The Freshstart Podcast

Dear Immigrants is a 5-10 minute weekly letter to immigrants on varying topics to help them navigate their journey.

The topic of today's episode is “5 ways to develop skills for the future of work” where I shared the top strategies for building the skills that will not only help you succeed, but thrive, in the future of work.

On this week's episode of the Freshstart podcast, I chat with Anthony Viel, CEO of Deloitte Canada.

During our conversation, AV opened up about his personal and professional journey, sharing both the highs and lows that have helped shape him into the incredible leader he is today.

In addition, we discussed the importance of mentorship and sponsorship in one's career, and how they can make all the difference in achieving success.

We also discussed the critical issue of underemployment of skilled immigrants in Canada and how the country can better manage this challenge and much more.

Whether you're a young professional just starting out or a seasoned veteran in the workforce, this episode is packed with actionable insights that you can immediately incorporate into your own life.

Don't miss out on this valuable opportunity to learn from one of Canada's top business leaders and gain a fresh perspective on your own career path.

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On this week's episode of the Freshstart podcast, I chat with Cheesan Chew, Chief Strategy Officer of Manifest Climate. Cheesan shares her personal journey and early struggles, as well as strategies for managing one's career. In addition, we discussed how companies can create a more inclusive workplace, particularly for women and immigrants. This episode is packed with actionable insights that you can incorporate into your life immediately.

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On this week's episode of the Freshstarthub podcast, I delved deep into a topic that hits close to home for me: how to avoid the comparison trap as an immigrant. As someone who has walked the path of a newcomer, I know firsthand how easy it is to fall into the trap of comparing yourself to those around you.

But here's the thing: comparison is a thief of joy. It robs you of your progress, your confidence, and your happiness. And as an immigrant, you already have enough challenges to face without the added burden of constantly comparing yourself to others.

That's why I shared five practical steps in this episode and emotional stories from my journey because I want you to know that you're not alone and that it's possible to break free from the comparison trap.

So listen to this episode, dear friend, and share it with anyone you know who might benefit from these practical steps and emotional stories. Let's break free from the comparison trap and focus on our own unique journeys. Together, we can build a brighter future for ourselves and for each other.

On this week's episode of the Freshstart podcast, I chat with Cheryl Tjok-A-Tam, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Change management in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer of RBC Royal Bank.

In this episode, Cheryl shared her career journey and lessons learned. Cheryl shares her experiences and insights on how to navigate the corporate world as a Black woman, and how to overcome challenges and setbacks to achieve success.

Key Takeaways:

1. Building strong relationships and networks is crucial for success in the corporate world, especially for Black women who face unique challenges and barriers.
2. Soft skills such as communication, collaboration, and emotional intelligence are just as important as technical skills for career advancement.
3. It's essential to have a growth mindset and be open to learning and development opportunities.
4. Having a support system of mentors and sponsors can be instrumental in achieving career goals.

This episode is perfect for anyone who wants to learn from the experiences and insights of a brilliant leader in the corporate world. It's ideal for professionals who are looking to navigate the workplace and overcome challenges to achieve success.

Cheryl's journey and lessons learned offer valuable insights and inspiration for anyone looking to advance their career and overcome obstacles in the workplace. Her experiences as a Black woman in a leadership role offer a unique perspective on diversity and inclusion in the corporate world.

If you know someone who is looking to advance their career or overcome challenges in the workplace, share this episode with them. Cheryl's story and lessons learned can help inspire and empower others to achieve success in their careers. Sharing this episode can also help raise awareness about the unique challenges faced by Black women in the corporate world and the importance of creating a more inclusive and equitable workplace.

On this week's episode of the Freshstart podcast, I chat with Omo Akintan, Chief People Officer at University Pension Plan Ontario, who shares her remarkable story of building a career from the ground up as a Black woman. 

In this episode, we'll delve into Omo's personal experiences and the challenges she faced on her path to founding her passion.

Get ready to be inspired as we explore Omo's trailblazing leadership style, her innovative approach to culture and diversity, and the valuable lessons she's learned along the way.

Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur or a seasoned professional, this episode is packed with valuable insights to help you achieve your own path to greatness."

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On this week's episode of the Freshstart podcast, I chat with Tene Knibbs, a Partner at Deloitte, who shares her inspiring journey of overcoming challenges and carving her own path in the business world. The discussion goes beyond just Tene's experiences transitioning to consulting, moving to a new country, and growing her career as a woman in corporate Canada. Listeners will also gain valuable insights on hiring skilled immigrants, a topic that is crucial in today's diverse and inclusive workplaces.

Throughout the conversation, Tene candidly shares her personal and professional experiences, highlighting the lessons she learned and the strategies she employed to succeed. Her journey is not only inspiring but also relatable, making it an excellent resource for anyone seeking inspiration or looking to gain insights from a successful leader.

Whether you are an aspiring executive, a seasoned professional, or simply curious about Tene's story, this podcast episode is not to be missed. It offers practical advice and actionable tips for anyone looking to navigate unknown territories and succeed in today's rapidly changing business landscape.

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This is Part 2 of "How to access funding for your startup with Naren Balakrishnan." If you haven't heard Part 1 yet, go back and listen to it. That is the episode before this because you'd need that for context. Now let's dive right into Part 2 of How to access funding for your startup with Naren Balakrishnan

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Startup founders and small business owners are facing difficulties in obtaining capital due to the current economic climate with investors, banks, and consumers becoming more cautious with the recent stock market crash and rising inflation rates. 

This has resulted in higher interest rates, making it more expensive to borrow money, and causing investors to seek more secure investment options with guaranteed returns, reducing the appetite for riskier startups. 

However, there are alternative ways to secure business support and funding.

On this week's episode, I chat with Naren Balakrishnan, Partner, R&D and Government Incentives at Grant Thornton LLP. 

Naren shared how startups can access funds in Canada, and much more.

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Dear Immigrants is a 5-10 minute weekly letter to immigrants on varying topics to help them navigate their journey.

The topic of today's episode is “is “Be willing to go through the process” where I shared five ways to help you enjoy the process.

This is Part 2 of How to Rebuild A Business Empire After Losing it All with Tareq Hadhad. If you haven't heard Part 1 yet, go back and listen to it. That is episode 103 Season 1 because you'd need that for context. Now let's dive right into Part 2 of How to Rebuild A Business Empire After Losing it All with Tareq Hadhad

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Dear Immigrants is a 5-10 minute weekly letter to immigrants on varying topics to help them navigate their journey.

The topic of today's episode is “is “Be kind to yourself” where I shared four ways to be kind to yourself.

Listen, enjoy, and share.

Dear Immigrants is a 5-10 minute weekly letter to immigrants on varying topics to help them navigate their journey.

The topic of today's episode is “Believe in yourself” where I shared a very important trait of highly successful people.

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Dear Immigrants is a 5-10 minute weekly letter to immigrants on varying topics to help them navigate their journey.

The topic of today's episode is “You Are More Powerful Than You Think” where I shared one principle that all successful leaders understand its importance.

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Dear Immigrants is a 5-10 minute weekly letter to immigrants on varying topics to help them navigate their journey.

The topic of today's episode is “You have what it takes” where I shared 3 principles that have helped me.

Listen, enjoy, and share.

Dear Immigrants is a 5-10 minute weekly letter to immigrants on varying topics to help them navigate their journey.

The topic of today's episode is “Congratulations, you made it” where I discussed two important principles that can help you on this journey.

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They had lived an absolutely beautiful life in their homeland in Syria, in the city of Damascus.

In his homeland of Syria, his family owned a chocolate empire that was lost in a war. He was an aspiring physician. He was trying to finish his medical degree.

Then the Syrian war broke out and his family lost everything through the bombing of their chocolate factory.

They spent three years as refugees, with little opportunity or hope.

The Hadhads moved to Canada as refugees, they had to start from scratch like newborn babies.

They built a thriving company called Peace by Chocolate. They are now one of the biggest employers in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada.

In this week's episode, I chat with Tareq Hadhad, CEO & Founder of Peace by Chocolate.

Tareq shared how they reinvent themselves, how they rebuilt their business in Canada despite being newcomers, how they maintained a positive mindset despite the challenges they faced as immigrants in Canada, and much more.

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This is Part 2 of how to find your voice as an immigrant woman in the workplace with Iris Tam. If you haven't heard Part 1 yet, go back and listen to it. That is the episode right before this because you'd need that for context. Now let's dive right into Part 2 of How to find your voice as an immigrant woman in the workplace with Iris Tam.

According to a study done by Jennifer Jagire titled "Immigrant Women and Workplace in Canada: Organizing Agents for Social Change", Immigrant women in Canada are marginalized in the workplace, overworked, discriminated against, and pushed to the periphery through exclusions and exploitation. However, regardless of these hostile structures and environments, immigrant women have learned some coping strategies that see them organizing in resisting workplace injustices of exclusions, discrimination, and marginalization to overcome their predicament. 

The term “Immigrant women,” in this context, refers to women born outside Canada and not from Western Europe.

Despite these challenges immigrant women face, there are role models like Iris Tam who are paving the way for other immigrant women and showing that it is possible to find your voice and grow your career to a senior leadership level. 

In this week's episode, I chat with Iris Tam, Partner, Commercial Real Estate at Fasken. 

Iris shared what started her interest in a career in law, strategies she used to climb the corporate ladder in Canada as a woman and visible minority, and much more.

Listen, enjoy, and share.

According to a study done by Jennifer Jagire titled "Immigrant Women and Workplace in Canada: Organizing Agents for Social Change", Immigrant women in Canada are marginalized in the workplace, overworked, discriminated against, and pushed to the periphery through exclusions and exploitation. However, regardless of these hostile structures and environments, immigrant women have learned some coping strategies that see them organizing in resisting workplace injustices of exclusions, discrimination, and marginalization to overcome their predicament. 

The term “Immigrant women,” in this context, refers to women born outside Canada and not from Western Europe.

Despite these challenges immigrant women face, there are role models like Iris Tam who are paving the way for other immigrant women and showing that it is possible to find your voice and grow your career to a senior leadership level. 

In this week's episode, I chat with Iris Tam, Partner, Commercial Real Estate at Fasken. 

Iris shared what started her interest in a career in law, strategies she used to climb the corporate ladder in Canada as a woman and visible minority, and much more.

Listen, enjoy, and share.

Some of the most successful entrepreneurs are immigrants. Many of them are billionaires. And the companies they founded have created trillions of dollars in value for shareholders, employees, and customers alike.

There’s Google co-founder Sergey Brin, born in communist Russia. The man who could take us to Mars, Elon Musk, from South Africa. Arianna Huffington, founder of the eponymous news site, from Greece. (And the list goes on.)

There are lesser-known names, too, of course. Like Jenny Q. Ta, CEO of Sqeeqee, who’s from Vietnam. Tomas Gorny, CEO of Nextiva, from Poland. Claudia Mirza, founder of Akorbi, from Columbia.

In Canada, among the leading Greater Toronto Area employers across the public, private and non-profit sectors, only 6 per cent of executives — those at the level of vice-president or above — are immigrants, according to a 2015 survey of 92 employers conducted by Canadian HR Reporter in partnership with TRIEC.

There is hope in sight because, in this week's episode, I chat with Zabeen Hirji, Strategic Advisor - Private & Public Sector, Executive Advisor, Future of Work at Deloitte, and former Chief Human Resources Officer, RBC Royal Bank.

Zabeen shared how she grew her career from a teller to senior roles spanning Retail Banking, Operations, Credit Cards, Human Resources and then becoming the Chief Human Resources Officer of RBC Royal Bank until her retirement from the bank in 2017, how she juggled family and career, how organizations can build a future of work that works for immigrant talents, and much more.

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The fashion industry embodies a huge effective number of women. Globally, it is estimated that 85% of industry workers are female. 

In this week's episode, I chat with Elle AyoubZadeh, founder of Zvelle, a brand that appeals to women and champions their stories of passion, determination, and success.

Elle shared why she relocated to Canada, what started her interest in entrepreneurship, what made the wife of Canada’s Prime Minister to order her shoe brand, and much more.

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An increasing number of newcomers arrive in Canada every year. The Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) is connecting early and building life-long relationships by helping newcomers navigate banking in Canada, become homeowners, and make connections in their new communities.

RBC Meeting Place, a first-of-its-kind branch, is staffed with employees who bring a rich sense of culture, diversity, and empathy to newcomer clients, as many were newcomers themselves. They have also partnered with community organizations to help newcomers find meaningful work and get advice.

In this week's episode, Marina Gerges and Shorouq Alkayyali. They both came to Canada as internationally trained professionals and they are both paying it forward by helping newcomers transition into Canadian society. They are both Assistant branch managers at the Royal Bank of Canada meeting place. In today’s episode, Marina and Shorouq shared strategies they have used to navigate their career as visible minorities, how RBC newcomer center is benefiting newcomers, and much more. 

This week's episode is sponsored by RBC - Royal Bank of Canada

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This is Part 2 of how to build the career of your dreams as an immigrant woman with Candice Maxis. If you haven't heard Part 1 yet, go back and listen to it. That is the episode right before this because you'd need that for context. Now let's dive right into Part 2 of how to build the career of your dreams as a woman with Candice Maxis.

Although you may have heard stories of people stumbling into their dream job or discovering their life's calling through unexpected events, the truth is that for the vast majority of people, planning your career and taking deliberate steps toward success is a much more likely path to achieving the career of your dreams.

In this week's episode, I chat with Candice Maxis, an Executive Director, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Deloitte. Candice shared how hiring managers and organizations should consider candidates with foreign-trained credentials and experience, the kind of future she sees for diversity, equity, inclusion, and much more.

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Although you may have heard stories of people stumbling into their dream job or discovering their life's calling through unexpected events, the truth is that for the vast majority of people, planning your career and taking deliberate steps toward success is a much more likely path to achieving the career of your dreams.

In this week's episode, I chat with Candice Maxis, an Executive Director, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Deloitte. Candice shared what lead her to study Human Resources Management at the University, some of the major hurdles she faced in her career and how she overcame them, and much more.

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This is Part 2 of Practical steps to land your dream job as a skilled immigrant with Shade Ladipo. If you haven't heard Part 1 yet, go back and listen to it. That is the episode right before this because you'd need that for context. Now let's dive right into Part 2 of Practical steps to land your dream job as a skilled immigrant with Shade Ladipo.

Landing your dream job in 2022 is no easy task. A lot of immigrant job seekers are using outdated information, and it’s costing them dearly. Landing your dream job as an internationally trained professional and international student takes a lot of self-awareness, perseverance, and creativity.

I chat with Shade Ladipo, an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Manager at Capital Power. Shade shared how organizations can build a future of work that works for immigrant talents, the unique value immigrants bring to Canada, and much more.

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Landing your dream job in 2022 is no easy task. A lot of immigrant job seekers are using outdated information, and it’s costing them dearly. Landing your dream job as an internationally trained professional and international student takes a lot of self-awareness, perseverance, and creativity.

I chat with Shade Ladipo, an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Manager at Capital Power. Shade shared how she relocated to Canada, the practical steps she used to land her dream job, and much more.

Listen, enjoy, and share.

This is Part 2 of Creating opportunities for black talents in the technology sector with Jermaine L. Murray. If you haven't heard Part 1 yet, go back and listen to it. That is the episode right before this because you'd need that for context. Now let's dive right into Part 2 of Creating opportunities for black talents in the technology sector with Jermaine L. Murray

As Canada recovers from its most recent economic downturn, experts see the technology sector as the engine of recovery. Jermaine has been a consistent advocate for ensuring that Black tech talent is fairly represented in our technology-driven future.

In this week's episode, I chat with Jermaine Murray, a Technical Recruiter at Wealthsimple. Jermaine shared what the black experience is like to get ahead in this world, how organizations can show that they are committed to DEI, how to network successfully, how to use being an internationally trained professional to your advantage, and much more.

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As Canada recovers from its most recent economic downturn, experts see the technology sector as the engine of recovery. Jermaine has been a consistent advocate for ensuring that Black tech talent is fairly represented in our technology-driven future.

In this week's episode, I chat with Jermaine Murray, a Technical Recruiter at Wealthsimple. Jermaine shared how to switch careers without traditional experience, how to communicate your value to employers, and much more.

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This is the Part 2 of How To Harness The Power Of Community with Janet Adesina. If you haven't heard Part 1 yet, go back and listen to it. That is the episode right before this because you'd need that for context. Now let's dive right into Part 2 of How To Harness The Power Of Community with Janet Adesina.

The pandemic's social distancing has left a void for ways for people to feel connected and like they belong. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our mental health has received a lot of attention in the media. Why do people want to be a part of a community, and how can immigrants best capitalize on this innate desire to belong?

In this week's episode, I chat with Janet Adesina, a community builder. Janet shared a personal story of failure, how to overcome our own biases, and much more.

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The pandemic's social distancing has left a void for ways for people to feel connected and like they belong. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our mental health has received a lot of attention in the media. Why do people want to be a part of a community, and how can immigrants best capitalize on this innate desire to belong?

In this week's episode, I chat with Janet Adesina, a community builder. Janet shared her expectations versus her reality in Canada, the role mentors played in her life, why belonging to the right community is important for internationally trained talents & international students, and much more.

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This is the Part 2 of The Blueprint of Successful Start-ups with Gbemi Akande. If you haven't heard Part 1 yet, go back and listen to it. That is the episode right before this because you'd need that for context. Now let's dive right into Part 2 of The Blueprint of Successful Start-ups with Gbemi Akande.

Many aspiring entrepreneurs have it backward. They believe that launching a massively successful business is as simple as snapping their fingers. A good genie in the sky will appear out of nowhere to bless their idea and suddenly fill their bank account with billions. It's time to wake up!

In this week's episode, I chat with Gbemi Akande, an industry expert who provides advisory service to founders. Gbemi discussed extensively what separates founders that fail and founders that succeed, factors investors look at before investing in a startup, innovation hubs and accelerators founders can access grants, and much more

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Many aspiring entrepreneurs have it backward. They believe that launching a massively successful business is as simple as snapping their fingers. A good genie in the sky will appear out of nowhere to bless their idea and suddenly fill their bank account with billions. It's time to wake up!

In this week's episode, I chat with Gbemi Akande, an industry expert who provides advisory service to founders. Gbemi shared some proven traits that separate successful founders from those that fail, he shared the event that lead to him moving to Canada, strategies he uses to land good jobs without formally applying, and much more. 

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Today's episode is about our plans for 2022. Listen, enjoy and provide feedback. Please share with everyone you think might benefit.

Today's episode is a solo episode talking about some of our 2021 successes and initiatives for 2022.

Some of our 2021 successes includes:

1. Over 42 members of our community landed well-paying jobs
2. We had $3.2M in economic impact for internationally trained talents
3. We launched our job board
4. We launched our free career tools and templates portal
5. We launched our free career accelerator bootcamp
6. We hosted over 15 mentorship sessions with industry professionals
7. We had over 11K podcast listens & downloads
8. We hosted 32 events
9. We collaborated with 15 leading organizations
10. We shared over 300 resumes of Freshstart hubers with recruiters

Thank you.

This week's episode is all about how to make 2022 your best year ever. I spoke about the excerpt of a book titled; "Your Best Year Ever" and how you can utilize some of the principles from the book to make 2022 your best year ever.

This is the Part 2 of Making the Leap to Entrepreneurship with Precious Ile. If you haven't heard Part 1 yet, go back and listen to it. That is the episode right before this because you'd need that for context. Now let's dive right into Part 2 of Making the Leap to Entrepreneurship with Precious Ile.

Getting a startup off the ground can leave you vulnerable — emotionally and financially — especially for those without a safety net and immigrants.

This week's episode is all about how to make the leap to entrepreneurship. I discussed extensively with Precious what started her interest in entrepreneurship, how to distinguish between volunteering and being extorted, what entrepreneurship is all about, and much more.

Getting a startup off the ground can leave you vulnerable — emotionally and financially — especially for those without a safety net and immigrants.

This week's episode is all about how to make the leap to entrepreneurship. I discussed extensively with Precious what started her interest in entrepreneurship, how to distinguish between volunteering and being extorted, what entrepreneurship is all about, and much more.

Chasing passions and following dreams is becoming the norm as people begin to move away from the traditional nine to five, towards the goal of doing what they love.

This week's episode is all about how to convert your passion to profit and build a business you love. I discussed extensively with Dr. Shahab why he chose a different path after medical school, the difficulties he faced as a newcomer, the top three skills needed to be a successful immigrant entrepreneur, and much more.

Job-hunting can at times be stressful, and it can be even more so when you thought you aced an interview only to get rejected for the position.

This week's episode is all about how to deal with job search rejection. I shared some of the tips I use to deal with rejections.

This is the Part 2 of How to Make Strides As An Immigrant in Canada and Beyond with Norman Musengimana. If you haven't heard Part 1 yet, go back and listen to it. That is the episode right before this because you'd need that for context. Now let's dive right into Part 2 of How to Make Strides As An Immigrant in Canada and Beyond with Norman Musengimana.

In our world today, it is easy to get discouraged, and even to feel despair. But one of the best ways of fighting back against discouragement and despair is to find the things we can do in our own lives to make the world more just, more compassionate, and more kind.

This week's episode is all about how to make strides as an Immigrant in Canada and beyond. I discussed extensively with Norman his journey to Canada, his journey to entrepreneurship, and much more.

In our world today, it is easy to get discouraged, and even to feel despair. But one of the best ways of fighting back against discouragement and despair is to find the things we can do in our own lives to make the world more just, more compassionate, and more kind.

This week's episode is all about how to make strides as an Immigrant in Canada and beyond. I discussed extensively with Norman his journey to Canada, his journey to entrepreneurship, and much more.

The 500,000 international students who come to Canada every year for college and university studies are just the tip of the iceberg. Thousands more travel here to go to elementary or high school, to take part in exchange programs, or attend language school. Canada is a great place to grow and thrive as a student but adapting to a new environment takes time. Although each person's experience is different,

This week's episode is all about how international students can navigate their journey in Canada. I discussed extensively with Mary how to deal with peer pressure as a student, the importance of relevant work experience for students & skilled immigrants, and much more.

This is Part 2 of “Keeping Your Eyes on The Goal with Raj Kothari” If you haven't heard Part 1 yet, go back and listen to it. That is the episode right before this because you'd need that for context.

What will keep you motivated toward your goal? The answer, keep your eyes on it. Never lose sight of what you are working toward. Look at the picture and the reward you will reap when you finally reach your goal. Goals seem so far in the future and so hard to reach unless you break them down into small steps that allow you to track your progress.

This week's episode is all about how to keep your eyes on your personal and professional success. I discussed extensively with Raj how he was able to climb to the top of his career despite the challenges and microaggression he faced along the way.

As new immigrants continue to form part of the Canadian multicultural fabric they must fully understand their obligations as a Canadian resident/citizen. They must understand and accept that they are expected to contribute to national safety, stability, and social harmony.

This week's episode is all about how immigrants can engage the Canadian culture. I discussed extensively with Charles the importance of role models, how to engage the Candian culture, Charles’ advice as a Human Resources executive, and much more.

There's no right or wrong way to create the life you want, but there is your way!

The challenge is that it requires you to pause and listen to your own intuition and soul guidance - and what that looks like is different for everyone.

This week's episode is all about how immigrants can forge their career paths. I discussed extensively with Sharon how she landed a job in journalism despite the challenges she faced, the role of allyship for career success, and much more.

This is Part 2 of A Life of Adventure with Sorin Mihailovici. If you haven't heard Part 1 yet, go back and listen to it. That is the episode right before this because you'd need that for context. Now let's dive right into Part 2 of A Life of Adventure with Sorin Mihailovici.

“Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing.” ~Denis Waitley

This week's episode is all about how immigrants can live an adventurous life. I discussed extensively with Sorin how he got appearances in major movies as an immigrant in Canada, the importance of hard work and patience, the benefits of keeping your end goal in sight, and much more.

“Life is inherently risky. There is only one big risk you should avoid at all costs, and that is the risk of doing nothing.” ~Denis Waitley

This week's episode is all about how immigrants can live an adventurous life. I discussed extensively with Sorin how he got appearances in major movies as an immigrant in Canada, the importance of hard work and patience, the benefits of keeping your end goal in sight, and much more.

The world has become so competitive, doing well in your job and moving forward with your career is more important now than ever. Career advancement and recognition are on every professional's list of goals. But what sets the exceptional professionals apart?

This week's episode is all about how immigrants can make it to the top of their careers. I discussed extensively with Hua the importance of mentors & sponsors, how to cultivate a mentor-mentee relationship, and much more.

This is Part 2 of Carving your own path as an international student with Christopher Evelyn. If you haven't heard Part 1 yet, go back and listen to it. That is the episode right before this because you'd need that for context. Now let's dive right into Part 2 of Carving your own path as an international student with Christopher Evelyn.

Have you ever felt weird?

It’s as if everyone was doing one thing, and here you were, doing something completely different. Whenever you choose to do something different — whether it’s moving somewhere abroad, starting a business, or embarking on a personal journey — someone, somewhere will have an opinion.

And often, the opinion won’t be positive. If it’s something unusual, your family and friends will express their concerns or try to convince you to do something else. Strangers might give you that wary sideways glance and wonder about you.

But if you want to be extraordinary, that means doing something out of the ordinary. So, accept that doing something for yourself might make other people uncomfortable.

This week's episode is all about how you can carve your own path as an International student. I discussed extensively with Christopher how failure can lead to success, how to thrive in the face of uncertainties, and much more.

Have you ever felt weird?

It’s as if everyone was doing one thing, and here you were, doing something completely different. Whenever you choose to do something different — whether it’s moving somewhere abroad, starting a business, or embarking on a personal journey — someone, somewhere will have an opinion.

And often, the opinion won’t be positive. If it’s something unusual, your family and friends will express their concerns or try to convince you to do something else. Strangers might give you that wary sideways glance and wonder about you.

But if you want to be extraordinary, that means doing something out of the ordinary. So, accept that doing something for yourself might make other people uncomfortable.

This week's episode is all about how you can carve your own path as an International student. I discussed extensively with Christopher how failure can lead to success, how to thrive in the face of uncertainties, and much more.