Mastering Finland

Discover how Kati Mayfield's vision of "no flower should go to waste" is transforming unwanted blooms into gifts of joy for those in need. From hospitals to homeless shelters, Flower Rescue brings beauty and community spirit to Finland.

Kami Fodor, a representative of Mieli Without Borders, discusses her journey and the organisation's mission to make mental health support accessible to foreigners in Finland. The episode underscores the importance of mental health support in the integration process for internationals and provides practical tips for maintaining mental well-being in Finland.

Discover the stories of Annabel & Hatty from Compass Psychology on the Mastering Finland Podcast! Learn how love brought them to Finland, their insights on adapting to Finnish culture, and the vital role of mental health support for expats. Don't miss out on their valuable advice for thriving in a new country! #MasteringFinland #Expats #MentalHealthAwareness

Sanni Törmänen spills the secrets to mastering Finnish language. From teaching abroad to adapting to online learning, Sanni's journey is as dynamic as the language itself. Forget one-size-fits-all approaches – Sanni's all about personalized learning at sananpuru.com. With Finnish being more like a puzzle than a problem, Sanni and Matt liken it to learning a musical instrument: practice makes perfect! So, whether you're strumming chords or conjugating verbs, the key is consistency. Dive in for some language inspiration and hear how Sanni's students are conquering Finnish one conversation at a time!

In Episode 93 of "Bemästra Finland på svenska," Veronica Hetrzberg, a Swedish-speaking Finn, shares her journey of growing up in Finland, learning Finnish and English, and helping others integrate into Finnish society. The podcast discusses Finland's unique culture and emphasises the importance of networking for job opportunities. Veronica provides travel tips for Finland, and the discussion ends with a reflection on embracing Finnish culture. #Finland #Integration #SwedishFinn

In Episode 92 of the Mastering Finland Podcast, Finnish entrepreneur Oki Tåg discusses the importance of networking for internationals seeking jobs in Finland. He emphasises that many jobs are in a "hidden market" known to trusted connections. Oki shares his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting the lessons it teaches about motivation and overcoming obstacles. He advises quick learning for success.

Join Matt for a special episode discussing the new government immigration proposal of 2023 with: Shreyas Ramachandran Srinivasan (originally from India, has both studied and worked in Finland), Nick J. Walters (Founder of Helsinki LEFT that represents immigrants and other minority groups and overcomes knowledge gaps and the language barrier to integrate them into Finnish politics), Sam Spilsbury (Doctoral Researcher at Aalto University), and Elsa Kivinen (Finn who spent most of her life abroad and studied politics, now back in Finland).

In this episode Matt interviews Joppe Quaedvlieg, a job coach and community manager from Shortcut in Helsinki. Joppe shares insights on effective communication, networking, and the concept of descriptive communication that are key for finding a job in Finland. Discover how these factors can unlock Finland's treasures and shape your career path.

Discover the fascinating journey of Carmen Lorenzana, a Mexican expat who found herself captivated by Finland's charm. From her personal experiences to empowering women through menstrual education, fertility awareness, and embracing Finland's breathtaking national parks, this episode offers insights into life in Finland and the unique perspectives of women. For more information about this episode go to Mastering Finland website.

Join us for an episode with Josh Hurst, aka JoshOfWestern, as he shares his journey of coming to Finland as an au-pair and becoming a successful freelance writer, blogger, and social media influencer. Discover his tips for mastering Finnish culture and adapting to life in Finland.

The founders of ‘Pawfect Grooming' business meet with our podcast host Eva to discuss their discovery of puppy power in Finland! The episode also features some pet peeves they met during their journey to mastering Finland. Husband and wife team, Asha and Mikael Singadia-Kuronen, moved to Finland in 2018. Mikael was returning to his home country, bringing Asha with him from the UK. Asha is a British Indian who had a career in banking and finance and is now focused on developing Finland's first ever mobile dog grooming business. Join us and listen to their pawfect business story!

In this episode Eva meets Kalim Ul Masih — a certified coach, humanitarian worker, and travel enthusiast who'll open up his insider secrets to Mastering Finland. Kalim is Finnish, but as he was working and traveling abroad in Africa, Middle East, Central Asia for quite a while before returning to Finland with the onset of COVID-19, he had to polish the art of Mastering Finland himself. Also, from his coaching background he brings up a few more tips, like asking open questions and asking purposefully for some small, doable favours. What's in this episode?

Many of us here have an on-and-off relationship with Finland. But for our new guest, it was love at first sight! Gemma Cros-Baden came to Kuopio for her Erasmus exchange and simply didn't want to go back to her home country Spain. But she had to. Fast-forward to when our podcast is recorded, Gemma lives happily in Finland, has a job, and is learning Finnish. Listen in to discover her inspiring story and see what worked for Gemma on her way to mastering Finland!

It has finally happened — the whole Mastering Finland team is on the same episode! A Christmas miracle, nothing else. So who's on the line? Petra, Eva, and Iliana from the best library in the world (Oodi, of course), Matt from Pori, and Matty all the way from the UK. In this episode, we do a lot of Christmas talk: from favorite Christmas songs to the most bizarre Christmas traditions from our home countries. Want to share your stories? Drop a comment, we're super curious! Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season to our listeners! Let it be peace, and we hope to continue supporting you on your journey to Mastering Finland. Join us for this cozy chit-chat about Christmas on your favorite podcast platform. Music: https://www.FesliyanStudios.com Background Music

Petra is back to Mastering Finland (I bet you've missed her) — but now in the guest seat. She is the founder of the podcast, a person who has been bringing up so many individual stories of Mastering Finland and sharing tips and knowledge with our community. The Mastering Finland team is sure that you're as excited as we to hear from Petra again! But recently Petra had to take some time off. In this episode, she frankly talks about her experiences of burnout, immense workload, and mental health challenges. And as always, Petra shares with you tips and kind practices that can help you take care of yourself. It goes without saying that if you feel like everything is too much, ask for professional help. Petra describes her experiences with that as well. And please share this episode with your loved ones who might benefit from a bit more awareness about burnout and mental health.

You haven't heard her voice before, and yet she is essential to the Mastering Finland project. This episode sees the ‘Mastering Finland' founder return to the microphone and interview one of the key people from behind the scenes of the podcast – Eva Valkovicova. Eva's energy, spirit, and curiosity are keeping the podcast alive, but there's more to it. Eva has been living in Finland for 15 years and she definitely holds the keys to mastering this country. Tune in and learn about Eva's experiences in Finland — working in an international company, falling in love, raising multilingual kids, and finding time for her own projects. And no chance of getting away without some practical advice. Wanna know what's the dramatic difference for a Finn between ‘Does the bus stop near the train station?' and ‘Does the bus stop at the train station?'? And why should you always ask open questions?

Mastering Finland Podcast takes you to the movies for an exclusive interview with the director and screen writer behind the new film “Freeskate” which premieres on 21 October 2022. Getting to know the faces behind this new Finnish film, Matt speaks with director Roope Olenius and screen writer Veera W. Vilo who are partners both on and off the movie set. Freeskate was inspired by both Veera and Roope's experiences of sport. Each in their own way mastering Finland with their different disciplines and using this to create this original story in the world of figure skating. ⛸️ Freeskate is a truly international film, featuring three different languages, current international athletes and filmed across many different ice halls and locations across Finland

Meet Karoliina Kauhanen with whom we discuss why people need help and why it is often so difficult to ask for it. As internationals, we don't have a network we can rely on, even in some simple tasks such as moving the furniture. Some people wouldn't mind giving a hand but they don't know where to start. Karoliina has a solution to this problem. Commu is a free app that makes asking for help and giving help as easy as possible! Download it and join the crowd of 15000 people helping each other. Listen to the episode to learn more why giving help is stigmatised (and why it's ruining our lives). You'll also learn more about the story behind the Commu app and what their team has achieved by now. And why Haloo Helsinki! is in the game as well.

In Part 2 of Matt's interview with an American ambassador in Finland the conversation grows in its cultural dialogue and reflections on Finland as experienced by an international. What is the secret of Finnish happiness and where it comes from? Find out in this episode!

Ever dreamt of working in foreign service and being stationed abroad? Listen to our new episode and see if this lifestyle suits you! Bill Couch, Foreign Affairs Officer, shares with Mastering Finland his experiences of working at the US Embassy in Helsinki — from perks and daily routines to the challenges (and new engagement avenues) that the pandemic has brought. The Russia-Ukraine war and Putin's leadership style are also on the discussion table. What's more, Bill discusses his fantastic career change from education into Public Affairs. It's quite an inspiring story about “taking that chance”. And don't say goodbye to Bill just yet! He will be in our next episode, so stay tuned.

Matt Bowen gets to meet Hasan Sohail, the man behind the travelwithasan YouTube channel. In his YouTube videos, Hasan shares his experiences of integrating into Finnish life and making the most out of living in Finland. What is Hasan's strategy for integrating in Finland? Here are some tips: Get out of your room to find your way around Join groups and associations to manifest your presence Practice hobbies and things that make you happy Hasan gives advice on other ways of making Finland your home. He invites all Mastering Finland listeners to join him and follow his journeys on his YouTube channel travelwithhasan, Facebook page, and Instagram.

Matty Davenport lives in the UK, but he is a ‘superfan' of the Mastering Finland Podcast and pretty much of all things Finland. From an outsider's perspective Matty explains how he first became aware of Finland as a child and became increasingly fascinated through adolescence into adulthood. Listen and learn more about Matty's passion for winter swimming, what works and doesn't in learning Finnish, and in general how he got so connected with this land.

Matt talks with the project planner of the Spouse Program offered by the municipality of the City of Helsinki, Jochen Faugel. The Spouse Program is part of the Talent Boost initiative and is coordinated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the Ministry of Education and Culture. Its purpose is to build an engaging and supportive community for international spouses moving to the capital area and, by extension, help them develop their professional and social lives. Listen to learn more about this great initiative.

This week we are coming back with an episode with one of our team's members – actually the most recent one – Rafaella. Rafaella joined our team six months ago when she moved to Finland to be with her partner and move ahead with her career. Finland is for her a country to admire, like all the Nordics, considering their progressive mentality. Petra asks Rafaella what kind of preparation she followed before arriving in Finland, what are the paperwork processes she had to go through after her arrival, the experience with TE-office (unemployment office) services, and how has she adjusted to the different social life in Finland. Join us to meet Rafaella and learn what could you do better if decided to move to Finland or reflect on your move.

In this episode, Petra meets Raysa, an old guest from episode 20. Raysa was invited back for another episode due to a LinkedIn post reflecting unfulfilled expectations and frustrations in Finland's international community. We believe that this episode discussion may resonate with many of you who are trying to find a job in Finland or, in general, are trying to find your bearings in this country. We hope you have managed to keep a positive spirit throughout your journey in Finland. However, if you struggle with whatever has come your way, know that you are not alone! We are sending you all a virtual hug and wish you a happy friendship day!

In this episode, Matt welcomes Lucia Hellerhoff, a German flautist living in Finland, Pori, and a member of the Pori Sinfonietta. Lucia has been already working 5 years for Pori Sinfonietta and shares with Matt that she really likes her job. According to her, the program is rich and varied, for example, the songs they practice and the conductors change every week, something that doesn't make her feel bored. Although the orchestra's repertoire consists mainly of classical songs, they do play also jazz and pop pieces. During these 5 years, Lucia has also noticed differences between the work culture in Finland and Germany and points out that the way feedback is given among colleagues in Finland is very different from the one in Germany. Come and join our chat with Lucia about how and why she moved to Finland and landed this job, and the difference between living in Munich/Paris and Finland. Pori Sinfonietta concerts

Whether you are planning to move to Finland or you already live in Finland, one way to achieve mastering life in it, in any case, is to experience the Finnish sauna culture. Finland is famous for its sauna culture and Finns do love it for sure! Some might even say that sauna might be the secret to Finnish happiness. For this reason, we talk about this in our first episode for this year with Joona Virtanen. In one of his videos on YouTube, Joona tries sauna for 30-days in a row. It sounds amazing, right? Tune in to listen about Joona's experience, its impacts, as well as sauna's history. YT: Joona Virtanen (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGN1va5jEaxvZdLE08mY_qg/featured) IG: j0nu

When Jean & Petra meet again to summarise the 2021 and share some info about Finnish Christmas traditions. PS. Full of laughter as usually. Happy holiday to you all!

December 6th is a very important day in Finland and for Finnish people in general. On this day Finland's Independence Day is celebrated, one of the most awaited holidays in Finland. For this reason, our guest for this episode is Soila Sariola, a Finnish musician, singing teacher, singer, a member of acapella group Rajaton, and mother. And it is our honour to have her as a guest for this episode, as she is the first Finnish celebrity guest on Mastering Finland Podcast! Petra discusses with Soila Finland's Independence Day celebrations, the so-called "linnan juhlat" (=castle celebrations) in Finnish, how it became an annual tradition and how the hand-shaking with the President of Finland was established. Besides the official celebration, Soila shares with us the way Finns, in general, celebrate this day. Additionally, Soila as a former guest at the linnan juhlat in 2012 shares the insights from this celebration and talks about the most special moment including the presidential couple. Finally, Soila starts this episode with one of the most prominent songs of Finnish history, "Finlandia" by Jean Sibelius. Closing the podcast, she sings the song "Kulkuset" aka "Jingle bells", as we are approaching the Christmas festive days!

The new Mastering Finland Podcast episode is this time all about metal music in Finland and for this reason, the guest of this episode is Dafne Jalomo, a psychologist, music lover, beer enthusiast and adventurer from Mexico, who is now living in Helsinki. It was over 15 years ago, when Dafne had her first contact with Finnish bands, starting with the first one, which is also her favourite, Sonata Arctica. Dafne says that this band was one of the reasons she ended up in this country. The music and the lyrics were uniquely talking to her heart, something that made her wonder what is going on in this country, how come people in Finland are so talented, and so she decided to travel to Finland to discover what this is that makes her feel so excited about this music and country. For her, music is a hobby, “a daily activity” that she cannot live without because it describes herself and her mood. Listen to the whole story of Dafne and enjoy the experts' talk about Finnish metal music right now!

This week's episode introduces Pukhraj Ranjan, an educator and entrepreneur establishing a new ethical fashion brand Moi namaste - that is creating eclectic, timeless pieces combining Indian craftsmanship and Nordic functionality. Pukhraj shares her story of life in Finland that started by pursuing a masters degree in education, finding her first job (listen for the tips), and finally establishing her own business. What led Pukhraj to leave her life-long passion for education to pursue entrepreneurship? And what does a person need to do to establish such a business? Tune in and get some helpful entrepreneurial tips and learn more about why Pukhraj decided to stay in Finland despite her original plan of returning to India after her studies

This week we wanted to join the Halloween madness and record a special spooky episode for you

In this episode we introduce Kamilla Sultanova, a Nordic and Uzbek citizen, speaker, entrepreneur, event host, mentor, and consultant in diversity inclusion who enjoys bringing people together and helping them belong. Kamilla talks about how to sustain your own cultural identity whilst living in a new place and especially how to embrace it. Additionally, she underlines the importance of community building in Finland and how long it takes for a person to adapt to life in a country like Finland. Listen to this episode and learn also more about Kamilla's public employment and business services projects and her new role as a mother-to-be. LINKS: FB: https://www.facebook.com/KamillaSultanovaWorld LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamillasultanova/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/kamillasultanovaworld/ TW: https://twitter.com/KamillaUbuntu

In this week's episode, Matt speaks with Olivia Kumpula, a Nigerian Youtuber, social media blogger, and entrepreneur who lives in Pori with her husband and her children. Listen to this episode and learn about Olivia's endeavours and their contribution to the international community in Finland.

In this episode, Petra talks to Ronny Eriksson, a 25-year-old serial entrepreneur and storyteller based in Helsinki, co-founder of the "Norders", a creative agency and community, host of the "New Nordic Wave of Change" podcast, as well as part of the "ReformMigri" team. Ronny focuses on helping companies and individuals, like international students, find their pathways, expand their network, and experience happiness within themselves. Listen to this episode and learn more about Ronny's projects like Ambition Africa, co-created with Peter Vesterbacka or Norders' academy and community, the importance of immigration, and hear some great tips on travelling in Finland. Links: Ronny's LinkedIn Norders

Reform Migri petition's goal is to improve Migri's system and service procedures, which has caused a lot of difficulties, stress, and pain. In this episode, Petra talks to Julia, the initiator of the petition and Anuka, a nurse in Finland facing a deportation decision despite fully following the law. We talked about why Julia started this petition and what sort of co-signers support them. You will also hear about the panel conversation they held with their co-signers and Migri's Director General in June 2021. Additionally, we talked about the future of the initiative, and finally Anuka shared with us her emotional story. LINKS: Petition: http://bit.ly/ReformMigri Website: ReformMigri.com For more links go to www.masteringfinland.com/episodes/2021-08-30

In this week's episode, Matt hosts Kätälyst, a multinational rock band based in Espoo. Each of the band's five members came to Finland independently for education. Although they met online and at Aalto University during their studies in 2010, they did not form the band until 2017. The band gets its name from an earlier group that its founding member started in Pakistan in 2004. Because they met and began playing together in Finland, they decided to go with the Finnish spelling of the name. They say that, although their name is Finnish, they are not usually mistaken for a Finnish band. Listen to their music on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGbXn1hm84rvpZu4AcQX-mA

In this episode you will get to meet Early Artis, a teacher and a father living in Finland. He has been all over the world teaching and helping others to learn and integrate into new cultures. He is a member of the Expat Dads in Finland Facebook community and the Fathers in Finland community of Familia ry. Early and Matt discuss the challenges of raising multicultural children and how fathers in Finland can come together to support one another.

In this episode Petra talks to Folashade, who shares the story of her family and her daughter with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in Finland. Folashade shares all about the complicated process of getting a diagnosis in Finland, about social services available for children and families with ASD, the process of accepting your child's disability, and more. What is ASD? ASD is a complex developmental condition that involves challenges in social interaction, speech, nonverbal communication, and restricted/repetitive behaviours. The severity of symptoms and additional issues are specific to each individual.

In this episode, Jean and Petra meet for the last time to talk about their mastering Finland journey. They reflect on their podcast, their personal lives, Finnish bureaucracy, and towards the end, Jean also shares her secret identity with you. Come and join us in this episode full of laughter and great atmosphere.

Matt speaks with Licia Prehn, who works in the gaming industry, as a producer, voice actor, and writer in Finland. They are also a board member of We in Games, a podcaster, a radio DJ, and one of the leading accessibility advocates in Finland. Licia moved to Finland about 10 years ago from Pennsylvania for love and a change of scenery. When the relationship did not work out, Licia decided to stay in Finland. They enrolled in a full-time Finnish language course and put down roots. Listen to this episode and learn more about Felicia's experience in the gaming industry, their taste in music, but also about their advocating for the LGBTQ+ rights in Finland.

In this episode, Jean talks to Rabea about her Finnish journey including auparing, university tutoring, and exchange studies. They also talked about parenting, and the Parenting with Sisu podcast.

In this episode, Petra talks to Arseniy Lobanovskiy, who moved to Finland from Russia about 6 years ago. Arseniy talks about his learning of both Finnish and Swedish languages and its impact on fitting within the communities in Finland. Moreover, he sheds a light on the Swedish community in Finland. He also speaks about his battle with depression during his studies and the psychological help he was able to get via his PhD position at the University of Turku. Additionally, we talk about his role as a board member of the feminist magazine Astra and his political ambitions in Finland.

Jean chats with Jessica, who is originally from the UK. Jessica moved to Finland in 2016 to live with her Finnish partner. In this week's episode, Jean and Jessica talk about volunteer opportunities in Finland and the importance of volunteer work in a functioning society. Jessica noted cultural differences between her family in the UK and her partner's family in Finland. For example, her family's tradition of spending evenings in front of the TV with takeaway food was replaced with healthy meals eaten around the table and followed by a family board game. Jessica studied international business at Turku University of Applied Sciences and her thesis topic looked into the motivation for and benefits of volunteer work among students in Finland. Listen for more information about Jessica and her journey! Links: AIESEC Finnish Red Cross Startup Refugees Ambitious Africa Workaway

This week, Petra is joined by Sini Korpinen. Sini is a political podcast host and a municipal election candidate. She visited for a chat about the significance of municipal elections for Finns and foreigners living in Finland and provided clear instructions on how to attend the upcoming municipal elections in Finland. Links: Double Check Voting Eligibility Simple Election Guide Learn More About Finnish Parliament YLE Election Compass in English Election Website of the Ministry of Justice

Moniku began as a temporary project aimed at reducing inequality and usage of rehabilitation services among multicultural families. When the need for Moniku services continued to grow, however, the project was made permanent. Today, Alba serves about 15 families per week. Moniku’s services are important, Alba explains, because multicultural parents might be reluctant to speak their native languages with their child or expose their children to their native cultures. This could be for many reasons; for example, families might fear impacting their child’s Finnish language learning. Links: Moniku Palvelu Espoo MONIKU-palvelu Facebook

Pedro Bergamo is a singer/songwriter from Brazil who originally moved to Finland for love. In this episode, he shares his deep connection to music, his influences, and his songwriting process. Also, Matt and Pedro also listen to and discuss one of Pedro's latest releases, "Abrahadabra!". Pedro's website: https://pedrobergamo.com

Tune in for an informative chat with Carl, an executive consultant and headhunter in Finland. Carl decided to pursue a career in recruitment, a process that had always intrigued him, after a long career in banking and leisure. In his role as a headhunter, Carl conducts targeted searches for candidates that fit a specialized profile. Although many might imagine that headhunters only seek high-level executives for large companies, Carl works for companies of various sizes looking to fill a wide range of positions. For tips on what mistakes not to make, how to approach a potential employer, and how to emphasize your strengths while still appearing humble, tune in to this week’s episode. Be sure to listen to the end, so that you don’t miss Karl’s responses to listener questions.

In this episode Aino talks about the Finnish tradition Vappu that is annualy celebrate on May 1st. She also shares many interesting experiences with Armenian culture an answers listeners’ questions. She gives great advice for impressing your Finnish in-laws, as well as important things to keep in mind if you plan on moving to Finland (sneak peak: bring a good pair of boots!)

Please join us in welcoming Matt, our new co-host at Mastering Finland! Matt moved to Finland for love in 2016. He packed up his life in Maryland, and married his penpal of 10 years! Today, Matt lives happily in Pori with his wife, Sanni, and their son, Edvin. Tune into episode 48 to hear Matt’s story, and to get a sneak peak at what to expect from his upcoming episodes. Be sure to check out our links below where you can find Matt’s online presence. You will also find a link to the non-profit friendship organization Matt recommends for anyone looking to participate in cultural exchange in Finland. Links: SAM Foundation Matt's Blog My Life in Finland YouTube Everyday Musician

Tune into a chat with Roham, originally from Iran, about his experience moving with his wife and daughter to Finland four months ago, in late 2020. To make better personal and professional connections, Roham plans to learn Finnish. Although he is passionate and dedicated about learning the language, his ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) challenges his ability to focus. ADHD can make reading incredibly difficult, affect short-term memory, increase procrastination, and lead to poor time management. Many people with ADHD or ADD may also experience other disorders, such as RSD (rejection sensitive dysphoria), depression, or anxiety. Listen to this episode to learn more about Roham's move to Finland and how is it to live with ADHD in this country.