Pop Abroad

Anne Scott was a digital nomad before the term existed; a "Digital Nomad 1.0" she likes to say. One day in 2010 she looked up and realized that she'd lived in 10 countries in 10 years and that she felt at home on the road. She founded Girl Gone International (GGI) to help her connect with other women who were navigating life while living outside of their home countries. Today, GGI has several hundred thousand members in nearly 200 cities around the world who hosted more than 3,000 free offline events last year. More than just a network for people who are traveling, the mission of GGI is to create a community of women who support and empower each other to live anywhere, belong everywhere, and make a home wherever they are. In addition to publishing an e-zine that celebrates the lives that women are living overseas, their all-volunteer staff is focused on hosting real-world events to spark the connections that build community. In essence, they make the online and community collide in a meaningful way.To learn more about Girl Gone International and read the latest issue of their e-zine, or to find a chapter near you, visit them on the web at https://www.girlgoneinternational.com. You can also check them out on social media: TwitterInstagramFacebookLinkedIn Stay in touch and send us comments, suggestions or interview recommendations; we're on Instagram at @PopAbroad, or you can reach out by email: michelle.ibarra@migrationmedia.net Pop Abroad is a proud member of the Migration Media network. Follow us on Twitter at @MigrationMedia_ or check us out at www.migrationmedia.net to learn about our other shows. Please take a moment to "Like" us and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts... and subscribe!

Stephany Zoo is one of the young people working at the bleeding edge of economic and entrepreneurial development in Africa. She's on the ground, in the trenches, bridging the gaps between the people and the forces driving African economies and China. Currently splitting her time between Nairobi, Cape Town and China, she is the outgoing Curator of the Global Shapers Shanghai II Hub, a multi-stakeholder community born out the World Economic Forum which boasts almost 9,000 "Shapers" in 400 Hubs across 150 countries. As a part of Global Shapers, Stephany's had a hand in driving the local community's mission of inspiring people under the age of 30 to work together to address local, regional and global challenges. Members in the local Hubs self-organize to create projects that address the needs of their community. Projects are as wide-ranging as their members are diverse - in expertise, education, income and race - and they are all united by a desire to bring about change.Read all about Stephany's projects, including her "first passion," Phoenix Risen, on her website here. Or check in with her on social media: InstagramLinkedinTwitter To learn more about Global Shapers and to find a Hub near you, visit them on the web at https://www.globalshapers.org/. You can also follow them on social media here: TwitterYouTubeFacebookLinkedIn Stay in touch and send us comments, suggestions or interview recommendations; we're on Instagram at @PopAbroad, or you can reach out by email: michelle.ibarra@migrationmedia.net Pop Abroad is a proud member of the Migration Media network. Follow us on Twitter at @MigrationMedia_ or check us out at www.migrationmedia.net to learn about our other shows. Please take a moment to "Like" us and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts... and subscribe!

Few things are more frightening to migrants than giving birth outside of their home country. Dealing with that, and their own isolation, led Melanie Ham and a few other foreign mothers in Shanghai in the mid-2000s, to connect and build community. What began as a small clutch of expat women with babies and toddlers looking for companionship and reassurance, has exploded into Shanghai Mamas, a diverse city-wide organization with over 17,000 parents and multiple events per day. Their members connect online and offline for parent-to-parent recommendations, advice, and community-building activities such as educational talks, spa days, holiday parties, charity fundraisers, and family meet-ups, as well as their signature weekly "Parent Coffee Mornings." Many parents cite Shanghai Mamas as their key source to find their niche in the city, make lifelong friends, and manage the day to day confusion of living and parenting in Shanghai!To learn more about Shanghai Mamas visit them on the web at shanghaimamas.org. You can also follow them on social media here:InstagramFacebookLinkedInWeChat: "Shanghai Mamas Org"Stay in touch and send us comments, suggestions or interview recommendations; we're on Instagram at @PopAbroad, or you can reach out by email: michelle.ibarra@migrationmedia.net Pop Abroad is a proud member of the Migration Media network. Follow us on Twitter at @MigrationMedia_ or check us out at www.migrationmedia.net to learn about our other shows. Please take a moment to "Like" us and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts... and subscribe!

When Gabby Gabriel arrived in Shanghai, she couldn't find any other LGBTQ people to hang out with. Even in China's most socially progressive, outward-looking city, life for queer people is difficult. Conservatism still rules in the wider culture, so many are forced to live either closeted or very cautiously. Faced with the need to make friends and armed with a recognition of the growing queer population's rising economic influence, she has devised a social enterprise solution to not just her social isolation, but to the wider "Qmmuinty's" as well. Her platform encourages mutual support, increased queer people's visibility, and reaches out to local businesses and institutions through sensitivity trainings and inclusive events. It's important work that she believes her privileged as a foreigner requires of her. "If we're not supporting each other, then how can we expect other people to?"Learn more about Qmmunity and download the app here: http://www.theqmmunity.com/ Follow Qmmunity on all of the platforms: InstagramFacebookWeChat: "gabbygabriel" Stay in touch and send us comments, suggestions or interview recommendations; we're on Instagram at @PopAbroad, or you can reach out by email: michelle.ibarra@migrationmedia.net Pop Abroad is a proud member of the Migration Media network. Follow us on Twitter at @MigrationMedia_ or check us out at www.migrationmedia.net to learn about our other shows. Please take a moment to "Like" us and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts... and subscribe! 

Co-President of the Shanghai chapter of LinkedIn Local, Tamar Hela has been living overseas since she was 23. After studying in Spain and starting her own business, she spent time as a digital nomad, eventually making a swing back to her home in California where she switched to teaching and then made the move over to China. A training session on how to optimize your LinkedIn profile led her to discover LinkedIn Local, which is the longest-running campaign on the platform. Conceived as a way to help people bring their online connections into the real world, it boasts chapters in over 600 cities across more than 90 countries. Through offline events it helps people learn about "the person behind the profile" and build deeper, lasting relationships. Getting involved can be an incredibly powerful way to jump-start a person's professional network, as Tamar discovered when hers quickly "quadrupled" after she joined!To learn more about LinkedIn Local and to find a chapter near you, visit them on the web at https://linkednlocal.com/. You can also follow them on social media here: TwitterInstagramFacebookLinkedIn Stay in touch and send us comments, suggestions or interview recommendations; we're on Instagram at @PopAbroad, or you can reach out by email: michelle.ibarra@migrationmedia.net Pop Abroad is a proud member of the Migration Media network. Follow us on Twitter at @MigrationMedia_ or check us out at www.migrationmedia.net to learn about our other shows. Please take a moment to "Like" us and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts... and subscribe!

Originally from Hefei, China, Rebecca Liang migrated to Shanghai where she became an entrepreneur. And then her company failed spectacularly. She was jobless, homeless and went through a bad breakup. Rebecca walks us through the story of her first venture, how it seemed like a cant-miss opportunity, and then how, in the aftermath, the Startup Grind community, along with the entrepreneurs that she worked with in her subsequent job at WeWork, gave her support and mentorship that was more valuable than an MBA program. Now, as the Lead of WeWork Labs in Shanghai and Co-director of the local Startup Grind chapter, she pays that support forward by helping new entrepreneurs navigate the local startup ecosystem and find success.To learn more about Startup Grind and to find a chapter near you, visit them on the web at https://www.startupgrind.com. You can also follow them on social media here: TwitterInstagramFacebookLinkedIn Stay in touch and send us comments, suggestions or interview recommendations; we're on Instagram at @PopAbroad, or you can reach out by email: michelle.ibarra@migrationmedia.net Pop Abroad is a proud member of the Migration Media network. Follow us on Twitter at @MigrationMedia_ or check us out at www.migrationmedia.net to learn about our other shows. Please take a moment to "Like" us and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts... and subscribe!

With a presence in 600 cities across 125 countries, and boasting over 2 million members, for entrepreneurs in the tech space, or anyone who is interested in the tech industry, Google-supported Startup Grind is a great way to no only meet like-minded people, but to help get plugged in to the local startup ecosystem wherever you are. Sabrina Benioudren, founder of the student chapter at Renmin University, and Co-director of the Beijing chapter, says that while Google takes a mostly hands-off approach when it comes to local chapters - especially chapters in China - they do provide a platform for their activities. This provides communities with visibility for their offline events, as well as operational infrastructure; and the company's values offer a framework that they can operate within. For people on the ground, this means that chapters are organized with the aim of empowering members to help others before they help themselves, and to make real friendships instead of just making contacts.To learn more about Startup Grind and to find a chapter near you, visit them on the web at https://www.startupgrind.com. You can also follow them on social media here: TwitterInstagramFacebookLinkedIn Stay in touch and send us comments, suggestions or interview recommendations; we're on Instagram at @PopAbroad, or you can reach out by email: michelle.ibarra@migrationmedia.net Pop Abroad is a proud member of the Migration Media network. Follow us on Twitter at @MigrationMedia_ or check us out at www.migrationmedia.net to learn about our other shows. Please take a moment to "Like" us and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts... and subscribe!

Everyone who moves overseas needs community, but some of us are looking for more than just camaraderie and fellowship. Rita Malvone is one of those folks. For people like her who want to dig deeper into the place where they live and who want to give back, Rotary Club has just what you're looking for. As Rita explains, people who get involved in Rotary's service projects find their lives enriched in incredibly fulfilling ways, AND that they're a part of a global network of like-minded people who are committed to making the world a better place!To learn more about Rotary International and to find a chapter near you, visit their website: https://www.rotary.org/en. You can also follow them on social media here: TwitterInstagramFacebookLinkedInWeChat: "Rotary" Stay in touch and send us comments, suggestions or interview recommendations; we're on Instagram at @PopAbroad, or you can reach out by email: michelle.ibarra@migrationmedia.net Pop Abroad is a proud member of the Migration Media network. Follow us on Twitter at @MigrationMedia_ or check us out at www.migrationmedia.net to learn about our other shows. Please take a moment to "Like" us and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts... and subscribe! 

Shannon Martin has been living abroad for years. Ever since she convinced her employer to let her work remotely and she fell in love with the #ExpatLife in Spain, she's never felt the pull to go back "home." Today she's a successful content manager and PR pro who is also the organizer of the Shanghai branch of Podcast Brunch Club, a global community for people who love on-demand audio. "It's like book club, but for podcasts!" PBC is probably one of the most open, welcoming and easy-to-join communities that will help you plug-in to the local scene no matter where you are on the planet!Learn more about Podcast Brunch Club, search for a chapter near you, and check out their Listening Lists here: https://podcastbrunchclub.com/. To get a taste of what a typical meet-up is like, you can listen in to the PBC Beijing chapter's meet-up where they discussed the "Understanding China" listening list over on Migratory Patterns, or in the PBC Podcast feed here. Follow PBC on all of the platforms: TwitterFacebookInstagram Stay in touch and send us comments, suggestions or interview recommendations; we're on Instagram at @PopAbroad, or you can reach out by email: michelle.ibarra@migrationmedia.net Pop Abroad is a proud member of the Migration Media network. Follow us on Twitter at @MigrationMedia_ or check us out at www.migrationmedia.net to learn about our other shows. Please take a moment to "Like" us and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts... and subscribe!

After a couple of years traveling around the world, Australian Vy Vu took a job in Shanghai's booming fashion sector. Shortly after that she set up FitFam, "A free fitness community that is accessible to all." They offer free workout classes to people of all fitness levels taught by volunteer instructors, and the idea has taken off. FitFam classes are now taught at 35 locations across the city, along with multiple locations in another 9 cities in 7 countries and regions. She discusses how she has built and runs what has now become a multinational non-profit, and how its founding principles have not only helped community members get fit, but it has provided pathways to personal and professional development for the volunteers, many of whom have gone on to open chapters in new cities when they move.To learn more about FitFam and to find a group near you, visit them on the web at https://www.wefitfam.com. You can also follow them on social media here: WeChat: "FitFamChina" Stay in touch and send us comments, suggestions or interview recommendations; we're on Instagram at @PopAbroad, or you can reach out by email: michelle.ibarra@migrationmedia.net Pop Abroad is a proud member of the Migration Media network. Follow us on Twitter at @MigrationMedia_ or check us out at www.migrationmedia.net to learn about our other shows. Please take a moment to "Like" us and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts... and subscribe! 

One of the largest expat-focused organizations in the world, InterNations often serves as a "landing pad" for young professionals when they move to a new city abroad. This week, Romanian-born Catalina Calin, local ambassador in Shanghai (one of the 420+ cities worldwide with a local chapter), talks about how a local community of volunteers sharing their knowledge and experience with new arrivals can help to alleviate loneliness and demystify the acclimation process. To learn more about the InterNations and to find a chapter near you, visit them on the web at https://www.internations.org. You can also follow them on social media here: TwitterInstagramFacebook Stay in touch and send us comments, suggestions or interview recommendations; we're on Instagram at @PopAbroad, or you can reach out by email: michelle.ibarra@migrationmedia.net Pop Abroad is a proud member of the Migration Media network. Follow us on Twitter at @MigrationMedia_ or check us out at www.migrationmedia.net to learn about our other shows. Please take a moment to "Like" us and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts... and subscribe!

There are many pathways and support networks for people who want to develop themselves professionally while living n their home countries. But what happens when you move overseas? Where do you turn for mentoring? Who can call out the pitfalls and obstacles as you try to advance your career? Amanda Argentieri, President of the International Professional Women's Society (IPWS) talks about her work leading a volunteer-run platform for dynamic women with diverse professional backgrounds to help them connect through events that build networks, foster personal growth, and enable professional development.To learn more about IPWS, visit their webiste: https://ipwsconnect.com/. You can also follow them on all of the platforms: FacebookTwitterInstagramWeChat: "IPWS" Stay in touch and send us comments, suggestions or interview recommendations; we're on Instagram at @PopAbroad, or you can reach out by email: michelle.ibarra@migrationmedia.net Pop Abroad is a proud member of the Migration Media network. Follow us on Twitter at @MigrationMedia_ or check us out at www.migrationmedia.net to learn about our other shows. Please take a moment to "Like" us and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts... and subscribe!

This week we're discussing women in leadership with Roberta Basso, International Manager for Lean In China. She traces her path from Southern Italy to the Netherlands to China, where she found herself as the only woman on a team of engineers in the industrial sector, and then again in the software industry. So how do you find your way as an expat when you're a minority (foreigner) within a minority (a woman), dealing prejudice and assimilation issues? She talks about the tools that the Lean In community gave her to succeed in her career, and how being able to find a place within a supportive network empowered her with a sense of purpose- namely, helping the next generation of women leaders and making sure that men are included in conversations about issues around gender and equity in the workplace.To learn more about the Lean In and to find a Circle near you, visit them on the web at  https://leanin.org/. You can also follow them on social media here: TwitterInstagramFacebookLinkedInWeChat (English): "LeanInShanghai"WeChat (Chinese): "LeanInzhonggouInternational" Stay in touch and send us comments, suggestions or interview recommendations; we're on Instagram at @PopAbroad, or you can reach out by email: michelle.ibarra@migrationmedia.net Pop Abroad is a proud member of the Migration Media network. Follow us on Twitter at @MigrationMedia_ or check us out at www.migrationmedia.net to learn about our other shows. Please take a moment to "Like" us and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts... and subscribe!

Do you like sweating and being social? South African-born and New Zealand-raised Kelly Olver shares her story of being an ex-flight attendant gym rat who has created a fitness community for women in Shanghai, called SASS.C. The idea came about as she searched for a way to combine her passion for staying in shape with her desire to find spaces where women could connect with each other. The results have been lots of sweaty empowering fun!To learn more about SASS.C and see what they're up to, follow them on Instagram at @thesass_c. If you're in Shanghai and are interested in joining, reach out to Kelly on WeChat; she's at "KiwiKells". Stay in touch and send us comments, suggestions or interview recommendations; we're on Instagram at @PopAbroad, or you can reach out by email: michelle.ibarra@migrationmedia.net Pop Abroad is a proud member of the Migration Media network. Follow us on Twitter at @MigrationMedia_ or check us out at www.migrationmedia.net to learn about our other shows. Please take a moment to "Like" us and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts... and subscribe!

So you've made the leap. You're living overseas; living the dream. Now what? Once the honeymoon period ends, and friends back home stop being excited and impressed by your courageous leap to find your fortune in a foreign land, things start to get real. How do you build a life overseas? How do you thrive? Michelle Ibarra, APAC & Oceania Community Manager for Girl Gone International, interviews the women who are killing it overseas to learn how they did it. Season 1 is all about community- why we need it, how we can use it to get a leg up, and how the best community leaders make theirs work. Stay in touch and send us comments, suggestions or interview recommendations; we're on Instagram at @PopAbroad, or you can reach out by email: michelle.ibarra@migrationmedia.net Pop Abroad is a proud member of the Migration Media network. Follow us on Twitter at @MigrationMedia_ to learn about our other shows. Please take a moment to "Like" us and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Podbean or wherever you get your podcasts... and subscribe!