Pop Abroad

Australian Vy Vu set up FitFam, "A free fitness community that is accessible to all." They offer free workout classes to people of all fitness levels taught by volunteer instructors, and the idea has taken off. FitFam classes are now taught at 35 locations across the city, along with multiple locations in another 9 cities in 7 countries and regions. She discusses how she has built and runs what has now become a multinational non-profit, and how its founding principles have not only helped community members get fit, but it has provided pathways to personal and professional development for the volunteers, many of whom have gone on to open chapters in new cities when they move.

To learn more about FitFam and to find a group near you, visit them on the web at https://www.wefitfam.com. You can also follow them on social media here:     Stay in touch and send us comments, suggestions or interview recommendations; we're on Instagram at @PopAbroad, or you can reach out by email: p[email protected]  Please take a moment to "Like" us and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Google or wherever you get your podcasts... and subscribe!

One of the largest expat-focused organizations in the world, InterNations often serves as a "landing pad" for young professionals when they move to a new city abroad. This week, Romanian-born Catalina Calin, local ambassador in Shanghai (one of the 420+ cities worldwide with a local chapter), talks about how a local community of volunteers sharing their knowledge and experience with new arrivals can help to alleviate loneliness and demystify the acclimation process.

To learn more about the InterNations and to find a chapter near you, visit them on the web at https://www.internations.org. You can also follow them on social media here:     Stay in touch and send us comments, suggestions or interview recommendations; we're on Instagram at @PopAbroad, or you can reach out by email: [email protected]. Please take a moment to "Like" us and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts... and subscribe!

Are you in China and want to develop yourself professionally? Where do you turn for mentoring? Who can call out the pitfalls and obstacles as you try to advance your career? Amanda Argentieri, President of the International Professional Women's Society (IPWS) talks about her work leading a volunteer-run platform for dynamic women with diverse professional backgrounds to help them connect through events that build networks, foster personal growth, and enable professional development.

To learn more about IPWS, visit their webiste: https://ipwsconnect.com/. You can also follow them on all of the platforms:     Stay in touch and send us comments, suggestions or interview recommendations; we're on Instagram at @PopAbroad, or you can reach out by email: [email protected] Please take a moment to "Like" us and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts... and subscribe!

This week we're discussing women in leadership with Roberta Basso, International Manager for Lean In China. She traces her path from Southern Italy to the Netherlands to China to Dubai, where she found herself as the only woman on a team of engineers in the industrial sector, and then again in the software industry. So how do you find your way as an expat when you're a minority (foreigner) within a minority (a woman), dealing prejudice and assimilation issues? She talks about the tools that the Lean In community gave her to succeed in her career, and how being able to find a place within a supportive network empowered her with a sense of purpose- namely, helping the next generation of women leaders and making sure that men are included in conversations about issues around gender and equity in the workplace.

To learn more about the Lean In and to find a Circle near you, visit them on the web at  https://leanin.org/. You can also follow them on social media here:     Stay in touch and send us comments, suggestions or interview recommendations; we're on Instagram at @PopAbroad, or you can reach out by email: p[email protected] Please take a moment to "Like" us and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts... and subscribe!

Do you like sweating and being social? South African-born and New Zealand-raised Kelly Olver shares her story of being an ex-flight attendant gym rat who has created a fitness community for women in Shanghai, called SASS.C. The idea came about as she searched for a way to combine her passion for staying in shape with her desire to find spaces where women could connect with each other. The results have been lots of sweaty empowering fun!

To learn more about SASS.C and see what they're up to, follow them on Instagram at @thesass_c. If you're in Shanghai and are interested in joining, reach out to Kelly on WeChat; she's at "KiwiKells".   Stay in touch and send us comments, suggestions or interview recommendations; we're on Instagram at @PopAbroad, or you can reach out by email: p[email protected].  Please take a moment to "Like" us and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts... and subscribe!

So you've made the leap. You're living overseas; living the dream. Now what? Once the honeymoon period ends, and friends back home stop being excited and impressed by your courageous leap to find your fortune in a foreign land, things start to get real. How do you build a life overseas? How do you thrive? Michelle Ibarra, APAC & Oceania Community Manager for Girl Gone International, interviews the women who are killing it overseas to learn how they did it. Season 1 is all about community- why we need it, how we can use it to get a leg up, and how the best community leaders make theirs work.   Stay in touch and send us comments, suggestions or interview recommendations; we're on Instagram at @PopAbroad, or you can reach out by email: p[email protected]. Please take a moment to "Like" us and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts... and subscribe!