Boy Scout on a Mission to Serve: Erick Gonzales Rocha’s Path from Bolivia to Japan and Switzerland

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 [https://www.patreon.com/LuckytoBeHere] or emailing us at hello@agvservicesllc.com [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 [https://www.agvservicesllc.com/]. Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/LuckyToBeHere [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 [https://www.creativecolonyspaces.com/].

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 an immigration lawyer 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/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicasepehr/] and work with her through her company, Westdale Immigration by visiting its website https://westdaleimmigration.com/ [https://westdaleimmigration.com/] and booking a consultation at https://tidycal.com/westdale [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 [https://www.agvservicesllc.com/]. Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/LuckyToBeHere [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 [https://www.creativecolonyspaces.com/].

Boy Scout on a Mission to Serve: Erick Gonzales Rocha’s Path from Bolivia to Japan and Switzerland

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. What started as hopping on a bus in Cochabamba became a life and career focused on international public service. Erick Gonzales Roach is a development economist with a Ph.D. from Kobe University and experience in international organizations; he resides in Geneva, Switzerland, where he works as an Economics Affair Officer.  Erick shares his inspiring journey looking for new opportunities and horizons that led him to become an international student, and eventually a professor, in Japan, until his most recent move to Geneva, Switzerland. He highlights the importance of perseverance, cultural adaptation, and strategic planning throughout his experience in international education and career development. He also shares practical insights on scholarship applications, cultural integration, and building a global career in public service. He is also a firm believer of the importance of sharing and opening spaces for more professionals from the Global South in development and leadership.  Keywords international education, scholarships, Bolivia, Japan, Europe, public service, cultural adaptation, perseverance, career development, global south, boy scouts Structure 00:02 – Welcome and Erick’s background intro 01:17 – Early influences and service-oriented motivation 02:23 – The Japanese scholarship as a life-changing opportunity 03:43 – Navigating the application process and cultural adaptation in Japan 04:51 – Thoughts on choosing Japan and language priorities 07:19 – The drive to generate real impact through education and development 08:45 – Asian growth models versus Latin American development 10:43 – The structured process of studying in Japan as an international student 13:05 – Cultural shocks and how he bridged Latin American, Japanese, and European perspectives 16:26 – Moving to Japan and initial impressions 18:23 – Facing challenges with a goal-oriented mindset 20:50 – Lessons learned from setbacks, stress, and acceptance 22:20 – Comparing education systems and resilience training 27:09 – The role of identity, competition, and self-acceptance 33:48 – The decision to leave Japan for Europe and new opportunities 35:05 – Embracing life balance and cultural enrichment in Switzerland 37:15 – Living in Europe and cultural integration 41:23 – Surprising elements of his international public service career 44:21 – Persistence and perseverance as vital qualities 47:44 – Advice to his younger self and future international students Lucky to Be Here is hosted by Dr. Analía Gómez Vidal, C.P.C. and produced by AGV Services LLC [https://www.agvservicesllc.com/]. Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/LuckyToBeHere [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 [https://www.creativecolonyspaces.com/]. Sponsored by Creative Colony Spaces [https://www.creativecolonyspaces.com/].

A Two-Year Plan Turned into A Life Abroad: Adapting to the Unexpected with Florencia Colella

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. What may start as a short adventure to try something different might become the journey of a lifetime, or at least over a decade. That is what happened to our guest in today’s episode, Florencia Colella after she accepted a Fulbright scholarship. Florencia is a financial facilitator in agri-food systems. She fosters conversations around economic issues among farmers, academics and other public and private organizations. She was also a Fulbright recipient to pursue graduate studies in the US, where she has since lived on and off for over a decade.  Florencia shares her journey from Argentina to the United States starting as a Fulbright grantee for a two-year program, and navigating cultural differences, immigration challenges, and building a life abroad along the way. Throughout the conversation, we touch on several practical insights for international students and immigrants, including the financial system and the importance of building a credit score, and the role that having built a local community played when sorting out moving back and forth.  Keywords international students, immigration, cultural adaptation, US visa process, life abroad, Fulbright scholarship, cultural differences, community support, visa challenges, personal growth, bicultural relationships Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Florencia Colella 02:28 Journey to the US: The Fulbright Experience 04:18 Cultural Adaptation and Belonging 10:58 Navigating Relationships Across Cultures 13:22 The Reality of Migration and Job Offers 17:23 Settling in the US: Challenges and Community Support 26:36 Life in Fremont: Family and Stability 38:01 Reflections and Advice for Future Migrants Lucky to Be Here is hosted by Dr. Analía Gómez Vidal, C.P.C. and produced by AGV Services LLC [https://www.agvservicesllc.com/]. Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/LuckyToBeHere [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 [https://www.creativecolonyspaces.com/].

The Pivots of The Bold Ph.D.: Gertrude Nonterah on Her Non-Linear Path to Success

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. We may have an idea or goal in mind, but the conditions might not work in our favor. The key? Keep what drives you top of mind and adapt. The barriers may make it hard but you can still thrive. That is at the heart of today’s episode with Dr. Gertrude Nonterah. Dr. Gertrude Nonterah has a PhD in Microbiology and Immunology. She's a scientific communications professional by day and shares post-PhD career insights for those seeking careers outside academia. Gertrude recently published a book called Navigating the P.I.V.O.T., which is a handbook for PhDs and academics looking to pivot to fulfilling careers outside the ivory tower. Gertrude shares her inspiring journey from international student to successful science communicator, highlighting the importance of self-discovery, strategic networking, and financial planning (and guilt-free ambition!) in building a fulfilling career outside academia. We discuss the importance of being proactive about your career development from the beginning, and how adapting with creativity can still offer a fulfilling career.  You can find Dr. Gertrude Nonterah and her work, including her book Navigating the P.I.V.O.T. on her website at https://theboldphd.com/ [https://theboldphd.com/]. Keywords career development, international students, PhD, science communication, networking, financial planning, career pivot, US immigration, personal branding Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Gertrude Nortra 04:08 Navigating Career Pivots 06:47 The Reality of Academia 09:53 International Student Challenges 12:46 Finding Stability and Self-Discovery 15:48 The Birth of The Bold PhD 22:07 Navigating the Transition from Academia to Industry 25:10 The Power of Personal Branding 28:17 The Importance of Early Career Development 31:18 Embracing Vulnerability and Community Support 38:44 Advice for Future PhDs: Start Early and Value Money Lucky to Be Here is hosted by Dr. Analía Gómez Vidal, C.P.C. and produced by AGV Services LLC [https://www.agvservicesllc.com/]. Join our Patreon https://www.patreon.com/LuckyToBeHere [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 [https://www.creativecolonyspaces.com/].