Lucky to Be Here: Building Lives & Careers Abroad

Dr. Analía Gómez Vidal, C.P.C.
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Personal Journals
  • Updated Biweekly

Hosted by Dr. Analía Gómez Vidal, C.P.C., Lucky to Be Here is a podcast that showcases the lives and experiences of those who took the leap and navigated big life and career transitions across countries. They share their stories, lessons, and advice to show us what is possible and what it takes to define and live their idea of success across borders. Because doing life on our own terms requires intentionality and a lot of work, sometimes invisible work, but we build it one day at a time. We are more than just lucky to be here. Lucky to Be Here is a production of AGV Services LLC. To learn more about our work, visit https://www.agvservicesllc.com

  1. 4d ago ·  Bonus

    Season 1 Recap: What We Can All Learn from Our Immigrant Stories

    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.  Keywords immigrant stories, personal growth, community building, life transitions, resilience, cultural adaptation Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the season’s reflections 01:55 The journey of immigrant stories and shared insights 03:50 The importance of community and support networks 07:04 The internal transformation and feeling like a stranger 10:06 The in-between space of identity and culture 13:13 The significance of inner work and self-awareness 15:05 Community building as a universal process 16:57 The impact of our choices on others 18:49 Recap of key takeaways and closing thoughts 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.  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.

  2. Sep 2 ·  Bonus

    Bonus episode: Two Coaches on Immigration, Changes and Homecomings with Mutiara Alam

    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.com Keywords personal growth, change, self-discovery, transformation, immigration, grief, intentionality, homecoming Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Mutiara's journey of self-discovery 06:50 The nonlinear, spiral nature of change 07:56 Experiencing loneliness and internal transition 11:10 The importance of reflection and taking pauses 13:58 Coming back home and integrating past and present 16:57 The challenge of matching with current self in relationships 20:01 Creating spaces for deep, meaningful conversations 22:05 Grief and loss as part of change 23:06 Final thoughts on embracing change and self-growth 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.  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.

  3. Aug 19 ·  Bonus

    Bonus episode: Proximity, Distance, and The Grief of Building a Life Abroad with Gisela de la Villa

    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.

  4. Aug 5 ·  Bonus

    Bonus episode: What We Wished We Had Known Before Graduate School with Sebastian Vallejo Vera

    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. This is the second part of our discussion with Dr. Sebastian Vallejo Vera, where we reconnect after his original episode in Season 1 on his experience pursuing an academic career across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.  In this episode, we cover advice for anyone interested in pursuing graduate school. We discuss the possible motivations behind taking this step, the main questions you should ask when deciding what universities and programs to apply for, and what going through graduate school (and beyond) has meant for both Dr. Sebastian and for Dr. Analía.  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.

  5. Jul 22 ·  Bonus

    Bonus episode: The Power Dynamics of Academia with Sebastian Vallejo Vera

    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, Dr. Sebastian Vallejo Vera and I reconnect to continue a discussion that started in his episode of our first season. The guiding question is a complicated one, but very necessary:  What are the power dynamics shaping academia? During our discussion, we cover these power dynamics geographically across countries, and we also discuss what happens within universities. Who is responsible for addressing the shortcomings we see play out in higher education and beyond? What should more people know about the decisions that happen outside of the classroom? This is the first part of our discussion. If you have ever been curious about faculty’s perspective on career development and the decisions made (or not) about it, I encourage you to listen to Dr. Vallejo Vera’s perspective in this episode, and our opinions on who and what can be done. This is a particularly interesting episode if you are planning on going into graduate school, pursuing an academic career, or are already in this environment and want to think about how we can do better to support our colleagues.  Are you interested in applying for graduate school, or in your early years of a program? Subscribe to get our next episode, where we share plenty of advice for you! *** 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.

  6. Jul 8 ·  Bonus

    Bonus episode: Finding Your Voice While Adapting to the AI World with Veronica Bianchini

    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. Our first bonus episode reconnects us with Veronica Bianchini, our very first guest in Lucky to Be Here!  Since our first episode, Veronica has now completed her first year in her Master’s of Cognitive Science and AI at Birbeck College. We discuss the steps she has taken since our episode recording, in part sparked by our discussion, to align her professional steps with her long-term vision for her life and career.  In this episode, we also discuss her perspectives on AI, informed by her observations and learning as part of her program, and what she highlights as the not-so-knew discussions we continue to have about technology and how we position ourselves within its rapid change. In her opinion, it is not only about the pace of technological change, but how we also perceive it and behave as a result.  You can find Veronica and follow her journey and writing on Medium at https://medium.com/@VerBianchini or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicabianchini/ *** Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/LuckyToBeHere for free to receive our episodes in your inbox and our newsletter with career development reflections and resources, including career events. Subscribers also get access to live chats with Analía and behind-the-scenes updates.  Lucky to Be Here is hosted by Dr. Analía Gómez Vidal, C.P.C. and produced by AGV Services LLC. Sponsored by Creative Colony Spaces. © 2026 AGV Services LLC. All rights reserved.

  7. Trailer

    A Summer/Winter of Bonus Episodes for Lucky to Be Here

    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. Season 1 is officially done... but we are not, and we want to hear from you! This summer/winter, we will continue sharing bonus episodes before launching Season 2 of our podcast. In these episodes, we reconnect with some of our guests from our first season to explore what has changed (or not) since our initial conversation, what they have learned, and what insights and topics they want to share more about with us. We are also working on a special episode with key insights from our first season, and I would love to hear from you. Can I count on you? All you need to do is share with us a takeaway (or many) that stood out to you from the episodes you have listened to. Share your comments on our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/LuckytoBeHere or emailing us at hello@agvservicesllc.com before the end of June 2026 so you can feature you as part of our episode. Thank you for being a part of Lucky to Be Here. I cannot wait to hear from you, and stay tuned for our bonus episodes before officially launching Season 2 later this year. *** 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.

  8. Jun 10

    We Don’t Quit: Veronica Sepehr on Career & Immigration from Ecuador to Canada and the U.S.

    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. Veronica Sepehr has developed a career that truly embraced pivots across industries and countries, having covered from academia to corporate research to UX to product operations to now Canadian immigration, and I am very excited to discuss with her her own story, as well as her perspective as Registered Canadian immigration consultant (RCIC) on navigating lives and careers across countries. If there is one throughline in her story, she shares it clearly: “We don’t quit.” Veronica shares her journey moving from Ecuador to rural Canada first, coming back to her home country and deciding to pursue a Ph.D. back in Canada later on. From there, and ever since, she has experienced first hand what is to navigate immigration, career pivots, and building a life abroad across countries. Now, she is a registered Canadian immigration professional, supporting others who, like her, want to build a life and career in Canada.  Listen to our episode to find out more about Veronica’s experience, including her advice on what helps ground her throughout the ups and downs, and build each step in her life along with her husband and family. You can find Veronica 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  Keywords immigration, career pivots, Canada, Ecuador, United States, international students, resilience, cultural adaptation, professional growth, global perspective, family, immigration law, bureaucracy Chapters 00:00 Veronica's Background and Education Journey 06:35 Initial Motivations for Moving Abroad 10:03 Adjusting to Life in Rural Canada 11:53 Experiences with Racism and Cultural Preconceptions 15:26 Balancing Personal and Professional Life 18:54 Returning to Ecuador and Cultural Reverse Shock 21:30 Building Independence and Financial Stability 24:21 Finding Home and Family Support 28:02 Reflections on the Immigration Journey 33:07 Leveraging PhD Skills in the Workforce 37:23 Parallel Between PhD and Immigration Challenges 43:47 Future Aspirations and Career Pivots 47:31 Advice for Future Immigrants and International Students 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.

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Hosted by Dr. Analía Gómez Vidal, C.P.C., Lucky to Be Here is a podcast that showcases the lives and experiences of those who took the leap and navigated big life and career transitions across countries. They share their stories, lessons, and advice to show us what is possible and what it takes to define and live their idea of success across borders. Because doing life on our own terms requires intentionality and a lot of work, sometimes invisible work, but we build it one day at a time. We are more than just lucky to be here. Lucky to Be Here is a production of AGV Services LLC. To learn more about our work, visit https://www.agvservicesllc.com

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