What if you didn’t have to start from scratch? What if you could skip the survival job phase and get straight to meaningful, well-paid work in your field — even as a newcomer?

In this powerful season finale, Coach Ogaga Johnson sits down with Verisult’s very own Dami to unpack what it really takes to build a fulfilling career as an immigrant in Canada. No fluff. No filters. Just the honest roadmap they both used — and the one they’re offering others through Verisult’s Career Accelerator Program.

They share the critical mindset shifts and resources you need if you’re tired of going in circles and ready to finally get ahead in your career, confidence, and income.

🎧 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
1️⃣ Why starting over doesn’t mean starting from the bottom
2️⃣ The mindset Ogaga brought with her when she moved to Newfoundland in 2018 — and how it shaped her future
3️⃣ The importance of knowing your value and not absorbing limiting beliefs from others
4️⃣ How Ogaga landed her first job in Canada and learned the power of salary negotiation
5️⃣ How she unintentionally launched a business by sharing value online and helping others pass the PMP exam
6️⃣The moment she realized she needed to build a team to scale — and how that changed everything
7️⃣ How she manages her 9-to-5, a growing business, and family life without burnout
8️⃣ The role of transparency and results in managing potential conflict between a personal brand and a corporate job
9️⃣ Why she started building a personal brand even before becoming an entrepreneur — and how it’s opened global opportunities

✨Resources Mentioned:
 Career Accelerator Program helps you land in-demand roles faster.  https://verisult.com/verisult-accelerator-program/ 

Want to Share Your Story? Submit yours anonymously: https://bit.ly/MDG-shareyourstory

Follow & Connect:

• Instagram: @mindthegapodcast_ | @verisult_inc
• Join Thrive Tribe, our free community for immigrants like you, where you can have tailored support, a strong network, and a community that truly understands your journey.
• If you are looking to transition careers, our Career Accelerator Program helps you land in-demand roles faster

In this episode of Mind the Gap by Verisult, we sit down with Nicole Obiodiaka to talk about navigating life as an international student, finding community as a Black immigrant in Newfoundland, and creating spaces where none existed.

Nicole shares her powerful journey of overcoming fear, reactivating the Black Students' Association, balancing school with internships, and landing a job in Canada before graduation. This is a story about asking questions, taking chances, and doing it afraid. 

🎧 In this episode, we cover:

• Nicole’s immigrant story and why she chose Canada
• The challenges of arriving alone in Newfoundland and navigating isolation
• How she restarted the Black Students' Association to create community
• The importance of asking questions and finding hidden opportunities
• How internships, student jobs, and volunteering helped her stand out
• The power of proactive networking and reaching out directly to recruiters
• Winning a $45,000 scholarship award and how that shaped her story
• Balancing multiple jobs, school, and extracurriculars as an international student
• Transitioning from Business Development Bank of Canada to a tech sales role and how she navigated her career pivot

🎯 Resources Mentioned:

• Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN)  Career Development Centre
• MUNSU (Memorial University Students' Union)
• MUN’s MUSCEPS Program (on-campus student work opportunities)

Want to Share Your Story? Submit yours anonymously: https://bit.ly/MDG-shareyourstory

Follow & Connect:

• Instagram: @mindthegapodcast_ | @verisult_inc
• Join Thrive Tribe, our free community for immigrants like you, where you can have tailored support, a strong network, and a community that truly understands your journey.
• If you are looking to transition careers, our Career Accelerator Program helps you land in-demand roles faster

In this episode of Mind the Gap by Verisult, we sit down with Precious, affectionately known as the "Mayor of St. John's," to explore his journey from Nigeria to London, and finally to Newfoundland, Canada. Precious shares his candid story about navigating identity as an immigrant, overcoming academic challenges, and transitioning from an engineering degree to a thriving career in business and entrepreneurship.

We discuss:
1️⃣ Precious' journey of finding his identity and rediscovering his Nigerian roots.
2️⃣ . The struggles and pivotal moments of switching from engineering to business.
3️⃣ The importance of community and networking in career and business success.
4️⃣ Practical tips and resources for immigrants and aspiring entrepreneurs on how to start a business in Canada.
5️⃣ Breaking down barriers to funding and how to access support, regardless of immigration status.

🎯 Resources Mentioned:
1️⃣ Companies and Deeds Online (Newfoundland Business Registration) https://cado.ca/ 
2️⃣ Centre for Entrepreneurship (Memorial University)
3️⃣ Centre for Social Enterprise (Memorial University)
4️⃣ Genesis Centre
5️⃣ Local CBDC (Community Business Development Corporations)

Want to Share Your Story? Submit yours anonymously: https://bit.ly/MDG-shareyourstory

Follow & Connect:

• Instagram: @mindthegapodcast_ | @verisult_inc
• Join Thrive Tribe, our free community for immigrants like you, where you can have tailored support, a strong network, and a community that truly understands your journey.
• If you are looking to transition careers, our Career Accelerator Program helps you land in-demand roles faster

Hosts: Shekina & Esther (no guest)

Summary: In this special reaction episode, Shekina and Esther sit down and react to real, anonymous stories submitted by community members and podcast listeners. Some stories are heartbreaking. Others are hilarious. All are deeply relatable.

In This Episode, You'll Hear:

• Honest reactions to real stories of immigration, resilience, and unexpected turns
• Shared advice and resources 

Want to Share Your Story? Submit yours anonymously: https://bit.ly/MDG-shareyourstory

Follow & Connect:

• Instagram: @mindthegapodcast_ | @verisult_inc
• Join Thrive Tribe, our free community for immigrants like you, where you can have tailored support, a strong network, and a community that truly understands your journey.
• If you are looking to transition careers, our Career Accelerator Program helps you land in-demand roles faster

In this episode, we sit down with Sara Jafari for a moving story time, an environmental advocate and changemaker who left a decade-long career in Iran to rebuild her life in Canada. Today, she leads critical sustainability projects across Newfoundland and Labrador, but her path to impact was anything but linear.
Sara shares how she made the bold decision to leave her prestigious role at the Turkish Embassy in Tehran to pursue a new life aligned with her passion for urban planning and environmental sustainability. We explore how she navigated the overwhelming challenges of immigration, an intense MBA, imposter syndrome, and career uncertainty — all while building a new life from the ground up in St. John’s.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
 1️⃣ How starting from scratch can be a setup for something greater, not a setback.
2️⃣ The power of mindfulness, motion, and facing fears in uncertain seasons.
3️⃣ How Sara used her passion for sustainability to carve out a career in Canada — and how her internship opened the door to her dream job.
4️⃣ Why building a supportive network isn’t just a strategy, it’s a lifeline.
5️⃣ How she’s paying it forward by mentoring, volunteering, and building community for other immigrants.
6️⃣ The value of taking action even when clarity isn’t immediate, because clarity often comes in motion.

Key Quotes from Sara:
“Nothing is permanent — not your struggle, not your success. Once I embraced that, I found peace in the process.”
 “I didn’t know exactly what I wanted after my MBA, but I knew I wanted to be close to the environment. I moved in that direction — and the clarity came.”

Resources & links:
✨econext
✨QUEST Canada & the Net Zero Community Accelerator
✨City of St. John’s ReCover Initiative
✨WISE NL Mentorship Program
✨Amal Unite and Empower Program

Connect with Sara:
✨Sara Jafari on LinkedIn
✨Share your immigrant story with us ​​

Connect with us:
✨Follow us on Instagram @mindthegapodcast_   @verisult_inc

✨Join Thrive Tribe, our free community for immigrants like you, where you can have tailored support, a strong network, and a community that truly understands your journey. 

✨If you are looking to transition careers, our Career Accelerator Program helps you land in-demand roles faster.

Want to Share Your Story? Submit yours anonymously: https://bit.ly/MDG-shareyourstory

Follow & Connect:

• Instagram: @mindthegapodcast_ | @verisult_inc
• Join Thrive Tribe, our free community for immigrants like you, where you can have tailored support, a strong network, and a community that truly understands your journey.
• If you are looking to transition careers, our Career Accelerator Program helps you land in-demand roles faster

What happens when creativity meets community? In this episode, we speak with filmmaker and producer Ife Alaba, co-founder of Occupy All Spaces—a nonprofit supporting Black creatives in the film and media industries.
Ife shares her journey into the world of film, how community has been at the heart of her creative work, and what it means to build spaces where people feel seen and supported. From navigating self-doubt to rethinking what ambition can look like, this is a grounded and inspiring conversation for immigrants trying to create meaningful work while building something bigger than themselves.
We talk about:

1️⃣ Ife’s unique path into film and media
2️⃣ Starting before you feel “ready”
3️⃣ Community as a creative catalyst
4️⃣ Grant writing
5️⃣ Defining creative ambition on your own terms
6️⃣ Occupy all Spaces and platforms that center Black creators

Guest Bio:
Ife Alaba is a producer and Editor at CBC Radio and TV and the founder of Occupy All Spaces, a nonprofit that supports emerging Black creatives in the screen industries. She is passionate about community-centered storytelling, representation, and building access for underrepresented voices in film and media.

Resources & Links:
🔗 Learn more about Occupied Spaces:  https://www.instagram.com/occupy_all_spaces/?hl=en
🎥 Follow Ife on Instagram: @ife_alaba

Share your immigrant story with us ​​https://bit.ly/MDG-shareyourstory
Follow us on Instagram @mindthegapodcast_

Want to Share Your Story? Submit yours anonymously: https://bit.ly/MDG-shareyourstory

Follow & Connect:

• Instagram: @mindthegapodcast_ | @verisult_inc
• Join Thrive Tribe, our free community for immigrants like you, where you can have tailored support, a strong network, and a community that truly understands your journey.
• If you are looking to transition careers, our Career Accelerator Program helps you land in-demand roles faster

Welcome to Mind the Gap, a Verisult Podcast— our love letter to you as immigrants. 

This is our very first episode, a warm introduction to what you can expect from us this season. We hope you get comfortable, because we’re here to have fun, share stories, and learn how to thrive in different careers as immigrants.

Follow us on Instagram @mindthegapodcast_

Want to Share Your Story? Submit yours anonymously: https://bit.ly/MDG-shareyourstory

Follow & Connect:

• Instagram: @mindthegapodcast_ | @verisult_inc
• Join Thrive Tribe, our free community for immigrants like you, where you can have tailored support, a strong network, and a community that truly understands your journey.
• If you are looking to transition careers, our Career Accelerator Program helps you land in-demand roles faster