Hello, I'd really like to grow this email list. If you enjoy this newsletter, it would mean the world to Jola and I if you encouraged one friend/fellow immigrant/colleague to subscribe…Very likely, the the only thing you will get in return is warm fuzzy feelings, and if I can attribute it to you, I’d personally send you a thank you email.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Smithe Sodine, former elementary ESL teacher, college instructor, mother, and founder of the handcrafted decorative pillow company Smithy Home Couture.

Smithe is an Amazon. She reminds me so much of my Mom, who passed away five years ago.

Smithe moved to Florida from Haiti as a 16 year old and couldn’t really speak English at the time. She remembers sleeping off in class because there’s only so much stress the teenage brain can take when trying to learn Math or any other subject in a new language.

So it was heartwarming to see that she went on to become an elementary English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher.

In this conversation, Smithe and I chat about:

* The danger of ignoring acculturation

* Dealing with the negative perception of Haiti

* Her Haitian heritage

* Her approach to dealing with cultural differences

* Moving as a teenager, and more

Enjoy!

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Smithe on LinkedIn

🛏️ Check out Smithy Home Couture

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Hello, I'd really like to grow this email list. If you enjoy this newsletter, it would mean the world to Jola and I if you encouraged one friend/fellow immigrant/colleague to subscribe…Very likely, the the only thing you will get in return is warm fuzzy feelings, and if I can attribute it to you, I’d personally send you a thank you email.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Nkechi Runsewe, who moved from Lagos, Nigeria to Amsterdam, Holland for work.

Imagine for a moment you are on the metro headed to work. Suddenly, the bus lurches to a stop, and the driver makes an announcement in Dutch. And everyone hurriedly gets down.

You try to ask them, but everyone seems to be in a hurry to get off the bus.

What would you do? I would probably get off the bus scared and all. Nkechi was no different.

“They say everyone in The Netherlands speaks English. But the system is designed for those who speak or can read Dutch.”

In this conversation, Nkechi and I chat about:

* The overwhelming supermarket moment

* Going to a country as a tourist vs. going there as a local

* Dealing with change

* The amazing Nigerian community in Amsterdam and how they helped her settle in

* The tradeoffs when choosing between putting her kids in the Dutch school system vs. the International school system

* The importance of replacing the traditions you took for granted back home with new ones

Enjoy!

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Nkechi on LinkedIn

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If you got this email in error or no longer wish to receive emails from The Newcomers Podcast, Substack has a sweet and easy way to unsubscribe.

Hello, I'd really like to grow this email list. If you enjoy this newsletter, it would mean the world to Jola and I if you encouraged one friend/fellow immigrant/colleague to subscribe…Very likely, the the only thing you will get in return is warm fuzzy feelings, and if I can attribute it to you, I’d personally send you a thank you email.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Kateryna Makysmenko, who’s lived in four countries since she turned 16.

I agree that the immigration journey changes you. I like to call immigrants “the in-betweeners.” We are always in between cultures.

In this conversation, Kateryna and I explore:

* The legendary Canadian kindness

* Moving as a tourist vs. moving as an immigrant

* How moving often means she’s built an automated settling-in routine

* Her first night as a student in Poland vs. her first night as a working professional in Canada

* Why your first month is crucial to easing into your new country

Enjoy!

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Kateryna on LinkedIn

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Ann shares her experience of moving to Finland and the challenges she faced in integrating into Finnish society. She discusses the overwhelm that led her to start a YouTube channel and the reasons she chose Finland as her destination. Ann talks about the culture shock she experienced and the difficulties in making Finnish friends. She also highlights the importance of learning the Finnish language and the impact it has on building relationships. Ann reflects on what she misses about Nigeria and the cultural differences between the two countries. She concludes by emphasizing the need for long-term goals and planning when considering immigration to Finland.

Hello, I'd really like to grow this email list. If you enjoy this newsletter, it would mean the world to Jola and I if you encouraged one friend/fellow immigrant/colleague to subscribe…Very likely, the the only thing you will get in return is warm fuzzy feelings, and if I can attribute it to you, I’d personally send you a thank you email.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Ayo Owodunni, Kitchener City Councillor - Ward 5, Associate Professor at Conestoga College, and author of Inclusive Leadership - The Immigrant View.

I had goosebumps listening to Ayo as he told me the story of Election Day…Gosh. Yes, it was an experiment. Yes, he didn’t expect to win. Yes, they had no idea what they were doing.

But listening to his backstory, this win was years in the making.

In this conversation, Ayo and I chat about:

* Overcoming his fear of knocking on doors

* The power of systems

* The value of building immigrant communities

* Stamping out the suffering Olympics mentality of older immigrants

* The four types of networks you need to succeed as an immigrant, and more.

Ayo Owodunni is an inspiration. Nuff said.

Official Links

📚 His book on Inclusive Leadership - The Immigrant View is a great read on helping immigrants thrive in any organization.

👋🏽 You can follow him on LinkedIn here.

📚 He also has a new book coming out soon titled “Dear Immigrant, Soar!”

Enjoy!

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If you got this email in error or no longer wish to receive emails from The Newcomers Podcast, Substack has a sweet and easy way to unsubscribe.

Hello, I'd really like to grow this email list. If you enjoy this newsletter, it would mean the world to Jola and I if you encouraged one friend/fellow immigrant/colleague to subscribe…Very likely, the the only thing you will get in return is warm fuzzy feelings, and if I can attribute it to you, I’d personally send you a thank you email.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Anna Otroshchenko, COO of Otrofy Inc, who moved from Ukraine to Canada.

The Canadian wait time for almost anything is the stuff of legends. But despite how frustrating it can be, I love how Anna deals with hiccups like this. Talking to her felt like I had booked a session with a therapist on the mindset an immigrant needs to adopt when trying to settle into a new country.

In this conversation, Anna and I chat about:

* Feeling at home in Canada

* How to settle in quickly

* Canadian culture vs. Ukrainian culture

* Her views on the meaning of “home.”

This was a fun one. If there’s one thing you should learn from Anna as an immigrant, it’s always to remember that we are in control.

No matter how chaotic things might feel, focus on what you can control, take baby steps, and you’ll find your way to the sunlight.

Official Links

✅ Connect with Anna on LinkedIn

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There are a ton of reasons we, as immigrants, feel compelled to work all the time.

* You just spent all your savings moving to a new country

* You probably took a couple of steps down the career ladder

* You’ve got black tax to remit every other month.

Lola, the Afroedmontonian, is on a mission to change that. She joined me on The Newcomers Podcast to chat about:

* The ‘Deadmonton Myth”

* One of her most embarrassing moments during her first week in Edmonton

* The abrupt end to the honeymoon phase of her immigration journey

* Launching the Afroedmontonian during her maternity leave

* Inspiring immigrants to let loose and enjoy themselves

* Why you should move to Edmonton if you are planning to immigrate to Canada, and more.

Enjoy!

If you’ve gotten this far, you should probably subscribe.

Resources

And if you’re looking to visit Edmonton sometime this year, we’ve collaborated with Lola to curate a calendar of events happening in Edmonton through the rest of 2024:

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Siamak Riahi, Founder and CEO of Riahi Patents, likens the early days of his immigration journey to standing in the middle of a tornado and being thrown from one place to another by the strong winds.

Despite feeling that way in the early days, Siamak has gone on to move a whopping 14 times across different cities and from the United States to Canada.

He joins me on The Newcomers Podcast to chat about:

* Underestimating our support system

* The importance of community

* How each move changes us

* Switching from an academic career path to entrepreneurship

* Dealing with the immigrant survival mentality, and more.

This was a masterclass on how to approach immigrating mentally, especially if you are moving to a new country at a much older age.

Enjoy!

If you’ve gotten this far, you should probably subscribe.

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Dotun Bamisaiye moved to Canada long before moving to the Great White North became a thing.

Back then, he would be the only one speaking Yoruba on his train ride to work. Today, he says the train ride hosts a medley of Pidgin, Yoruba, Igbo, and other African languages.

He joined me on The Newcomers Podcast to chat about:

* Leaving Nigeria reluctantly

* The black nod

* The danger of a single story

* Finding a job when most Canadian employers weren't looking to hire Nigerians

* How best to prep for the Canadian tax season and more.

Resources

If you’re looking to do your taxes, Dotun is a great guy to speak to about the best tax planning and compliance approach.

He also offers a personal tax course for people new to Canada who want to understand Canadian taxation and how to plan for income tax.

* Canadian Tax in 60 Mins

Enjoy!

If you’ve gotten this far, you should probably subscribe.

Did you read it?

We launched a new section called Restart, which features long reads about the good, the bad, and the human side of starting afresh in a new country.

We’ve also launched a section called The Pantry, a collection of tips, how-tos, stories, and jokes about the immigrant experience.

If you got this email in error or no longer wish to receive emails from The Newcomers Podcast, Substack has a sweet and easy way to unsubscribe.

And our conversation didn't disappoint.

Mo joined me on The Newcomers Podcast to chat about:

* Moving to Canada as a 16yo

* The Canadian Uber joke

* Then moving back to Nigeria to help set up Andela

* Launching the first online MBA in Nigeria

* The beauty of the Nigerian hustle

* And the three skills he thinks every immigrant needs to succeed.

Some resources he shared during the conversation:

* Tobi Oluwole’s LinkedIn storytelling course

* $100m Offers by Alex Hormozi

* The Millionaire Fast Lane by MJ Demarco

* The Power of Self Discipline by Brian Tracy

Enjoy!

If you’ve gotten this far, you should probably subscribe.