The Newcomers Podcast 🎙️ – Détails, épisodes et analyse

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 Tobi Oluwole, former Shopify sales manager, employability coach, and a great human.

If there’s one person that exemplifies living life on your terms no matter what the world throws at you, it’s Tobi Oluwole.

Tobi immigrated to Canada against his will. As the first-born in a Nigerian home, he had to grow up quickly. This meant moving on after his dream of being a footballer didn’t work out.

Yes, Tobi the employability and communications coach once went on trials at Chelsea Football Club and West Ham United FC.

This meant quickly figuring out a way to live the life he’s always wanted to live.

And oh, I think he’s figured it all out.

In this conversation, we explored his move to Canada. We also chatted about:

* Why he’s relocated to France

* How to break out of societal conditioning

* Trying out as a footballer in London. I also share a crazy football trials story of mine I rarely talk about.

* His secret for hitting the ground running when he moves to a new country.

Here’s my biggest takeaway from this episode with Tobi: In life you get unlimited tries. As an immigrant, this is an important heuristic to adopt.

Keep going my friend, you’ve got this.

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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 to Maryam Atoyebi, who moved from Nigeria to Canada in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown.

The COVID-19 pandemic was a strange time. Loved ones falling sick. Then passing away. The lockdowns. The terror from not knowing who had the virus and who didn't. The social isolation.

And the subsequent breakdown of the first layer of trust that guides how a society behaves in public.

For immigrants like Maryam, this meant settling down into a new society was hard. 2X harder than it should normally be.

I moved in 2021, so I didn't fully experience what it felt like as everyone tried to navigate the new rules for societal interaction. But the little I experienced was emotionally tasking. I can't even begin to imagine what it was like for Maryam and others who moved to a new country about that time.

In this conversation, we chat about all the feels while trying to settle down during the pandemic. We also chatted about:

* Her biggest mistakes

* How to use informational interviews to build your confidence when job hunting and interviewing

* Handling the loss of identity that comes with being put into a box when you move to a new society

* And intersectionality as a skill set.

I’ll leave you with this great piece of advice from Maryam: Understand that every piece of advice you get from other immigrants is contextual. It’s often coming from a good place, but its colored by their experience, their bias, and their perspective or view of the world.

Your job is to apply your context to what you hear.

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Two months ago, Nelly Kawira shared a hilarious thread on Twitter about all she’s learned and achieved since moving to London two years ago.

Well, she’s published an updated version on The Newcomers, with some great images to boot.

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 Nwachukwu Edgar Onyeagba, the man who saw the future.

How do you deal with the fear of the unknown when immigrating? What does it feel like to be right about where Nigeria was headed?

After his daughter was born, he took one look at everything that was going on with Nigeria and decided to leave. In his words, “things were looking like they weren’t going to get any better.”

Sadly, he was right.

In this conversation, Edgar and I chat about what it’s been like living in Canada for the past eight years. We discussed:

* The mental exhaustion of code switching

* Dealing with the fear of the unknown

* Dealing with Canadian experience

* He also shares the two questions your resume must answer

Edgar works in Human Resources, so if you want to get the gist about resumes, you can find that from 28:00.

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Survival mode can be a strength

The following is based on a recent episode with Kaveri Srivastava

As an immigrant, it's easy to feel stuck in survival mode. You need to focus on immediate needs, and it's hard to do that while identifying and pursuing longer-term growth opportunities.

What if your greatest asset was survival mode?

Here's Kaveri Srivastava's view of survival mode after 13 years as an immigrant:

* Embrace the blank slate. You've got nothing to lose. Take risks. Sensibly.

* Pay your future self first. Save 20-30% before spending, or find your number and save that first.

* Use your cultural strengths as an advantage. Were you raised to focus on education? Turn that into a passion for learning. Anything can be a competitive advantage.

You've got this.

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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 Kaveri Srivastava, Snr. Marketing Director at World Financial Group.

I’ve come to realize that the best way to hit the ground running as an immigrant in a new country isn’t necessarily the usual things people talk about—finding a job to keep you going while applying to 500 roles weekly and the like.

The most impactful things you’ll need to do when settling down are mindset-related.

Keep an open mind. Be adaptable. Drop any sense of entitlement. And be willing to reset and start from the beginning.

One caveat, though: don’t lose your identity in the process.

After 12+ years in Canada, Kaveri Srivastava is well-placed to speak about this mindset shift. In this conversation, we chat about:

* Her hit-the-ground running playbook

* Dealing with survival mentality as an immigrant

* Balancing the need to experience new things while saving for the future

* Her Indian heritage, and more.

My biggest takeaway: While it’s cool to experience new things, you should form the habit of paying your future self first.

Did you find this interesting? Please share with someone else who might find it helpful.

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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 Chris Ogunlowo, poet, adman, philosopher, and immigrant.

If you ask anyone planning to emigrate from Nigeria what country or city they plan to settle in as their new home, you would hear Canada, England, Australia, the United States, and even Germany.

But you would rarely hear someone say, Glasgow, Scotland.

But Chris is built differently. This xenophile decided to study in Glasgow because he was fascinated by its culture.

In this conversation, we chat about:

* Expectations vs. reality

* The need to make your new country work because you aren’t a tourist, and so you have no return ticket.

* Spotting opportunities as an immigrant

* Cultural integration and the work we need to do as immigrants to integrate, and more.

My biggest takeaway is that integration is a two-way street, with both the host nation and the immigrant responsible for fostering an atmosphere of mutual understanding and respect.

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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 Komal Faiz, a UX researcher par excellence and founder of Wanderlite, the gear rental marketplace. Komal moved to Canada as a student more than nine years ago.

Once school was over, people told her it would be stupid to leave Canada after her MSc program, so she stayed back. And in her words, her immigration journey has been like fine wine.

I do love a good wine analogy.

In this conversation, Komal and I explore:

* The advantages of immigrating as an international student, even though you are always broke

* The Wanderlite origin story

* The immigrant’s existential struggle for belonging and a sense of identity

* Her biggest lessons, and more.

This was a fun one. But the best part for me was when she said:

“We set such high standards for ourselves. But give yourself some space. You are good. You are doing okay.”

You can find that from 31:58.

Did you find this interesting? Please share with someone else who might find it helpful.

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👋🏽 Follow Komal on LinkedIn

🔗 Check out the Wanderlite website

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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 Mu Okonkwo, former basketball player now immigrant entrepreneur.

One random sunny day in Owerri, Nigeria, Mu’s friends convinced him to follow them to the basketball court. Their pitch? A scout was coming who would take promising prospects to the Ejike Ugboaja annual bootcamp — the biggest basketball camp in Nigeria.

Now, Mu only had eyes for soccer, or football as we call it back in Nigeria.

But a couple of months after that well-timed visit to the basketball court, Mu was actively scheming to move to the United States on a scholarship to play college basketball.

In this conversation, we chat about:

* Forging his Dad’s signature so the scout could formally keep working with him to secure his college scholarship

* Getting to the United States and discovering that his little knowledge of basketball was useless

* Going pro in 2019

* Adjusting to the social nuances of the American culture, and more.

Did you find this interesting? Please share with someone else who might find it helpful.

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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 Ann Iyke-Osuji, one of the bravest immigrants I’ve met.

After a pretty much shielded life during her undergraduate years, she decides she wants to run away from home to somewhere her parents have little or no influence (family).

Now, you would think she would pick a country where she had some friends. I mean, everyone needs some support, especially someone who has never really left the comfort of their home and loved ones. But not Angel.

She decided to move to Australia for her Master’s Degree.

And the universe decides, you wanna be independent, right? I’m gonna help you get there fast!

In this conversation, we explored:

* Struggling to settle in

* Learning how to make small talk and enjoy it

* Not realizing how fat Australia was from Nigeria

* Expecting to see more animals in Australia considering how the country is portrayed on social media, and more.

This is a must-listen. And here’s a great tip from Angel on integrating into your new culture — Integration is a two-way street. While you’re thinking everything and everyone around you is new to you, also remember that for the individuals you interact with, you are also new to them. So remember to give them the same grace you expect them to give you.

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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 Leslie Awasom, the anaesthesiologist who became a real-estate entrepreneur.

It’s said that whoever picks you up at the airport when you land can have an exponential effect on your perspective of your new country. And I agree.

Cheers to Uka and Adanna Osaigbovo. My family and I owe you both.

But back to Leslie Awasom, I’ve probably said this too many times, but he’s an immigrant rocketship. And this episode is chock-full of stories and lessons.

In this conversation, we chat about:

* Dealing with depression after the Y2K crash incinerated his computer science dream

* Getting into a serious car accident and switching to Nursing once he was able to stand on his two feet

* Meeting his business partners, Tenny Tolofari and Dr. Julius Oni

* Why they named the business XSITE Capital

* How he deals with failure, and a ton of other useful tips for immigrant entrepreneurs.

This was a good one. And if you’re an immigrant looking to start a business, here’s a tip from Leslie —> “Confidence comes with action.”

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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 Areej AbuAli, Founder of Women in Tech SEO.

Areej talks about something we immigrants sometimes gloss over. The tendency to pause everything because we feel like we are on the clock.

We’ve got a deadline. We’ve got to get that Permanent Residency. We’ve got to get that citizenship.

And I don’t fault anyone. I’ve been guilty of this, too. Heck, I still am.

But maybe every now and then, take a pause. Breathe. Live.

Areej moved from Egypt to the United Kingdom as an international student. In this conversation, we explored:

* The advantages of immigrating as a student

* Dealing with the pressure of switching from a student visa to a work visa

* Dealing with the survival mentality that hits first-generation immigrants

* Cultural shocks

* Areej as a fresh-to-the-UK immigrant vs. Areej as an experienced immigrant, and more.

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