Alberta.

"Home to me is where your roots are. So no matter where in the world you end up... you are rooted somewhere in something."

As an immigrant, the concept of identity, home, language, and heritage can be a challenging conversation, especially if you have kids.

How do you pass on your cultural values, nuances and all the subtleties of your identity to your kids? How do you keep your mother tongue going strong within the family?

Remember, the kids are only interested in surviving playground politics and will learn the language and cultural nuances that help them make friends.

In this conversation, Maroro and I explore the concept of home and how context influences her identity. We also chat about:

* The challenges of passing on our language to our kids

* Why ecosystems or community structures are key to passing on the language

* Language as a form of identity

* The fluidity of the immigrant identity, and more good stuff.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Maroro on LinkedIn

♀️Get involved in #IWD2025

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Bryan Caplan, Professor of Economics at George Mason University and New York Times bestselling author. He’s the author of Open Borders, one of the best books on immigration in my opinion, The Myth of the Rational Voter, named "the best political book of the year" by the New York Times, and Build, Baby, Build.

It is human nature to find someone or something else to blame for our problems. And it's been a well-played hand in the Canadian immigration debate in the past ten months or more.

But as Bryan says, 'Shouldn't we be focused on addressing the real problems? If we have a housing problem, focus on deregulating the housing sector and build more housing. If the problem is crime, then improve law enforcement rather than blame the newcomers.'

In this conversation, Bryan and I chat about the economic gains from immigration. We also explored:

* Scapegoating versus tackling the real problems

* Lessons from the Gulf Monarchies approach to immigration

* The Canadian immigration conversation

* Why Open Borders is back in print, and a lot of other good stuff.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Bryan on X

📚 Buy the Open Borders book

📚 Buy the Build, Baby, Build book

📰 Read Bryan’s blog Bet On It

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Feyi Fawehinmi, accountant, writer and author of Formation: The Making of Nigeria from Jihad to Amalgamation.

When Feyi moved to London in 2004 to study, there were relatively few Nigerians in the United Kingdom compared to today. Most of the folks he met came either as students or through work permits that tied them to specific employers.

21 years later, all that has changed. Different immigration programs such as the Highly Skilled Migrant Program (HSMP) that ended in 2008 meant more Nigerians, including folks who felt they had "hit a ceiling" in Nigeria's job market, moved to the United Kingdom without the limitations of a work or study permit.

In this conversation, Feyi and I explore what his immigration journey has been like. We also chat about:

* Why time is key to integration and building a stable life

* Dealing with the loss of status and starting over

* Why integration should happen on your own terms

* Why newcomers need to be ruthless in the company they keep, and a lot of good stuff.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Feyi on X

📚 Buy the Formation: The Making of Nigeria from Jihad to Amalgamation book

🖊️ Read Agùntáṣǫólò Notes

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Noha Tanahi, Settlement Services Manager at TIEs (The Immigrant Education Society).

Noha moved to Canada from Egypt looking for a fresh start 20 years ago. But it didn’t take long to start missing home. “I started missing Egypt as I landed at the Montreal airport,” she says.

Settling in didn't get any easier. She landed in Montreal, moved to Calgary, then Fort McMurray, then back to Calgary. Stressed, frustrated, and angry, Noha called a shelter for women asking for space so she could leave her home.

That phone call changed her life.

In this conversation, Noha and I explore the concept of being a newborn when you move to a new country. We also chat about:

* How settling into a new country often veers from the perfect script we have in our heads

* The loneliness that comes with settling down especially if you don’t stay in a city long enough to make friends

* Getting fired from her first job after eight hours

* Volunteering and how it led her to her job

* Her work at TIES and why she would do her job for free

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Noha on LinkedIn

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Maryanne Aghalu, who moved to Canada in 2016 for her MSc, leaving a blossoming career in consulting behind.

Maryanne was so sure she was going to go back to Nigeria. Choosing to come to Canada was possible because PwC Nigeria gave her a two-year study leave.

“I was going to study, get some international work experience, and then head back,” she says. Well, she’s still here.

In this conversation, Maryanne and I chat about deciding to stay back in Canada. We also explore:

* Spending her maternity leave in Nigeria

* What home means to her now

* Underestimating how much immigrating changes us

* The cultural gifts we owe our kids, and more good stuff.

Something to ponder on: We unconsciously adopt the cultural nuances of our new country but we often only notice how much we’ve integrated when we go back to visit.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Maryanne on LinkedIn

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with David Moscrop, host of The David Moscrop Show, and author of Too Dumb for Democracy? Why We Make Bad Political Decisions and How We Can Make Better Ones.

David’s piece on the dangers of a cynical immigrant debate had me theorizing some dark scenarios. But the bigger question that I had and one we also explored in our conversation was:

Shouldn’t we be asking our politicians much harder questions? And are we solving for the real issues or looking for the next available scapegoat?

The cynical utilitarian arguments sounds sexy. But we need to push for a better Canadian immigrant conversation because in the end, we all share commons struggles regardless of where we come from.

In this conversation, David and I explore the politics of resource scarcity and scapegoating. We also chat about:

* How building community and solidarity can break down the arbitrary divisions certain narratives encourage

* The dehumanizing immigrant conversation and why it’s a dangerous path to take

* The need to balance technical immigration policy discussions with human rights and a sense of dignity

* The power and limitations of personal stories, and a lot of good stuff.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow David on LinkedIn

🎬 David’s YouTube channel

🖊️ Sign up for David’s Substack

📚 Buy the Too Dumb for Democracy book

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Matthew McDonald - RCIC consultant, immigrant, and an all-round great human.

The immigrant conversation is a human conversation, then an economic one.

But when you read some of the phrasing people use when describing immigrants, you would be forgiven if you imagined UCI numbers walking around Canada instead of humans.

Matthew McDonald, RCIC, is one of the few who buck the trend and bring the human into the immigration process. He describes his job as 80% emotional support, 20% legal advice.

Matthew moved to Argentina from Canada two years ago with his husband. And the process of settling into a new country has been a great lesson on what his clients experience when they move to Canada.

In this conversation, we explored his experience settling into his new home. We also chatted about:

* Why it’s hard to make friends as an immigrant

* How we can have a better Canadian immigrant conversation

* Adding humans to the Canadian immigration process

* The relationship between social integration and professional integration.

Biggest takeaway: We need big ideas about how we make immigrants feel part of the Canadian society. And Matthew has got some.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Matthew on LinkedIn 

☕ Schedule a virtual coffee with Matthew

ICYMI

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Olia Stasiuk, Founder of Bonzai AI, author, and all-round superhero.

We immigrants - especially if you are one of the privileged ones like myself who didn’t have to learn a new language when we moved - underestimate how hard it is to deal with the double whammy of trying to settle into a new country, new culture, and new lifestyle while trying to learn a new language at the same time.

Olia had to deal with that double whammy.

Did she have doubts? Yes. Did she feel hurt when people corrected her? Yes.

But that didn't stop her. Olia has gone from struggling to communicate to finding her footing, writing an Amazon bestselling book, and launching an AI startup that's made Canada's Top 100 AI Startups two years in a row.

In this conversation, Olia and I explored working through her limitations. We also chatted about:

* The difference between living and working in the United States and Canada as an immigrant

* The concept of the immigrant identity

* Why moving to a new country is like gaining a superpower

* Her go-to tip for anyone looking to immigrate, and a ton of good stuff.

My biggest takeaway: Cultural integration is a choice and we can often feel that we need to shed our old identity to adopt the new identity. But you are better off finding a way to integrate both identities.

That’s your superpower. That’s what makes you unique.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Olia on LinkedIn

👌🏽 Learn more about Bonzai AI 

📚 Get yourself a copy of the 66 Days SUCCESS Formula

ICYMI

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Alfred Kainga, the funniest comic I've listened to in a long while. No jokes.

But it took some work to get to where he is today. Here’s a clip from one of his recent shows:

Alfred moved to the United States as a 19yo and worked hard at honing his craft after his day job. After years of pushing hard to break through the noise, Rudy Rush passed his name to Kevin Hart as an upcoming comic who could open for Kevin on his 2016 Comedy Central show.

Everything changed for Alfred after that gig.

In this conversation, we chat about adjusting to life in the United States. We also explored:

* Dealing with survival mode

* Why he’s never regretted immigrating to the United States even though he originally wanted to move to South Africa

* The American diet

* And a ton of jokes along the way.

This was a hilarious conversation.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Alfred on Instagram

👌🏽 Follow Alfred on TikTok

ICYMI

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with the passionately curious Onyeka Okonkwo, a risk manager at KPMG UK, and a money coach.

As an immigrant, it's easy to feel the need to show up and represent your home country's brand. To be great. To be of good behaviour. To show that your people are worth it.

Especially now. Especially with all that's going on in the world at this time. When immigrants have become the next best thing to blame for all that's wrong with society.

It can be tiring.

So, I think we should take Onyeka Okonkwo’s advice…learn to give ourselves some grace. Give yourself permission to fail. To try again. To make mistakes. To live. To love. To enjoy everyday.

Onyeka joined me on The Newcomers to chat about why she left Nigeria. We also talked about:

* Working in Lagos vs. working in London

* Finding her footing in her new home

* Her approach to dealing with all the stuff immigrating to a new country throws at you

* The burden of black tax

* Learning to advocate for herself, and more.

Again, give yourself some grace, dear immigrant. You’ve got this.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Onyeka on LinkedIn

🖊️ Sign up for Onyeka’s Financial Life Workshop 

🎬 Onyeka’s YouTube channel

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Milan Sanghani — Founder of EdMission, and an immigrant entrepreneur on a mission to make it easier for students looking to move abroad for a higher education.

But Milan wasn't always on this path.

Nine years ago, all Milan thought about was a research-based MSc in drug metabolism. But after failing to get into schools in Canada, Australia, United States, and a couple of other countries, he started using all the learnings he had picked up trying and failing to get admissions to schools abroad to help prospective students in India with their higher education plans.

Milan finally moved to Canada in 2021 mid-pandemic to study Entrepreneurship at Carleton University, Ottawa.

In this conversation, we chat about his journey from international student to edtech entrepreneur, moving amidst the pandemic, and how he thinks we can improve the Canadian international students program.

He also shared:

* How to avoid fraudulent ghost agents

* Settling into Canada and dealing with the lack of trust during the lockdown

* Common misconceptions international students have

* And the mindset you need to have to succeed as an international student.

My biggest takeaway: Your best source of information are sources like the IRCC website (I know this is a nightmare to navigate) and the university website.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Milan on LinkedIn

👌🏽 Learn more about EdMission

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Ozoz Sokoh, a Nigerian food writer, explorer, educator, and author of Chop Chop: Cooking the Food of Nigeria.

The late Quincy Jones once said, "Music is the melody of the gods." I agree, and I would add that food is the flavor of the gods.

Food is everything. What and how we eat says a lot about us. More importantly, it tells a little about our history, and, in some cases, it’s one of the motifs we use as an expression of our culture and our traditions.

For immigrants, food carries an ever deeper meaning. Not to be dramatic, but it’s a link to the past [taste/nostalgia], a bridge to the future [the evolution of said meal in a new place], and a way to hold on to identity in the murky world of being an immigrant.

In this conversation, we chat about food as identity. We also explored:

* How cooking or eating familiar dishes bring a sense of home and belonging, even in unfamiliar environments

* Why understanding the essence and history of a dish is important

* Why recording the history of a meal is key to preserving the cultural heritage of a people

* The roles institutional bias and racism in food media play in hindering the representation of certain cuisines, and more good stuff.

But that’s not all the good stuff. She’s also shared some zesty food recipes.

Five Nigerian recipes you can try this Christmas holidays

* Nigerian pepper soup: One of my personal favorites. I think it tastes better with goat meat. But you decide.

* Agbalumo Carrot Cake: You’ll probably need to check the African store nearby for agbalumo.

* Cassava and Coconut Salad: Ozoz has taken a popular Nigerian street food, Abacha, and turned it into something that not only looks delicious, but might have a broader appeal. I’m definitely trying this out over the holidays.

* Zobo: Everyone has to try Zobo at least once in their life.

* Yedem’blong: This is one meal I’m going to need help putting together. But it does sound enticing. Kolanut with pepper sauce. Who’s got some adventure in them?

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Ozoz on Instagram

🖊️ Sign up for her Kitchen Butterfly newsletter for more re-imagined Nigerian recipes

📚 Buy her book here

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Izunna Dike, immigrant, chef, and all-round jolly fellow.

When we move to a new country, the traditional dishes we bring along with us change over time, shaped by the realities of ingredients availability, the need to adapt the meal to our new friend’s palate, and experimentation.

If properly harnessed, these culinary transformations can serve as an entry point into understanding the people who cook the food.

For Izunna Dike, it was no different.

The interesting thing was Izunna didn't always cook when he lived in Nigeria aside from random requests by his parents to knock together a meal for them.

After moving to the UK as a teenager, and spending a year without eating Nigerian food due to his living circumstances, Izunna started to cook as a way to hold onto his heritage.

And he’s never looked back. Cooking become a way for him to write a love letter to home while experimenting with hybrid meals.

In this conversation, we chat about the relationship between food and culture. We also explored:

* How he replicates Nigerian flavors in Canada

* The three Nigerian dishes he would make if he was asked to cook for a global audience

* How he balances authenticity and adaptation when fusing Nigerian flavors with flavors from other cultures, and a lot more good stuff.

P.S. Did you know that if you added Cameroonian pepper to your mashed potatoes it would taste much much better? Try it this holiday season and let me know.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Izunna on X

🤌🏽 Follow Izunna on Instagram

🎬 Izunna’s YouTube channel

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Douglas Price — award-winning music teacher and composer turned personal finance educator, and author of Seventeen To Millionaire.

When planning to immigrate to Canada, we often spend a considerable amount of time learning about schools, where to find a house, the cost of groceries, the best cities to find a job, rental costs, and more. We rarely bother trying to understand how the Canadian financial system works.

It doesn't help that once you land and walk into a bank to open an account, the banks stuff a credit card into your palms and ask you to review dozens of forms and sign.

So it's not surprising that when we ignore the one thing that underpins most of the factors mentioned above, we experience a significant drop in financial confidence as we battle with our settling-in checklist. Check out Interac Corp’s survey on newcomer's financial confidence.

I was no different. And if I could go back in time, the one biggest thing I would have done differently is to buy the book, Seventeen to a Millionaire by Douglas Price.

Yes, it was written for a seventeen-year-old in Canada. But I dare say as a newcomer to Canada, we are all like 17yos when it comes to understanding the nuts and bolts of the Canadian financial system.

In this conversation, we chat about his book and why it’s a MUST-READ for newcomers.

We also talked about:

* The golden rules of making money in Canada

* How to approach the world of credit

* Why he thinks the TFSA is one of the best tools for saving and investing money

* The money truths he’s learned while working on the book

* And the backstory of how the book came to life

Enjoy.

P.S. Seventeen to Millionaire is currently #1 on Amazon’s Personal Financial Planning book list and was chosen by Moneysense contributors, influencers, and money experts as one of the top 25 timeless personal finance books.

Official Links

📚 Buy Seventeen To Millionaire on Amazon

👌🏽 Learn more about Douglas’s approach to money

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Tope Fajingbesi, ex-Global Chief Financial Officer of Ashoka, and Founder of She-EO, a company focused on helping women of African descent develop resilience, grow, and become catalysts for positive change.

For many immigrants, speaking a second language is a core part of their identity. In some cases, they speak as many as four languages. For example, I am fluent in English and my native tongue Igbo. I also understand a smattering of Hausa (the language spoken in the Northern part of Nigeria) and French.

But once we move to a new country, we seem to do a poor job of transferring these gifts to our kids.

Tope Fajingbesi thinks we are doing worse than a poor job. She believes we are robbing our kids.

We are robbing them of the language.

We are robbing them of their cultural heritage.

We are robbing them of a core part of their identity.

And I think she makes a great point. In this conversation, the farmer lady and I chat about the immigrant identity. We also explored

* How she deals with unconscious bias

* Food as a way to build community

* The immigrant mentality

* Why she thinks America hasn’t changed in the past 22 years she’s lived there

* And why we must be deliberate as immigrants.

Enjoy!

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Tope on LinkedIn

🔗 Learn more about She-EO

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Daniel Bernhard, the CEO of the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC).

Anti-immigration sentiment in Canada is at a 30-year high and growing. Some of the recent takes on immigrants and the problems they bring with them make for an interesting read.

But, let’s pause for a bit…are we misdiagnosing the Canadian immigration problem?

Are we addressing the right issues? Or in a hurry to sound right and get a word in, we've simplified a complex and nuanced conversation into a good vs. bad debate.

Daniel believes we can have a better conversation about Canadian immigration. One that's much broader, accommodates all the nuances, and, most importantly, considers everyone affected —Canadians and immigrants.

In this conversation, we explore the two sides of the international student debate. We also chat about:

* Why we MUST view immigration from an outcome-based lenses

* Why The Leaky Bucket Report 2024 and Talent to win study are part of a bigger story

* Why the student route should be the best immigration pathway for Canada, and more.

This conversation validated a lot of thoughts that I have about immigration. My biggest takeaway as an immigrant: We need to address everyone’s interest. It’s a Canada conversation. If all I consider is my immigrant POV, nothing moves forward.

Shoutout to George Carothers and his team for the amazing work they’ve done with the Leaky Bucket report and the Talent to Win study. Read them here 👇🏽

* The Leaky Bucket Report 2024

* Talent to win Study

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Daniel on LinkedIn

👌🏽 Learn more about the Institute for Canadian Citizenship

🔗 Learn more about the Canoo app

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Kris Granger, who immigrated from Trinidad to Sweden four years ago.

The immigrant experience can be stressful, so stressful that Kris ended up with Stage 4 cancer.

His story is amazing. Inspiring. Humbling.

Kris moved to Sweden with his girlfriend at the time to further her music career. He was going to be a digital nomad and service his marketing strategy clients from Sweden. She would move ahead with her music career. "I thought I could do anything," he says. Boy, was he wrong?

A couple of months later, Kris was running thrice as fast to keep up with all life was throwing at him. He was losing his clients back home, he hadn't been able to get a job in Sweden, and things were getting desperate.

He ended up getting a maternity cover role at an agency after volunteering with the European Union. But he had to make ends meet, so he still hustled hard for clients back home. He also accepted a guest lecturing position at the University of Gothenburg. This continued for a while.

By the time he got his dream job at Volvo, after applying over 50 times, Kris's life was falling apart.

His marriage was falling apart.

His body was falling apart.

In this conversation, we chat about surviving Stage 4 cancer and finding family and community at his Volvo workplace. We also talked about:

* The power of volunteering as an immigrant

* Why making a decision to fall in love with his city was the first step to falling in love with his new life

* The checklist life of an immigrant and how it can lead to dreadful outcomes

* The importance of breaking into the existing friendship circles because these are often the work circles, and more.

This was some episode. My biggest takeaway: if you move in your 30s, seek community. Seek stability. We trivialize all we walked away from in our former life.

Our family. Our friends. Our colleagues. Or the cultural cachets that make it easy for us to approach every day as if it’s nothing.

Moving to a new country resets you. The stress of trying to settle in, get a job, while also being a good parent and partner can literally kill you.

Here’s Kris’s approach to finding his community:1. Seek out spaces where you feel alive. Look for groups or classes that truly interest you – those are the places where real connections form.2. Give first, without asking. When people feel your genuine willingness to help, trust follows.3. Say yes to small, unexpected opportunities. It’s often the smallest steps that open the biggest doors.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Kris on LinkedIn

🫁 Learn more about Grounding—a free, 7-day meditation experience

Did you read this?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Yawa Degboe, who moved to Paris, France as a 4yo. Years later, she moved across the Atlantic to Boston, United States.

So, a second-generation immigrant during her time in France. And now a first-generation immigrant in the United States. One would be forgiven to think she would be more French than Togolese. Because I did. think so.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Yawa is all about embracing her French and Togolese identities. And I agree. Very often, you hear immigrants talk about discarding who they used to be so they can assimilate into the new culture.

You aren't doing yourself any favors if you march down that road.

The advantage of being an immigrant is the unique individual you become when you merge your old self and the new self. You create something so beautiful, so different, so special.

But back to Yawa. In this conversation, we chat about her journey as a first-generation immigrant to the United States. We also explored:

* Dealing with survival mentality

* The various identities we immigrants carry with us

* The advantages of being an immigrant

* How she’s using the lessons she’s learned from her Mom to create a new future for the next generation

* Tips for French immigrants looking to move to an English-speaking country, and more beautiful stuff.

Integrate folks. Don’t assimilate.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Yawa on LinkedIn

Did you read this?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Mujidah Sakibu, product manager, job search coach, and 3X immigrant.

The job market is brutal, and it doesn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon. This can be discouraging for new immigrants to Canada or those looking to move.

I mean, the bills don’t wait. Plus, they can quickly rack up, especially if you’ve got a family or dependents. So, in a bid to make sure you get over this hump as fast as possible, most new immigrants go into an application frenzy.

Is this good or bad? The experts say you should get in as many applications as possible.

Mujidah has a slight tweak to this process. Remember folks, jobs might have the same title but different organizational needs. And then you also have the fact that we all have what we are really good at.

However, desperation to get that first offer means we forget this. And that’s okay, honestly.

But what if you could approach job hunting 5X better?

In this conversation, we explore her job-hunting process that enabled her to get a six-figure job within seven weeks of landing in Canada. We also chat about:

* Her two failed attempts to immigrate

* Mistakes immigrants make when looking for their first job

* And how settling into Canada was a bit easier because of her experience in Belgium.

I know the job market is tough folks. Sending you love and light. You’ve got this!

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Mujidah on LinkedIn

📆 Book a career call

Did you watch this?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Romu Gaboriau, who moved to the United States 15 years ago after spending a significant part of his childhood wondering if everything was bigger in the U.S.A.

The American mythology is a fascinating study. As a kid born in 1980s Nigeria, the United States was the ultimate dream. I wanted to go live there. I wanted to see if all I read about in the colorful magazines my Dad brought back home from work was real.

So heck, was I surprised to hear Romu say it was same for him in France. America is such a cultural force.

In this conversation, we chat about what it’s like to move from France to the United States. We also talked about:

* The differences between France and America; food, making friends, and doing business

* Struggling with the English Language

* Raising kids with dual identities

* Tips for settling into a new country if you don’t speak the native language.

This was a good one. Enjoy.

Here’s my takeaway for you: Forget about learning the accent. Learn to communicate first. As immigrants, we often trip ourselves up because we want to learn how to speak with the accent. Yes, it probably makes you blend in better.

But…

Learn how to pass your message as clearly as possible before worrying about an accent. It might come in the end. Or you might never have one. And that’s okay.

As long as everyone understands you, you’ll be FINE!

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Romu on LinkedIn

Did you read this?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Eyitayo Ogunmola, founder of Utiva, a technology talent development startup.

For some people, and I would say for me to an extent, immigrating meant just leaving Nigeria with no clear idea if we would ever go back. Not for Eyitayo.

Eyitayo moved to the United States as an Atlas Corps fellow in 2015. While doing research on tech talent development, discovered there was a need to build a talent development edtech business that could export or outsource African engineers, developers, and similar, globally.

And so Utiva was born in 2018. But as he says on LinkedIn, "I thought this was first a joke. I made so many terrible startup mistakes. Please don't try this at home."

Utiva has gone on to upskill 110K people from 19 African countries and helped over 500 companies source African tech talent.

Eyitayo joined me to talk about the concept of reverse immigration and seeing immigrating as a chance to learn and then bring that knowledge back home. He also shared:

* His go-to playbook for settling into a new country

* Getting intimidated by the accent at his first conference

* The power and beauty of sharing the African perspective

* Adjusting to life in the United States after moving, and more.

Here’s my takeaway for you: You don’t immigrate with cash. You immigrate with a skill. 

I agree that I am stripping away some nuance there as cash-flow is an advantage in many ways. But this probably applies more to young folks looking to immigrate.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Eyitayo on LinkedIn

🔗 Learn more about Utiva

Did you read this?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Gwen Lafage, whom I would call a serial immigrant. She's lived in the UK, the United States, Sweden, and then back to the United States.

And in her words, "Every move changes you."

However, I think one of the most important point she makes in this episode are the tradeoffs you have to make when you move to a new country. Family relationships become fragile. Friendships collapse. You find it hard to make new friends.

Especially if you're someone like Gwen who's always on the move. Being an immigrant can be lonely journey.

In this conversation, Gwen and I chat about her time at Sweden. We also explored:

* How culture influences our everyday life

* The concept of identity as an immigrant

* The concept of home

* The tradeoffs we have to make as immigrants

* Who she becomes when she gets to France, and more.

This episode was therapy for I and Gwen. And I hope it is for you too.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Gwen on LinkedIn

Did you read this?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Tobi Oluwole, former Shopify sales manager, employability coach, and a great human.

If there’s one person that exemplifies living life on your terms no matter what the world throws at you, it’s Tobi Oluwole.

Tobi immigrated to Canada against his will. As the first-born in a Nigerian home, he had to grow up quickly. This meant moving on after his dream of being a footballer didn’t work out.

Yes, Tobi the employability and communications coach once went on trials at Chelsea Football Club and West Ham United FC.

This meant quickly figuring out a way to live the life he’s always wanted to live.

And oh, I think he’s figured it all out.

In this conversation, we explored his move to Canada. We also chatted about:

* Why he’s relocated to France

* How to break out of societal conditioning

* Trying out as a footballer in London. I also share a crazy football trials story of mine I rarely talk about.

* His secret for hitting the ground running when he moves to a new country.

Here’s my biggest takeaway from this episode with Tobi: In life you get unlimited tries. As an immigrant, this is an important heuristic to adopt.

Keep going my friend, you’ve got this.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Tobi on LinkedIn

💌 Subscribe to the Life on Your Terms newsletter

🖊️ Apply for The Founder’s Blueprint

Did you watch this?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking to Maryam Atoyebi, who moved from Nigeria to Canada in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a strange time. Loved ones falling sick. Then passing away. The lockdowns. The terror from not knowing who had the virus and who didn't. The social isolation.

And the subsequent breakdown of the first layer of trust that guides how a society behaves in public.

For immigrants like Maryam, this meant settling down into a new society was hard. 2X harder than it should normally be.

I moved in 2021, so I didn't fully experience what it felt like as everyone tried to navigate the new rules for societal interaction. But the little I experienced was emotionally tasking. I can't even begin to imagine what it was like for Maryam and others who moved to a new country about that time.

In this conversation, we chat about all the feels while trying to settle down during the pandemic. We also chatted about:

* Her biggest mistakes

* How to use informational interviews to build your confidence when job hunting and interviewing

* Handling the loss of identity that comes with being put into a box when you move to a new society

* And intersectionality as a skill set.

I’ll leave you with this great piece of advice from Maryam: Understand that every piece of advice you get from other immigrants is contextual. It’s often coming from a good place, but its colored by their experience, their bias, and their perspective or view of the world.

Your job is to apply your context to what you hear.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Maryam on LinkedIn

📝 Learn more about makingTheMove

Did you read it?

Two months ago, Nelly Kawira shared a hilarious thread on Twitter about all she’s learned and achieved since moving to London two years ago.

Well, she’s published an updated version on The Newcomers, with some great images to boot.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Matt Adolphe, author of the seminal book on the Canadian workplace culture, Mastering the Unspoken Rules.

What is the Canadian workplace culture? How do we immigrants adjust to the unspoken expectations of our colleagues and bosses in an indirect culture?

I’ve made my fair share of mistakes. Thankfully, they haven’t been so costly yet. I hope. So, this conversation with Matt was God-sent.

Born in Calgary, Canada, Matt moved to Asia after university and lived there for years. After moving back to Canada with his family, he found it hard to re-integrate into the Canadian workplace. In his words, "It wasn't an easy transition."

This experience, plus listening to the stories of immigrants and others who were struggling to understand the Canadian workplace culture inspired him to write THE BOOK on mastering the unspoken rules of the Canadian workplace.

I think his book is a seminal piece of work. A must-read for anyone who’s looking to work in Canada. Immigrant or not.

In this conversation, we chat about his book and its impact. We also chatted about:

* Why the Canadian work culture won’t change dramatically despite immigration

* The differences between the Canadian and American workplace culture

* Steps to take to help you adjust to your Canadian workplace

* How to have hard conversations in Canada

* Why being culturally adaptable is a superpower

* And the concept of bringing our whole self to work.

This was such a good good episode. Jeez.

I’ll leave you with this: You don’t lose your sense of identity when you adopt a new culture. You become a much better and rounded individual.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Matt on LinkedIn

📚 Get a copy of THE BOOK: Canadian Workplace Culture: Mastering the Unspoken Rules

📚 Explore his second book: Would You Hire You?

Did you read it?

Two months ago, Nelly Kawira shared a hilarious thread on Twitter about all she’s learned and achieved since moving to London two years ago.

Well, she’s published an updated version on The Newcomers, with some great images to boot.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Helen Agbonison, founder of Africans & African Descendants in St. Albert.

Where is home? Your place of birth? Or where you feel loved and at peace?

I prefer to think it’s the latter.

And for Helen, it's the same. She's never felt a strong attachment to any place, but since moving to St Albert, she's found her calling. Her home. Her community.

In this conversation, Helen and I chat about moving to Canada 14 years ago, using Yahoo Answers to find friends in Canada as she and her family prepped for the big move. We also chat about:

* What it felt like to move to Canada 14 years ago

* Why St. Albert is HOME

* Why African immigrants struggle to integrate

* Why she launched the Africans & Africans Descendants in St. Albert community, and more.

It was so good to hear her talk about all the work the community is doing to preserve the African culture.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Helen on Instagram

👌🏽Learn more about Africans & Africans Descendants in St. Albert

Did you read it?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant..

In this episode, I’m speaking with an OG of Canadian immigration, Olufemiloye — known as Olú of Canada in the immigration circles.

The past few weeks, probably months, have been an interesting one for international students looking to immigrate to Canada for their studies.

Nothing is as it seems.

And while this can leave you feeling panicked. And tempted to do anything to get into the country before the "doors close on you," Olufemiloye thinks otherwise.

Olú moved to Canada as an international student over nine years ago, and has since dedicated himself to helping people find their way to Canada. Legally!

In this conversation, we chat about moving to Canada before japa (Nigerian slang for ‘to migrate’) became japa. We also talked about:

* Three plans you MUST have in place before immigrating as an international student

* The downstream effects of the Canadian system of governance on international students such as:

* The school in Atlantic Canada that took in so many students they had to start taking lectures in a cinema hall

* Tips for international students looking to move to Canada

* Why you should immigrate with a clear plan of action, and more.

Folks, I get it. Things look crazy right now. But be kind to yourselves. Look before you jump.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Olú on X

🔗 Get free immigration resources

🧑🏽‍🤝‍🧑🏿 Join the OJC Telegram community

Did you read it?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I am speaking with Rotimi Fawole, lawyer, immigrant, writer, and DJ.

When we talk about immigrating to a new country, we often focus on how to get a job ASAP, finding a house, and all the other similar issues we have to deal with as we feel our way into the new society.

But we seem to forget or rather, we seem to gloss over understanding and adapting to the spoken and unspoken cultural nuances that guide social and professional interactions.

Code-switching. Adapting to the communication style and tone of the new country. Same thing.

And it’s not about learning to speak with the accent. Because you can speak phoneh, and still end up not passing your message across when it matters.

Code-switching isn’t about speaking with the accent. It’s you adapting your communication style to suit your new environment. And it’s a necessary skill.

One you’ll need to survive, especially at work. You can't play it by the ear. You MUST invest time in learning how to communicate or else you are always going to feel frustrated.

However, the fact that you are code-switching doesn't mean you should lose yourself in the process. Or allow everyone and anyone run roughshod over you.

In this conversation, we chat about code-switching, and how it’s a key element of settling down.

We also chatted about:

* Moving to the UK as a student, heading back to Nigeria because of the lure of Africa rising, and then moving back to the UK

* Managing your communication style at work as an immigrant

* Why it’s crucial to build a community of people who are an example of who you want to become in your new home

* Why it’s so hard for immigrants to bring their full selves to work

* Tips that can help you improve your communication style, and more.

Remember, we are products of how we are raised, so spend some time learning how things work.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Rotimi on X

🎶 Listen to Rotimi’s DJ mix

Did you read it?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Rebecca Johnson, Investment & Operations Associate at BKR Capital, a VC firm that invests in promising black-led tech companies.

For an immigrant startup founder, fundraising is probably one of the hardest nuts to crack.

They lack the usual social capital they had back home, which means they can't access the life-saving Family, Friends, and Fools round, fondly called FFF. And I do think they mean Fools in a good way because of what it takes to back an unproven idea.

The sad thing about being in this position is the FFF round is absolutely important. It gives the founder time to test out the idea, hopefully get some revenue going and take the first steps towards product-market fit.

So what to do?

In this conversation, we chat about how we can kick-start the FFF rounds for immigrant startups.

We also talked about:

* Why immigrant founders need to learn storytelling

* The beautiful things she’s seeing happening in the immigrant founder ecosystem

* Why we immigrants need to build things

* The differences she’s seen between the Nigerian tech ecosystem and the Canadian tech ecosystem, and more.

Folks, we need to build things. Real things. Economic power is everything. It’s one of the best ways to get a foothold in the society.

P.S. I think Rebecca’s episode is a good follow-up on my interview with Eric Agyemang of Maple Bridge VC earlier this year:

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Rebecca on LinkedIn

Did you read it?

If you got this email in error or no longer wish to receive emails from The Newcomers Podcast, Substack has a sweet and easy way to unsubscribe.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Nosa Ayanru, an amazing MC, finance fella, and community builder.

Nigerians who immigrate often move to the United Kingdom, the United States, or Canada in recent times.

Nosa Ayanru has moved to two of those countries. And he thinks Canada is a much better place to live as a Nigerian immigrant.

He moved to Manchester, UK with £278 in his wallet to study, and after 6+ years, moved to Canada with his family. And a larger purse this time around.

In this conversation, we chat about:

* His biggest cultural shocks

* Why he never liked living in the UK

* Why you don’t immigrate with money, but a skillset

* Culture as a way of understanding a people

* Building the Nigerian brand in Canada via arts and culture, and more.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Nosa on LinkedIn

Did you read it?

If you got this email in error or no longer wish to receive emails from The Newcomers Podcast, Substack has a sweet and easy way to unsubscribe.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Shilan Zade, who's running to be the next Conservative candidate for Burnaby North - Seymour.

There are a many reasons why we immigrants pack up our bags and move to Canada.

But the biggest reason is probably a better life for our kid(s). That's if you have kids.

So, if you are looking to move to a country where you believe your child is going to have a better future, isn't that enough reason to get involved in building that future? Because the bright future isn't going to magically appear.

It has to be built. Brick by brick.

This is why Shilan thinks we all should get involved in building Canada's future.

In this conversation, Shilan and I chat about:

* Managing cultural misunderstandings as an immigrant

* Why she’s running for office

* The impact of language barriers

* The power of our voices

* Settling into Canada 20 years ago, and more.

People, there is no perfect moment to get involved in building the Canadian society of our dreams. Start now!

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Shilan on LinkedIn

👌🏽 Support Shilan’s campaign

Did you read it?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Aakansha Jain, Indian, Nigerian, and now Australian.

Fellow Nigerians, Aakansha speaks pidgin. She said, “Oya,” and it was perfect.

Aakansha moved to Nigeria from India as a teeny weeny kid. She remembers her father telling her she struggled to settle in and cried a lot because everyone looked different.

But over time, Nigeria became home.

Then, she had to move back to India, and it was tough. "I had to prove how Indian I am every day," she says.

She moved to Australia four years ago and can't believe how easy it was for her to settle into the Australian culture. She posits that it's probably because a considerable proportion of the population are immigrants, and they understand what it means to feel like one.

In this conversation, we chat about her immigrant journey. We also explored:

* The beauty of the Nigerian culture

* Nature vs. nurture

* Settling back into India as a kid who grew up in Nigeria

* Why feeling in-between cultures is a strength, not a weakness

* How her heritage has changed, and more.

Enjoy. This was a fun one.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Aakansha on LinkedIn

Do you live in Calgary?

Join CRIEC for their annual THRIVE Calgary Conference for a day full of engaging sessions, expert speakers, and networking opportunities focused on how “One Yes” can affect a person, a company, a policy, and more!

Use the Promo Code for THRIVE75 for 75% off ticket prices. Early bird ticket sales are now on sale. Secure your spot today and take advantage of special early bird pricing. 

📅Date: September 26, 2024📍 Location: Hotel Arts, 119 12 Avenue Southwest, Calgary, AB T2R 0G8🎫 Early Bird Pricing: $100

Register HERE!

If you got this email in error or no longer wish to receive emails from The Newcomers Podcast, Substack has a sweet and easy way to unsubscribe.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Nwachukwu Edgar Onyeagba, the man who saw the future.

How do you deal with the fear of the unknown when immigrating? What does it feel like to be right about where Nigeria was headed?

After his daughter was born, he took one look at everything that was going on with Nigeria and decided to leave. In his words, “things were looking like they weren’t going to get any better.”

Sadly, he was right.

In this conversation, Edgar and I chat about what it’s been like living in Canada for the past eight years. We discussed:

* The mental exhaustion of code switching

* Dealing with the fear of the unknown

* Dealing with Canadian experience

* He also shares the two questions your resume must answer

Edgar works in Human Resources, so if you want to get the gist about resumes, you can find that from 28:00.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Edgar on LinkedIn

Survival mode can be a strength

The following is based on a recent episode with Kaveri Srivastava

As an immigrant, it's easy to feel stuck in survival mode. You need to focus on immediate needs, and it's hard to do that while identifying and pursuing longer-term growth opportunities.

What if your greatest asset was survival mode?

Here's Kaveri Srivastava's view of survival mode after 13 years as an immigrant:

* Embrace the blank slate. You've got nothing to lose. Take risks. Sensibly.

* Pay your future self first. Save 20-30% before spending, or find your number and save that first.

* Use your cultural strengths as an advantage. Were you raised to focus on education? Turn that into a passion for learning. Anything can be a competitive advantage.

You've got this.

Do you live in Calgary?

Join CRIEC for their annual THRIVE Calgary Conference for a day full of engaging sessions, expert speakers, and networking opportunities focused on how “One Yes” can affect a person, a company, a policy and more!

Use the Promo Code for THRIVE75 for 75% off ticket prices. Early bird ticket sales are now on sale. Secure your spot today and take advantage of special early bird pricing. 

📅Date: September 26, 2024📍 Location: Hotel Arts, 119 12 Avenue Southwest, Calgary, AB T2R 0G8🎫 Early Bird Pricing: $100

Register HERE!

If you got this email in error or no longer wish to receive emails from The Newcomers Podcast, Substack has a sweet and easy way to unsubscribe.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Kaveri Srivastava, Snr. Marketing Director at World Financial Group.

I’ve come to realize that the best way to hit the ground running as an immigrant in a new country isn’t necessarily the usual things people talk about—finding a job to keep you going while applying to 500 roles weekly and the like.

The most impactful things you’ll need to do when settling down are mindset-related.

Keep an open mind. Be adaptable. Drop any sense of entitlement. And be willing to reset and start from the beginning.

One caveat, though: don’t lose your identity in the process.

After 12+ years in Canada, Kaveri Srivastava is well-placed to speak about this mindset shift. In this conversation, we chat about:

* Her hit-the-ground running playbook

* Dealing with survival mentality as an immigrant

* Balancing the need to experience new things while saving for the future

* Her Indian heritage, and more.

My biggest takeaway: While it’s cool to experience new things, you should form the habit of paying your future self first.

Did you find this interesting? Please share with someone else who might find it helpful.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Kaveri on LinkedIn

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Chris Ogunlowo, poet, adman, philosopher, and immigrant.

If you ask anyone planning to emigrate from Nigeria what country or city they plan to settle in as their new home, you would hear Canada, England, Australia, the United States, and even Germany.

But you would rarely hear someone say, Glasgow, Scotland.

But Chris is built differently. This xenophile decided to study in Glasgow because he was fascinated by its culture.

In this conversation, we chat about:

* Expectations vs. reality

* The need to make your new country work because you aren’t a tourist, and so you have no return ticket.

* Spotting opportunities as an immigrant

* Cultural integration and the work we need to do as immigrants to integrate, and more.

My biggest takeaway is that integration is a two-way street, with both the host nation and the immigrant responsible for fostering an atmosphere of mutual understanding and respect.

Did you find this interesting? Please share with someone else who might find it helpful.

Official Links

👌🏽 Follow Chris on Instagram

👋🏽 Read Chris’s Substack

Did you read it?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Komal Faiz, a UX researcher par excellence and founder of Wanderlite, the gear rental marketplace. Komal moved to Canada as a student more than nine years ago.

Once school was over, people told her it would be stupid to leave Canada after her MSc program, so she stayed back. And in her words, her immigration journey has been like fine wine.

I do love a good wine analogy.

In this conversation, Komal and I explore:

* The advantages of immigrating as an international student, even though you are always broke

* The Wanderlite origin story

* The immigrant’s existential struggle for belonging and a sense of identity

* Her biggest lessons, and more.

This was a fun one. But the best part for me was when she said:

“We set such high standards for ourselves. But give yourself some space. You are good. You are doing okay.”

You can find that from 31:58.

Did you find this interesting? Please share with someone else who might find it helpful.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Komal on LinkedIn

🔗 Check out the Wanderlite website

Did you read it?

If you got this email in error or no longer wish to receive emails from The Newcomers Podcast, Substack has a sweet and easy way to unsubscribe.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Mu Okonkwo, former basketball player now immigrant entrepreneur.

One random sunny day in Owerri, Nigeria, Mu’s friends convinced him to follow them to the basketball court. Their pitch? A scout was coming who would take promising prospects to the Ejike Ugboaja annual bootcamp — the biggest basketball camp in Nigeria.

Now, Mu only had eyes for soccer, or football as we call it back in Nigeria.

But a couple of months after that well-timed visit to the basketball court, Mu was actively scheming to move to the United States on a scholarship to play college basketball.

In this conversation, we chat about:

* Forging his Dad’s signature so the scout could formally keep working with him to secure his college scholarship

* Getting to the United States and discovering that his little knowledge of basketball was useless

* Going pro in 2019

* Adjusting to the social nuances of the American culture, and more.

Did you find this interesting? Please share with someone else who might find it helpful.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Mu on LinkedIn

Did you read it?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Ann Iyke-Osuji, one of the bravest immigrants I’ve met.

After a pretty much shielded life during her undergraduate years, she decides she wants to run away from home to somewhere her parents have little or no influence (family).

Now, you would think she would pick a country where she had some friends. I mean, everyone needs some support, especially someone who has never really left the comfort of their home and loved ones. But not Angel.

She decided to move to Australia for her Master’s Degree.

And the universe decides, you wanna be independent, right? I’m gonna help you get there fast!

In this conversation, we explored:

* Struggling to settle in

* Learning how to make small talk and enjoy it

* Not realizing how fat Australia was from Nigeria

* Expecting to see more animals in Australia considering how the country is portrayed on social media, and more.

This is a must-listen. And here’s a great tip from Angel on integrating into your new culture — Integration is a two-way street. While you’re thinking everything and everyone around you is new to you, also remember that for the individuals you interact with, you are also new to them. So remember to give them the same grace you expect them to give you.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Angel on LinkedIn

🔆 Get Angel’s LinkedIn Profile Checklist and Guide

Did you read it?

If you got this email in error or no longer wish to receive emails from The Newcomers Podcast, Substack has a sweet and easy way to unsubscribe.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Leslie Awasom, the anaesthesiologist who became a real-estate entrepreneur.

It’s said that whoever picks you up at the airport when you land can have an exponential effect on your perspective of your new country. And I agree.

Cheers to Uka and Adanna Osaigbovo. My family and I owe you both. 

But back to Leslie Awasom, I’ve probably said this too many times, but he’s an immigrant rocketship. And this episode is chock-full of stories and lessons.

In this conversation, we chat about:

* Dealing with depression after the Y2K crash incinerated his computer science dream

* Getting into a serious car accident and switching to Nursing once he was able to stand on his two feet

* Meeting his business partners, Tenny Tolofari and Dr. Julius Oni

* Why they named the business XSITE Capital

* How he deals with failure, and a ton of other useful tips for immigrant entrepreneurs.

This was a good one. And if you’re an immigrant looking to start a business, here’s a tip from Leslie —> “Confidence comes with action.”

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Leslie on LinkedIn

💰 Get Leslie’s free passive income guide

Did you read it?

If you got this email in error or no longer wish to receive emails from The Newcomers Podcast, Substack has a sweet and easy way to unsubscribe.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Areej AbuAli, Founder of Women in Tech SEO.

Areej talks about something we immigrants sometimes gloss over. The tendency to pause everything because we feel like we are on the clock.

We’ve got a deadline. We’ve got to get that Permanent Residency. We’ve got to get that citizenship.

And I don’t fault anyone. I’ve been guilty of this, too. Heck, I still am.

But maybe every now and then, take a pause. Breathe. Live.

Areej moved from Egypt to the United Kingdom as an international student. In this conversation, we explored:

* The advantages of immigrating as a student

* Dealing with the pressure of switching from a student visa to a work visa

* Dealing with the survival mentality that hits first-generation immigrants

* Cultural shocks

* Areej as a fresh-to-the-UK immigrant vs. Areej as an experienced immigrant, and more.

Did you find this interesting? Please share with someone else who might find it helpful.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Areej on LinkedIn

🫱🏼‍🫲🏽 Support Women in Tech SEO

Did you read it?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Tunde Leye, author of over five books, including the critically acclaimed Afonja The Rise & Afonja The Fall. He was also a Consulting Partner at SBM Intelligence, an Africa-focused geopolitical research firm.

“I miss being part of the top 1%.” Let’s try to set some context.

Tunde was what you would call a high-flyer back in Nigeria. And then, as with most immigrants, he decided to leave all that and start afresh in England for his kids. And the financial tradeoffs and adjustments have been something.

In this refreshingly honest and raw conversation, Tunde and I chat about:

* The work needed to rebuild social capital as an immigrant

* The mental burden of code-switching

* Adjusting to the smaller houses you find in England

* Being a tourist vs. being an immigrant

* Writing his new book (Fireflies on the Lagoon) and the Western influence on the writing process

* Career adjustments, and more.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Tunde on LinkedIn

🎤 Follow Tunde on X

🎬 Tunde’s YouTube channel (African History Channel)

Did you read it?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Beatriz Zanatelli, co-host of the Find a Way podcast and founder of Smart Goose Academy.

Beatriz is such a warm soul and an experienced immigrant. Her Dad moved around a lot, which meant she had to up and settle down in different countries while growing up.

She gets what it means to pack one’s life into a suitcase or more and start afresh in a new country.

So, if you’re looking for a pick-me-up after a long week, this conversation with Bea (as she’s fondly called) is a great place to start.

In this conversation, we chat about:

* Choosing Canada (she has a fun story about the CN Tower)

* Her first day in an English-speaking school as a Brazilian immigrant kid

* Her husband’s journey to restart his career in Canada

* Our super-power as immigrants

* Starting a business in Canada, and more.

Enjoy! And remember…

Your accent and past experiences are superpowers. Embrace them and bring them along with you.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Beatriz on LinkedIn

🎧 Listen to the Find a Way podcast

📝 Learn more about Smart Goose Academy

Did you read it?

Looking to move to Canada? We’ve partnered with IMMPROVED to share monthly updates about immigration to Canada, including Express Entry, the Provincial Nominee Program, family sponsorship, study and work permits, and everything in between.

If you got this email in error or no longer wish to receive emails from The Newcomers Podcast, Substack has a sweet and easy way to unsubscribe.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Aashni Shah, founder of HypeDocs.

Colored and black women entrepreneurs are among the Canadian market's most qualified, highly educated, and skilled entrepreneurs. But they still have to deal with systemic racism, bias, sexism, access to networks, mentoring, and sponsorship.

I could go on and on. But the point is that some people don't let that stop them.

Aashni is one of those people.

The two-time startup founder joined me to chat about:

* Her motivations

* Realizing her opportunities were different as a person of color

* Language as a bridge

* Putting in the effort

* Her Dad’s influence on her approach to business

Enjoy! And remember…

…Integration is a two-way street. You have to put in the work.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Aashni on LinkedIn

Did you read it?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Sebastian Cuervo, writer and copy strategist.

Moving to a new country can be a nerve-wracking experience. But that doesn’t mean you should allow the anxiety to hold you back. As Sebastian Cuervo puts it, you don’t do yourself any favors by staying put in your comfort zone while settling down.

For example, deciding to rent a home where most of your neighbors are predominantly from your home country.

Sebastian moved to Canada from Colombia due to what I call the noise - that steady, almost invisible hum in your head that keeps you on your toes, worrying about what could go wrong and what went wrong.

And I totally relate…cos that’s one of the reasons we left Naija.

In this conversation, we chat about:

* Misconceptions we often have about immigration

* Tradeoffs we have to make when we move to a new country

* His cultural heritage and what he hopes to pass on to his offspring

* The Colombian Sebastian vs. Canadian Sebastian

Enjoy! And remember…

…Don’t limit yourself.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Sebastian on LinkedIn

🖊️ Sign up for Sebastian’s Substack

Did you read it?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with the wonderful Eric Agyemang of Maple Bridge Ventures.

There’s so much to unpack in this episode. But if there’s one thing you should take from the conversation, it’s DON’T DIM YOUR LIGHT.

Eric and his team at Maple Bridge VC are investing in immigrant founders in Canada. And he joined me on The Newcomers Podcast to chat about:

* Owning your narrative

* Tips for immigrant founders looking to raise funds

* Common challenges immigrant entrepreneurs face

* Why an immigrant is a natural for entrepreneurship

* And his journey from international student to venture capitalist.

Enjoy! And remember.

Don’t dim your light. You’ve got this.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Eric on LinkedIn

🔗 Check out Maple Bridge if you’re an immigrant entrepreneur

Did you read it?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Denys Smushko, international student turned community connector via his work at RBC Bank.

Denys moved to Canada within six months. He then spent one year in Olds, a town in Central Alberta, working with a group of Ukrainians at a hardware store.

Talk about a soft landing.

But things got hairy once he decided to go to school.

It even got more complicated when it was time to get a job. Denys describes struggling with self-doubt, questioning himself, and thinking he wasn’t good enough.

Today, Denys helps other immigrants settle in via the RBC Newcomers program. He joined me on The Newcomers Podcast to chat about:

* His honeymoon phase and the subsequent reality check

* The stuff he sees immigrants get wrong when trying to settle in

* His how to hit the ground running playbook

* Job hunting in Canada vs. back home in Ukraine

* The RBC Newcomers program, how they help immigrants, and more.

Enjoy!

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Denys on LinkedIn

Did you read it?

If you got this email in error or no longer wish to receive emails from The Newcomers Podcast, Substack has a sweet and easy way to unsubscribe.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Tosin Thomas, Head of Marketing at Financial Cents.

“I thought it would take 3 - 4 months to get a job when I started applying. But I got my first offer within two weeks and the second offer by the third week.”

This episode with Tosin was a masterclass on getting hired as an immigrant before you set foot on Canadian soil.

In this conversation, Tosin and I chat about:

* Getting the first job offer (she thought it was a scam when the email came in)

* How she set up her resume

* Her approach to upskilling herself

* The importance of prepping for your career switch early

* And how to handle the interviewing stage.

I’ll leave you with this quote from the interview:

“Be confident to accept yourself for who you are. The fact you have an accent doesn’t make you any less. If the individual on the other side sees you any less, its on them, not on you. And that’s somebody you probably shouldn’t be working with.”

I know the above quote can be a problematic heuristic when one is desperate for a job to cover the mounting bills. But keep your chin up. You’ve got this.

Enjoy!

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Tosin on LinkedIn

🖊️ Book Tosin for a personalized career review and guidance coaching session 

Did you read it?

If you got this email in error or no longer wish to receive emails from The Newcomers Podcast, Substack has a sweet and easy way to unsubscribe.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Smithe Sodine, former elementary ESL teacher, college instructor, mother, and founder of the handcrafted decorative pillow company Smithy Home Couture.

Smithe is an Amazon. She reminds me so much of my Mom, who passed away five years ago.

Smithe moved to Florida from Haiti as a 16 year old and couldn’t really speak English at the time. She remembers sleeping off in class because there’s only so much stress the teenage brain can take when trying to learn Math or any other subject in a new language.

So it was heartwarming to see that she went on to become an elementary English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher.

In this conversation, Smithe and I chat about:

* The danger of ignoring acculturation

* Dealing with the negative perception of Haiti

* Her Haitian heritage

* Her approach to dealing with cultural differences

* Moving as a teenager, and more

Enjoy!

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Smithe on LinkedIn

🛏️ Check out Smithy Home Couture

Did you read it?

If you got this email in error or no longer wish to receive emails from The Newcomers Podcast, Substack has a sweet and easy way to unsubscribe.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Nkechi Runsewe, who moved from Lagos, Nigeria to Amsterdam, Holland for work.

Imagine for a moment you are on the metro headed to work. Suddenly, the bus lurches to a stop, and the driver makes an announcement in Dutch. And everyone hurriedly gets down.

You try to ask them, but everyone seems to be in a hurry to get off the bus.

What would you do? I would probably get off the bus scared and all. Nkechi was no different.

“They say everyone in The Netherlands speaks English. But the system is designed for those who speak or can read Dutch.”

In this conversation, Nkechi and I chat about:

* The overwhelming supermarket moment

* Going to a country as a tourist vs. going there as a local

* Dealing with change

* The amazing Nigerian community in Amsterdam and how they helped her settle in

* The tradeoffs when choosing between putting her kids in the Dutch school system vs. the International school system

* The importance of replacing the traditions you took for granted back home with new ones

Enjoy!

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Nkechi on LinkedIn

Did you read it?

If you got this email in error or no longer wish to receive emails from The Newcomers Podcast, Substack has a sweet and easy way to unsubscribe.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Kateryna Makysmenko, who’s lived in four countries since she turned 16.

I agree that the immigration journey changes you. I like to call immigrants “the in-betweeners.” We are always in between cultures.

In this conversation, Kateryna and I explore:

* The legendary Canadian kindness

* Moving as a tourist vs. moving as an immigrant

* How moving often means she’s built an automated settling-in routine

* Her first night as a student in Poland vs. her first night as a working professional in Canada

* Why your first month is crucial to easing into your new country

Enjoy!

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Kateryna on LinkedIn

Did you read it?

If you got this email in error or no longer wish to receive emails from The Newcomers Podcast, Substack has a sweet and easy way to unsubscribe.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Ayo Owodunni, Kitchener City Councillor - Ward 5, Associate Professor at Conestoga College, and author of Inclusive Leadership - The Immigrant View.

I had goosebumps listening to Ayo as he told me the story of Election Day…Gosh. Yes, it was an experiment. Yes, he didn’t expect to win. Yes, they had no idea what they were doing.

But listening to his backstory, this win was years in the making.

In this conversation, Ayo and I chat about:

* Overcoming his fear of knocking on doors

* The power of systems

* The value of building immigrant communities

* Stamping out the suffering Olympics mentality of older immigrants

* The four types of networks you need to succeed as an immigrant, and more.

Ayo Owodunni is an inspiration. Nuff said.

Official Links

📚 His book on Inclusive Leadership - The Immigrant View is a great read on helping immigrants thrive in any organization.

👋🏽 You can follow him on LinkedIn here.

📚 He also has a new book coming out soon titled “Dear Immigrant, Soar!”

Enjoy!

Did you read it?

If you got this email in error or no longer wish to receive emails from The Newcomers Podcast, Substack has a sweet and easy way to unsubscribe.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Anna Otroshchenko, COO of Otrofy Inc, who moved from Ukraine to Canada.

The Canadian wait time for almost anything is the stuff of legends. But despite how frustrating it can be, I love how Anna deals with hiccups like this. Talking to her felt like I had booked a session with a therapist on the mindset an immigrant needs to adopt when trying to settle into a new country.

In this conversation, Anna and I chat about:

* Feeling at home in Canada

* How to settle in quickly

* Canadian culture vs. Ukrainian culture

* Her views on the meaning of “home.”

This was a fun one. If there’s one thing you should learn from Anna as an immigrant, it’s always to remember that we are in control.

No matter how chaotic things might feel, focus on what you can control, take baby steps, and you’ll find your way to the sunlight.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Anna on LinkedIn

Did you read it?

If you got this email in error or no longer wish to receive emails from The Newcomers Podcast, Substack has a sweet and easy way to unsubscribe.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant

There are a ton of reasons we, as immigrants, feel compelled to work all the time.

* You just spent all your savings moving to a new country

* You probably took a couple of steps down the career ladder

* You’ve got black tax to remit every other month.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Lola Oduwole, the founder of Afroedmontonian, who is on a mission to change this notion and inspire immigrants to pause, open up a bit more, and enjoy their new home.

In this conversation, Lola and I chat about:

* The ‘Deadmonton Myth”

* One of her most embarrassing moments during her first week in Edmonton

* The abrupt end to the honeymoon phase of her immigration journey

* Launching the Afroedmontonian during her maternity leave

* Inspiring immigrants to let loose and enjoy themselves

This was absolutely insightful. If you are planning to immigrate to Canada, Lola dropped some gems like reasons you should move to Edmonton and more.

Enjoy!

Official Links

✅ Connect with Lola on LinkedIn

✅ If you’re looking to visit Edmonton sometime this year, we’ve collaborated with Lola to curate a calendar of events happening in Edmonton through the rest of 2024:

Did you read it?

If you got this email in error or no longer wish to receive emails from The Newcomers Podcast, Substack has a sweet and easy way to unsubscribe.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Siamak Riahi, Founder and CEO of Riahi Patents, who has moved a whopping 14 times across different cities and from the United States to Canada.

Siamak likens the early days of his immigration journey to standing in the middle of a tornado and being thrown from one place to another by the strong winds. However, despite feeling that way in the early days, it’s inspiring to see how Siamak turned these adversities into adventures. This conversation talks about the power of a support system and community as an immigrant, and I learnt fresh understandings about surviving, living, and thriving in a new country.

In this conversation, Siamak and I chat about:

* Underestimating our support system

* The importance of community

* How each move changes us

* Switching from an academic career path to entrepreneurship

* Dealing with the immigrant survival mentality, and more.

This was a masterclass on how to approach immigrating mentally, especially if you are moving to a new country at a much older age.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Siamak on LinkedIn

Did you read it?

If you got this email in error or no longer wish to receive emails from The Newcomers Podcast, Substack has a sweet and easy way to unsubscribe.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Dotun Bamisaiye, who moved to Canada long before moving to the Great White North became a thing.

I learnt that back then, he would be the only one speaking Yoruba on his train ride to work. Today, he says the train ride hosts a medley of Pidgin, Yoruba, Igbo, and other African languages. This episode was an unforgettable trip down memory lane and a masterclass in job hunting as an immigrant and ways to live through tax season.

In this conversation, Dotun and I chat about:

* Leaving Nigeria reluctantly

* The black nod

* The danger of a single story

* Finding a job when most Canadian employers weren't looking to hire Nigerians

* How best to prep for the Canadian tax season and more.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Dotun on LinkedIn 

✅ If you’re looking to do your taxes, Dotun is a great guy to speak to about the best tax planning and compliance approach. 

✅ He also offers a personal tax course, Canadian Tax in 60 Mins, for people new to Canada who want to understand Canadian taxation and how to plan for income tax.

Did you read it?

We launched a new section called Restart, which features long reads about the good, the bad, and the human side of starting afresh in a new country.

We’ve also launched a section called The Pantry, a collection of tips, how-tos, stories, and jokes about the immigrant experience.

If you got this email in error or no longer wish to receive emails from The Newcomers Podcast, Substack has a sweet and easy way to unsubscribe.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Mo' Ekujumi, Founder & CEO of SkillHat, who moved from Nigeria to Canada.

Not a lot of people get to move to a new country like Canada at an age as young as 16. For Mo, his community played a major role in navigating Canada as a young immigrant. From studying in Canada, having a smooth transition, and returning to Nigeria to establish Andela, our conversation didn't disappoint at all.

In this conversation, Mo and I chat about:

* Moving to Canada as a 16-year-old

* The Canadian Uber joke

* Then, moving back to Nigeria to help set up Andela

* Launching the first online MBA in Nigeria

* The beauty of the Nigerian hustle

* And the three skills he thinks every immigrant needs to succeed.

Some resources he shared during the conversation:

* Tobi Oluwole’s LinkedIn storytelling course

* $100m Offers by Alex Hormozi

* The Millionaire Fast Lane by MJ Demarco

* The Power of Self Discipline by Brian Tracy

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Mo on LinkedIn

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Suhas Pai, the Co-founder and CTO of Hudson Labs, who moved from India to the Netherlands as a student, and then, 8+ years later, he moved to Canada

Have you ever heard of the honeymoon phase of immigration? The phase of your immigration journey where everything seems rosy and romantic? And then reality hits you like a truck loaded with sourdough flour. From learning how the pressure of home ownership in North America affects how we approach money, to handling credit in Canada, there’s so much to unpack in this conversation.

In this conversation, Suhas and I chat about:

* Canada’s diversity and its approach to immigration

* The cultural differences between Canada and The Netherlands

* The European approach to credit and how that’s defined him

* Why he doesn’t want to own a car or a big house, and more.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Suhas on LinkedIn

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Gülsün Demirezen, a Mechanical & Industrial Engineer who specialises in Machine Learning and Advanced Analytics.

Being an immigrant means we always feel we are on the clock. We have goals we need to hit within specific time frames. And if you're African, you also have black tax playing a harmonic orchestra in your head all the time. From the struggle of levelling up as an immigrant to never feeling settled in a new country, I’m reminded of so much in this chat with Gulsun.

In this conversation, Gülsün and I chat about:

* Dealing with grief when you’re far away from home

* How being on a work visa can have you feeling like you’ve got a return date

* Her lessons after six years as an immigrant, and much more.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Gülsün on LinkedIn

One Ask

If this episode inspired you, please do me a huge favor and tell one person to subscribe. Or share with an immigrant who might find it helpful.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Sahar Rahmani, the former data science leader at RBC and Shopify, who moved from Iran to Canada.

Sahar Rahmani could run rings around you all day if you both talked about cybersecurity, fraud prevention, and data science. But that didn’t stop her from feeling overwhelmed by the milk aisle on her first visit to a supermarket in Canada.

She ended up calling a friend to ask which one was closest to what they had back home in Iran.

I had a similar experience - only mine was with Benylin, the cough expectorant.

It’s wild how the things we take for granted back in our home countries suddenly become tripwires as we go through the motions of settling into our new country.

In this conversation, Sahar and I chat about:

* The importance of finding your community

* Passing on the beauty of your culture to your kids

* Her saddest moments as an immigrant in Canada

* The one thing she would have done differently

* The tradeoffs she has had to make, and much more.

 Official Links

✅ Connect with Sahar on LinkedIn

One Ask

If this episode inspired you, please do me a huge favor and tell one person to subscribe. Or share with an immigrant who might find it useful.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Tunde Omotoye, the founder of SchooliplyHQ, who moved from Nigeria to Canada as an international student.

Grit: that's the feeling you leave with when you speak with Tunde. When Tunde first moved to Canada, the first few months he spent as an international student were particularly challenging. From packing sausages in a factory line to an encounter with a $300 per week tuition scam, chatting with Tunde highlighted lessons in resilience, adaptability, and self-motivation.

Chatting with him reminded me how much going the extra mile is crucial for immigrants to overcome the lack of social networks, cultural understanding, and community support that natives take for granted.

In this conversation, Tunde and I chat about:

* Settling into Canada as an international student

* Launching a startup focused on helping international students

* Red flags to look out for when hiring an immigration consultant

* Life-changing moments as an immigrant, and much more.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Tunde on LinkedIn

One Ask

If this episode inspired you, do me a huge favor and tell one person to subscribe. Or share with an immigrant who might find it useful.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Grand Komanda, a Nigerian comedian who moved to Canada in 2019.

Community is everything. And Grand Komanda is no stranger to the beauty of tapping into your community as an immigrant. Grand shares his journey into comedy, highlighting how he misses his home country, and he expresses his immigrant experiences on stage. I learn how his role as a comedian lets him pass social commentary on immigration, and how comedy is important in coping with hardships.

In this episode, Grand Komanda and I chat about:

* The origins of the Nigerian-Canadian comedy club

* The things he misses most about Nigeria

* Tips for Nigerian/African acts looking to immigrate to Canada

* Using his immigrant experience as fuel for his jokes.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Grand Komanda on Instagram

✅ Watch him on YouTube

✅ Reach out to him on Facebook

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Osibo Imhoitsike, an experienced adman who moved his family from Nigeria to Canada.

Osibo talks about the sacrifice of leaving a career on the up, shuttling between Nigeria and Canada, and the stress of living apart from family. I also learn about what it took for him to settle in Canada, his biggest cultural shocks, and adjusting as a family in a different culture.

In this conversation, Osibo and I chat about:

* The various triggers that led to migrating to Canada

* Dealing with the stress of living apart from his family

* Walking away from a career on the up

* His biggest cultural shock.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Osibo on LinkedIn

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Ingrid Polini, CEO of SafetyDocs Global.

Ingrid embodies what it means to embrace your uniqueness as an immigrant and hone it as a superpower. As a startup mentor, business owner, and podcast host, Ingrid understands what it means to be an immigrant founder.

In this conversation, Ingrid and I chat about:

* Dealing with Canadian Experience as an immigrant founder.

* People thinking you know less because you speak in a different accent.

* Collective vs. individualistic cultures.

* How culture influences business.

* Her secret sauce for networking in Canada.

This episode was short and sweet.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Ingrid on LinkedIn

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Folasade Daini, a vlogger, content strategist, and agency owner.

Folasade is a former veterinarian turned brand storyteller and is one of the most authentic and enigmatic personalities I have interviewed on this pod. We talk about the processes of immigration, differences in policing culture in Canada, the tax system, and raising a toddler in a new country.

In this conversation, Folasade and I chat about:

* The tax system

* Missing her siblings and Naija food

* The different phases of settling into a new country

* Cultural differences that an immigrant has to adjust to

* Her sweet daughter

* And the one thing she would have done differently.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Folasade on LinkedIn

✅ Watch Folasade share her journey on Youtube

✅ Read Folasade’s work on Medium

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Kamil Rextin, a B2B marketer who moved from Pakistan to Canada.

Kamil is not just a badass B2B marketer. He’s also a beautiful mind and a straight shooter. One you can trust to tell you as it is all the time. We chat about resigning from P&G to move to Canada as a student, missing Pakistan, and raising biracial kids in Canada. This conversation had me smiling all through while editing.

In this conversation, Kamil and I chat about:

* Raising biracial kids

* Parenting in Canada vs. parenting in Pakistan

* The advantages and disadvantages of collective and individualistic cultures

* The advantages you get by immigrating as a student

* Never fitting in as a kid in Pakistan

* And missing home, and how we carry a romantic memory of our home country around

Official Links

✅ Connect with Kamil on LinkedIn

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Bolaji Oyejide, a griot, author, podcaster, and an all-around amazing human.

After moving from Nigeria to America, attending a historically black college as an immigrant challenged preconceived notions about African-Americans, exposing Bolaji to brilliant scholars from diverse backgrounds. We talk about systemic racism, studying in America, and how his immigrant experience inspired him to write 50 superhero storybooks.

In this conversation, Bolaji and I also chat about:

* Losing cool points on his first night in college

* Finding his confidence through dancing

* The advantages of going to a historically Black college

* Being the “other” as an immigrant

* And seeing your dual identity as a strength.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Bolaji on LinkedIn

✅ Listen to Bolaji’s Discover Your Talent podcast

✅ Watch Bolaji on YouTube

✅ Buy Bolaji’s books on Amazon

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Sam Badoo, the Founder and CEO of Fleri Health, who moved from Ghana to Columbus, Ohio.

Thriving as an immigrant requires defining one's identity in the new environment, focusing on relationships, integrity, and interactions rather than mere survival. I learn about how in the U.S., outcomes directly reflect choices, necessitating immigrants to believe they can "own their town" through hard work instead of settling for low-paying jobs.

Sam talks about how joining the military offers immigrants a pathway to citizenship, the unique challenges faced by immigrant parents in the U.S, and how Fleri Health aims to revolutionize immigrant family care by providing transparency, efficiency, and accountability.

In this conversation, Sam and I also chat about:

* His journey from New York to Columbus, Ohio, to the United States military

* Empowering immigrants to thrive and why he launched Fleri Health

* Dealing with the identity of work as an immigrant and why jaiye can be much more fun when we are back on our continent

* The immigrant’s tendency to glorify hardship

* Raising kids and dealing with the effects of watching police brutality on your kids’ psyche.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Sam Badoo on LinkedIn

✅ Check out his content on Instagram

One Ask 

If this podcast left you feeling inspired, do me a huge favor and tell one person to subscribe.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Bona Adogamhe, a Technical Recruiter with Emerson, who moved from Nigeria to Canada.

From learning more about the Canadian work experience to debating whether moving your family to Canada and staying back in Nigeria is a wise move, this chat is packed with a lot of insights for anyone looking to move to a new country with their family.

In this conversation, Bona and I also chat about:

* Why he chose Canada?

* How Canada makes you a hands-on parent

* His first day in Calgary, and more.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Bona Adogamhe on LinkedIn

✅ Learn more about Boma on X

✅ Reach out to him on Instagram

One Ask

If this podcast left you feeling inspired, do me a huge favor and tell one person to subscribe. Or share with someone who might find it useful.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Amir Feizpour, the co-founder & CEO of Aggregate Intellect.

In one of the most vulnerable episodes I have recorded so far, Amir and I try to explore some of the existential feelings we immigrants face or deal with while settling into a new country.

In this conversation, Amir and I chat about:

* The immigrant’s concept of home

* Dealing with an identity crisis as you shed your old self and adapt to your new society

* Rebuilding self-confidence as you struggle to fit in

* Dealing with the feeling of being culturally completely out of place, and more.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Amir Feizpour on LinkedIn

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Nino Melikidze, the co-founder & CEO of Immitracker, who moved to the United States as a 17-year-old.

“Everywhere I go, I’m a foreigner.” I still can’t stop thinking about this statement by Nino. It perfectly captures an emotion immigrants struggle with - always feeling out of place.

Nino is an experienced immigrant. Her first experience with immigration was as a five-year-old. Since then, she’s moved to the United States, Colombia, and now lives in Canada.

In this conversation, Nino and I talk about:

* Why moving abroad is probably done best as a student

* Dealing with cultural differences as you move across different countries

* The exact moment she realized she wasn’t in the comfort of her home anymore

* Dealing with the existential immigrant question - will I ever stop feeling like an immigrant? 

* Why fellow immigrants make the best friends, and more.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Nino Melikidze on LinkedIn

✅ Reach out to her on Instagram

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Oyin Ajibola, who moved from Nigeria to Canada before it became very sought-after.

Oyin is a multi-hyphenate. She’s co-published a book (Courage, Change, Faith & Leadership: Inspiring Narratives of Black Women Leaders), runs an immigrant magazine (The Immigrant Muse), actively advocates for the Canadian immigrant community, and works as a Senior Operational Policy Analyst with the Government of Saskatchewan.

In this conversation, Oyin and I talk about:

* Dealing with the fear of things not going as she planned after uprooting her life in Nigeria

* The benefits of starting afresh where you have a community

* Dealing with covert racism

* Adjusting to the Canadian credit system

* Her motivations for launching the Immigrant Muse, and more.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Oyin Ajibola on Linktree

✅ Get Courage, Change, Faith & Leadership: Inspiring Narratives of Black Women Leaders on Amazon

✅ Check out the Immigrant Muse

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Chika Offiah, a Senior Business Systems Analyst who moved from Nigeria to Canada.

Chika Offiah's prior experiences in the US and UK for nearly 4 years provided a head start in understanding Western culture and parenting styles before moving to Canada. I learnt a lot about topics like the Western education system and balancing work and family responsibilities in Canada. Assured, upbeat, and cheery, chatting with Chika Offiah was a dose of fresh air.

In the conversation, Chika and I also chat about:

* Not missing Nigerian food 🫡

* Taking advantage of immigration platforms, organizations, and YouTube videos to ease her and the family’s settling down into their new home in Calgary, Canada

* Cultural systems and how they affect our approach to parenting

* Building confidence as an immigrant, and more.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Chika Offiah on X

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Ukwori Ejibe, the founder of Numa Immigration, who moved from Nigeria to Canada.

How do you keep a piece of home with you when moving to a new country? For Ukwori, it meant shipping her favorite Aso oke woven chair to her new home in Calgary. Surviving as an immigrant in Canada requires looking for hope in familiar things, and it comes in many ways.

These and more are what Ukwori and I chat about, including:

* Raising kids in Canada

* Job hunting and her way around the “Canadian Experience”

* Launching her immigration consultancy business, Numa Immigration & Citizenship Services

* The first night feels, and more!

Official Links

✅ Connect with Ukwori Ejibe on LinkedIn

✅ Reach out to her on Instagram

✅ Check out Numa Immigration

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Nishila Babu about being a new immigrant in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Nishila Babu quit her job and moved to Canada to start a new life. What she didn’t prepare for was immigrating at a time when the world was unsure of its fate. Juggling the loneliness of being new to Canada, with the pandemic restrictions, was an altering experience for most immigrants, including Nishila.

In this conversation, Nishila and I chat about:

* Missing home

* Dealing with the fear of starting afresh

* Settling into a new country while the world grappled with the pandemic

* The differences between the Indian and Canadian educational system

* Treating immigration as a second chance in life

Official Links

✅ Connect with Nishila Babu on LinkedIn

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Dapo Ajeniya, who moved with his family to Calgary, Canada, just before the world went into a COVID-19 lockdown.

We chat about his experience settling into Canada, adjusting to the new demands of parenting, Canada's newcomer benefits, the teaching style of Canadian schools, the culture shock and how the children of immigrants adjust faster to life in Canada.

In this episode, Dapo and I chat about:

* His first night

* Opening up one’s mind to new cultures

* Pressing the reset button with his kids

* Adjusting to the demands of parenting in the West

* Parenting in Naija vs. parenting in Canada

Official Links

✅ Connect with Dapo Ajeniya on LinkedIn

✅ Check him out on Instagram

✅ Read Dapo’s works on Medium

One Ask

If you found this story helpful, please forward or share it to one immigrant out there.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

thenewcomerspod.com