Lucky to Be Here: Building Lives & Careers Abroad

In today’s episode, we reconnect with Season 1 guest Veronica Sepehr, Registered Canadian immigration consultant (RCIC), to talk about Canadian immigration and some of the key tips and information anyone interested in building a life and career in Canada post-graduation should know. If you have been thinking about Canada as a potential destination for your next professional steps, this episode is your starting point. After that, you can find Veronica Sepehr on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicasepehr/ and work with her through her company, Westdale Immigration by visiting its website https://westdaleimmigration.com/ and booking a consultation at https://tidycal.com/westdale. She also recently started a newsletter that you can sign up for at https://nain.kit.com KeywordsCanadian immigration, regulated consultants, international students, permanent residence, work permits, immigration process, Canada education, visa tipsChapters00:00 Introduction to Canadian immigration and Veronica Sepehr02:03 Difference between Canadian immigration consultants and lawyers03:58 The process of becoming a regulated Canadian immigration consultant06:54 Key considerations for international students moving to Canada10:03 Choosing designated learning institutions and their benefits12:00 Steps to prepare for permanent residence in Canada16:59 When and why clients typically reach out for immigration advice21:51 Common misconceptions and the value of early preparation27:05 Patience, timing, and staying informed in the immigration process29:59 Final thoughts on Canada's opportunities and misconceptionsLucky to Be Here is a podcast that showcases those who took the leap to build lives and careers across countries. They share their stories, their lessons, and their advice to show us what it means, and what it takes, to build a life and career abroad. Lucky to Be Here is hosted by Dr. Analía Gómez Vidal, C.P.C. and produced by AGV Services LLC.Visit our website https://www.agvservicesllc.com/luckytobehere to join our newsletter to receive our episodes in your inbox with career development reflections and resources and to connect in between episodes. Sponsored by Creative Colony Spaces.Music licensed through Soundstripe.Code: ZZ6YHENUCSA89QKZ, A4V6H0GQ4WRSHGWI© 2026 AGV Services LLC. All rights reserved.

Lucky to Be Here is a podcast that showcases those who took the leap to build lives and careers across countries. They share their stories, their lessons, and their advice to show us what it means, and what it takes, to build a life and career abroad. In Season 2, we are getting tactical and we expand into building more than our lives and careers… This new season features guests who decided to also build communities, resources, businesses and innovations to support other international students and professionals in different ways: from providing services that someone moving across countries might need to building spaces for community and trailblazing new discussions on what needs to be addressed systematically. We are more than Lucky to Be Here. We also pay it forward. Subscribe wherever you are listening or watching to receive our new episodes in your feed every other Wednesday. Lucky to Be Here is hosted by Dr. Analía Gómez Vidal, C.P.C. and produced by AGV Services LLC.Visit our website https://www.agvservicesllc.com/luckytobehere to join our newsletter to receive our episodes in your inbox with career development reflections and resources and to connect in between episodes.Music licensed through Soundstripe.Code: WXIBOP9IRNSPILSB© 2026 AGV Services LLC. All rights reserved.

In our last bonus episode for Season 1, we share four key takeaways from the first season of Lucky to Be Here. Whether you are an immigrant, want to become one, or have no desire to ever move countries, these takeaways speak to our lives and experiences beyond borders and nationalities. Because we can all learn from our stories. Keywordsimmigrant stories, personal growth, community building, life transitions, resilience, cultural adaptationChapters00:00 Introduction to the season’s reflections01:55 The journey of immigrant stories and shared insights03:50 The importance of community and support networks07:04 The internal transformation and feeling like a stranger10:06 The in-between space of identity and culture13:13 The significance of inner work and self-awareness15:05 Community building as a universal process16:57 The impact of our choices on others18:49 Recap of key takeaways and closing thoughtsLucky to Be Here is a podcast that showcases those who took the leap to build lives and careers across countries. They share their stories, their lessons, and their advice to show us what it means, and what it takes, to build a life and career abroad. Lucky to Be Here is hosted by Dr. Analía Gómez Vidal, C.P.C. and produced by AGV Services LLC.Visit our website https://www.agvservicesllc.com/luckytobehere to join our newsletter to receive our episodes in your inbox with career development reflections and resources and to connect in between episodes. Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/LuckyToBeHere to get access to behind-the-scenes updates and live chats with Analía. Sponsored by Creative Colony Spaces.© 2026 AGV Services LLC. All rights reserved.

Mutiara is a certified coach and global educator who equips students and professionals to become visionary leaders through immersive global experiences and transformative coaching. Her methodology blends practical leadership training with deep cultural intelligence, translating potential into purposeful impact.During our initial conversation, we discussed her experience as an international student, the ins and outs of traveling around the world from Indonesia, her time as an international student in the United States, and her homecoming journey and more recent initiatives, including the Berani Penasaran program (courageously curious). In this episode, we dive deeper into these themes, discussing what it feels like to navigate uncertainty while also ushering others through their own homecoming. You can find Mutiara on Instagram at @coachmuti. You can also learn more about her work at https://www.andselfcare.com/c-club and https://www.beranipenasaran.comKeywordspersonal growth, change, self-discovery, transformation, immigration, grief, intentionality, homecomingChapters00:00 Introduction to Mutiara's journey of self-discovery06:50 The nonlinear, spiral nature of change07:56 Experiencing loneliness and internal transition11:10 The importance of reflection and taking pauses13:58 Coming back home and integrating past and present16:57 The challenge of matching with current self in relationships20:01 Creating spaces for deep, meaningful conversations22:05 Grief and loss as part of change23:06 Final thoughts on embracing change and self-growthLucky to Be Here is a podcast that showcases those who took the leap to build lives and careers across countries. They share their stories, their lessons, and their advice to show us what it means, and what it takes, to build a life and career abroad. Lucky to Be Here is hosted by Dr. Analía Gómez Vidal, C.P.C. and produced by AGV Services LLC.Visit our website https://www.agvservicesllc.com/luckytobehere to join our newsletter to receive our episodes in your inbox with career development reflections and resources and to connect in between episodes. Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/LuckyToBeHere to get access to behind-the-scenes updates and live chats with Analía. Sponsored by Creative Colony Spaces.© 2026 AGV Services LLC. All rights reserved. 

Lucky to Be Here is a podcast that showcases those who took the leap to build lives and careers across countries. They share their stories, their lessons, and their advice to show us what it means, and what it takes, to build a life and career abroad.In this bonus episode of Lucky to Be Here, we delve into the importance of our support systems for professional and personal milestones, and the emotional realities of building a life abroad across the board, with our guest Gisela de la Villa. Gisela de la Villa’s journey from Argentina to establishing herself in Wellington, New Zealand with her partner was featured in our first season. But today, we talk more about what it means to build a community in her Kiwi home and how that directly impacts her professional life. We discuss this sense of proximity and how it shapes our career paths (including a career built entirely on referrals and endorsements). But we also dive into the other side of the coin, the distance and the grief that shapes our experiences living abroad, and the essential part that communication plays in this process. From painful news and miscommunications to learning to integrate your loved ones in your daily lives even from afar, we cover the interpersonal and emotional parts that we rarely share but quietly carry with us. Lucky to Be Here is hosted by Dr. Analía Gómez Vidal, C.P.C. and produced by AGV Services LLC.Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/LuckyToBeHere for free to receive our episodes in your inbox with career development reflections and resources and to connect in between episodes. Subscribers also get access to behind-the-scenes updates and live chats with Analía. Sponsored by Creative Colony Spaces.© 2026 AGV Services LLC. All rights reserved.