Between Two Worlds: Identity, Ambition, and Belonging with Roman Zelichenko

Between Two Worlds: Identity, Ambition, and Belonging with Roman Zelichenko

What happens when an immigrant child grows up to help shape the future of immigration? In this episode of Love Letters to Immigrants, Elizabeth Garvish sits down with Roman Zelichenko, entrepreneur, former immigration attorney, and founder of LaborLess and GMI Rocket. Roman shares his family's journey from the former Soviet Union to the United States as Jewish refugees, arriving in America after spending time stateless and rebuilding their lives from the ground up. Together, Elizabeth and Roman explore the realities of growing up between cultures, the sacrifices immigrant parents make for their children, and how those experiences shape identity, purpose, and ambition. They also discuss entrepreneurship, creativity, navigating uncertainty, and why community remains one of the most powerful forces in any immigrant's journey. This conversation is a reminder that while immigration systems may change, the courage to begin again and the power of human connection remain constant. Chapters 00:00 – Immigration is a human story 02:30 – Meet Roman Zelichenko 03:20 – Leaving the Soviet Union and arriving in America 05:30 – Starting over as a young immigrant family 07:30 – Building careers and opportunities in a new country 09:30 – From immigration attorney to entrepreneur 11:30 – The idea behind LaborLess 16:00 – Building businesses in the immigration space 19:30 – Creativity, entrepreneurship, and finding your strengths 22:00 – Letting go of certainty 24:30 – What improv taught Roman about fear and resilience 27:00 – Immigration, courage, and choosing love over fear 29:00 – Building community and connection 30:30 – Roman's love letter to immigrants 33:12 – Closing reflections * HIAS — https://www.hias.org [https://www.hias.org/] * National Immigration Forum — https://immigrationforum.org [https://immigrationforum.org/] * I Am An Immigrant — https://www.iamanimmigrant.com [https://www.iamanimmigrant.com/] * National Immigration Law Center (NILC) — https://www.nilc.org [https://www.nilc.org/] * Garvish Immigration Law Group — https://www.garvish.com [https://www.garvish.com/] If this conversation resonated with you, consider supporting organizations that assist refugees, immigrants, and families navigating the immigration system. Every immigrant story begins with courage, but no one builds a new life alone.

What Does it Mean to Build a Life Between Two Countries?

In this episode of Love Letters to Immigrants, Elizabeth Garvish sits down with immigration attorney Natalia Munoz to talk about identity, belonging, motherhood, purpose, and the emotional realities of building a life far from home. Natalia shares her journey from Colombia to the United States, the unexpected twists that kept her here, and how her own immigration experience ultimately led her to a career helping others navigate the system. Together, Elizabeth and Natalia reflect on fear, resilience, practicing law with love, and the power immigrants bring to this country every single day. This episode is a reminder that home can exist in more than one place, and that beginning again is one of the bravest things a person can do. Chapters 00:00 – Immigration as a human story 01:15 – Natalia’s journey from Colombia to the U.S. 03:35 – Finding purpose in immigration law 04:30 – Motherhood, work, and career shifts 07:03 – Growing up in Colombia 10:55 – Helping immigrants through difficult systems 12:13 – Student visas and sponsorship challenges 14:30 – H-1B setbacks and immigration uncertainty 16:30 – Green cards, advanced parole, and citizenship 19:15 – Practicing law with love 20:23 – Expecting miracles in immigration cases 23:42 – Why immigrant attorneys understand differently 24:39 – Defining home between two countries 26:30 – Natalia’s love letter to immigrants 28:38 – Closing reflections Resources & Links If this episode resonated with you, consider supporting organizations that advocate for immigrant families, legal access, and human rights in immigrant communities. Learn more about the work discussed in this episode through Garvish Immigration Law Group. [https://goimmigrationlaw.com/]

Finding Strength Within the Journey, with Ati Williams

What if everything you needed to start over was already within you? In this episode of Love Letters to Immigrants, Elizabeth Garvish sits down with entrepreneur and Emmy award winner Ati Williams to explore the resilience, uncertainty, and growth that come with building a life across borders. Ati shares her journey from Nairobi, Kenya to Canada and eventually the United States, navigating student visas, sponsorship challenges, and the emotional weight of leaving home at a young age. Along the way, she reflects on the grit it takes to move forward without certainty and how that experience shaped her into the person she is today. This conversation goes beyond immigration logistics and into something deeper. Together, they explore identity, self-trust, and the idea that while systems and circumstances may shift, your value and potential remain constant. At its core, this episode is a reminder that even in the most uncertain moments, you already have everything you need to begin again. Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:00 Meet Ati Williams 02:06 Leaving Kenya and choosing a new path 03:47 Adjusting to life in Canada 04:42 Moving to the U.S. and navigating visas 05:30 Building a life and career in America 06:10 How immigration shaped resilience 07:35 Empathy and perspective as an immigrant 08:30 Facing fear, uncertainty, and misinformation 10:09 Owning your value beyond a passport 10:34 Building a career and unexpected opportunities 12:00 Lessons from interviewing and entrepreneurship 13:51 Balancing heart and logic in business 15:00 Letting life unfold and personal transformation 16:33 Becoming more of who you are 17:30 Expectations, identity, and redefining success 19:39 Listening inward instead of external pressure 20:13 Travel, perspective, and raising global citizens 21:25 The emotional weight of the immigration process 22:33 Proving worth and reclaiming identity 23:57 Choosing citizenship and protecting family 24:30 Redefining the idea of home 26:27 A love letter to immigrants 28:00 Closing Resources If this episode inspired you, explore organizations working to support immigrant communities and expand opportunity. https://mutualaidla.org/

Finding Home in the In-Between

What happens when you choose to see immigration not as a system, but as a human story? In this episode of Love Letters to Immigrants, Elizabeth Garvish sits down with Allison Ponsford Ricker to explore the deeply personal side of immigration, one shaped by resilience, identity, and the courage to keep moving forward. Allison shares her journey with honesty and clarity, offering a window into the emotional realities that often go unseen. From navigating uncertainty to redefining what belonging looks like, her story is a powerful reminder that immigration is not just about paperwork, it is about people. Together, they reflect on the strength it takes to build a life in a new place, the importance of being seen and heard, and how small moments of connection can create lasting impact. At its core, this conversation is about empathy, perspective, and the idea that when we truly listen to one another, we begin to change the narrative. Resources If this episode inspired you, there are meaningful ways to support immigrant communities and turn empathy into action. Eastside Immigrant Families Mutual Aid Fund  [https://fundraise.givesmart.com/form/9CDtLw?vid=1pqkqm] Support Street Vendors impacted by ICE raids [https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-street-vendors-impacted-by-ice-raids?attribution_id=sl:2d290dfa-3196-4c90-a4e4-1a572df9e126&lang=en_US&ts=1750096093&utm_campaign=man_sharesheet_dash&utm_content=amp13_c-amp14_t2-amp15_t3&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link&v=amp14_t2&fbclid=PAQ0xDSwK9UtBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABp5VILxC0LQBcmEI7P0Ih2hM-cG1muXXvm_fzuCEyDZAN1Cf7L64IgZEC8n_S_aem_n92roQIInRGj6PGSrBQLTA]

The Legacy Within: How Generational Courage Shapes Identity and Growth

What does it mean to carry the legacy of someone who sacrificed everything for your future? In this episode of Love Letters to Immigrants, Elizabeth Garvish sits down with entrepreneur and author Justin Breen to explore how one woman’s journey fleeing persecution shaped generations that followed. Justin shares the story of his grandmother, whose strength, resilience, and unwavering love became the foundation for his family’s path forward. That legacy now lives on through his latest book, Epic Journey, a project he describes as a love letter to purpose. But this conversation goes deeper. Together, Elizabeth and Justin reflect on identity, self-discovery, and the idea that many of the challenges we face begin within. They explore what it means to break from conditioning, trust your inner voice, and choose love even when it feels difficult. At its core, this episode is a reminder that the courage of those who came before us lives within us and that healing, growth, and purpose all begin from the inside out. Chapters 00:00 Intro 01:00 Meet Justin Breen 02:04 Immigration legacy and family roots 03:11 A book as a love letter 04:12 His grandmother’s story 05:18 Sacrifice and generational impact 07:57 Self-discovery and purpose 10:30 The “no excuses” mindset 12:00 Questioning societal conditioning 14:30 Following your path 15:30 Perspective and choosing positivity 18:07 Redefining what it means to serve 19:30 Transformation and personal loss 20:30 A “broken hearted” world 23:00 Self-love and protecting your energy 24:00 Awakening and redefining success 26:30 Immigration and humanity 27:30 Trusting intuition 28:30 Understanding purpose 30:40 Feeling ahead of your time 31:00 Practicing with intention 33:42 Following intuition across generations 35:30 Healing through love and forgiveness 37:00 Choosing love over fear 38:36 Rethinking success 39:30 A message to his grandmother 41:14 Gratitude across generations 41:30 Closing Resources If this episode inspired you, explore organizations working to support immigrant communities and expand opportunity. https://lataco.com/donate-non-profits-immigrant-rights