Crossing The Pond

What if the most powerful thing you did this week took just five minutes?

Over the last two weeks, Pat McCarry and Regsan Watkins both said something that stopped me in my tracks. Both of them spoke about receiving messages from people they hadn't heard from in years, people telling them they'd made a difference. And both of them said the same thing: they never would have known.

That's the thing about connection. It doesn't announce itself. It just quietly shapes people, and most of the time, nobody ever says it out loud.

This week on Crossing the Pond, Gary sits down with Blake Landis to talk about Five Minutes with Friends. A simple idea, and a movement we're trying to start. One call. One voice note. Five minutes with someone you've been meaning to reach out to.

Because the effort doesn't have to be massive for the impact to be enormous.

#CrossingThePond #MondayMood #FiveMinutesWithFriends #NewEpisode #HumanConnection #MakeTheEffort #PickUpThePhone #Friendship #Community #ExpatLife #BritInAmerica #UKtoUS #Reconnect #YouNeverKnow #ShowUp #MondayMotivation #PersonalGrowth #Resilience #Podcast #PodcastLife #YouTubePodcast #ListenNow #Storytelling #Inspiration #LifeLessons #StayConnected #CommunityFirst #RealTalk #NewBeginnings #MakeTime

This week on Crossing the Pond, we're joined by Regsan Watkins, whose journey began in Melbourne, Australia, and led him halfway around the world to pursue the dream of playing college soccer in the United States.

We explore the international recruiting process, what it takes to leave home as a young student-athlete, and the challenges of adapting to a new country, culture, and education system. Over the past decade, Regsan has built a life and career in America while navigating the highs and lows that come with living thousands of miles from family and friends.

Now, with a decade of experiences behind him and a recent move back to Australia, Regsan reflects on the lessons learned, the opportunities gained, and what it feels like to return home after ten transformative years abroad.

#crossingthepondpodcast #recruitingprocess #collegesoccer #recruitingagency #adjustment #soccer #studentathlete

We welcome Pat McCarry to the show this week. An educator, coach, and leadership mentor whose career has taken him from the classrooms of Wales and England to coaching and curriculum development roles across the globe.

After training  at Loughborough University, Pat has spent decades working in education, teacher development, elite coaching, and executive leadership. His journey has included designing curricula in Thailand, developing coaches in the United States, and researching leadership through the culture of the legendary New Zealand All Blacks.

Today, Pat combines executive coaching with his passion for mathematics, helping people think differently about both leadership and learning.

Sometimes the most powerful place you can stand is in front of a blank canvas with nothing on it yet.

This week on Monday Mood, Gary reflects on one of the most underrated feelings in the world, the clean slate. No history, no baggage, no fixed idea of what you're capable of. Just you, and the question of what the first stroke is going to be.

Whether you've just crossed a pond, changed direction, or simply found yourself starting over this one's for you. Because the blank space in front of you isn't emptiness. It's everything that hasn't been limited yet.

#CrossingThePond #MondayMood #NewEpisode #FreshStart #CleanSlate #BlankCanvas #StartingOver #ExpatLife #BritInAmerica #UKtoUS #ExpatCommunity #LifeInAmerica #NewBeginnings #PersonalGrowth #Resilience #MondayMotivation #GrowthMindset #LifeLessons #Perspective #MakeYourMove #Podcast #PodcastLife #YouTubePodcast #ListenNow #Storytelling #HumanConnection #ShowUp #YouNeverKnow #MakeTheEffort #Inspiration

This week on Crossing the Pond, we’re joined by Matt Maule. A man whose journey spans countries, careers, and plenty of air miles along the way.Raised in Reading, Berkshire, Matt’s path took him from the lecture halls of the University of Hull to a formative stint in Sweden before he made the life-changing leap to the United States in the early 2000s. Landing at United Airlines, he discovered a passion for analytics and began carving out a career in a field he would eventually make entirely his own.But the journey wasn’t always smooth. Matt opens up about navigating career pivots, facing setbacks, and building the resilience needed to start again. Lessons learned across continents that no classroom could teach.Now based in sunny Miami, Matt runs his own analytics consultancy, working with clients around the world, and joins us to share the story behind the journey.

We all have someone in our heads frozen as the person they used to be. The kid from the team. The mate from back home. The one you thought you had figured out.

But people go through things you never see. One decision snowballs into another, life takes over, and the person who comes out the other side? They're not the same and they're not supposed to be.

This week on Monday Mood, Gary talks about growth, distance, and why coaching was never just about winning. Whether you're an expat, a coach, or just someone trying to stay connected to the people who matter

#CrossingThePondPodcast #MondayMood #ExpatLife #BritInAmerica #CoachingLife #PersonalGrowth #Resilience #MondayMotivation #YouNeverKnow #MakeTheEffort #SoccerCoach #NewEpisode #PodcastLife #LifeInAmerica #Storytelling

Today’s guest is someone whose journey has taken him from the youth soccer to college soccer at Indiana, to being drafted into MLS with Minnesota United.

Mason Toye has spent the last decade navigating the reality of professional football. the goals, the setbacks, the injuries, and the growth that comes with it all.

In this episode, Mason opens up about how his mindset has evolved through the toughest moments of his career, what nearly 10 years in MLS has taught him about life and resilience, and the excitement of stepping into a brand new chapter with FC Ingolstadt 04 in Germany.

We also talk about the bigger picture. identity, perspective, and how he’s beginning to think about life after football.

#crossingthepondpodcast #masontoye #mlssoccer #professional #football #soccer #bundesliga #becoming #perspective

We’re introducing something new to Crossing the Pond 🎙️

On the Mondays between our guest episodes, we’ll now be sharing Monday Mood — short, relaxed reflections where we look back at the previous episode and chat about real expat moments from the week just gone.

Think of it as a quick cuppa and a catch-up (after using your tea bag bowl) ☕️

A little reflection, a few stories, and the small moments that come with living between two worlds.

#crossingthepondpodcast #mondaymood #expatstories #connectingthedots #reflections

This week on Crossing the Pond, we’re joined by Graham Page.

A man who made a life-changing leap at 40. With a solid career and a familiar life in the UK, Graham packed it all up and moved to New Jersey when his wife’s career opened a new door across the Atlantic.

We talk about what it really means to start again mid-career, climbing the job ladder in a completely new country, and building a circle of friendships that turn a new place into home.

Now, after more than 20 years in the US, Graham reflects on the journey so far and how he and his wife are approaching the next chapter…retirement.

#crossingthepondpodcast #seasoned #expatpodcast #expat #retirementplanning #communitysupport

Today’s guest is Richard Scott. A coach whose journey started in the framework of his hometown club, Newcastle United, before taking him across the Atlantic to the US with a short stint in Iceland for good measure, before quickly into various roles within MLS academies experiencing the game through a completely different lens.

Recently, Richie’s made a bold pivot… stepping away from the pitch and into the creative world of product design. From football to creativity, we talk about his why, what has carried over and what he's had to leave behind?

#crossingthepondpodcast #reinvention #careerchange #expatpodcast #careerjourney #family #newcastle