The Global Chatter with Amanda Bates

Rebroadcast: Psychotherapist Dr. Sherrá Watkins shares her story of unlikely story of becoming an expat including how she was able to find the right opportunity and move to St. Maarten in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. Sherrá also provides some insight on how to adjust to some of the common challenges international students face including homesickness, anxiety and loneliness.

Change strategist and transformation coach, Solonia Teodros discusses what it meant to be Ethiopian-Taiwanese-American in the 1990s and how she dealt with being the different kid, especially in Asia. She also discusses why job-hopping isn’t always necessarily bad and how those experiences can be used to leverage the next one. She also shares her candid thoughts on the reality of trying to actually raise a mixed heritage global citizen and the challenge of trying to balance cultural representation.

Garvin Reid is a career coach, photographer, and college administrator currently living in the UAE. He provides career advice to talented students at NYU Abu Dhabi and helps them land jobs and internships throughout the world. He is also a photographer and content creator with Black Lovers Abroad, a travel blog he launched with his wife to showcase – just that – a Black couple travel internationally. In this episode, Garvin shares how being laid off during an economic downturn changed the trajectory of his personal and professional life.

In this episode, creator and producer Whitney Marin shares how studying abroad experiences in France and India solidified her goal to continue her dreams in the film industry abroad. She discusses her experiences as an au pair that got her in the country and the eventual transition into the art industry. She also dives deep into nuances of storytelling in her adopted home and her motivation for launching the bilingual video/podcast series current, that tackles the global state of affairs from Millennial perspectives. 

In this episode, professional athlete and fashion entrepreneur Chris Squires walks us through the journey he’s been through in order to build both his baseball career and his growing brand, Luvet. He describes the perseverance of pursuing both pathways and how living in Austria has given him the opportunity to stay tethered to both. He also underscores the importance of having a plan for what comes next when life can change at any minute.

If there’s anything Lori Tharps knows how to do – it’s how to capture a story. The journalist and author of books Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America and Kinky Gazpacho: Life, Love & Spain discusses personal observations on culture, Blackness and the messaging she received growing up. She shares the intentional lessons on identity she passed on to her multicultural children as well as voices of the uncomfortable conversations that have to happen in interracial marriages. Lori also discusses why moving to Spain during a pandemic was the right thing to do. You can find Lori at loriltharps.com.

Professional basketball player Jori Davis shares her story of being an athlete overseas, which has included playing for leagues in more than 6 countries. She also highlights the challenges young athletes have when they are making the transition from a college career to professional career. She also discusses why she launched Wevolv, to combat the imbalance between the athlete and commercial side of the industry.

Whether it’s for a better quality of life or seeking to stretch their retirement income, more Americans are increasingly retiring abroad. 

And Baby Boomer Joyce Barr is no exception. In this episode, this expat coach and business owner of Blast! Tours & Coaching shares how she built and established a successful career in the U.S. before relocating to Panama to launch the next stage of her life. In addition to her personal anecdotes, you’ll also hear how she guides future retiree expats on how to write the next chapter of their lives abroad.

Like many future expats, Chinique Gordon and her family wanted to move abroad but had financial debt to deal with. So they decided to go after it and cleared £20,000 of debt in 2 years.

In this episode, Chinique describes how she and her husband knew it was time to leave the UK and the plan they formulated to do so. She highlights financial strategies they used to get out of debt, even with a growing family. Chi also shares some tips on how her family has maintained income as digital nomads through their various online businesses, including FroFamilyTravels .

In this episode, JK Hobson tells his story of going from a guitarist in a death metal band to comedian in Saigon, Vietnam. He offers his thoughts on identity, colorism and acceptance. He also describes his early love for rock, metal and punk and the ways music dominated his life for a good long while. He shares how his comedy translates within an incredibly diverse context. To learn more, visit theblackexpat.com.