The Newcomers Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, I’m speaking with Bryan McInnis, who moved from the United States to Kampala, Uganda with his wife and two daughters.

Every immigrant has felt the tension of the pull towards your people as you settle into the new country. The comfort of shared references, familiar jokes, conversations that don’t require any literal or cultural translation.

Bryan McInnis was no different. But he and his wife left the United States specifically to give their kids a more robust picture of the world. You can’t do that if you only hang out in the expat bubble.

And so 6+ months into life in Kampala, Bryan’s learning about cultural differences that only show up if you dig in.

Bryan and I chat about:

• What it’s like to move the United States to Uganda

• The trip that kicked off everything

• The Ugandan entrepreneurial impulse that defies the “Africa is slow” stereotype

• What it means to raise third-culture children

• Why he thinks his family is more intentional now than ever

In this episode, I’m speaking with Simon Trevarthen, who leads the Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC). A big part of their work is helping helping immigrants see their skills through a different lens while helping employers access talent they desperately need.

And so the big question I hoped to answer with this episode is one I have been noodling on for a bit, which is:

"How do we help more immigrants see that their skills are exponential, not linear? And that the work you did in your home country can apply across multiple industries here.”

Simon and I also chat about:

• The hidden job market and how TRIEC helps immigrants access that pool of opportunities

• How informational interviews can help you land a job in Canada

• Why networking is non-negotiable for immigrants

• Why work connects to identity and how that complicates the immigrant experience when you have to take a role beneath your qualifications

In this episode, I’m speaking with Roy Ratnavel, a retired financial services executive and the author of the #1 Canadian national bestselling book Prisoner #1056.

Roy’s philosophy for life seems simple but I think it’s a hard one for most of us to adopt: fix yourself before you fix the world. If you’re a good husband, you raise good kids. Good households create good communities. Strong communities build strong societies. Strong societies make stronger countries.

And I think Canada needs a lot of this at the moment. Everything is ground up, not top down. The government can’t control what goes on in your head or within the four walls of your home. No regulation can stop that. So it comes down to individuals—not as a selfish notion, but as a recognition that you need to fix your flaws before pointing out others’ shortcomings.

Roy spent a decade after arriving in Canada blaming everyone else for his struggles. At 31, he realized he was the problem. He went to war with the man in the mirror, sought therapy for PTSD, and completely changed his approach to life.

Roy and I chat about my biggest lessons from reading his book. We also explore:

• Why the 2010 Winter Olympics was the most Canadian he’d ever felt

• How Canada can unite people across differences

• Why we need to lower the barrier but not the bar

• Moral exhibitionism vs. real solutions

• Lying to yourself versus being honest about mistakes

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 Aashni Shah, founder of HypeDocs.

Colored and black women entrepreneurs are among the Canadian market's most qualified, highly educated, and skilled entrepreneurs. But they still have to deal with systemic racism, bias, sexism, access to networks, mentoring, and sponsorship.

I could go on and on. But the point is that some people don't let that stop them.

Aashni is one of those people.

The two-time startup founder joined me to chat about:

* Her motivations

* Realizing her opportunities were different as a person of color

* Language as a bridge

* Putting in the effort

* Her Dad’s influence on her approach to business

Enjoy! And remember…

…Integration is a two-way street. You have to put in the work.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Aashni on LinkedIn

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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 Sebastian Cuervo, writer and copy strategist.

Moving to a new country can be a nerve-wracking experience. But that doesn’t mean you should allow the anxiety to hold you back. As Sebastian Cuervo puts it, you don’t do yourself any favors by staying put in your comfort zone while settling down.

For example, deciding to rent a home where most of your neighbors are predominantly from your home country.

Sebastian moved to Canada from Colombia due to what I call the noise - that steady, almost invisible hum in your head that keeps you on your toes, worrying about what could go wrong and what went wrong.

And I totally relate…cos that’s one of the reasons we left Naija.

In this conversation, we chat about:

* Misconceptions we often have about immigration

* Tradeoffs we have to make when we move to a new country

* His cultural heritage and what he hopes to pass on to his offspring

* The Colombian Sebastian vs. Canadian Sebastian

Enjoy! And remember…

…Don’t limit yourself.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Sebastian on LinkedIn

🖊️ Sign up for Sebastian’s Substack

Did you read it?

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 the wonderful Eric Agyemang of Maple Bridge Ventures.

There’s so much to unpack in this episode. But if there’s one thing you should take from the conversation, it’s DON’T DIM YOUR LIGHT.

Eric and his team at Maple Bridge VC are investing in immigrant founders in Canada. And he joined me on The Newcomers Podcast to chat about:

* Owning your narrative

* Tips for immigrant founders looking to raise funds

* Common challenges immigrant entrepreneurs face

* Why an immigrant is a natural for entrepreneurship

* And his journey from international student to venture capitalist.

Enjoy! And remember.

Don’t dim your light. You’ve got this.

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Eric on LinkedIn

🔗 Check out Maple Bridge if you’re an immigrant entrepreneur

Did you read it?

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 Denys Smushko, international student turned community connector via his work at RBC Bank.

Denys moved to Canada within six months. He then spent one year in Olds, a town in Central Alberta, working with a group of Ukrainians at a hardware store.

Talk about a soft landing.

But things got hairy once he decided to go to school.

It even got more complicated when it was time to get a job. Denys describes struggling with self-doubt, questioning himself, and thinking he wasn’t good enough.

Today, Denys helps other immigrants settle in via the RBC Newcomers program. He joined me on The Newcomers Podcast to chat about:

* His honeymoon phase and the subsequent reality check

* The stuff he sees immigrants get wrong when trying to settle in

* His how to hit the ground running playbook

* Job hunting in Canada vs. back home in Ukraine

* The RBC Newcomers program, how they help immigrants, and more.

Enjoy!

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Denys on LinkedIn

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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 Tosin Thomas, Head of Marketing at Financial Cents.

“I thought it would take 3 - 4 months to get a job when I started applying. But I got my first offer within two weeks and the second offer by the third week.”

This episode with Tosin was a masterclass on getting hired as an immigrant before you set foot on Canadian soil.

In this conversation, Tosin and I chat about:

* Getting the first job offer (she thought it was a scam when the email came in)

* How she set up her resume

* Her approach to upskilling herself

* The importance of prepping for your career switch early

* And how to handle the interviewing stage.

I’ll leave you with this quote from the interview:

“Be confident to accept yourself for who you are. The fact you have an accent doesn’t make you any less. If the individual on the other side sees you any less, its on them, not on you. And that’s somebody you probably shouldn’t be working with.”

I know the above quote can be a problematic heuristic when one is desperate for a job to cover the mounting bills. But keep your chin up. You’ve got this.

Enjoy!

Official Links

👋🏽 Follow Tosin on LinkedIn

🖊️ Book Tosin for a personalized career review and guidance coaching session

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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 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

Did you read it?

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 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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