Arrivals: Stories from first-generation immigrant women

Arrivals Media
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

Moving to a new country is so much more than what we typically see or talk about. "Arrivals" features first-generation immigrant women sharing their stories of starting from scratch. Discover honest conversations about the tension between where we come from, where we are going, why we stay, and how it expands our lives. Substack: https://substack.com/@arrivalspod Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/arrivalspod/

  1. Sep 18

    From Tunisia to London to NYC: Knowing Her Worth and Trusting Her Gut

    Senda Ben Abdallah was born in the U.S. and raised in Tunisia; she left home at 18 to study in London, where she spent 8 years building a life and career before taking the next leap to New York. In this episode, we talk about what it means to build a life far from family, the loneliness that can come with it, and the complicated relationship we develop with the places we live in. We also get into work: choosing startups over the prestige of big tech, learning to separate your work from your worth, recognizing when an environment is no longer helping you grow, and trusting your gut enough to leave.  Senda also shares her experience as a woman in tech and why speaking up matters.  Today, she is the Head of Brand & Product Marketing at Vibe.co, a self-serve Connected TV advertising platform, where she leads a team across product marketing, brand, content, and demand generation. Before Vibe, she held product marketing roles at earlier-stage startups.  She is also the host of Too Long Don't Listen (tl;dl), a podcast and newsletter for product marketers. Where to find Senda:  - Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toolongdontlisten/ - Newsletter: https://toolongdontlisten.beehiiv.com/ - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sendabenabdallah/ - Podcast: https://linktr.ee/toolongdontlisten Links mentioned in this episode:  At the beginning of this episode, I share an event I’m excited to support: Drop the Mic: Podcasting When the World is On Fire. Learn more / event page:⁠⁠https://mic-drop.teachery.co/enroll?a=eJy4N2Yg⁠⁠ Register here:⁠⁠https://mic-drop.teachery.co/main-payment-page?a=eJy4N2Yg⁠ Episode edited by Sydney at Beyond Idling 🎙️⁠⁠https://bio.site/beyondidling

  2. Sep 10

    From Vietnam to California: Turning Her Own Skin Struggles Into a Vegan Beauty Brand

    Michelle Doan left Vietnam as a child with her mother and five siblings, moved to Canada, and eventually moved to California, where she founded her own beauty company. Her path to entrepreneurship grew out of a personal struggle. Years of dealing with cystic acne and sensitive skin affected her confidence and left her searching for products that wouldn’t make her skin worse. That frustration eventually led her to start Emani while going through a divorce and raising two young children. In this episode, Michelle talks about fleeing Vietnam, starting over in Canada and California, facing unexpected immigration challenges in the U.S., and building a company from the ground up. Links mentioned in this episode:  At the beginning of this episode, I share an event I’m excited to support: Drop the Mic: Podcasting When the World is On Fire. Learn more / event page:⁠https://mic-drop.teachery.co/enroll?a=eJy4N2Yg⁠ Register here ($0.00):⁠https://mic-drop.teachery.co/main-payment-page?a=eJy4N2Yg Episode edited by Sydney at Beyond Idling 🎙️⁠https://bio.site/beyondidling

    From Vietnam to California: Turning Her Own Skin Struggles Into a Vegan Beauty Brand

  3. Aug 26

    From Israel to LA: Building a Music Business and Embracing AI as an Artist

    Noam Wolf is an entrepreneur, performer, and mother who moved from Israel to the US to pursue her music career.  In this episode, she shares what it took to move to New Hampshire with her husband, build a network from scratch, and eventually leave her full-time job to bet on herself and move to LA. Today, she is the founder of Sunny Entertainment, a live entertainment company performing at weddings, corporate events, and celebrations across the US.  We talk about the intersection of creativity and entrepreneurship, why Noam loves the business side of music, and how she uses AI to manage most tasks, from leads and proposals to marketing and operations, while deliberately keeping the creative side of her music human. She also talks about navigating the U.S. immigration system, building a life far from family, and raising her two-year-old daughter between Israeli and American cultures. Links mentioned in this episode:  At the beginning of this episode, I share an event I’m excited to support: Drop the Mic: Podcasting When the World is On Fire. Learn more / event page:https://mic-drop.teachery.co/enroll?a=eJy4N2Yg Register here ($0.00):https://mic-drop.teachery.co/main-payment-page?a=eJy4N2Yg How to connect with Noam: Sunny Entertainment / Sunny Jazz Band: Instagram: @sunyjazz.band TikTok: @sunnyjazz.band YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sunnyjazzband-ent LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sunny-jazz-band/ Website: https://sunnyjazz.band Noam's Instagram: @Noamwolfmusic TikTok: @noamwolf YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBXU-IMmM48SOiSbZPkVUNg LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noamwolf/ Episode edited by Sydney at Beyond Idling 🎙️https://bio.site/beyondidling

  4. Aug 6

    Born in Italy to Bengali Parents: Urmi Hossain on Finding Home in Canada

    Urmi Hossain is a finance professional, author, speaker, and podcast host. Born in Italy to Bengali parents and now based in Canada, she uses her platform to explore leadership, belonging, and women's empowerment across cultures. In this episode, we discuss what it means to grow up between cultures, navigate questions of identity, and build a sense of home across countries. Urmi reflects on growing up in Italy, how her multicultural upbringing shaped her perspective, and why she believes our lived experiences are our greatest strength. We discuss: Growing up in Italy as the daughter of Bengali parents Building a new life and finding home in Canada Writing her book, Discovering Your Identity: A Rebirth from Interracial Struggle Navigating stereotypes, representation, and cultural expectations Women's empowerment, confidence, and self-leadership Why sharing immigrant stories helps build understanding across cultures Where to find Urmi: 🔗 Website: https://urmihossain.com 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/urmihossain/ 🔗 Podcast: Stories Beyond Borders Episode edited by Sydney at Beyond Idling 🎙️🔗 https://bio.site/beyondidling

  5. Jul 30

    Building a Human-First Business: Becky Mollenkamp on Defining What "Enough" Means

    Becky Mollenkamp (she/they) is a feminist business coach for service-based entrepreneurs who want to build human-first businesses that honor collective flourishing over profit-at-all-costs growth. In this episode, we talk about what it means to redefine success in a system that constantly tells us to work harder, earn more, and never settle. Although Becky is the first non-immigrant guest on the podcast, her perspective deeply resonates with the immigrant experience. We discuss the pressure to prove ourselves, the limitations of "mindset" advice when systems create real barriers, and why so many women internalize the belief that they're the problem instead of recognizing the structures they're navigating. This conversation explores entrepreneurship, leadership, motherhood, privilege, and the idea of building a business that supports your life, not the other way around.  Becky also shares insights from her new book, Liberate Your Business, including why defining what "enough" means can be one of the most powerful decisions we make. Whether you're building a business, navigating your career, or simply rethinking your relationship with work, this episode is an invitation to create success on your own terms. Learn more about Becky and her new book at: https://beckymollenkamp.com/ Episode edited by Sydney at: ⁠Beyond Id

  6. Jul 22

    Preserving a Family’s Story: Thuy-Anh Nguyen on Being the Daughter of Vietnamese Refugees

    Thuy-Anh Nguyen is a lawyer, daughter of Vietnamese refugees, and author of the memoir Resilience. Born in Sarnia, Ontario, she has lived in Canada, the US, and the UK. In this episode, we explore the lasting impact of the Vietnam War on her family’s history, and how, during COVID, she took on the task of capturing it, writing it as it was told to her, and as it has lived within her. She also opens up about returning home to be closer to her parents and coming out as gay later in life. This conversation is about memory, identity, grief, family, and the stories we need to ask to understand our own ancestors.  We discuss: Growing up as the daughter of Vietnamese refugees Writing Resilience and preserving family history The lasting impact of war, loss, and immigration Returning home to care for aging parents Vietnamese culture, identity, and intergenerational values Coming out later in life and finding love Learn more about Thuy-Anh Nguyen: 🔗 Website & book: https://www.thnfirm.com 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thuy-anh-nguyen-25734a23 Episode edited by Sydney at Beyond Idling 🎙️ If this episode resonated with you, please leave a review and share it with someone who might connect with this story.

  7. Jul 14

    La vida que construimos lejos de casa: Dos historias, dos podcasts y las decisiones que nos llevaron a migrar

    En este segundo episodio en español, hago algo un poco diferente. En lugar de entrevistar a una invitada, tengo una conversación con Analía Gómez Vidal, host del podcast Lucky to Be Here. Las dos compartimos nuestras propias historias de migración y reflexionamos sobre lo que significa construir una vida y una carrera lejos del lugar donde nacimos. Hablamos de identidad, pertenencia, comunidad, familia, ambición y de cómo la migración nos transforma con el paso del tiempo. Desde nuestras experiencias, Analía, como argentina que vive en Maryland desde hace más de una década, y yo, como mexicana viviendo en Boston,  exploramos preguntas que siguen acompañándonos años después de haber migrado. Analía Gómez Vidal no solo es la creadora y host de Lucky to Be Here, un podcast dedicado a visibilizar las historias de quienes decidieron construir sus vidas y carreras en otros países. Es experta en desarrollo profesional y acompaña a estudiantes y profesionales internacionales en procesos de transición y cambio de carrera a través de mentorías, coaching y conferencias.  Desde que se mudó de Argentina a Estados Unidos para realizar un doctorado hace más de una década, ha desarrollado una carrera multifacética que combina investigación, emprendimiento y arte. Esta es una conversación entre dos mujeres, creadoras de podcasts, que siguen construyendo puentes entre personas que han decidido migrar. Puedes encontrar a Analía en: Podcast:https://open.spotify.com/show/1BZOl35biIGF8V3al3seBV?si=ac792b8670d04d18 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/agomezvidal/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/agvservicesllc/

  8. Jun 25

    From the U.S. to the Netherlands: Building a life and business in The Hague

    Kristen grew up in California. Michael is from the Netherlands. After meeting in Washington, D.C., they decided to leave the U.S. during the pandemic and build a new life together in The Hague. In this episode, we talk about navigating a bicultural marriage, changing careers, launching their storytelling and communications studio, The Other West Coast, and Michael's work restoring historic buildings. Kristen also shares the story behind her podcast, Beb & Bob: Collateral Damage, which uncovers a surprising connection between her grandfather, an American World War II pilot, and a bombing in the Netherlands. Links mentioned in this episode: The Other West Coast: https://www.otherwestcoast.nl/ Beb & Bob: Collateral Damage: https://bebbob.nl/ Superfeed: https://superfeed.fm/ The historic restoration project Michael discusses: https://www.binnenhofrenovatie.nl/

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Moving to a new country is so much more than what we typically see or talk about. "Arrivals" features first-generation immigrant women sharing their stories of starting from scratch. Discover honest conversations about the tension between where we come from, where we are going, why we stay, and how it expands our lives. Substack: https://substack.com/@arrivalspod Follow us on IG: https://www.instagram.com/arrivalspod/

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