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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?
I call Nwachukwu Edgar Onyeagba the man who saw the future. 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.
Edgar joined me on The Newcomers Podcast to chat about his experience 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.
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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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. She joined me on The Newcomers Podcast to 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.
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I need your help
I am working with an immigration expert to create content around the most common questions about the Canadian immigration process. Could you please hit reply and send in any questions you might have?
Danke!
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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 Ogunlowo is built differently. This xenophile decided to study in Glasgow because he was fascinated by its culture.
He joined me on The Newcomers Podcast to 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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Komal Faiz, a UX researcher par excellence and founder of Wanderlite, the gear rental marketplace, 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.
Komal joined me on The Newcomers Podcast to chat about:
* 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.
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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.
He joined me on The Newcomers Podcast to 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.
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Ann Iyke-Osuji is 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 decides 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!
She joined me on The Newcomers Podcast to chat about:
* 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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And I agree! Whoever picks you up at the airport when you land can have an exponential effect on how your perspective of your new country.
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.
Leslie joined me on The Newcomers Podcast to 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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Areej AbuAli, Founder of Women in Tech SEO, 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. And she joins me on The Newcomers Podcast to chat about:
* 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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“I miss being part of the top 1%.”
Let’s try to set some context.
Author of over five books, including the critically acclaimed Afonja The Rise & Afonja The Fall, Tunde Leye was what you would call a high-flyer back in Nigeria.
He was also a Consulting Partner at SBM Intelligence, an Africa-focused geopolitical research firm.
And then, as with most immigrants, he decided to leave all that and start afresh in England for his kids. And the financial tradeoffs and adjustments have been something.
In this refreshingly honest and raw conversation, Tunde joins me on The Newcomers Podcast to chat about:
* The work needed to rebuild social capital as an immigrant
* The mental burden of code-switching
* Adjusting to the smaller houses you find in England
* Being a tourist vs. being an immigrant
* Writing his new book (Fireflies on the Lagoon) and the Western influence on the writing process
* Career adjustments, and more.
P.S. Tunde runs a YouTube channel (African History Channel) where he brings African History to life from the Africans' perspective. You should check it out.
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Beatriz Zanatelli is such a warm soul and an experienced immigrant. Her Dad moved around a lot, which meant she had to up and settle down in different countries while growing up.
She gets what it means to pack one’s life into a suitcase or more and start afresh in a new country.
So, if you’re looking for a pick-me-up after a long week, this conversation with Bea (as she’s fondly called) is a great place to start.
She joined me on The Newcomers Podcast to chat about:
* Choosing Canada (she has a fun story about the CN Tower)
* Her first day in an English-speaking school as a Brazilian immigrant kid
* Her husband’s journey to restart his career in Canada
* Our super-power as immigrants
* Starting a business in Canada, and more.
Enjoy! And remember…
Your accent and past experiences are superpowers. Embrace them and bring them along with you.
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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 Shah of HypeDocs is one of those people.
The two-time startup founder joined us on The Newcomers Podcast 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.
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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.
He joined me on The Newcomers Podcast to 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.
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There’s so much to unpack in this episode with the wonderful Eric Agyemang of Maple Bridge Ventures.
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.
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Denys Smushko 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!
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“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 Thomas, Head of Marketing at Financial Cents, was a masterclass on getting hired as an immigrant before you set foot on Canadian soil.
We talk 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!
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Former elementary ESL teacher, college instructor, mother, and founder of the handcrafted decorative pillow company Smithy Home Couture, Smithe Sodine is an Amazon.
And she reminds me so much of my Mom, who passed away five years ago.
Smithe moved to Florida from Haiti as a 16 yo.
She couldn’t really speak English at the time, and 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’s heartwarming to see she went on to become an elementary English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher.
She joined me on The Newcomers Podcast to 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!
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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 Runsewe was no different.
“They say everyone in The Netherlands speaks English. But the system is designed for those who speak or can read Dutch.”
On this episode of The Newcomers Podcast, 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!
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And I agree. The journey changes you, so I like to call immigrants “the in-betweeners.” You are in between cultures.
I wonder what I would call Kateryna Makysmenko, who’s lived in four countries since she turned 16.
On this episode of The Newcomers Podcast, 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!
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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.
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I had goosebumps listening to Ayo Owodunni 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.
He joined me on The Newcomers Podcast to 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.
Resources
* 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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