Lucky to Be Here: Building Lives & Careers Abroad
Claim This Podcastby Dr. Analía Gómez Vidal, C.P.C.
Podcast Overview
<p>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</p>
Language
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Publishing Since
10/1/2025
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Recent Episodes
June 24, 2026
A Summer/Winter of Bonus Episodes for Lucky to Be Here
<p>Season 1 is officially done... but we are not, and we want to hear from you!</p><p></p><p>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.<br /><br />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 <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.patreon.com/LuckytoBeHere" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/LuckytoBeHere</a> or emailing us at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="mailto:hello@agvservicesllc.com" target="_blank">hello@agvservicesllc.com</a> before the end of June 2026 so you can feature you as part of our episode. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />***<br /><br />Join our Patreon <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.patreon.com/LuckyToBeHere" target="_blank"><b>https://www.patreon.com/LuckyToBeHere</b></a> 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. </p><p></p><p>Visit <b>AGV Services LLC</b> at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.agvservicesllc.com" target="_blank">https://www.agvservicesllc.com</a> to learn more about how we support you in your career exploration and growth across countries through coaching and community, including our membership <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.agvservicesllc.com/agv-lab" target="_blank"><b>AGV Lab for Career Explorers</b></a>.</p><p></p><p>Lucky to Be Here is hosted by Dr. Analía Gómez Vidal, C.P.C. and produced by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.agvservicesllc.com/" target="_blank"><b>AGV Services LLC</b></a>.</p><p></p><p>Sponsored by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.creativecolonyspaces.com/" target="_blank"><b>Creative Colony Spaces</b></a>.</p>
June 10, 2026
We Don’t Quit: Veronica Sepehr on Career & Immigration from Ecuador to Canada and the U.S.
<p>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.”</p><p><br /></p><p>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. </p><p>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 <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicasepehr/" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicasepehr/</a> and work with her through her company, Westdale Immigration by visiting its website <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://westdaleimmigration.com/" target="_blank">https://westdaleimmigration.com/</a> and booking a consultation at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://tidycal.com/westdale" target="_blank">https://tidycal.com/westdale</a> </p><p><br /></p><p>Keywords</p><p>immigration, career pivots, Canada, Ecuador, United States, international students, resilience, cultural adaptation, professional growth, global perspective, family, immigration law, bureaucracy</p><p><br /></p><p>Chapters</p><p>00:00 Veronica's Background and Education Journey</p><p>06:35 Initial Motivations for Moving Abroad</p><p>10:03 Adjusting to Life in Rural Canada</p><p>11:53 Experiences with Racism and Cultural Preconceptions</p><p>15:26 Balancing Personal and Professional Life</p><p>18:54 Returning to Ecuador and Cultural Reverse Shock</p><p>21:30 Building Independence and Financial Stability</p><p>24:21 Finding Home and Family Support</p><p>28:02 Reflections on the Immigration Journey</p><p>33:07 Leveraging PhD Skills in the Workforce</p><p>37:23 Parallel Between PhD and Immigration Challenges</p><p>43:47 Future Aspirations and Career Pivots</p><p>47:31 Advice for Future Immigrants and International Students<br /></p><p>Join our Patreon <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.patreon.com/LuckyToBeHere" target="_blank"><b>https://www.patreon.com/LuckyToBeHere</b></a> 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. </p><p></p><p>Visit <b>AGV Services LLC</b> at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.agvservicesllc.com" target="_blank">https://www.agvservicesllc.com</a> to learn more about how we support you in your career exploration and growth across countries through coaching and community, including our membership <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.agvservicesllc.com/agv-lab" target="_blank"><b>AGV Lab for Career Explorers</b></a>.</p><p></p><p>Lucky to Be Here is hosted by Dr. Analía Gómez Vidal, C.P.C. and produced by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.agvservicesllc.com/" target="_blank"><b>AGV Services LLC</b></a>.</p><p></p><p>Sponsored by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.creativecolonyspaces.com/" target="_blank"><b>Creative Colony Spaces</b></a>. </p><p><br /></p>
May 27, 2026
Boy Scout on a Mission to Serve: Erick Gonzales Rocha’s Path from Bolivia to Japan and Switzerland
<p>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. </p><p><br /></p><p>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. </p><p><br /></p><p>Keywords</p><p>international education, scholarships, Bolivia, Japan, Europe, public service, cultural adaptation, perseverance, career development, global south, boy scouts</p><p><br /><br /></p><p>Structure</p><p>00:02 – Welcome and Erick’s background intro</p><p>01:17 – Early influences and service-oriented motivation</p><p>02:23 – The Japanese scholarship as a life-changing opportunity</p><p>03:43 – Navigating the application process and cultural adaptation in Japan</p><p>04:51 – Thoughts on choosing Japan and language priorities</p><p>07:19 – The drive to generate real impact through education and development</p><p>08:45 – Asian growth models versus Latin American development</p><p>10:43 – The structured process of studying in Japan as an international student</p><p>13:05 – Cultural shocks and how he bridged Latin American, Japanese, and European perspectives</p><p>16:26 – Moving to Japan and initial impressions</p><p>18:23 – Facing challenges with a goal-oriented mindset</p><p>20:50 – Lessons learned from setbacks, stress, and acceptance</p><p>22:20 – Comparing education systems and resilience training</p><p>27:09 – The role of identity, competition, and self-acceptance</p><p>33:48 – The decision to leave Japan for Europe and new opportunities</p><p>35:05 – Embracing life balance and cultural enrichment in Switzerland</p><p>37:15 – Living in Europe and cultural integration</p><p>41:23 – Surprising elements of his international public service career</p><p>44:21 – Persistence and perseverance as vital qualities</p><p>47:44 – Advice to his younger self and future international students</p><p><br /><br /></p><p>Join our Patreon <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.patreon.com/LuckyToBeHere" target="_blank"><b>https://www.patreon.com/LuckyToBeHere</b></a> for free to receive our episodes in your inbox and our newsletter with career development reflections and resources, including career events. Paid subscribers also get access to live chats with Analía and behind-the-scenes updates. </p><p></p><p>Visit <b>AGV Services LLC</b> at <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.agvservicesllc.com" target="_blank">https://www.agvservicesllc.com</a> to learn more about how we support you in your career exploration and growth across countries through coaching and community, including our membership <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.agvservicesllc.com/agv-lab" target="_blank"><b>AGV Lab for Career Explorers</b></a>.</p><p></p><p>Lucky to Be Here is hosted by Dr. Analía Gómez Vidal, C.P.C. and produced by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.agvservicesllc.com/" target="_blank"><b>AGV Services LLC</b></a>.</p><p></p><p>Sponsored by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.creativecolonyspaces.com/" target="_blank"><b>Creative Colony Spaces</b></a>.</p>
22 total episodes available
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is Lucky to Be Here: Building Lives & Careers Abroad?
<p>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</p> - How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 4 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.
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