My Migrant Soul

Imran Abul Kashem
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My Migrant Soul – A Podcast by Imran Abul Kashem Stories of Resilience, Struggles, and Success in a New Land Every migrant has a story—of dreams, struggles, and triumphs. My Migrant Soul brings you powerful, real-life conversations with migrants from diverse backgrounds who have navigated the challenges of starting over in a new land. Hosted by Imran Abul Kashem, this podcast sheds light on personal migration journeys, cultural transitions, and the resilience that fuels success. Through heartfelt interviews, we celebrate the courage, sacrifices, and victories of those who dared to chase a better future. Tune in for inspiring stories that remind us of the strength within every migrant soul.

  1. Oct 21

    A Migrant Journey: No English on Day One

    Dr Joe Garra has been a GP in Werribee for 38 years, has delivered thousands of babies, and is a candidate for The West Party in the November state election. In this episode, he and Imran talk through the migrant struggles of his parents' generation, from his grandfather's disappearance in post-war Istria to the day a co-worker whistled at his dad instead of using his name. They also cover what has changed in healthcare and community life as Melbourne's west has grown, and why Joe believes you can't properly represent a community you've never lived in. He also explains what migrant identity means for someone born in Australia who still feels at home in his father's village in Sicily. KEY TAKEAWAYS Catch health problems earlier: Why busy migrant families often see a doctor only when they're really unwell, and why a regular check-up or blood test can mean a diagnosis comes sooner. Answer disrespect with a clear boundary: How a calm, direct response can stop disrespect at work, as Joe's father showed when he told a co-worker he had a name and expected to be called by it. Remember the power of small kindness: How one act of kindness towards a migrant child on their first day of school can stay with them for life. Hold on to the values that travel: Why hard work and treating people the way they treat you were the values Joe's parents' generation passed on, and how they still shape his advice to migrants today. Judge a suburb by the walk to school: Why every child should be able to walk or ride a bike to school, and what it says about planning when they can't. Advocate for what you live: Why people who deal with a community's problems every day, from traffic jams to hospital waits, are better placed to speak for it. Belong to more than one place: Why migrant identity can mean feeling at home in two countries, and why home is defined by family more than by a house. TIMESTAMPS   00:00 — Migrant struggles and racism at work 00:23 — Introduction: Dr Joe Garra, GP and son of Italian migrants 02:23 — Migrant journeys: Italian migration to Australia after World War II 04:47 — Growing up as a child of migrants in Australia 07:23 — Becoming a GP: why a migrant's son chose medicine 11:32 — Migrant health: barriers to healthcare in Australia 15:25 — How population growth changes community life 20:02 — Farming, fresh food and Melbourne's green wedge 25:24 — Why local representation matters in politics 30:44 — Advice for migrants starting a new life in Australia 31:27 — Migrant identity: what home means to second-generation migrants 33:21 — Retirement, legacy and generational wellbeing 35:11 — Closing thoughts ABOUT THE GUEST Dr Joe Garra General Practitioner MyClinic Werribee Village Healthcare Connect with Joe: Website: https://joegarra.com.au/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjoegarrawerribee/ Clinic profile: https://myclinicgroup.com.au/doctors/dr-joe-giuseppe-garra/ Every migrant has a story, of dreams, struggles, and triumphs. My Migrant Soul brings you powerful, real-life conversations with migrants from diverse backgrounds who have navigated the challenges of starting over in a new land. Hosted by Imran Abul Kashem, this podcast sheds light on personal migration journeys, cultural transitions, and the resilience that fuels success. ABOUT THE HOST Imran Abul Kashem Founder, My Migrant Soul Serial Entrepreneur, Former Journalist and Personal Branding Expert   Connect with Imran: Website: https://westendpodcast.au/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mymigrantsoul-aus  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imran_abul_kashem_melbourne/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imranabulkashem/   Subscribe for more real stories of migration, identity, and human experience. Got a story to tell? Start your podcast with Westend Podcast: https://www.westendpodcast.com.au  #MyMigrantSoul #MigrantStories #MigrantJourneys #MigrantIdentity #SecondGeneration

    A Migrant Journey: No English on Day One

  2. Oct 7

    How to Build Confidence When You Move to a New Country

    Geetanjali (Geet) Gaba is a registered counsellor, an audit and compliance expert in the childcare and NDIS sectors, and President of the Australian Multicultural Women Association, a registered charity that has supported thousands of migrant women. In this episode, Imran and Geet break down how she got through her first years in Melbourne as an international student working three jobs, why she volunteered across Wyndham's not-for-profits before starting her own organisation, and what keeps so many multicultural women from stepping out of the house. She also explains why she ran for local council, and why she'd rather not do it again. KEY TAKEAWAYS Believe in yourself first: Why your belief in your own worth has to come before anyone else's, since you are the person best placed to understand it. Do the groundwork: How volunteering with existing not-for-profits teaches you how a sector runs, who to approach and what people actually need, before you launch your own organisation. Protect your own worth: Why skipping the cooking one night a week, or paying for help, is a reasonable way for working women to protect their mental health. Know what help exists: Why fear of losing income, and not knowing about Centrelink, housing support or free TAFE courses, keeps many migrant women at home, and where to start looking. Start, then network: How to act on a business or career idea by starting it first and building your network as you go. Celebrate small wins: Why recognising your successes, even with a solo café visit on a Monday, gives you the fuel to keep going. Home can be both: Why migrants don't have to choose between their heritage and their new country when they define home. TIMESTAMPS   00:00 Cold open: "If you're working Monday to Friday and you're not cooking on Friday, the world is not gonna change"  00:32 Welcome to My Migrant Soul  01:42 Geet's name and its link to Rabindranath Tagore  02:35 From Punjab to Melbourne as an international student in 2009  03:45 Life in India: two master's degrees, no rent, no bills  04:22 Landing on 14 September 2009, and the dream of being "a queen"  05:13 A first week of movies and coin-phone calls to her mother  05:48 Studying in Australia: $9,500 semesters paid on a $400 credit card  06:56 Meeting her husband: "love in a struggle"  08:42 A first child during her master's, and sending him to India for a year  09:27 Three jobs, and waiting in her husband's car until 10pm  10:23 Imran's own years as an international student and new father  11:35 Why community work is a tribute to her father  12:28 Covid, social media, and registering AMWA as a charity  13:26 Being the bridge between domestic violence victims and support services  14:31 Running for local council, and why it's not for her  15:40 Why multicultural women are scared to step out of the house  16:35 Free courses, education and taking the first step  17:11 Economic empowerment and networking with professional women  17:50 Work-life balance for working women: it's okay to skip the cooking  19:16 The Australian Business Support Network: 100+ businesses a year  21:04 Why recognition and celebration matter, big wins or small  21:47 Advice for new migrants: believe in yourself, then just start  22:58 Treating problems as something to solve  23:53 What home means: India and Australia  24:37 Geet's 10-year plan: a shelter for women with nowhere to go  26:09 Final message: mental health matters ABOUT THE GUEST Geetanjali (Geet) Gaba Registered Counsellor, Entrepreneur and Community Leader; President, Australian Multicultural Women Association Childcare and NDIS Audit and Compliance Community Services Connect with Geet: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geetanjali-gaba-00974421  Website: https://www.geet.org.au/  Every migrant has a story, of dreams, struggles, and triumphs. My Migrant Soul brings you powerful, real-life conversations with migrants from diverse backgrounds who have navigated the challenges of starting over in a new land. Hosted by Imran Abul Kashem, this podcast sheds light on personal migration journeys, cultural transitions, and the resilience that fuels success. ABOUT THE HOST Imran Abul Kashem Founder, My Migrant Soul Serial Entrepreneur, Former Journalist and Personal Branding Expert   Connect with Imran: Website: https://westendpodcast.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mymigrantsoul-aus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imran_abul_kashem_melbourne/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imranabulkashem/   Subscribe for more real stories of migration, identity, and human experience. Got a story to tell? Start your podcast with Westend Podcast: https://www.westendpodcast.com.au

    How to Build Confidence When You Move to a New Country

  3. Sep 23

    The Hard Times Bring the Most Clarity, Not the Least

    Tatiana Cross is a Business and Culture strategist who represented South Africa in the Fortune 500 Most Powerful Women's Global Mentoring Program and is now the founder of The Mother-Daughter Collective. In this episode, she and Imran talk through growing up under apartheid in South Africa, the culture shock of moving to Australia for marriage at 18, and why she named her consulting business after a pencil, because it's meant to be corrected. She also explains why the mentoring women need in South Africa and the mentoring women need in Australia turned out to be exact opposites. KEY TAKEAWAYS Reframe hardship as training: Why growing up under apartheid segregation taught Tatiana that she "could do anything," and how facing hard limits early can build resilience instead of just leaving scars. Match support to the actual need: How women's empowerment needs aren't universal. South African women in her survey wanted business knowledge, Australian women wanted mentorship and why assuming what people need before asking can waste your effort. Build something correctable, not perfect: Why Tatiana named her consulting business "Red Pencil" a tool designed to be corrected, not to be right the first time. Give people the language first: Why friction between mothers and daughters often comes down to not having the words to express themselves to each other, and how giving them that language is the first step to change. Migration costs more than the outside sees: Why the visible parts of migrating look "shiny," while the harder parts your community, your youth, part of yourself are the ones nobody accounts for. Find home in more than one place: Why home doesn't have to mean choosing one country over another it can be an internal sense of belonging that exists in both at once. TIMESTAMPS   00:00 Intro 01:32 Welcoming Tatiana Cross to the podcast  01:41 Leaving a career and community in South Africa to marry an Australian  03:10 "Like someone pulling the rug out from under my feet"  04:06 Settling her kids into a new country  04:57 What people don't understand about what migration actually costs you  06:12 Growing up in a township under apartheid  07:23 Segregated buses and walking to the movies  07:56 How the hardship became a source of resilience  09:24 Her father studying for his degree in a broom closet  10:12 Selected to represent South Africa at the Fortune 500  12:25 Bringing that mentoring experience home through Red Pencil Consulting  14:26 Why she named her business Red Pencil  15:28 What women in South Africa need vs. what women in Australia need  17:49 What "home" means to her now  19:05 Founding the Mother-Daughter Collective  22:02 Where she wants to be in 10 years ABOUT THE GUEST Tatiana Cross Founder of The Mother-Daughter Collective | Business & Culture Strategist | Keynote Speaker | Author | Facilitator Women's Empowerment Business Consulting Connect with Tatiana: LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/colettetatianacross  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motherdaughtercollective/   Website: https://www.themotherdaughtercollective.com.au/  Every migrant has a story, of dreams, struggles, and triumphs. My Migrant Soul brings you powerful, real-life conversations with migrants from diverse backgrounds who have navigated the challenges of starting over in a new land. Hosted by Imran Abul Kashem, this podcast sheds light on personal migration journeys, cultural transitions, and the resilience that fuels success. ABOUT THE HOST Imran Abul Kashem Founder, My Migrant Soul Serial Entrepreneur, Former Journalist and Personal Branding Expert   Connect with Imran: Website: https://westendpodcast.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mymigrantsoul-aus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imran_abul_kashem_melbourne/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imranabulkashem/   Subscribe for more real stories of migration, identity, and human experience. Got a story to tell? Start your podcast with Westend Podcast: https://www.westendpodcast.com.au

    The Hard Times Bring the Most Clarity, Not the Least

  4. Sep 9

    The Failing Student Who Became CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters

    Mark Watt AM is CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Australia, appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his work with disadvantaged and at-risk youth. In this episode, he and Imran trace his path from a Year 12 English fail, turned around by one mentor's offer to tutor him through founding White Lion, incubating Fruit2Work, and now running a mentoring organisation with over 1,000 kids on the waiting list. They get into why he believes helping others is "a two-way thing," what actually changes a locked-up 14-year-old's life, and what migrant and refugee communities are up against in the youth justice system he's worked in for nearly three decades. KEY TAKEAWAYS Reframe failure as reversible: How one mentor's offer to tutor him turned a Year 12 English fail into a pass and changed the entire trajectory of his life. See why helping others helps you too: Why community involvement isn't purely selfless, and how it builds your own network, resilience, and sense of purpose along the way. Build resilience for people-facing work: Why mentoring vulnerable young people means expecting rejection and setbacks, and why sticking with it matters more than early results. Understand who's overrepresented in youth justice: Why young people from Vietnamese, African, Polynesian, and Indigenous backgrounds show up disproportionately in the system Mark has worked in for 25+ years. See mentoring's real-world impact: How pairing a locked-up teenager with a weekly mentor for six months changed the course of his life entirely. Value sustainability over recognition: Why Mark treats personal awards, including his Order of Australia Medal, as tools to help more kids not as the goal itself. Define home beyond a physical place: Why Mark defines home as being surrounded by people who believe in you through good times and bad. TIMESTAMPS   01:25 Introducing Mark Watt, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Australia  01:49 His mother's migration from Malta at age 10, and a family split across countries  03:35 His father's struggles with alcohol and gambling, and leaving the family at age 6  04:33 Growing up with a solo mum and no male role models  05:25 Facing poverty, not racism, as the defining challenge of his school years  06:35 The mentor who tutored him turning a Year 12 English fail into a pass  07:29 Starting a radio program inside a youth detention centre  08:55 Leaving accounting to become a full-time youth worker  09:02 Founding White Lion, and the path to CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters  10:02 How Maltese and European community culture shaped his view of hospitality  12:01 The 14-year-old boy whose life changed through six months of mentoring  13:34 The resilience required to work with vulnerable young people  14:17 Incubating Fruit2Work into its own organisation  15:43 Why migrant and refugee communities are overrepresented in youth justice  17:04 What "home" means to him  18:00 His Order of Australia Medal, and why recognition matters less than impact  20:38 Why helping others is "a two-way thing" his message to listeners ABOUT THE GUEST Mark Watt AM CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters Australia Youth Mentoring Social Impact  Connect with Mark: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markwattau/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbbsau/  Website: https://bigbrothersbigsisters.org.au  Every migrant has a story, of dreams, struggles, and triumphs. My Migrant Soul brings you powerful, real-life conversations with migrants from diverse backgrounds who have navigated the challenges of starting over in a new land. Hosted by Imran Abul Kashem, this podcast sheds light on personal migration journeys, cultural transitions, and the resilience that fuels success. ABOUT THE HOST Imran Abul Kashem Founder, My Migrant Soul Serial Entrepreneur, Former Journalist and Personal Branding Expert   Connect with Imran: Website: https://westendpodcast.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mymigrantsoul-aus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imran_abul_kashem_melbourne/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imranabulkashem/   Subscribe for more real stories of migration, identity, and human experience. Got a story to tell? Start your podcast with Westend Podcast: https://www.westendpodcast.com.au

    The Failing Student Who Became CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters

  5. Aug 20

    Walter Villagonzalo: STOP Waiting To Be Accepted

    Walter Villagonzalo left the military in the Philippines during the 1986 revolution and moved to Australia with his family soon after. He built a career, then found himself needing something no job could give him: a sense of belonging. That search took him from volunteering in Werribee's Filipino community to founding The Migrant Hub, sitting as Wyndham City Councillor and Deputy Mayor, and now leading a cooperative planting trees across the western suburbs.  In this episode of My Migrant Soul, Walter sits down with Imran to talk about the twelve years it took him to feel at home in Australia, the moment his own children told him they were Australian, and why he believes belonging isn't given — it's built by showing up for your community. KEY TAKEAWAYS Belonging isn't handed to you when you arrive in a new country. Walter didn't feel it for over a decade, and it only came after he threw himself into community work. The deepest test of his identity didn't happen in council chambers — it happened when his own kids told him, through tears, that they were Australian. He ran for council five times before winning. Losing four elections didn't change his approach; it sharpened it. Walter draws a clear line between being an activist and being a reformist — one makes noise, the other gets in the room and changes the policy. His concept of "the Filipino in the middle" reframes an entire community: most migrants aren't struggling or thriving, they're quietly present, and that quiet middle is where real leadership can start. At 73, his answer to "what's next" is the same as it's always been: keep working for the community, this time through a tree nursery cooperative aiming to help plant a million trees. TIMESTAMPS   00:00 - Cold Open: "I Am First Class Citizen, I Am Australian"  00:38 - Welcome to My Migrant Soul & Introducing Walter Villagonzalo  02:36 - From Naval Officer to Migrant: Leaving the Philippines in 1986  03:52 - Building a New Life in Melbourne  04:44 - The Struggle to Feel Like You Belong  05:47 - Bringing the Family Back to the Philippines — and the Kids Who Said No  06:39 - Diving Fully Into Community Work  08:16 - Founding The Migrant Hub  09:15 - Turning Advocacy Into Real Change at Council  11:05 - Running for Council Five Times Before Winning  12:59 - Life as One of Two Migrant Councillors  15:10 - The Filipino in the Middle: Lessons on Belonging  16:44 - Advice for New Migrants: Give Back to Belong  18:34 - Current Projects: Tree Nurseries and the Canopy Accelerator Co-op  20:26 - Partnering With Lions Club to Plant a Million Trees  21:24 - Closing Thoughts GUEST INFORMATION   Walter Villagonzalo OAM Founder & President, The Migrant Hub Inc. and Canopy Accelerator Co-operative Limited Community Development Social Enterprise   Connect with Walter Villagonzalo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/waltervillagonzalo/ Website: https://canopyaccelerator.coop/   Every migrant has a story—of dreams, struggles, and triumphs. My Migrant Soul brings you powerful, real-life conversations with migrants from diverse backgrounds who have navigated the challenges of starting over in a new land. Hosted by Imran Abul Kashem, this podcast sheds light on personal migration journeys, cultural transitions, and the resilience that fuels success. HOST INFORMATION Imran Abul Kashem Founder, My Migrant Soul Serial Entrepreneur, Former Journalist and Personal Branding Expert   Connect with Imran: Website: https://westendpodcast.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mymigrantsoul-aus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imran_abul_kashem_melbourne/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imranabulkashem/   Subscribe for more real stories of migration, identity, and human experience. Got a story to tell? Start your podcast with Westend Podcast: https://www.westendpodcast.com.au

    Walter Villagonzalo: STOP Waiting To Be Accepted

  6. Aug 10

    Sell First, Market Second: Tim Beanland on Building Trust Before You Build a Brand

    Tim Beanland started cold calling at 18 for a debt reduction firm and getting hung up on. Now he runs Video Authority, a Melbourne video production business that turns a single 45-minute filming session into three months of content, and he closes 90% of his sales calls. In this episode, Tim walks Imran through the exact moment he realized nobody buys from a stranger but everybody listens to a brand they trust, how a broke university student turned a $200 cash tip into a full-time business, and why he tells every aspiring marketer to skip the degree and go sell something first. The conversation also goes somewhere Tim says he's never said publicly before: the reason a desk inside Melbourne's Rialto Towers means more to him than office real estate ever should. KEY TAKEAWAYS A message lands differently depending on who's delivering it,  the same offer that gets hung up on from a stranger gets a "let's talk" from a trusted name. A marketing degree teaches you why people buy; a sales job teaches you how to get them to. Tim argues you need the second one first. Tactics change every few years: social media, AI, whatever's next. Human buying psychology doesn't. Build strategy around the constant, not the trend. Don't build a website and a lead funnel before you've served a single client. Find one customer, deliver for them, and use that feedback to find the next. Networking works because of who the people in the room know, not who's actually in the room. A reliable sales system is what keeps a business alive, Tim calls it the oxygen a business runs on. Tim's five-year goal is tied to family: he's working toward owning space in the Rialto Towers, the building his late father engineered and where his parents met. TIMESTAMPS   00:00 - Cold Open: The $200 Video Deal 00:55 - Meet Tim Beanland 01:57 - What Tim Does: 3 Months of Content in 45 Minutes 02:33 - The Cold Call That Changed His Career 03:52 - Been Talking: Why Trust Makes Sales Easy 05:00 - Does a Marketing Degree Actually Matter? 07:03 - Tactics Change, Human Psychology Doesn't 09:49 - Why Marketing and Sales Need Each Other 10:41 - Lessons From Sales: Get Out of the House 11:09 - How Tim Started His Business: 50 Coffee Chats 12:18 - The Yohan Story: Getting Paid for the First Time 14:44 - "Nothing Happens Without a Sale" 15:33 - The Power of Networking 16:07 - Find One Client Before You Build a Brand 18:03 - Different Networks for Different Stages 19:38 - Why Tim Sponsors Imran's Networking Events 22:00 - Tim's Dream for the Next Five Years 23:24 - The Rialto Towers and His Dad 25:23 - Advice for Aspiring Marketers: Learn to Sell First 27:23 - Where to Find Tim + Closing Thoughts GUEST INFORMATION   Tim Beanland Founder, Video Authority Video Marketing & Personal Branding   Connect with Tim: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tbeanland/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timbeanland/ Website: https://videoauthority.com.au/   Every migrant has a story—of dreams, struggles, and triumphs. My Migrant Soul brings you powerful, real-life conversations with migrants from diverse backgrounds who have navigated the challenges of starting over in a new land. Hosted by Imran Abul Kashem, this podcast sheds light on personal migration journeys, cultural transitions, and the resilience that fuels success. HOST INFORMATION Imran Abul Kashem Founder, My Migrant Soul Serial Entrepreneur, Former Journalist and Personal Branding Expert   Connect with Imran: Website: https://westendpodcast.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mymigrantsoul-aus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imran_abul_kashem_melbourne/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imranabulkashem/   Subscribe for more real stories of migration, identity, and human experience. Got a story to tell? Start your podcast with Westend Podcast: https://www.westendpodcast.com.au

    Sell First, Market Second: Tim Beanland on Building Trust Before You Build a Brand

  7. Jul 26

    Either You Win or You Learn: Richard Cozzella on Failure, Faith, and Serial Entrepreneurship

    Richard Cozzella opens up about building a career from a tanning studio in Geelong at 19 to a portfolio spanning NDIS disability housing, insurance, and property development. He talks candidly about the near-failure that taught him resilience, the "20 meters of headlights" way he approaches big decisions, and why he doesn't chase retirement — he's chasing mentorship. The conversation also gets personal, touching on faith, fatherhood, and the charity ride he organized for his niece. KEY TAKEAWAYS Failure isn't the opposite of success, it's part of the process. "Either we win or we learn." Vision doesn't require seeing the whole road, just the next 20 meters. Before scaling a business, count the cost of losing, not just the upside of winning. Change in a business often has to start at the top before it reaches the rest of the team. Personal branding rests on three pillars: authority, results, and trust. Self-care isn't optional for founders — Richard leans on faith and fitness to stay grounded. The next 10 years, for Richard, aren't about retiring — they're about mentoring others. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Teaser: Motivation, Mindset & Belief 00:56 - Meet Richard Cozzella 01:16 - Who Richard Is Today 01:41 - Where It Began: Family Business Roots 02:13 - The Headlights Metaphor 02:39 - First Business: The Tanning Studio Near-Failure 03:16 - Becoming a Serial Entrepreneur 03:41 - Win or Learn: Reframing Failure 05:00 - The Best Business Day of His Life 05:37 - Mindset, Motivation & Belief 06:52 - Starting a Charity for His Niece 07:39 - COVID, Innovation & Thinking Outside the Box 08:39 - Fixing the NDIS Business 10:08 - Advice for Dreamers & Personal Branding 11:36 - Trust in the Digital Age 12:16 - Work-Life Harmony, Faith & Self-Care 13:39 - Current Projects: Housing & Insurance 14:05 - The Next 10 Years: Mentorship & Legacy 15:49 - A Future Charity 16:10 - Closing Thoughts GUEST INFORMATION Richard Cozzella Entrepreneur, Business Consultant & Community Leader Business Development, Strategic Consulting, NDIS & Insurance Connect with Richard: LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/cozzellarc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1JTw9zxuoc/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richard_cozzella Website: https://cozzella.com.au/ Every migrant has a story—of dreams, struggles, and triumphs. My Migrant Soul brings you powerful, real-life conversations with migrants from diverse backgrounds who have navigated the challenges of starting over in a new land. Hosted by Imran Abul Kashem, this podcast sheds light on personal migration journeys, cultural transitions, and the resilience that fuels success. HOST INFORMATION Imran Abul Kashem Founder, My Migrant Soul Serial Entrepreneur, Former Journalist and Personal Branding Expert Connect with Imran: Website: https://westendpodcast.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mymigrantsoul-aus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imran_abul_kashem_melbourne/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imranabulkashem/ Subscribe for more real stories of migration, identity, and human experience. Got a story to tell? Start your podcast with Westend Podcast: https://www.westendpodcast.com.au

    Either You Win or You Learn: Richard Cozzella on Failure, Faith, and Serial Entrepreneurship

  8. Jul 12

    Starting Over From Zero: A Swiss Migrant's 15-Year Climb to Leadership Expert

    Martin Probst moved from Switzerland to Australia after working around the world and on cruise ships for many years, chasing a childhood dream of travel and having palm trees in his own backyard. Fifteen years later he's running PROfound Leadership, a coaching and leadership development company built on a simple belief: If you want things to change, you have to change. In this episode, Martin talks with Imran about the difference between being interested and being committed, why we need to have a "healthy relationship" in relation to obstacles, rather than seeing it as a threat, and how listening to his clients during COVID rebuilt his entire business from zero in under six weeks. He also opens up about his "mindset factory," the practice of Tai Chi as a form of slowing down, and why looking after yourself is the first step to serving anyone else. KEY TAKEAWAYS Vision without action is just a dream. Action without vision is a nightmare on repeat. But vision aligned with action can change the world. There's a real difference between being interested in something and being committed to it. To achieve our vision, we must show commitment as there is no substitute for action. Obstacles aren't the enemy. They're opportunities for growth, to fulfill our values, and reveal who we are and what we're made of. When COVID wiped Martin's business to zero, listening to what his existing clients actually needed rebuilt it within four to six weeks. The "mindset factory" produces thoughts constantly. As leaders, our job is to model, inspire and produce better thinking. Innovation doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes it's as simple as listening closely enough to see the solution. Looking after yourself is the starting point for being able to serve anyone else well. Work-life balance might be the wrong term. Martin prefers "work-life harmony," where the different parts of life move with each other instead of competing. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Introducing Martin Probst and Profound Leadership 01:16 - Turning dreams into action: from bestselling author to "interested vs. committed" 03:26 - From cruise ships to a career in leadership 05:37 - The real challenges of building a business, from ignorance to COVID 09:19 - Rebuilding through listening: clients, mindset, and innovation 13:47 - Advice for dreamers and redefining work-life balance 19:44 - Selfishness as service, and what's next for Martin 24:44 - On leadership in the world today, and closing thoughts GUEST INFORMATION Martin Probst Founder, PROfound Leadership Leadership Development & Coaching Connect with Martin: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinprobst/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/profoundlead Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profoundleadership Website: https://www.profoundleadership.com.au/ Every migrant has a story - of dreams, struggles and triumphs. My Migrant Soul brings you powerful, real-life conversations with migrants from diverse backgrounds who have navigated the challenges of starting over in a new land. Hosted by Imran Abul Kashem, this podcast sheds light on personal migration journeys, cultural transitions, and the resilience that fuels success. HOST INFORMATION Imran Abul Kashem Founder, My Migrant Soul Serial Entrepreneur, Former Journalist and Personal Branding Expert Connect with Imran: Website: https://westendpodcast.au/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@mymigrantsoul-aus Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imran_abul_kashem_melbourne/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/imranabulkashem/ Subscribe for more real stories of migration, identity, and human experience. Got a story to tell? Start your podcast with Westend Podcast: https://www.westendpodcast.com.au ---- migrant stories, my migrant soul podcast, Martin Probst, PROfound Leadership, leadership coaching Australia, mindset coaching, executive coaching, migrant entrepreneur, Switzerland to Australia, leadership development, business mindset, work life balance, work life harmony, resilience podcast, overcoming obstacles, entrepreneurship podcast, Australian leadership expert, vision and action, career change story, cruise ship to entrepreneur, confidence coaching, emotional intelligence leadership, small business COVID recovery, personal development podcast, Imran Abul Kashem, Westend Podcast, migrant success stories, leadership journal, keynote speaker Australia, coaching for entrepreneurs

    Starting Over From Zero: A Swiss Migrant's 15-Year Climb to Leadership Expert
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My Migrant Soul – A Podcast by Imran Abul Kashem Stories of Resilience, Struggles, and Success in a New Land Every migrant has a story—of dreams, struggles, and triumphs. My Migrant Soul brings you powerful, real-life conversations with migrants from diverse backgrounds who have navigated the challenges of starting over in a new land. Hosted by Imran Abul Kashem, this podcast sheds light on personal migration journeys, cultural transitions, and the resilience that fuels success. Through heartfelt interviews, we celebrate the courage, sacrifices, and victories of those who dared to chase a better future. Tune in for inspiring stories that remind us of the strength within every migrant soul.

Information

  • Creator
    Imran Abul Kashem
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026
  • Show Website
    My Migrant Soul