My Migrant Soul

Geetanjali (Geet) Gaba is a registered counsellor, an audit and compliance expert in the childcare and NDIS sectors, and President of the Australian Multicultural Women Association, a registered charity that has supported thousands of migrant women. In this episode, Imran and Geet break down how she got through her first years in Melbourne as an international student working three jobs, why she volunteered across Wyndham's not-for-profits before starting her own organisation, and what keeps so many multicultural women from stepping out of the house. She also explains why she ran for local council, and why she'd rather not do it again.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Believe in yourself first: Why your belief in your own worth has to come before anyone else's, since you are the person best placed to understand it.

Do the groundwork: How volunteering with existing not-for-profits teaches you how a sector runs, who to approach and what people actually need, before you launch your own organisation.

Protect your own worth: Why skipping the cooking one night a week, or paying for help, is a reasonable way for working women to protect their mental health.

Know what help exists: Why fear of losing income, and not knowing about Centrelink, housing support or free TAFE courses, keeps many migrant women at home, and where to start looking.

Start, then network: How to act on a business or career idea by starting it first and building your network as you go.

Celebrate small wins: Why recognising your successes, even with a solo café visit on a Monday, gives you the fuel to keep going.

Home can be both: Why migrants don't have to choose between their heritage and their new country when they define home.

TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Cold open: "If you're working Monday to Friday and you're not cooking on Friday, the world is not gonna change" 00:32 Welcome to My Migrant Soul 01:42 Geet's name and its link to Rabindranath Tagore 02:35 From Punjab to Melbourne as an international student in 2009 03:45 Life in India: two master's degrees, no rent, no bills 04:22 Landing on 14 September 2009, and the dream of being "a queen" 05:13 A first week of movies and coin-phone calls to her mother 05:48 Studying in Australia: $9,500 semesters paid on a $400 credit card 06:56 Meeting her husband: "love in a struggle" 08:42 A first child during her master's, and sending him to India for a year 09:27 Three jobs, and waiting in her husband's car until 10pm 10:23 Imran's own years as an international student and new father 11:35 Why community work is a tribute to her father 12:28 Covid, social media, and registering AMWA as a charity 13:26 Being the bridge between domestic violence victims and support services 14:31 Running for local council, and why it's not for her 15:40 Why multicultural women are scared to step out of the house 16:35 Free courses, education and taking the first step 17:11 Economic empowerment and networking with professional women 17:50 Work-life balance for working women: it's okay to skip the cooking 19:16 The Australian Business Support Network: 100+ businesses a year 21:04 Why recognition and celebration matter, big wins or small 21:47 Advice for new migrants: believe in yourself, then just start 22:58 Treating problems as something to solve 23:53 What home means: India and Australia 24:37 Geet's 10-year plan: a shelter for women with nowhere to go 26:09 Final message: mental health matters

ABOUT THE GUEST

Geetanjali (Geet) Gaba Registered Counsellor, Entrepreneur and Community Leader; President, Australian Multicultural Women Association Childcare and NDIS Audit and Compliance Community Services

Connect with Geet: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geetanjali-gaba-00974421 Website: https://www.geet.org.au/

Every migrant has a story, of dreams, struggles, and triumphs. My Migrant Soul brings you powerful, real-life conversations with migrants from diverse backgrounds who have navigated the challenges of starting over in a new land. Hosted by Imran Abul Kashem, this podcast sheds light on personal migration journeys, cultural transitions, and the resilience that fuels success.

ABOUT THE HOST

Imran Abul Kashem Founder, My Migrant Soul Serial Entrepreneur, Former Journalist and Personal Branding Expert Connect with Imran: Website: https://westendpodcast.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mymigrantsoul-aus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imran_abul_kashem_melbourne/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imranabulkashem/ Subscribe for more real stories of migration, identity, and human experience.

Got a story to tell? Start your podcast with Westend Podcast: https://www.westendpodcast.com.au

Tatiana Cross is a Business and Culture strategist who represented South Africa in the Fortune 500 Most Powerful Women's Global Mentoring Program and is now the founder of The Mother-Daughter Collective. In this episode, she and Imran talk through growing up under apartheid in South Africa, the culture shock of moving to Australia for marriage at 18, and why she named her consulting business after a pencil, because it's meant to be corrected. She also explains why the mentoring women need in South Africa and the mentoring women need in Australia turned out to be exact opposites.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Reframe hardship as training: Why growing up under apartheid segregation taught Tatiana that she "could do anything," and how facing hard limits early can build resilience instead of just leaving scars.
• Match support to the actual need: How women's empowerment needs aren't universal. South African women in her survey wanted business knowledge, Australian women wanted mentorship and why assuming what people need before asking can waste your effort.
• Build something correctable, not perfect: Why Tatiana named her consulting business "Red Pencil" a tool designed to be corrected, not to be right the first time.
• Give people the language first: Why friction between mothers and daughters often comes down to not having the words to express themselves to each other, and how giving them that language is the first step to change.
• Migration costs more than the outside sees: Why the visible parts of migrating look "shiny," while the harder parts your community, your youth, part of yourself are the ones nobody accounts for.
• Find home in more than one place: Why home doesn't have to mean choosing one country over another it can be an internal sense of belonging that exists in both at once.

TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 01:32 Welcoming Tatiana Cross to the podcast 01:41 Leaving a career and community in South Africa to marry an Australian 03:10 "Like someone pulling the rug out from under my feet" 04:06 Settling her kids into a new country 04:57 What people don't understand about what migration actually costs you 06:12 Growing up in a township under apartheid 07:23 Segregated buses and walking to the movies 07:56 How the hardship became a source of resilience 09:24 Her father studying for his degree in a broom closet 10:12 Selected to represent South Africa at the Fortune 500 12:25 Bringing that mentoring experience home through Red Pencil Consulting 14:26 Why she named her business Red Pencil 15:28 What women in South Africa need vs. what women in Australia need 17:49 What "home" means to her now 19:05 Founding the Mother-Daughter Collective 22:02 Where she wants to be in 10 years

ABOUT THE GUEST

Tatiana Cross Founder of The Mother-Daughter Collective | Business & Culture Strategist | Keynote Speaker | Author | Facilitator Women's Empowerment Business Consulting

Connect with Tatiana: LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/colettetatianacross Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motherdaughtercollective/ Website: https://www.themotherdaughtercollective.com.au/

Every migrant has a story, of dreams, struggles, and triumphs. My Migrant Soul brings you powerful, real-life conversations with migrants from diverse backgrounds who have navigated the challenges of starting over in a new land. Hosted by Imran Abul Kashem, this podcast sheds light on personal migration journeys, cultural transitions, and the resilience that fuels success.

ABOUT THE HOST

Imran Abul Kashem Founder, My Migrant Soul Serial Entrepreneur, Former Journalist and Personal Branding Expert Connect with Imran: Website: https://westendpodcast.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mymigrantsoul-aus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imran_abul_kashem_melbourne/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imranabulkashem/ Subscribe for more real stories of migration, identity, and human experience.

Got a story to tell? Start your podcast with Westend Podcast: https://www.westendpodcast.com.au

Mark Watt AM is CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Australia, appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his work with disadvantaged and at-risk youth.

In this episode, he and Imran trace his path from a Year 12 English fail, turned around by one mentor's offer to tutor him through founding White Lion, incubating Fruit2Work, and now running a mentoring organisation with over 1,000 kids on the waiting list. They get into why he believes helping others is "a two-way thing," what actually changes a locked-up 14-year-old's life, and what migrant and refugee communities are up against in the youth justice system he's worked in for nearly three decades.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Reframe failure as reversible: How one mentor's offer to tutor him turned a Year 12 English fail into a pass and changed the entire trajectory of his life.
• See why helping others helps you too: Why community involvement isn't purely selfless, and how it builds your own network, resilience, and sense of purpose along the way.
• Build resilience for people-facing work: Why mentoring vulnerable young people means expecting rejection and setbacks, and why sticking with it matters more than early results.
• Understand who's overrepresented in youth justice: Why young people from Vietnamese, African, Polynesian, and Indigenous backgrounds show up disproportionately in the system Mark has worked in for 25+ years.
• See mentoring's real-world impact: How pairing a locked-up teenager with a weekly mentor for six months changed the course of his life entirely.
• Value sustainability over recognition: Why Mark treats personal awards, including his Order of Australia Medal, as tools to help more kids not as the goal itself.
• Define home beyond a physical place: Why Mark defines home as being surrounded by people who believe in you through good times and bad.

TIMESTAMPS 01:25 Introducing Mark Watt, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Australia 01:49 His mother's migration from Malta at age 10, and a family split across countries 03:35 His father's struggles with alcohol and gambling, and leaving the family at age 6 04:33 Growing up with a solo mum and no male role models 05:25 Facing poverty, not racism, as the defining challenge of his school years 06:35 The mentor who tutored him turning a Year 12 English fail into a pass 07:29 Starting a radio program inside a youth detention centre 08:55 Leaving accounting to become a full-time youth worker 09:02 Founding White Lion, and the path to CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters 10:02 How Maltese and European community culture shaped his view of hospitality 12:01 The 14-year-old boy whose life changed through six months of mentoring 13:34 The resilience required to work with vulnerable young people 14:17 Incubating Fruit2Work into its own organisation 15:43 Why migrant and refugee communities are overrepresented in youth justice 17:04 What "home" means to him 18:00 His Order of Australia Medal, and why recognition matters less than impact 20:38 Why helping others is "a two-way thing" his message to listeners

ABOUT THE GUEST

Mark Watt AMCEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters Australia Youth Mentoring Social Impact

Connect with Mark: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markwattau/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbbsau/ Website: https://bigbrothersbigsisters.org.au

Every migrant has a story, of dreams, struggles, and triumphs. My Migrant Soul brings you powerful, real-life conversations with migrants from diverse backgrounds who have navigated the challenges of starting over in a new land. Hosted by Imran Abul Kashem, this podcast sheds light on personal migration journeys, cultural transitions, and the resilience that fuels success.

ABOUT THE HOST

Imran Abul Kashem Founder, My Migrant Soul Serial Entrepreneur, Former Journalist and Personal Branding Expert Connect with Imran: Website: https://westendpodcast.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mymigrantsoul-aus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imran_abul_kashem_melbourne/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imranabulkashem/ Subscribe for more real stories of migration, identity, and human experience.

Got a story to tell? Start your podcast with Westend Podcast: https://www.westendpodcast.com.au

Walter Villagonzalo left the military in the Philippines during the 1986 revolution and moved to Australia with his family soon after. He built a career, then found himself needing something no job could give him: a sense of belonging. That search took him from volunteering in Werribee's Filipino community to founding The Migrant Hub, sitting as Wyndham City Councillor and Deputy Mayor, and now leading a cooperative planting trees across the western suburbs.

In this episode of My Migrant Soul, Walter sits down with Imran to talk about the twelve years it took him to feel at home in Australia, the moment his own children told him they were Australian, and why he believes belonging isn't given — it's built by showing up for your community.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Belonging isn't handed to you when you arrive in a new country. Walter didn't feel it for over a decade, and it only came after he threw himself into community work. The deepest test of his identity didn't happen in council chambers — it happened when his own kids told him, through tears, that they were Australian. He ran for council five times before winning. Losing four elections didn't change his approach; it sharpened it.

Walter draws a clear line between being an activist and being a reformist — one makes noise, the other gets in the room and changes the policy. His concept of "the Filipino in the middle" reframes an entire community: most migrants aren't struggling or thriving, they're quietly present, and that quiet middle is where real leadership can start.

At 73, his answer to "what's next" is the same as it's always been: keep working for the community, this time through a tree nursery cooperative aiming to help plant a million trees.

TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Cold Open: "I Am First Class Citizen, I Am Australian" 00:38 - Welcome to My Migrant Soul & Introducing Walter Villagonzalo 02:36 - From Naval Officer to Migrant: Leaving the Philippines in 1986 03:52 - Building a New Life in Melbourne 04:44 - The Struggle to Feel Like You Belong 05:47 - Bringing the Family Back to the Philippines — and the Kids Who Said No 06:39 - Diving Fully Into Community Work 08:16 - Founding The Migrant Hub 09:15 - Turning Advocacy Into Real Change at Council 11:05 - Running for Council Five Times Before Winning 12:59 - Life as One of Two Migrant Councillors 15:10 - The Filipino in the Middle: Lessons on Belonging 16:44 - Advice for New Migrants: Give Back to Belong 18:34 - Current Projects: Tree Nurseries and the Canopy Accelerator Co-op 20:26 - Partnering With Lions Club to Plant a Million Trees 21:24 - Closing Thoughts

GUEST INFORMATION Walter Villagonzalo OAM Founder & President, The Migrant Hub Inc. and Canopy Accelerator Co-operative Limited Community Development Social Enterprise Connect with Walter Villagonzalo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/waltervillagonzalo/ Website: https://canopyaccelerator.coop/ Every migrant has a story—of dreams, struggles, and triumphs. My Migrant Soul brings you powerful, real-life conversations with migrants from diverse backgrounds who have navigated the challenges of starting over in a new land. Hosted by Imran Abul Kashem, this podcast sheds light on personal migration journeys, cultural transitions, and the resilience that fuels success.

HOST INFORMATION

Imran Abul Kashem Founder, My Migrant Soul Serial Entrepreneur, Former Journalist and Personal Branding Expert Connect with Imran: Website: https://westendpodcast.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mymigrantsoul-aus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imran_abul_kashem_melbourne/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imranabulkashem/ Subscribe for more real stories of migration, identity, and human experience. Got a story to tell? Start your podcast with Westend Podcast: https://www.westendpodcast.com.au

Tim Beanland started cold calling at 18 for a debt reduction firm and getting hung up on. Now he runs Video Authority, a Melbourne video production business that turns a single 45-minute filming session into three months of content, and he closes 90% of his sales calls. In this episode, Tim walks Imran through the exact moment he realized nobody buys from a stranger but everybody listens to a brand they trust, how a broke university student turned a $200 cash tip into a full-time business, and why he tells every aspiring marketer to skip the degree and go sell something first. The conversation also goes somewhere Tim says he's never said publicly before: the reason a desk inside Melbourne's Rialto Towers means more to him than office real estate ever should.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

A message lands differently depending on who's delivering it, the same offer that gets hung up on from a stranger gets a "let's talk" from a trusted name. A marketing degree teaches you why people buy; a sales job teaches you how to get them to. Tim argues you need the second one first. Tactics change every few years: social media, AI, whatever's next. Human buying psychology doesn't. Build strategy around the constant, not the trend. Don't build a website and a lead funnel before you've served a single client. Find one customer, deliver for them, and use that feedback to find the next. Networking works because of who the people in the room know, not who's actually in the room. A reliable sales system is what keeps a business alive, Tim calls it the oxygen a business runs on. Tim's five-year goal is tied to family: he's working toward owning space in the Rialto Towers, the building his late father engineered and where his parents met.

TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Cold Open: The $200 Video Deal 00:55 - Meet Tim Beanland 01:57 - What Tim Does: 3 Months of Content in 45 Minutes 02:33 - The Cold Call That Changed His Career 03:52 - Been Talking: Why Trust Makes Sales Easy 05:00 - Does a Marketing Degree Actually Matter? 07:03 - Tactics Change, Human Psychology Doesn't 09:49 - Why Marketing and Sales Need Each Other 10:41 - Lessons From Sales: Get Out of the House 11:09 - How Tim Started His Business: 50 Coffee Chats 12:18 - The Yohan Story: Getting Paid for the First Time 14:44 - "Nothing Happens Without a Sale" 15:33 - The Power of Networking 16:07 - Find One Client Before You Build a Brand 18:03 - Different Networks for Different Stages 19:38 - Why Tim Sponsors Imran's Networking Events 22:00 - Tim's Dream for the Next Five Years 23:24 - The Rialto Towers and His Dad 25:23 - Advice for Aspiring Marketers: Learn to Sell First 27:23 - Where to Find Tim + Closing Thoughts

GUEST INFORMATION Tim Beanland Founder, Video Authority Video Marketing & Personal Branding Connect with Tim: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tbeanland/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timbeanland/ Website: https://videoauthority.com.au/ Every migrant has a story—of dreams, struggles, and triumphs. My Migrant Soul brings you powerful, real-life conversations with migrants from diverse backgrounds who have navigated the challenges of starting over in a new land. Hosted by Imran Abul Kashem, this podcast sheds light on personal migration journeys, cultural transitions, and the resilience that fuels success.

HOST INFORMATION

Imran Abul Kashem Founder, My Migrant Soul Serial Entrepreneur, Former Journalist and Personal Branding Expert Connect with Imran: Website: https://westendpodcast.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mymigrantsoul-aus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imran_abul_kashem_melbourne/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imranabulkashem/ Subscribe for more real stories of migration, identity, and human experience. Got a story to tell? Start your podcast with Westend Podcast: https://www.westendpodcast.com.au

Richard Cozzella opens up about building a career from a tanning studio in Geelong at 19 to a portfolio spanning NDIS disability housing, insurance, and property development. He talks candidly about the near-failure that taught him resilience, the "20 meters of headlights" way he approaches big decisions, and why he doesn't chase retirement — he's chasing mentorship. The conversation also gets personal, touching on faith, fatherhood, and the charity ride he organized for his niece.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Failure isn't the opposite of success, it's part of the process. "Either we win or we learn."
• Vision doesn't require seeing the whole road, just the next 20 meters.
• Before scaling a business, count the cost of losing, not just the upside of winning.
• Change in a business often has to start at the top before it reaches the rest of the team.
• Personal branding rests on three pillars: authority, results, and trust.
• Self-care isn't optional for founders — Richard leans on faith and fitness to stay grounded.
• The next 10 years, for Richard, aren't about retiring — they're about mentoring others.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 - Teaser: Motivation, Mindset & Belief 00:56 - Meet Richard Cozzella 01:16 - Who Richard Is Today 01:41 - Where It Began: Family Business Roots 02:13 - The Headlights Metaphor02:39 - First Business: The Tanning Studio Near-Failure 03:16 - Becoming a Serial Entrepreneur 03:41 - Win or Learn: Reframing Failure 05:00 - The Best Business Day of His Life 05:37 - Mindset, Motivation & Belief 06:52 - Starting a Charity for His Niece 07:39 - COVID, Innovation & Thinking Outside the Box 08:39 - Fixing the NDIS Business 10:08 - Advice for Dreamers & Personal Branding 11:36 - Trust in the Digital Age 12:16 - Work-Life Harmony, Faith & Self-Care 13:39 - Current Projects: Housing & Insurance 14:05 - The Next 10 Years: Mentorship & Legacy 15:49 - A Future Charity 16:10 - Closing Thoughts

GUEST INFORMATION

Richard CozzellaEntrepreneur, Business Consultant & Community Leader Business Development, Strategic Consulting, NDIS & Insurance

Connect with Richard:

• LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/cozzellarc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1JTw9zxuoc/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richard_cozzella
• Website: https://cozzella.com.au/

Every migrant has a story—of dreams, struggles, and triumphs. My Migrant Soul brings you powerful, real-life conversations with migrants from diverse backgrounds who have navigated the challenges of starting over in a new land. Hosted by Imran Abul Kashem, this podcast sheds light on personal migration journeys, cultural transitions, and the resilience that fuels success.

HOST INFORMATION

Imran Abul KashemFounder, My Migrant Soul Serial Entrepreneur, Former Journalist and Personal Branding Expert

Connect with Imran:

• Website: https://westendpodcast.au/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mymigrantsoul-aus
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imran_abul_kashem_melbourne/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imranabulkashem/

Subscribe for more real stories of migration, identity, and human experience.

Got a story to tell? Start your podcast with Westend Podcast: https://www.westendpodcast.com.au

Martin Probst moved from Switzerland to Australia after working around the world and on cruise ships for many years, chasing a childhood dream of travel and having palm trees in his own backyard. Fifteen years later he's running PROfound Leadership, a coaching and leadership development company built on a simple belief: If you want things to change, you have to change. In this episode, Martin talks with Imran about the difference between being interested and being committed, why we need to have a "healthy relationship" in relation to obstacles, rather than seeing it as a threat, and how listening to his clients during COVID rebuilt his entire business from zero in under six weeks. He also opens up about his "mindset factory," the practice of Tai Chi as a form of slowing down, and why looking after yourself is the first step to serving anyone else.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Vision without action is just a dream. Action without vision is a nightmare on repeat. But vision aligned with action can change the world.
• There's a real difference between being interested in something and being committed to it. To achieve our vision, we must show commitment as there is no substitute for action.
• Obstacles aren't the enemy. They're opportunities for growth, to fulfill our values, and reveal who we are and what we're made of.
• When COVID wiped Martin's business to zero, listening to what his existing clients actually needed rebuilt it within four to six weeks.
• The "mindset factory" produces thoughts constantly. As leaders, our job is to model, inspire and produce better thinking.
• Innovation doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes it's as simple as listening closely enough to see the solution.
• Looking after yourself is the starting point for being able to serve anyone else well.
• Work-life balance might be the wrong term. Martin prefers "work-life harmony," where the different parts of life move with each other instead of competing.

TIMESTAMPS

• 00:00 - Introducing Martin Probst and Profound Leadership
• 01:16 - Turning dreams into action: from bestselling author to "interested vs. committed"
• 03:26 - From cruise ships to a career in leadership
• 05:37 - The real challenges of building a business, from ignorance to COVID
• 09:19 - Rebuilding through listening: clients, mindset, and innovation
• 13:47 - Advice for dreamers and redefining work-life balance
• 19:44 - Selfishness as service, and what's next for Martin
• 24:44 - On leadership in the world today, and closing thoughts

GUEST INFORMATION

Martin ProbstFounder, PROfound Leadership Leadership Development & Coaching

Connect with Martin:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinprobst/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/profoundlead
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profoundleadership
• Website: https://www.profoundleadership.com.au/

Every migrant has a story - of dreams, struggles and triumphs. My Migrant Soul brings you powerful, real-life conversations with migrants from diverse backgrounds who have navigated the challenges of starting over in a new land. Hosted by Imran Abul Kashem, this podcast sheds light on personal migration journeys, cultural transitions, and the resilience that fuels success.

HOST INFORMATION

Imran Abul KashemFounder, My Migrant Soul Serial Entrepreneur, Former Journalist and Personal Branding Expert

Connect with Imran:

• Website: https://westendpodcast.au/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mymigrantsoul-aus
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imran_abul_kashem_melbourne/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imranabulkashem/

Subscribe for more real stories of migration, identity, and human experience.

Got a story to tell? Start your podcast with Westend Podcast: https://www.westendpodcast.com.au

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In this episode of My Migrant Soul, host Imran Abul Kashem sits down with Anna Rante, Founder and CEO of Right and Keystone Group, to unpack a story that began with rejection and ended in reinvention. Anna migrated to Australia at the age of 18 and she faced the same wall many migrants hit: qualifications and ambition weren't enough without "Australian experience." Rather than wait for someone to open a door, she built her own. She started a small accounting firm at 21 with nothing but a desire to help people who lacked access to professional financial guidance.

Anna traces her journey from childhood, watching her single mother run a transport and construction business in the Philippines, through the isolation and self-doubt of her early years in Australia, to founding what is now a multi-division franchise network spanning taxation, migration, mortgage broking, and real estate. She opens up about the implicit bias she faced as a young Asian woman who "looked like a high school student," the mindset shifts that helped her build trust with clients, and why she believes in building community and legacy rather than just business. The conversation also covers her current ventures, including an AI-powered tax management app and her role in a UBS accelerator program for female founders, before closing with her vision for the next decade.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• How to turn rejection into momentum instead of letting it define you, by treating every "no" as information rather than a verdict.
• Why your biggest barrier is often internal, and how naming and challenging your own implicit bias can unlock opportunities that external circumstances alone won't.
• How to build trust quickly, especially when people doubt you on sight, by leading with consistent delivery and genuine vulnerability instead of trying to look the part.
• Why building a community around your work, not just a customer base, creates loyalty and impact that a transactional business model can't match.
• How to stop waiting for the "right time" to start something, and why treating failure as fast, cheap feedback gets you further than waiting for a perfect plan.
• Why rest and self-care function as fuel for sustained ambition, not a distraction from it, and how to stop treating them as guilt-inducing indulgences.
• How to think about legacy versus wealth when making big decisions, using a simple gut-check question for moments when you're at a crossroads.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Intro 01:08 Anna's childhood in the Philippines and her mother's influence 03:17 Arriving in Australia: starting over from nothing 05:57 Building her first accounting firm at 21 09:30 Becoming a migration agent and building an internship program 11:25 Overcoming bias as a young female migrant entrepreneur 15:02 Building a purpose-driven franchise for underrepresented entrepreneurs 18:48 Mindset, motivation, and staying resilient 21:10 Innovation, creativity, and launching Tax 360 24:34 Advice for dreamers: authenticity and leadership 27:58 Legacy over wealth 30:50 Work-life balance, self-love, and a pivotal shift during COVID 34:30 Current projects and her vision for the next 10 years 41:26 Closing thoughts: always believe in yourself

GUEST INFORMATION

Anna Rante Founder and CEO, Right and Keystone Group Accounting, Migration, and Franchise Services

Connect with Anna:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-rante/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rktaxationexperts
• Website: https://www.rktaxationexperts.com.au/

Every migrant has a story—of dreams, struggles, and triumphs. My Migrant Soul brings you powerful, real-life conversations with migrants from diverse backgrounds who have navigated the challenges of starting over in a new land. Hosted by Imran Abul Kashem, this podcast sheds light on personal migration journeys, cultural transitions, and the resilience that fuels success.

HOST INFORMATION

Imran Abul Kashem Founder, My Migrant Soul Serial Entrepreneur, Former Journalist and Personal Branding Expert

Connect with Imran:

• Website: https://westendpodcast.au/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mymigrantsoul-aus
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imran_abul_kashem_melbourne/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imranabulkashem/

Subscribe for more real stories of migration, identity, and human experience. Got a story to tell? Start your podcast with Westend Podcast: https://www.westendpodcast.com.au

migrant entrepreneur, Anna Rante, Right and Keystone Group, Australian experience, female founder, franchise network, purpose-driven business, underrepresented entrepreneurs, accounting firm, migration agent, mortgage broking, mindset shift, implicit bias, authenticity in leadership, build a legacy, Harvard Business School, UBS female founder accelerator, Tax 360, AI tax management app, work-life balance, self-love, resilience, immigrant success story, My Migrant Soul podcast, Imran Abul Kashem

Amol Kasaju came to Australia in 2009 as a student with no connections and no plan. He started as a housekeeper just to survive. Fifteen years later, he became co-owner of Quest Werribee alongside his business partner Natalie Bui.

But behind every role and every setback was one constant. His family. In this episode of the Dreamer and Doers Series, Amol shares the unfiltered story of how he got here and why purpose is what keeps a dream alive.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• From Housekeeper to Franchise Owner: The 15-year journey and the mindset that made it possible
• Rejection Is Part of the Process: How Amol got turned down repeatedly and chose to invest in himself instead
• Dream vs. Purpose: Why a dream is not enough and how Amol's purpose evolved into a family mission
• The Hustle Nobody Sees: Why people assume success was easy and what it really took behind the scenes
• When You Share a Story It Is Not About You: The insight that inspired Amol to speak openly

TIMESTAMPS

02:03 From Housekeeper to Dream: Amol's Journey Begins 02:58 The Desire That Started Everything 03:56 Getting Rejected and Choosing to Grow Anyway 04:56 The Graveyard Shift That Quietly Changed His Life 06:46 How Meeting Natalie Bui Led to Business Ownership 08:40 Why a Dream Without Purpose Goes Nowhere 09:50 The One Thing You Must Never Forget as You Grow 11:20 The Mindset Shift From Employee to Owner 44:51 Would You Do It All Over Again? 45:57 The Hustle Nobody Sees Behind Every Success Story 47:26 Why Family Is the Real Why Behind Everything 49:13 Why Sharing Your Story Is Never Just About You

GUEST INFORMATION

Amol Kasaju

Co-Owner, Quest Werribee Entrepreneur and Community Leader

Connect with Amol

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amol-kasaju-732a3170/
• Website: http://www.questwerribee.com.au

Every migrant has a story—of dreams, struggles, and triumphs. My Migrant Soul brings you powerful, real-life conversations with migrants from diverse backgrounds who have navigated the challenges of starting over in a new land. Hosted by Imran Abul Kashem, this podcast sheds light on personal migration journeys, cultural transitions, and the resilience that fuels success.

HOST INFORMATION

Imran Abul Kashem Founder, My Migrant Soul Serial Entrepreneur, Former Journalist and Personal Branding Expert

Connect with Imran

• Personal Website: https://imranabulkashem.com.au
• Podcast Website: https://westendpodcast.au/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mymigrantsoul-aus
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imran_abul_kashem_melbourne/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imranabulkashem/

Subscribe for more real stories of migration, identity, and human experience. Got a story to tell? Start your podcast with Westend Podcast: https://www.westendpodcast.com.au

What does it take… to face the parts of your story you've spent years avoiding?

Not later. Not when it's easier. But now.

In this episode of My Migrant Soul, Imran sits down with Kabinga Mazaba — an award-winning author, speaker, and transformational coach whose journey is as powerful as it is deeply human.

Born in Zambia and now based in Australia, Kabinga's story is shaped by migration, loss, and the quiet weight of unspoken trauma. But this conversation isn't just about what she's been through.

It's about what she chose to do with it.

From navigating life as a migrant spouse… to rebuilding her identity across multiple countries… to confronting the past that once defined her —

Kabinga shares what it really means to reclaim your life.

Because healing doesn't happen by accident.

It happens when you decide to face what's been holding you back.

What You'll Hear in This Episode:

• Kabinga's migration journey from Zambia to Australia

• Growing up with trauma — and the impact it leaves behind

• The challenge of losing identity while starting over

• Life as a migrant spouse and rebuilding from the background

• Why identity is not fixed — and how that changes everything

• The power of community, connection, and curiosity

• What it means to truly "confront" your past

• Lessons on resilience, self-worth, and personal growth

Key Takeaway:

You can't change your past — but you can confront it, and in doing so, reclaim your future.

Special Thanks to Our Partners

This podcast is proudly supported by Westend Business Hub, Westend Digital, Westend Photography, Westend Podcast and WeConnect.

Their support helps bring these important stories to life and creates space for voices and experiences that matter.

Thinking about starting your own podcast?

Westend Podcast can help you turn your idea into something real.

Learn more: https://www.westendpodcast.com.au