100 episodes

Expat experiences, information and advice for anyone moving or living abroad. Visit Expat Focus at expatfocus.com for more.

Expat Focus Expat Focus: For Anyone Moving Or Living Abroad

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.1 • 33 Ratings

Expat experiences, information and advice for anyone moving or living abroad. Visit Expat Focus at expatfocus.com for more.

    Winning The Green Card Lottery And Having A Baby In The USA

    Winning The Green Card Lottery And Having A Baby In The USA

    I have a returning guest today - it’s Mia Stewart, who joins me to talk about winning the US Green Card Lottery. Also known as the DV Lottery, or the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program.
    If you’ve listened to my first interview with Mia, you’ll recall that she and her husband moved from Australia to the USA a few years ago, to LA specifically, on an O-1 Visa. So we’re going to find out the process they’ve gone through to adjust their visa status, and what made them enter the green card lottery in the first place?
    But that’s not all that Mia’s been up to, she’s also had a baby in the States. And if you listened to my recent interview with Cigna Healthcare, you’ll know just how important it is to have good health insurance when you live in the USA. So Mia and I are also going to speak about that, and some of the costs related to her pregnancy.

    • 47 min
    Building An Expat Career In China

    Building An Expat Career In China

    Gabor Holch’s relationship with China began two decades ago, on what he thought was simply a two-year sabbatical. As an Intercultural Leadership Coach and Consultant, Gabor has worked with China-based managers at countless multinationals over the years. And he was there for what was dubbed the ‘Golden Age’ for foreign businesses in China, when loads of expats were moving there on lucrative work packages, for a guaranteed boost in their careers.
    Gabor joins me for a chat about how the business landscape has changed, and the key attractions and benefits of China for today’s international talent. We touch on China’s infamous internet restrictions, and some of the many anecdotes that Gabor gathered on work and life from expat professionals for his latest book, called Dragon Suit.

    • 52 min
    Expat Careers In Denmark

    Expat Careers In Denmark

    How easy is it for a foreigner to find a job in Denmark, if they haven’t been fortunate enough to line up something for when they arrive? What sectors are they most likely to find work in, and what are some need-to-knows about Danish workplace culture? My guest to answer all of these questions and more is Kate Dahl, a career consultant for internationals in Denmark.

    • 34 min
    Moving From Malaysia To Mexico

    Moving From Malaysia To Mexico

    Writer and Editor Kirsten Raccuia is known for her Sand in My Curls blog, which until recently, was all about her expat life in Malaysia. We last spoke at the height of the global pandemic, when she and her husband were closing in on a decade in Penang.
    Fast-forward a couple of years, and they’re in a new country, Mexico. I’m chatting with Kirsten again to find out what factors influenced their decision to move, and why Mexico? And what it was like to close the Malaysia chapter of their life abroad.

    • 29 min
    Life As An Expat Family In Taiwan

    Life As An Expat Family In Taiwan

    I first spoke to Max Lee just over a year ago on the show, and he was preparing to move his young family from North America to Taiwan. It was a move abroad that they’d been planning for many years, and Max intended to focus on his music career in their new country, while his wife would be remote working for a company back in the States.
    One year on, I’m excited to find out where they’re at - what went to plan, and what plans changed.

    • 49 min
    Growing Up As A Third Culture Kid In Australia

    Growing Up As A Third Culture Kid In Australia

    A topic that comes up quite often in our Facebook groups is moving abroad with children. What’s the ideal age? Especially if they're going to need to learn a new language? What about the best time of year to move? And how do you make the assimilation process, from learning new cultural norms to making new friends, as smooth and enjoyable as possible?
    My guest today is someone who can speak from experience. Sharon Green is the founding editor of online publication SHE DEFINED. And in 1998, just before she turned 12, Sharon migrated with her family from Durban in South Africa to Melbourne in Australia.
    Sharon’s going to share her experience of being a third culture kid, and how it has shaped her sense of belonging as an adult.

    • 37 min

Customer Reviews

4.1 out of 5
33 Ratings

33 Ratings

Crich2010 ,

Overall delightful, only small critiques

I have thoroughly enjoyed about 5 or 6 episodes so far over the past 2 days. Some of the older ones have volume discrepancies between the speakers, which can be a little annoying. Most of them have been great & relatively natural interview type conversations. Some feel a little too short, as it seems difficult to really explain all of the aspects of certain parts of moving or living in another country without rambling, but the grittty details are some of my favorite parts. I usually come away with more questions that I started, so this podcast can be a great instigator to spur deeper investigations into a variety of topics.

220volt1974 ,

Great content that is ruined with audio quality

The content is great but the uneven sound volume make it barely listenable. The host's sound level is always much higher than that of the guest so I find myself constantly fidgeting with the volume knob going up and down trying not to destroy my hearings. Not good while driving.
So if I could make any constructive criticism would be to invest in better editing, mic placement, and volume leveling software. Uneven sound levels are one of the biggest podcast killers.

dbertram1 ,

Living Abroad 101

This podcast has is crammed with a wealth of information pertaining to an expat experience. If you are even slightly considering a life abroad, then this is the podcast for you. My only wish for this podcast would be to have a higher frequency of episodes. 1-2 episodes per month just isn’t enough for me! :)

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