July 8, 2024 • 51 mins
Andres, a successful immigrant to Canada, shares his journey and offers practical tips for settling in a new country and achieving professional success. He emphasizes the importance of having the right mindset, developing leadership skills, surrounding yourself with positive influences, and finding mentors.
Andres also highlights the need to fully commit to your goals and work hard to make your dreams come true. He shares his own challenges and encourages newcomers to not be afraid, ask for help, and believe in themselves. Andres has written a book called 'The American Dream' to inspire others with his story.
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Welcome to Newcomers on Fire, the podcastguiding you to thrive in your new country.
I am Miguel, your host.
Moving to a new country is tough andstarting over can be even tougher, but it
doesn't have to be.
With the right mindset and community, wewill help you accelerate your journey.
In each episode, we talk to people whohave been through it and they shared how
(00:22):
they did it step by step.
Remember,
Success leaves clues and my goal is tomotivate and support you to build the life
you want, whatever you are.
This podcast is just the start.
If you want more, you should check out ourcommunity.
That is where the real magic happens.
If you find value in this episode or havea story to inspire newcomers, I would love
(00:43):
to hear from you.
You can send us a message or record ashort video at story .onfire .show.
Sharing your experience can make all thedifference from someone who is just
starting.
In this episode, I talk with Andres, whocame to Canada as a refugee and overcame
many challenges to build an amazing careerand life.
(01:03):
Andres shares practical tips on how tosettle in a new country, get your
credentials recognized, networkeffectively, and achieve professional
success.
He highlights the importance of having theright mindset, developing leadership
skills,
Surrounding yourself with positiveinfluences and finding mentors.
Andres also emphasizes the need to fullycommit to your goals and work hard to make
(01:27):
your dreams come true.
We recently did a LinkedIn Live about hisframework for being an inspiring leader
and you can find the link on the shownotes.
It was great.
He also wrote the book, The AmericanDream, which I really enjoyed reading it.
It felt like I was reading a movie script.
And don't forget to download our freecompanion workbook, which includes a
(01:47):
summary of this episode, key highlights,top provoking questions and a space for
you to take notes and apply and dresswisdom and experience.
Now let's get back to the show.
Welcome to the newcomers on fire show withyour host Miguel Abascal.
Listen to people like you sharing theirjourneys, struggles and their
(02:10):
breakthroughs.
ready to be inspired to take control ofyour time, career, finances, and future.
Fulfill your potential.
Become the person you're meant to be andmake your dreams a reality.
Welcome to another episode of Newcomers onFire.
(02:30):
I'm very excited.
Today we have Andres here.
Yeah, I'm a speechless.
Thanks so much for accepting Andres.
And let's start with who is Andres.
So everybody knows a little bit more aboutyou.
Hey, Miguel.
First and foremost, let me congratulateyou for having this podcast.
From the bottom of my heart, I want to sayyou are my hero.
(02:52):
This is something that I always wanted todo and it's possible to get a
to get it done.
I know it probably took a lot of time fromyou and get it start from scratch and
having such a big audience right nowtrying to help people.
And as you say it, pay it forward.
So thanks for doing that.
Really appreciate it.
Thank you.
(03:13):
Regarding your question, Miguel, I'm goingto give you the long answer and the short
answer.
OK, the short answer is Andres is adreamer that gets everything that is on
his way and remove it.
accomplish my dreams and make them areality.
That's who I am.
That's the short answer.
The long answer is I grew up in Columbia.
(03:35):
When I finished my studies, I was forcedto leave the country.
So I decided to go to the US.
When I tried to stay there for the rest ofmy life, but for whatever reason, and I
can share that in a different episode, Iended up going to Canada.
(03:55):
six months after I landed in the US.
And Canada became my home.
That's where I started validating mystudies, started working for free to gain
what people call the Canadian experienceand get it back into the job market.
So I'm an industrial engineer.
(04:16):
I have a master's degree in supply chainmanagement with Penn State University.
And then I started working for
different companies in differentindustries until I made it to one of the
biggest corporations in the United Statesand in an entire world.
I work for companies in the automotiveindustry like Chrysler.
(04:37):
I work for Baker Hughes, which is a hugeoil and gas organization that covers oil
field services across the globe.
And now I'm with GE Aerospace, right,before
when I first started working for GE thatwas back in 2016.
And that's how I got the opportunity tomove away from home again.
(05:01):
To me, when people ask me, where are youfrom?
I paused for a minute and I said, okay, Ican answer these multiple ways because I
was born in Columbia.
Home for me is Canada.
But now I'm living in the United States ofAmerica and Houston because of work.
(05:22):
When I started working for GE, I had theopportunity to complete a leadership
program, an executive leadership programwith the organization and got a good role
in GE Oil and Gas back then when I wasrequired to relocate to the United States.
That's the professional side.
(05:42):
From the personal side, happily married toLindsay Campbell.
We have five children.
Laura is 24, Ian is 18, Ella is 13,Natalie is 6, and now Gabriel is a year
and a half.
So he's busy at work and he's busy at homeas well.
(06:07):
So that's the long answer for you, Miguel.
I love it so much.
So much to unpack, Andres.
It's incredible because you're so right.
From Colombia.
to Canada, starting from scratch.
In Canada, being an engineer is actually aregulated profession.
And we're going to be talking more aboutthat.
That means that pretty much you need to doa lot of things just for people to say
(06:31):
like, yes, you got it.
You are an engineer.
It's like, yeah, you're right.
You are truly an engineer.
And then from there, you start workinglike crazy.
And now you're an executive traveling theworld.
Because last time we had a conversation,we were in a different country.
So yeah, I'm just, again, blowing away ofyour trajectory.
And on top of that, you have five year oldchildren.
(06:51):
It's like, wow, I have two and sometimes Idon't know what is my name.
It's crazy.
I know, but it's beautiful.
It's a blessing.
That's for sure.
I love it.
If you can tell us more about yourchallenges, let's start with, you decide
to move to a different country.
You make it happen.
And then did everything go according toplan?
(07:13):
Did you experience any kind of challenges?
Tell us a little bit more about that.
Well,
I'm sure everybody listening to this show,to the podcast may relate to this, but
when you try to succeed, it takes time, ittakes effort, it takes hard work.
(07:37):
And to me,
I grew up and I'm going to get into mypersonal side.
Again, a lot of people relate to this andsomething that that I really believe in is
that we as leaders, we need we have theresponsibility and we must tell our story
so people can relate to it.
(07:59):
Feel encouraged, feeling inspired and dosomething about it so they can achieve
their dreams as well.
So I'm going to talk about these a littlebit.
I was the very first person
that graduated from university in myfamily.
Okay.
We didn't start when we, when I waslittle.
No, I'm not saying that, but we didn'thave a lot.
(08:24):
So I feel, I felt a lot of weight on myshoulders when I had the opportunity to go
to school and graduating.
And to me that was, that was amazingbecause my family did so much for me to be
able to do that.
Right?
So I started working after I graduated,but I didn't feel fulfilled, right?
(08:48):
Personally and professionally.
And there were certain factors that, thatforced me to leave the country, right?
I, I, I came to Canada as a refugee.
All right.
So there are multiple things that unlockedmy potential and being able to do what
I've done so far.
Right?
(09:09):
To me, success is, when I talk aboutsuccess, it's not a destination, it's an
entire journey, right?
So being able to put a challenge formyself to say you can do better and
achieve bigger things was something thathelped me get the drive to achieve
(09:30):
success, right?
And again, success is the journey, it'snot a final destination.
But when I talk about success, Miguel, Ilook at four different elements with that
word.
The first one is leadership.
And the way I think, I think that helpedme a little bit in the way I work and the
(09:51):
way I interact with different people.
I like to put structured things.
So success, think of four differentelements.
The first one is leadership, talent,commitment,
and hard, hard, hard work.
Right?
Right.
So when you think about leadership withinleadership, I have two streams that go in
(10:16):
there.
The first one is how do you developyourself?
Right.
From to go from step one to step two.
And the other one is how can you and thatthat's something that is unique to you.
Right.
And the other part of leadership is is theother people.
How do you develop others?
Right.
And again,
The reason I'm speaking to you today, thereason why I want people to listen to this
(10:41):
discussion is because I want them to feelinspired.
Right?
So that's the part of leadership.
When it comes to talent, there issomething specific about that.
It's not about how many equations do Iknow, how many capitals of the world do I
(11:03):
know.
to me is the desire to step into somethingthat is uncomfortable and doing it.
And that's what helped me a lot.
So if people ask me what type of advicewould you give me to grow within the
organization is whenever somebody istalking about a project and nobody has
(11:25):
discussed who is going to lead theproject, you raise your hand and say, I
can do it and I want to do it regardlessof
whether or not you know how to do itbecause I know that you will figure it
out.
Okay.
And how do I know that you will figure itout?
Because you are listening to this podcastand that tells me that is something you
(11:50):
that is telling you, Hey, I need to, toprepare myself.
I need to feel inspired.
I need to do something else for me to besuccessful or to succeed.
Right.
And,
when it comes to commitment, you need toshow up, right?
It does, go into the arena, be there,don't hide.
(12:11):
That's the worst thing you can do.
And obviously you need to care about otherpeople.
You need to show compassion and so on andso forth.
And hard work is key.
To me, that's a foundational piece aboutit, right?
There is a quote from,
Thomas Alva Edinson and I have it on mydesktop at work.
(12:32):
That's the background image that he says,hard work.
Let me retrieve it.
The opportunity is missed by most becausehe's dressed in overalls and he represents
hard work.
Right?
It's not easy, right?
Waking up at five in the morning toconnect with people in Asia or in India,
(12:55):
right?
It's not that easy.
You work 12 hours shift, quote unquote,and then at seven o 'clock you need to go
back on the phone on a Teams call or aSkype call in order to connect with
Malaysia because you're working on aproject, right?
So is being there, that's what I'm talkingabout.
It's not that easy, but it's possible.
(13:20):
I'm blown away because that's one of myquestions that I have for you is like how
you did it.
But these four steps, we're going tounpack them.
This is good.
So let's go back to early days, early daysin Canada, because I really want to
understand your journey because ifpossible, let's replicate it, right?
Like what are the steps that you did?
(13:41):
Because it's impressive.
It's one of those things that's like, it'salmost like winning the lottery in a way.
But you did it and now I see why.
But, okay, let's go.
You come to Canada, everything is new.
Of course, you know, expectations might bedifferent from reality.
Did you face any challenges withlanguages, with your validation of your
(14:05):
credentials, like networking?
Like, yeah, tell me more about that.
A hundred percent.
I've listened to most of your podcasts andI like especially...
what you discussed with Gabriela Gutierrezand also Maria.
But the one that got me to know your showwas the one you did with Sabina Michael.
(14:28):
Okay.
And I'm going to just use the opportunityto show you a book that I wrote, right?
It's called The American Dream.
It's about my story, all the things that Iwent through growing up, right?
I know most of us relate to the way wegrow up regarding, hey, we didn't have a
(14:51):
lot.
We want to go to school, be successful,work for a good company and so on and so
forth.
I tell my story here.
Amazing.
And I talk about Sabina here as well.
And when I got to Canada, I didn't speakthe language.
Okay.
Wow, that's even more impressive.
(15:12):
Yeah, that was crazy because I knew I hadto do it.
I knew it was a prerequisite.
It was something that needed to happen.
I know it was going to happen.
The key word to me is how fast can I doit?
So as I said, I got into Canada as arefugee.
(15:36):
I got the opportunity to, that's why I'min love with Canada is to me that's home.
People ask me, where are you from?
People expect because of my accent, theway I look.
They expect me to say Colombia orsomewhere in South America.
But say, no, my home is I'm from Toronto.
People look at me.
OK, I was born in Colombia.
(15:56):
I grew up.
I love my country.
I'm not saying otherwise.
But when people ask me, where are youfrom?
I'm from Toronto.
I embrace the culture.
I embrace the people.
I embrace the system that helped me a lot.
And that's wonderful.
So when I got to the country,
(16:16):
I got the opportunity to, and I wasblessed to be in welfare, right?
I'm no child to say that.
I didn't take advantage of that.
That needs to be clear.
So part of what I did was I went to schoolfrom nine to three o 'clock.
(16:39):
There was a full -time program in Christiefor people who migrated to
to use to Toronto back in early 2000s,they would probably know what I'm talking
about.
It was an organization that helped withESL classes, right?
So I was there full time, nine o 'clock tothree.
(17:01):
And right at five, there was anotherprogram that I signed up for that it was a
part -time program in CUSTY.
That was the name of the organization.
And I hope that is still around.
And there, so during the day, I studiedgrammar and I study the structure of the
(17:23):
language and so on and so forth.
And the courses in the afternoon were forpronunciation.
Right.
And how can I become fluent?
Long story short, I did that for sixmonths intensively.
Right.
Stayed in downtown.
finished my full -time, went part -time tothe other classes and started to pick up
(17:48):
the language.
Within six months, I wouldn't say I was100 % fluent, but I was able to make
myself understood and communicate withother people in six months.
And I'm very proud to say that.
And it is possible to learn the languagethat fast.
It is possible.
To put this into perspective, I was almost24 years old when that happened.
(18:12):
And then that's when I started networkingto your point.
And I know you talk about this in yourpodcast with with other newcomers.
Some people sign up for a program calledCareer Bridge.
And I got to Career Bridge through Sabina,who was working for access employment.
(18:36):
And I know she talks about this in herepisode.
So if you haven't heard
or listen to that podcast.
I encourage everyone to listen to thatpodcast.
Yeah.
And that got me into the program.
They part, they, match me with, with, witha mentor and with that mentor, I ended up
working quote unquote for free in hisorganization because they match me with a
(19:00):
person who had a professional who had thesame background that as I had in
industrial engineering.
So I did an internship there for
three, four months.
And then once I started putting that in myresume, organizations started to see that
I'm being employed in Canada.
(19:22):
So I got that Canadian experience that wasrequired.
And from there, I started to, my careertook off, started working for different
organizations and be where I am right now,Miguel.
wow.
No, that's incredible.
And you're so right.
Like the story with Sabina is also supergood because that program became later on
(19:45):
business age and I took that program andthat program changed also my life.
So yeah, I can only speak high prices tofor Sabina for the program for the entire
team and your journey.
Now that I know a little bit more aboutit, it's like, I'm still like in shock
because no English, no connectionscompletely from scratch.
And now where you are today.
And you wrote a book, which I also hear inmy notes that is like, I wanted to know
(20:07):
more about it.
Like, how did that happen?
But like, let's, before we jump there,it's a, how did you land your first
professional job?
Because usually, newcomers like, likemyself, you get trapped within, you need
to pay the bills.
There is, you know, you need to findsomething just to pay the bills in the
meantime, because finding that job mighttake a little bit of time.
(20:30):
And,
What was your experience and how did youland that first job?
That's a great question.
And the way I would answer that questionis I wasn't focused on the money, right?
I was looking for an opportunity.
And
(20:52):
And when I got into the program withCareer Bridge, there was multiple things
that I could have done that would havepaid more to what I was being paid.
Basically, I wasn't being paid anythingjust for tickets to go and get it within
(21:12):
the TTC and move within the city.
But it was lifting my hand.
being humble, right?
And being able to provide that value tothe organization, right?
I know that it wasn't easy for the mentorthat I had to spend time with me, right?
(21:40):
And guide me, educate me.
When I started doing that again, I wasn't100 % fluent in the language.
But it's just knowing that I was worth
something and that one person was going tosee that worth and use it to benefit the
organization that I started working forand obviously benefit myself as well.
(22:07):
Right?
Is networking was a key part.
I know linking wasn't back then and it wasknocking on doors talking to people.
I talk about showing up and not hiding.
showing your face, right?
We have so much to give as people, asprofessionals, and we shouldn't be afraid
(22:31):
of just showing up and say, I can do it,let's do it, let's get it done.
Forget about the title, forget about themoney, let me be part of it, and something
will grow after that.
It's like putting a seed into a pot,right?
And start putting water in it.
It's just gonna...
just going to flourish.
(22:52):
You're so right.
Two things came to mind.
The first one is a trap that I always seewithin e -commerce and I experienced it
myself.
I was working in several jobs inconstruction and then I started making
maybe $20 an hour and then $30 and then$40 and then it's like, now it's $60 an
hour.
So it's like, wow, this is good money,right?
But of course, the risk is higher.
(23:13):
I was doing a lot of things and I was...
meeting people that they also had mastersin finance and they had all of these and
they will tell me, I will tell them it'slike, Hey, why don't you go and work for a
bank?
It's like, well, why don't you start fromscratch?
No, like as a tailor, it's like, well, atailor earns like what $17 an hour.
So it's like, I cannot pay my bills with$17 an hour.
(23:35):
I cannot even start there.
So, and they will not hire them to thelevel that they have because of course
many variables, but it's like, that is atrap that happened so much because it
sometimes is like, Hey,
This is what happens and yeah, you got it.
Spot on, Miguel.
Spot on.
Spot on.
And I mentioned something like that on thebook because I remember part of my
(24:00):
foundation, Miguel, is I'm a believer.
Right.
I believe in God and in Jesus Christ.
And I was in a church event.
This discussion is bringing a lot ofmemories, Miguel.
So bear with me while I...
I go back and remember my story andbecause he moves me to be honest with you
and we were in an event at church, right?
(24:24):
And I was a I was friend with a guy, verygood person.
We play soccer together in Forona and heintroduced me to his dad that went to the
event.
And the three of us were talking and
my friend went to grab a hot dog and Istayed with his dad and he said, okay,
(24:46):
what are you doing for a living?
And I just, okay, I'm an engineer, justcame from Columbia.
I tried to stay in the US, but I'm now inCanada and I'm just trying to learn the
language, validate my studies.
I was so energetic just to share my storyand I'm...
(25:08):
going to English classes in the afternoon,in the morning, I got a contact on this
program called Career Bridge and said,wait, wait, wait, wait, he says to me,
wait, wait, wait, wait, why are you doingthat?
I was like, excuse me, why are you wastingyour time doing that?
You have to start working and supportingyourself and your family.
(25:31):
I was like, I was, I was shocked.
And he was telling me all these, why Ishouldn't be doing that and.
And he got to a point where he says, Ihave, I run my own company.
I have contract with multiple buildingsand commercial spaces where I paint and do
(25:52):
construction.
And I have, he said to me, and he was veryproud of saying this, I never went to
school, but I have lawyers, I have doctorsand I have architects.
I have engineers working for me now.
And you should be doing something likethat because they're making money now.
that that that was like somebody grab abutton and he did hit me right in the face
(26:17):
that that quote that made me questionmyself for not for a long time but for a
few minutes I I was speechless and my myfriend came and we started talking about
something else but I was quiet the rest ofthe afternoon and that gave me more
motivation to do what I had to do rightand it
(26:41):
back to the trap that you were talkingabout.
I've done it.
Miguel, you've done it.
I heard the story from Maria.
I heard the story from, from Gabriella.
Sabrina can talk about this, how manypeople she has impacted.
If we've done it, anyone can do it.
Exactly.
And that's exactly the purpose.
(27:02):
It's as simple as that is, is, is a provenmethod.
people listening, they, they makequestioning themselves.
Yes, you can do it.
If you're listening to me, just do it.
Yes, you can do it.
Let's talk about that book.
How did that happen?
Because can you just tell us a bit aboutthe origin story, how you came with the
(27:28):
desire and the will to write it and thenpublish it and then everything?
Yeah, that's an interesting story becauseit took me and I'm being serious.
It took me
almost 10 years to get it done.
Okay?
And it's only 100 pages.
It's a quick read.
(27:48):
So I started writing this when I wasworking for Chrysler.
And what I wanted to do is I wanted topractice my writing skills, my
storytelling skills, right?
Remember, I wanted to become proficientand be the best I can be with
(28:09):
with the English language.
And still I'm alone.
You probably can see it on my accent.
In my pronunciation, I still need to learna lot.
I started writing it.
And the reason, the second and mostimportant reason why I started to do it
was because of my children.
Right.
(28:30):
So I wanted them, the story was for me,right.
Just to, you may call it a memoir or it'smy story.
Part of it is when I was growing up.
So the first chapter, I call it back homeand then the US and then Canada.
I was telling the whole story, right.
In the small chapters.
(28:51):
And I said, I want my children to knowwhere I'm coming from and what I'm going
through or went through in order for us tohave a house in order for them to have a,
to have education and to have, to have aroof, to have food on the table and so on
and so forth.
Right.
So I started writing it and then I gotpromoted.
(29:14):
So I stopped, I stopped writing for acouple of years because I had projects.
I was
getting to know more people, getting moreinvolved in my professional and career.
And then I need to go back and continuethe book.
So I went back and started reading what Iwrote.
(29:34):
The first two chapters didn't like that.
Then I started rewriting it again.
So it was on and off, on and off foralmost 10 years.
Yeah, it's not that easy.
It's not that easy.
Again, it takes time, dedication and so onand so forth.
So I started sharing the idea with mywife.
(29:55):
So my wife started reading a few pages.
She thought it was very interesting,started writing more.
I went back and every time I fell down,remember the balloon?
When I was feeling discouraged,
I went back and read my own story andagain that got me back up and continued to
(30:18):
do it until I finished.
Showed to several people, they reallyliked it and they said, why don't you have
you considered just publishing it andsharing it with more people?
And that resonated with me because to meis is giving is the whole thing is giving
back.
I know Miguel for you is is paid, paidforward to me is giving back.
(30:43):
How can I help not only my children, whichwas the intent of the American dream, but
how can we help other people?
So I got in contact with a few folks andat the end I started looking into self
-publishing.
So I got into Kindle and Amazon, got aproofread, I got it edited a little bit,
(31:07):
and then I got it published.
And I've sold quite a few, to be honestwith you.
But the whole idea of the book is how canI help more people on a passive way?
Something that I need to do, Miguel, andthat's probably a challenge for you and I
is how can I help more people dynamically?
(31:28):
How can I help you reach out to morepeople and make sure that they listen to
people's stories, inspire each other, andget the dreams accomplished?
get the dreams accomplished.
I think that's what we're here for andit's our obligation to share our stories.
You've done it, Miguel.
Different people have done it.
When I followed your podcast, I wasshocked again.
(31:48):
That was something amazing that you haveaccomplished.
And that's how the book came to be.
From time to time, I offer advice the sameway you do.
I like to be more involved with newcomers,but I do it most within
the organizations that I've worked forbefore.
(32:08):
People approach me and they have probablyopportunities that they don't know what to
decide.
Should I stay more in my role?
I got offered this position.
Should I stay in that position?
And we established that dialogue.
What are you looking for?
Do you wanna lead a team?
Do you wanna be in finance?
Do you wanna lead manufacturing services?
And we started a good dialogue and I usedthe book as a tool.
(32:33):
to guide people and make sure that theystay focused and make the best decision
they can make.
I love it.
Thank you for sharing because great thingstake time.
It's like our immigration story, ourprogress, writing a book, definitely.
Everything takes time and great thingstake even more time.
(32:55):
I'm happy that you pushed through and evenafter 10 years you make it happen.
I'm super excited for people to read yourbook.
And yeah, definitely.
If you don't mind, there is the first pagethat I have on the book and I want to read
this to the people listening.
It's those two lines, right?
And I'm sure this will resonate with a lotof people.
(33:19):
And I start by saying, great things havebeen accomplished by people who trust in
God and believe and believe that they canaccomplish them.
is so powerful.
If you believe you can do it, guess what?
You are going to do it.
The key question is how fast or how soonam I going to do it?
(33:44):
That's the question you need to checkfrom, can I do it?
To me, that's not the question is how sooncan I do it?
But you have to believe you can do itfirst.
Exactly.
If you believe you can't or you believeyou can in both instances, you're right.
That's one of my favorite quotes, but youare so right.
I think believing it is the first step forsure.
(34:06):
That's 50 % of success.
And as you mentioned is how to accomplishit, how to optimize it, how to accelerate
it.
It's the job of a coach, of a mentor, of aperson that did it.
So similar to you is like, hey, this ishow I did it.
Here are the steps or here is the map orhere is the bridge.
And then it's like, yeah, just followthrough.
Like it's the same thing over and over andover.
(34:26):
this is amazing.
Quick question, and maybe let's go alittle bit more like, let's think about
before you came to Canada, you're jumpinginto that plane.
Imagine everything that you know today andwhat would you say to your younger self?
Like if you could send a tweet, if you cansend just a message in time and say like,
(34:50):
hey, Andreas, I know that you're going toCanada.
Here's a tweet that you need.
That's a great question, Miguel.
I think what I would tell myself is don'tbe afraid.
Don't be afraid and go for it.
(35:15):
Don't think about things twice.
There is a phrase that my grandma used totell me.
In Spanish, I'm trying to see how I cantranslate that into English if you if you
head fits through it Then your whole bodyis gonna fit through it some something
like that, right?
(35:35):
So just just jump on it head -on and do itI think when I was younger I I was
hesitant to do a few things that I neededto do And because I was afraid I didn't I
didn't do them right time told me that Ishould have done them and eventually I got
to do them
I believe that obviously there wereoccasions where I wasn't that successful,
(36:01):
but there were occasions where I wassuccessful on those things that I was
afraid of doing.
But that's the answer to you and thepeople listening, Miguel.
Don't be afraid.
Just go for it and do it.
If it doesn't work out, well, at least younow know that it doesn't work out.
Do something else.
Right.
And learn from your mistakes.
(36:23):
Don't be afraid and grab the bull by thehorns and go for it.
I love it.
I love it so much.
Now, I kind of see my question a littlebit different.
Imagine that you have the power to haveone message that every newcomer can see.
And then these messages for people thatare, you know, just arrived to the country
(36:44):
and things are not going well.
Hey, barely affording the bills like rentscrazy.
I'm working maybe two shifts just to makeends meet.
I'm applying like crazy.
Nothing is working.
It's dark.
It's bad.
And I see your billboard.
What is going to say?
(37:08):
It says, you are not alone and do not giveup.
I've never, I've never seen the firstperson who had died of hunger in Canada or
anywhere where I've been.
Right.
I know it's tough.
(37:29):
I know it's not that easy.
It's a challenge.
That's why you are there.
And that's why a lot of people go backafter
two or three months, right?
That's a fact.
People go back and guess what?
They are so, with so many regrets, why didI leave Canada?
And I saw a lot of people when I was therethat I was in that situation.
(37:51):
Miguel, I was in that situation.
I was in dark places.
Last year I was in a dark place, right?
And it's not that easy.
And something to share with peoplelistening, and I'm here opening my heart
to everyone.
I went through a divorce when I was in,when I first moved, I was with my first
(38:14):
two kids mother and didn't work out.
It was hard.
It was hard, but do not give up.
Right.
I listened to a powerful speaker.
You probably know him, Tony Robbins.
And he says there are seasons, right?
There is spring, there is...
(38:35):
There is summer, there is winter, there isfalling, there is winter.
They don't last forever, right?
So you question, going back to yourquestion, if you're in a dark place, yeah,
that is winter right now, but guess what?
Winter doesn't last forever, right?
Just don't give up.
Do everything you can to survive, to keepthat balloon up, right?
(39:00):
Just keep pumping it and make sure it's uphigh.
By doing an activity that you like the appapply the app Use the app right like a
phone use the app And and keeps upyourself motivated right surround yourself
And that's a key part Miguel that helpedme a lot to Surround yourself with people
(39:22):
who are successful because they will rubon on you right and you will become
successful Is that saying that we have Iknow?
most of us who grew up in in a LatinAmerican country.
And the saying is, tell me who you hangout with and I will tell you who you are.
(39:43):
If you hang out with people who are up tono good, let's guess what?
You're going to be up to no good.
Is that true?
So surround yourself with people that arepositive, that always see the bright side
of things and that will rub on to you.
Right.
And that will keep you motivated.
Remember there are seasons, right?
(40:04):
If you're going through winter right now,look forward to summer.
Look winter, look forward to summer.
There will be the sunny days.
The rain is going to stop.
The snow is, it's not going to be coldanymore.
Right.
It will be hot and it will be summer.
I love that.
And you're so right.
It's a, it's about also asking for help.
(40:25):
Because sometimes we come from cultureswhere you cannot be vulnerable.
You cannot be weak.
You cannot say I'm struggling.
And I raised my hand and said, that was metoo.
When I was like, hey, everything'sperfect.
Hey, no, all good.
And in the meantime, I don't know if I'mgoing to pay my rent a month.
So, and I struggle just by myself.
(40:47):
But at the moment that you start askingout and being vulnerable, that becomes
your superpower.
And everybody, because we know how hard itis.
Hey.
A lot of people are willing to help.
So I love your message.
No, I love what you say, Miguel.
Actually, I'm going to ask you questionsso you can keep articulating that message.
Asking for help is so important, Miguel.
(41:08):
You are spot on.
You are spot on.
And when we talk about mentors at work,it's just if you have a question, a
challenge, ask for help, talk to yourmentor.
I have this challenge, this difficulty.
What should I do?
you are a support on Miguel.
I'm glad.
Thank you for sharing that with theaudience as well.
(41:29):
Last two questions very quickly.
What are the, as a mentor that you arereally helping others and now you're in a
position to help so many with all yourexperience and so on, especially
internally in your organizations.
What are the three characteristics thatyou look on a mentee?
Somebody who is cautions.
That's the first one.
(41:51):
The second one, and you said it is beingvulnerable.
Right?
You want someone who is not as modestperson in the room and that person needs
to acknowledge that.
Right?
That's the second part.
And the third one is that that person hasthe skills or the desire to become a
(42:16):
leader so that person can help all theleaders, can help other people become
leaders.
Right?
It's like a snowball.
Right?
You as a leader, you need to develop otherpeople so they can become leaders and they
can develop more leaders, right?
Those are the three things that I will,that I would say I look for people to have
(42:37):
in order for them to be good mentees andbuild that relationship with me.
Amazing.
And you're so right, like train thetrainer to build a pipeline of the future
and to grow because the more you grow,guess what?
The more you need within your organizationto, to
to help you accomplish the bigger goals.
So yeah, spot on.
Last question.
(42:58):
If I ask you, like, let's say that's thefirst time we met each other.
It's like, I know that you're verysuccessful, Andres.
What are the three things that I can do totry faster in Canada?
I go back to my four elements of success,right?
Just build your relationship skills,right?
(43:22):
Just connecting with people, developingpeople, being able to inspire yourself and
inspire others, right?
The talent piece, right?
I'm not talking about how much you knowabout books, science, or math.
when I talk about talent, you know that isthe ability to lift your hand and say,
hey, how can I help?
(43:44):
I don't know how to do it now, but I willfigure it out.
But I want to help.
Right.
That's the second one.
The third one is commitment.
Once you say I want to do it, you arecommitted to it.
Right.
And make that commitment public.
So you for yourself to to get it tocompletion.
Right.
That's that's the
(44:05):
That's the third piece.
And the fourth one is hard work, right?
Just show up, go to the arena, work hard,show up.
If you need to wake up five o 'clock inthe morning, wake up five o 'clock in the
morning, right?
If you say, I need to sleep more, youprobably need to sleep faster.
(44:25):
As Arnold Schwarzenegger says, I don'tknow if you heard that quote from him.
He says, he says,
Yeah, there is no enough time for me tosleep.
I need to sleep eight hours so I canrecover well.
And then he says, well, if you need tosleep eight hours to sleep faster, so you
can recover faster.
(44:46):
So that's the hard work part of it, right?
You need to, you need to show up, Miguel.
You need to do the best you can do.
in order to help yourself, help others andshow results.
That's what it was down at the end of theday.
Yeah, that's true.
That was your formula of success anddefinitely is a formula of success.
(45:09):
And success leaves clues.
So that's the way to go.
Lastly, is there, I think, a person, amoment in time that you are so grateful
for all the success you have today?
Wow, that's a good one.
I wasn't expecting that question.
Wow, okay.
(45:31):
I...
Again, I just want to make somethingclear.
To me, success is the journey, right?
I don't see myself as a successful person.
I still see myself as a person who I'mstill trying to achieve that success.
And with that said, to me is I wouldn'tboil it down to a person, but a group of
(45:57):
people.
And that is that is my family.
Right.
That's that's my wife and my children.
Sometimes, and everybody go through thisups and downs, right?
Sometimes you wake up in the morning andsay, holy man, I need to deal with this
person.
I'm going through this situation.
(46:17):
I don't want to get up.
Right?
But you need to get up.
You need to get up.
You need to do it.
And the way that I get to do that isbecause I think of my family, right?
My wife and my children.
If I don't do it,
they are going to be in a position laterthat I don't want them to be.
(46:38):
So I need to do it.
I need to get up and get things done.
Right.
So I don't point my finger at a singleperson, but a group of people.
And in the spirit of progressing careerwise, I have a few people that I connected
with throughout my career that I considermentors.
(47:01):
And
Again, going back to your question earlierduring the discussion is finding that
mentor that eventually will give you themotivation that you need to continue to go
in that journey to be successful.
Right.
So that's my answer to you.
(47:22):
And of course it's like all the elementsthat you went through in order to become
what you are today is part of the entireprocess of it.
So yeah.
Thank you.
Anything that we miss or that you like tosay?
There is so much to talk about Miguel.
I really appreciate it.
I just want to say thank you.
(47:44):
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I do believe what you're doing is great.
So congratulations.
I said it before, but I will say it again.
You are my hero.
Thanks for doing this.
I want the people who are listening to...
to know and also understand that they arenot the first ones and are not going to be
(48:09):
the last ones going through what they aregoing through.
Right?
Exactly.
If you're in Canada, and I know I don'tneed to say it twice, you are in the best
country in the world.
So you are blessed.
It's a privilege to be in Canada.
So you are in the right place.
And now you is you, so you are the bestperson you can be to get things done.
(48:34):
Right.
So don't be afraid of facing thechallenge.
You are not alone.
Just go and get it done because it'spossible.
Miguel has done it.
I've done it.
So many people has done it and you are notgoing to be the exception to the rule.
You're going to do it.
I love it.
(48:55):
wow.
So inspirational.
Thank you, Andres.
Thank you so much for being so generouswith your time.
with your wisdom, with sharing so much.
I recommend and highly recommend everybodyto get your book because, boy, that's
transformational.
And let's talk more about it.
Let's talk more in another episode.
Let's go more into the details because wehave there is so much we can share.
Let's see how much feedback we get.
We get from from these discussion becausewe there is so much we can help people
(49:18):
with, right?
Getting more stories shared, somethingthat people are afraid of speaking about
money.
I don't have money, but
We need to educate ourselves how to have avery good relationship with money.
And as newcomers, and you mentioned thison a question, we get to positions where
we cannot pay the bill.
(49:39):
We need to learn how to build a goodrelationship with money, right?
And that could be a different topic thatwe can bring into the podcast and get a
chat with people, get some feedback realtime and take it from there.
But there's so much we can do to helppeople.
I love that and that's very importantbecause I can tell you, you as a newcomer
(50:00):
that you're getting very little, you makeone mistake with a credit card, with the
line of credit, whatever.
Guess what?
That mistake can take you seven years ormore just to like get fixed.
So again, that could impact purchase of acar, purchase of a house, you name it.
You're just hoping a huge topic.
I know, I know.
No, definitely.
Let's do it.
(50:20):
Let's do it.
Hey, challenge accepted.
Good.
It's been a pleasure, really appreciateit.
Thank you so much.
Thank you, really appreciate it.
That wraps up another great conversationfull of actionable advice to help you
thrive as a newcomer.
If you enjoyed this or took away somethinguseful, I have just three quick asks.
(50:43):
First, spread the word.
Post about this on social media or shareit directly with somebody that needs this.
Next, pay it forward.
Take a minute and leave us a review withyour biggest takeaway.
You can also share your experience bysending us a message or recording a short
video at story .onfire .show.
And finally, come and join our community.
(51:05):
Connect with fellow newcomers, askquestions, and keep the conversation going
at onfire .show.
That's all for this episode of Newcomerson Fire.
I am Miguel reminding you that with theright mindset and community, anything is
possible.
See you next time for more amazing storiesand practical tips to help you build the
life you want in your new home.
Welcome to Newcomers on Fire, the podcastguiding you to thrive in your new country.
I am Miguel, your host.
Moving to a new country is tough andstarting over can be even tougher, but it
doesn't have to be.
With the right mindset and community, wewill help you accelerate your journey.
In each episode, we talk to people whohave been through it and they shared how
(00:22):
they did it step by step.
Remember,
Success leaves clues and my goal is tomotivate and support you to build the life
you want, whatever you are.
This podcast is just the start.
If you want more, you should check out ourcommunity.
That is where the real magic happens.
If you find value in this episode or havea story to inspire newcomers, I would love
(00:43):
to hear from you.
You can send us a message or record ashort video at story .onfire .show.
Sharing your experience can make all thedifference from someone who is just
starting.
In this episode, I talk with Andres, whocame to Canada as a refugee and overcame
many challenges to build an amazing careerand life.
(01:03):
Andres shares practical tips on how tosettle in a new country, get your
credentials recognized, networkeffectively, and achieve professional
success.
He highlights the importance of having theright mindset, developing leadership
skills,
Surrounding yourself with positiveinfluences and finding mentors.
Andres also emphasizes the need to fullycommit to your goals and work hard to make
(01:27):
your dreams come true.
We recently did a LinkedIn Live about hisframework for being an inspiring leader
and you can find the link on the shownotes.
It was great.
He also wrote the book, The AmericanDream, which I really enjoyed reading it.
It felt like I was reading a movie script.
And don't forget to download our freecompanion workbook, which includes a
(01:47):
summary of this episode, key highlights,top provoking questions and a space for
you to take notes and apply and dresswisdom and experience.
Now let's get back to the show.
Welcome to the newcomers on fire show withyour host Miguel Abascal.
Listen to people like you sharing theirjourneys, struggles and their
(02:10):
breakthroughs.
ready to be inspired to take control ofyour time, career, finances, and future.
Fulfill your potential.
Become the person you're meant to be andmake your dreams a reality.
Welcome to another episode of Newcomers onFire.
(02:30):
I'm very excited.
Today we have Andres here.
Yeah, I'm a speechless.
Thanks so much for accepting Andres.
And let's start with who is Andres.
So everybody knows a little bit more aboutyou.
Hey, Miguel.
First and foremost, let me congratulateyou for having this podcast.
From the bottom of my heart, I want to sayyou are my hero.
(02:52):
This is something that I always wanted todo and it's possible to get a
to get it done.
I know it probably took a lot of time fromyou and get it start from scratch and
having such a big audience right nowtrying to help people.
And as you say it, pay it forward.
So thanks for doing that.
Really appreciate it.
Thank you.
(03:13):
Regarding your question, Miguel, I'm goingto give you the long answer and the short
answer.
OK, the short answer is Andres is adreamer that gets everything that is on
his way and remove it.
accomplish my dreams and make them areality.
That's who I am.
That's the short answer.
The long answer is I grew up in Columbia.
(03:35):
When I finished my studies, I was forcedto leave the country.
So I decided to go to the US.
When I tried to stay there for the rest ofmy life, but for whatever reason, and I
can share that in a different episode, Iended up going to Canada.
(03:55):
six months after I landed in the US.
And Canada became my home.
That's where I started validating mystudies, started working for free to gain
what people call the Canadian experienceand get it back into the job market.
So I'm an industrial engineer.
(04:16):
I have a master's degree in supply chainmanagement with Penn State University.
And then I started working for
different companies in differentindustries until I made it to one of the
biggest corporations in the United Statesand in an entire world.
I work for companies in the automotiveindustry like Chrysler.
(04:37):
I work for Baker Hughes, which is a hugeoil and gas organization that covers oil
field services across the globe.
And now I'm with GE Aerospace, right,before
when I first started working for GE thatwas back in 2016.
And that's how I got the opportunity tomove away from home again.
(05:01):
To me, when people ask me, where are youfrom?
I paused for a minute and I said, okay, Ican answer these multiple ways because I
was born in Columbia.
Home for me is Canada.
But now I'm living in the United States ofAmerica and Houston because of work.
(05:22):
When I started working for GE, I had theopportunity to complete a leadership
program, an executive leadership programwith the organization and got a good role
in GE Oil and Gas back then when I wasrequired to relocate to the United States.
That's the professional side.
(05:42):
From the personal side, happily married toLindsay Campbell.
We have five children.
Laura is 24, Ian is 18, Ella is 13,Natalie is 6, and now Gabriel is a year
and a half.
So he's busy at work and he's busy at homeas well.
(06:07):
So that's the long answer for you, Miguel.
I love it so much.
So much to unpack, Andres.
It's incredible because you're so right.
From Colombia.
to Canada, starting from scratch.
In Canada, being an engineer is actually aregulated profession.
And we're going to be talking more aboutthat.
That means that pretty much you need to doa lot of things just for people to say
(06:31):
like, yes, you got it.
You are an engineer.
It's like, yeah, you're right.
You are truly an engineer.
And then from there, you start workinglike crazy.
And now you're an executive traveling theworld.
Because last time we had a conversation,we were in a different country.
So yeah, I'm just, again, blowing away ofyour trajectory.
And on top of that, you have five year oldchildren.
(06:51):
It's like, wow, I have two and sometimes Idon't know what is my name.
It's crazy.
I know, but it's beautiful.
It's a blessing.
That's for sure.
I love it.
If you can tell us more about yourchallenges, let's start with, you decide
to move to a different country.
You make it happen.
And then did everything go according toplan?
(07:13):
Did you experience any kind of challenges?
Tell us a little bit more about that.
Well,
I'm sure everybody listening to this show,to the podcast may relate to this, but
when you try to succeed, it takes time, ittakes effort, it takes hard work.
(07:37):
And to me,
I grew up and I'm going to get into mypersonal side.
Again, a lot of people relate to this andsomething that that I really believe in is
that we as leaders, we need we have theresponsibility and we must tell our story
so people can relate to it.
(07:59):
Feel encouraged, feeling inspired and dosomething about it so they can achieve
their dreams as well.
So I'm going to talk about these a littlebit.
I was the very first person
that graduated from university in myfamily.
Okay.
We didn't start when we, when I waslittle.
No, I'm not saying that, but we didn'thave a lot.
(08:24):
So I feel, I felt a lot of weight on myshoulders when I had the opportunity to go
to school and graduating.
And to me that was, that was amazingbecause my family did so much for me to be
able to do that.
Right?
So I started working after I graduated,but I didn't feel fulfilled, right?
(08:48):
Personally and professionally.
And there were certain factors that, thatforced me to leave the country, right?
I, I, I came to Canada as a refugee.
All right.
So there are multiple things that unlockedmy potential and being able to do what
I've done so far.
Right?
(09:09):
To me, success is, when I talk aboutsuccess, it's not a destination, it's an
entire journey, right?
So being able to put a challenge formyself to say you can do better and
achieve bigger things was something thathelped me get the drive to achieve
(09:30):
success, right?
And again, success is the journey, it'snot a final destination.
But when I talk about success, Miguel, Ilook at four different elements with that
word.
The first one is leadership.
And the way I think, I think that helpedme a little bit in the way I work and the
(09:51):
way I interact with different people.
I like to put structured things.
So success, think of four differentelements.
The first one is leadership, talent,commitment,
and hard, hard, hard work.
Right?
Right.
So when you think about leadership withinleadership, I have two streams that go in
(10:16):
there.
The first one is how do you developyourself?
Right.
From to go from step one to step two.
And the other one is how can you and thatthat's something that is unique to you.
Right.
And the other part of leadership is is theother people.
How do you develop others?
Right.
And again,
The reason I'm speaking to you today, thereason why I want people to listen to this
(10:41):
discussion is because I want them to feelinspired.
Right?
So that's the part of leadership.
When it comes to talent, there issomething specific about that.
It's not about how many equations do Iknow, how many capitals of the world do I
(11:03):
know.
to me is the desire to step into somethingthat is uncomfortable and doing it.
And that's what helped me a lot.
So if people ask me what type of advicewould you give me to grow within the
organization is whenever somebody istalking about a project and nobody has
(11:25):
discussed who is going to lead theproject, you raise your hand and say, I
can do it and I want to do it regardlessof
whether or not you know how to do itbecause I know that you will figure it
out.
Okay.
And how do I know that you will figure itout?
Because you are listening to this podcastand that tells me that is something you
(11:50):
that is telling you, Hey, I need to, toprepare myself.
I need to feel inspired.
I need to do something else for me to besuccessful or to succeed.
Right.
And,
when it comes to commitment, you need toshow up, right?
It does, go into the arena, be there,don't hide.
(12:11):
That's the worst thing you can do.
And obviously you need to care about otherpeople.
You need to show compassion and so on andso forth.
And hard work is key.
To me, that's a foundational piece aboutit, right?
There is a quote from,
Thomas Alva Edinson and I have it on mydesktop at work.
(12:32):
That's the background image that he says,hard work.
Let me retrieve it.
The opportunity is missed by most becausehe's dressed in overalls and he represents
hard work.
Right?
It's not easy, right?
Waking up at five in the morning toconnect with people in Asia or in India,
(12:55):
right?
It's not that easy.
You work 12 hours shift, quote unquote,and then at seven o 'clock you need to go
back on the phone on a Teams call or aSkype call in order to connect with
Malaysia because you're working on aproject, right?
So is being there, that's what I'm talkingabout.
It's not that easy, but it's possible.
(13:20):
I'm blown away because that's one of myquestions that I have for you is like how
you did it.
But these four steps, we're going tounpack them.
This is good.
So let's go back to early days, early daysin Canada, because I really want to
understand your journey because ifpossible, let's replicate it, right?
Like what are the steps that you did?
(13:41):
Because it's impressive.
It's one of those things that's like, it'salmost like winning the lottery in a way.
But you did it and now I see why.
But, okay, let's go.
You come to Canada, everything is new.
Of course, you know, expectations might bedifferent from reality.
Did you face any challenges withlanguages, with your validation of your
(14:05):
credentials, like networking?
Like, yeah, tell me more about that.
A hundred percent.
I've listened to most of your podcasts andI like especially...
what you discussed with Gabriela Gutierrezand also Maria.
But the one that got me to know your showwas the one you did with Sabina Michael.
(14:28):
Okay.
And I'm going to just use the opportunityto show you a book that I wrote, right?
It's called The American Dream.
It's about my story, all the things that Iwent through growing up, right?
I know most of us relate to the way wegrow up regarding, hey, we didn't have a
(14:51):
lot.
We want to go to school, be successful,work for a good company and so on and so
forth.
I tell my story here.
Amazing.
And I talk about Sabina here as well.
And when I got to Canada, I didn't speakthe language.
Okay.
Wow, that's even more impressive.
(15:12):
Yeah, that was crazy because I knew I hadto do it.
I knew it was a prerequisite.
It was something that needed to happen.
I know it was going to happen.
The key word to me is how fast can I doit?
So as I said, I got into Canada as arefugee.
(15:36):
I got the opportunity to, that's why I'min love with Canada is to me that's home.
People ask me, where are you from?
People expect because of my accent, theway I look.
They expect me to say Colombia orsomewhere in South America.
But say, no, my home is I'm from Toronto.
People look at me.
OK, I was born in Colombia.
(15:56):
I grew up.
I love my country.
I'm not saying otherwise.
But when people ask me, where are youfrom?
I'm from Toronto.
I embrace the culture.
I embrace the people.
I embrace the system that helped me a lot.
And that's wonderful.
So when I got to the country,
(16:16):
I got the opportunity to, and I wasblessed to be in welfare, right?
I'm no child to say that.
I didn't take advantage of that.
That needs to be clear.
So part of what I did was I went to schoolfrom nine to three o 'clock.
(16:39):
There was a full -time program in Christiefor people who migrated to
to use to Toronto back in early 2000s,they would probably know what I'm talking
about.
It was an organization that helped withESL classes, right?
So I was there full time, nine o 'clock tothree.
(17:01):
And right at five, there was anotherprogram that I signed up for that it was a
part -time program in CUSTY.
That was the name of the organization.
And I hope that is still around.
And there, so during the day, I studiedgrammar and I study the structure of the
(17:23):
language and so on and so forth.
And the courses in the afternoon were forpronunciation.
Right.
And how can I become fluent?
Long story short, I did that for sixmonths intensively.
Right.
Stayed in downtown.
finished my full -time, went part -time tothe other classes and started to pick up
(17:48):
the language.
Within six months, I wouldn't say I was100 % fluent, but I was able to make
myself understood and communicate withother people in six months.
And I'm very proud to say that.
And it is possible to learn the languagethat fast.
It is possible.
To put this into perspective, I was almost24 years old when that happened.
(18:12):
And then that's when I started networkingto your point.
And I know you talk about this in yourpodcast with with other newcomers.
Some people sign up for a program calledCareer Bridge.
And I got to Career Bridge through Sabina,who was working for access employment.
(18:36):
And I know she talks about this in herepisode.
So if you haven't heard
or listen to that podcast.
I encourage everyone to listen to thatpodcast.
Yeah.
And that got me into the program.
They part, they, match me with, with, witha mentor and with that mentor, I ended up
working quote unquote for free in hisorganization because they match me with a
(19:00):
person who had a professional who had thesame background that as I had in
industrial engineering.
So I did an internship there for
three, four months.
And then once I started putting that in myresume, organizations started to see that
I'm being employed in Canada.
(19:22):
So I got that Canadian experience that wasrequired.
And from there, I started to, my careertook off, started working for different
organizations and be where I am right now,Miguel.
wow.
No, that's incredible.
And you're so right.
Like the story with Sabina is also supergood because that program became later on
(19:45):
business age and I took that program andthat program changed also my life.
So yeah, I can only speak high prices tofor Sabina for the program for the entire
team and your journey.
Now that I know a little bit more aboutit, it's like, I'm still like in shock
because no English, no connectionscompletely from scratch.
And now where you are today.
And you wrote a book, which I also hear inmy notes that is like, I wanted to know
(20:07):
more about it.
Like, how did that happen?
But like, let's, before we jump there,it's a, how did you land your first
professional job?
Because usually, newcomers like, likemyself, you get trapped within, you need
to pay the bills.
There is, you know, you need to findsomething just to pay the bills in the
meantime, because finding that job mighttake a little bit of time.
(20:30):
And,
What was your experience and how did youland that first job?
That's a great question.
And the way I would answer that questionis I wasn't focused on the money, right?
I was looking for an opportunity.
And
(20:52):
And when I got into the program withCareer Bridge, there was multiple things
that I could have done that would havepaid more to what I was being paid.
Basically, I wasn't being paid anythingjust for tickets to go and get it within
(21:12):
the TTC and move within the city.
But it was lifting my hand.
being humble, right?
And being able to provide that value tothe organization, right?
I know that it wasn't easy for the mentorthat I had to spend time with me, right?
(21:40):
And guide me, educate me.
When I started doing that again, I wasn't100 % fluent in the language.
But it's just knowing that I was worth
something and that one person was going tosee that worth and use it to benefit the
organization that I started working forand obviously benefit myself as well.
(22:07):
Right?
Is networking was a key part.
I know linking wasn't back then and it wasknocking on doors talking to people.
I talk about showing up and not hiding.
showing your face, right?
We have so much to give as people, asprofessionals, and we shouldn't be afraid
(22:31):
of just showing up and say, I can do it,let's do it, let's get it done.
Forget about the title, forget about themoney, let me be part of it, and something
will grow after that.
It's like putting a seed into a pot,right?
And start putting water in it.
It's just gonna...
just going to flourish.
(22:52):
You're so right.
Two things came to mind.
The first one is a trap that I always seewithin e -commerce and I experienced it
myself.
I was working in several jobs inconstruction and then I started making
maybe $20 an hour and then $30 and then$40 and then it's like, now it's $60 an
hour.
So it's like, wow, this is good money,right?
But of course, the risk is higher.
(23:13):
I was doing a lot of things and I was...
meeting people that they also had mastersin finance and they had all of these and
they will tell me, I will tell them it'slike, Hey, why don't you go and work for a
bank?
It's like, well, why don't you start fromscratch?
No, like as a tailor, it's like, well, atailor earns like what $17 an hour.
So it's like, I cannot pay my bills with$17 an hour.
(23:35):
I cannot even start there.
So, and they will not hire them to thelevel that they have because of course
many variables, but it's like, that is atrap that happened so much because it
sometimes is like, Hey,
This is what happens and yeah, you got it.
Spot on, Miguel.
Spot on.
Spot on.
And I mentioned something like that on thebook because I remember part of my
(24:00):
foundation, Miguel, is I'm a believer.
Right.
I believe in God and in Jesus Christ.
And I was in a church event.
This discussion is bringing a lot ofmemories, Miguel.
So bear with me while I...
I go back and remember my story andbecause he moves me to be honest with you
and we were in an event at church, right?
(24:24):
And I was a I was friend with a guy, verygood person.
We play soccer together in Forona and heintroduced me to his dad that went to the
event.
And the three of us were talking and
my friend went to grab a hot dog and Istayed with his dad and he said, okay,
(24:46):
what are you doing for a living?
And I just, okay, I'm an engineer, justcame from Columbia.
I tried to stay in the US, but I'm now inCanada and I'm just trying to learn the
language, validate my studies.
I was so energetic just to share my storyand I'm...
(25:08):
going to English classes in the afternoon,in the morning, I got a contact on this
program called Career Bridge and said,wait, wait, wait, wait, he says to me,
wait, wait, wait, wait, why are you doingthat?
I was like, excuse me, why are you wastingyour time doing that?
You have to start working and supportingyourself and your family.
(25:31):
I was like, I was, I was shocked.
And he was telling me all these, why Ishouldn't be doing that and.
And he got to a point where he says, Ihave, I run my own company.
I have contract with multiple buildingsand commercial spaces where I paint and do
(25:52):
construction.
And I have, he said to me, and he was veryproud of saying this, I never went to
school, but I have lawyers, I have doctorsand I have architects.
I have engineers working for me now.
And you should be doing something likethat because they're making money now.
that that that was like somebody grab abutton and he did hit me right in the face
(26:17):
that that quote that made me questionmyself for not for a long time but for a
few minutes I I was speechless and my myfriend came and we started talking about
something else but I was quiet the rest ofthe afternoon and that gave me more
motivation to do what I had to do rightand it
(26:41):
back to the trap that you were talkingabout.
I've done it.
Miguel, you've done it.
I heard the story from Maria.
I heard the story from, from Gabriella.
Sabrina can talk about this, how manypeople she has impacted.
If we've done it, anyone can do it.
Exactly.
And that's exactly the purpose.
(27:02):
It's as simple as that is, is, is a provenmethod.
people listening, they, they makequestioning themselves.
Yes, you can do it.
If you're listening to me, just do it.
Yes, you can do it.
Let's talk about that book.
How did that happen?
Because can you just tell us a bit aboutthe origin story, how you came with the
(27:28):
desire and the will to write it and thenpublish it and then everything?
Yeah, that's an interesting story becauseit took me and I'm being serious.
It took me
almost 10 years to get it done.
Okay?
And it's only 100 pages.
It's a quick read.
(27:48):
So I started writing this when I wasworking for Chrysler.
And what I wanted to do is I wanted topractice my writing skills, my
storytelling skills, right?
Remember, I wanted to become proficientand be the best I can be with
(28:09):
with the English language.
And still I'm alone.
You probably can see it on my accent.
In my pronunciation, I still need to learna lot.
I started writing it.
And the reason, the second and mostimportant reason why I started to do it
was because of my children.
Right.
(28:30):
So I wanted them, the story was for me,right.
Just to, you may call it a memoir or it'smy story.
Part of it is when I was growing up.
So the first chapter, I call it back homeand then the US and then Canada.
I was telling the whole story, right.
In the small chapters.
(28:51):
And I said, I want my children to knowwhere I'm coming from and what I'm going
through or went through in order for us tohave a house in order for them to have a,
to have education and to have, to have aroof, to have food on the table and so on
and so forth.
Right.
So I started writing it and then I gotpromoted.
(29:14):
So I stopped, I stopped writing for acouple of years because I had projects.
I was
getting to know more people, getting moreinvolved in my professional and career.
And then I need to go back and continuethe book.
So I went back and started reading what Iwrote.
(29:34):
The first two chapters didn't like that.
Then I started rewriting it again.
So it was on and off, on and off foralmost 10 years.
Yeah, it's not that easy.
It's not that easy.
Again, it takes time, dedication and so onand so forth.
So I started sharing the idea with mywife.
(29:55):
So my wife started reading a few pages.
She thought it was very interesting,started writing more.
I went back and every time I fell down,remember the balloon?
When I was feeling discouraged,
I went back and read my own story andagain that got me back up and continued to
(30:18):
do it until I finished.
Showed to several people, they reallyliked it and they said, why don't you have
you considered just publishing it andsharing it with more people?
And that resonated with me because to meis is giving is the whole thing is giving
back.
I know Miguel for you is is paid, paidforward to me is giving back.
(30:43):
How can I help not only my children, whichwas the intent of the American dream, but
how can we help other people?
So I got in contact with a few folks andat the end I started looking into self
-publishing.
So I got into Kindle and Amazon, got aproofread, I got it edited a little bit,
(31:07):
and then I got it published.
And I've sold quite a few, to be honestwith you.
But the whole idea of the book is how canI help more people on a passive way?
Something that I need to do, Miguel, andthat's probably a challenge for you and I
is how can I help more people dynamically?
(31:28):
How can I help you reach out to morepeople and make sure that they listen to
people's stories, inspire each other, andget the dreams accomplished?
get the dreams accomplished.
I think that's what we're here for andit's our obligation to share our stories.
You've done it, Miguel.
Different people have done it.
When I followed your podcast, I wasshocked again.
(31:48):
That was something amazing that you haveaccomplished.
And that's how the book came to be.
From time to time, I offer advice the sameway you do.
I like to be more involved with newcomers,but I do it most within
the organizations that I've worked forbefore.
(32:08):
People approach me and they have probablyopportunities that they don't know what to
decide.
Should I stay more in my role?
I got offered this position.
Should I stay in that position?
And we established that dialogue.
What are you looking for?
Do you wanna lead a team?
Do you wanna be in finance?
Do you wanna lead manufacturing services?
And we started a good dialogue and I usedthe book as a tool.
(32:33):
to guide people and make sure that theystay focused and make the best decision
they can make.
I love it.
Thank you for sharing because great thingstake time.
It's like our immigration story, ourprogress, writing a book, definitely.
Everything takes time and great thingstake even more time.
(32:55):
I'm happy that you pushed through and evenafter 10 years you make it happen.
I'm super excited for people to read yourbook.
And yeah, definitely.
If you don't mind, there is the first pagethat I have on the book and I want to read
this to the people listening.
It's those two lines, right?
And I'm sure this will resonate with a lotof people.
(33:19):
And I start by saying, great things havebeen accomplished by people who trust in
God and believe and believe that they canaccomplish them.
is so powerful.
If you believe you can do it, guess what?
You are going to do it.
The key question is how fast or how soonam I going to do it?
(33:44):
That's the question you need to checkfrom, can I do it?
To me, that's not the question is how sooncan I do it?
But you have to believe you can do itfirst.
Exactly.
If you believe you can't or you believeyou can in both instances, you're right.
That's one of my favorite quotes, but youare so right.
I think believing it is the first step forsure.
(34:06):
That's 50 % of success.
And as you mentioned is how to accomplishit, how to optimize it, how to accelerate
it.
It's the job of a coach, of a mentor, of aperson that did it.
So similar to you is like, hey, this ishow I did it.
Here are the steps or here is the map orhere is the bridge.
And then it's like, yeah, just followthrough.
Like it's the same thing over and over andover.
(34:26):
this is amazing.
Quick question, and maybe let's go alittle bit more like, let's think about
before you came to Canada, you're jumpinginto that plane.
Imagine everything that you know today andwhat would you say to your younger self?
Like if you could send a tweet, if you cansend just a message in time and say like,
(34:50):
hey, Andreas, I know that you're going toCanada.
Here's a tweet that you need.
That's a great question, Miguel.
I think what I would tell myself is don'tbe afraid.
Don't be afraid and go for it.
(35:15):
Don't think about things twice.
There is a phrase that my grandma used totell me.
In Spanish, I'm trying to see how I cantranslate that into English if you if you
head fits through it Then your whole bodyis gonna fit through it some something
like that, right?
(35:35):
So just just jump on it head -on and do itI think when I was younger I I was
hesitant to do a few things that I neededto do And because I was afraid I didn't I
didn't do them right time told me that Ishould have done them and eventually I got
to do them
I believe that obviously there wereoccasions where I wasn't that successful,
(36:01):
but there were occasions where I wassuccessful on those things that I was
afraid of doing.
But that's the answer to you and thepeople listening, Miguel.
Don't be afraid.
Just go for it and do it.
If it doesn't work out, well, at least younow know that it doesn't work out.
Do something else.
Right.
And learn from your mistakes.
(36:23):
Don't be afraid and grab the bull by thehorns and go for it.
I love it.
I love it so much.
Now, I kind of see my question a littlebit different.
Imagine that you have the power to haveone message that every newcomer can see.
And then these messages for people thatare, you know, just arrived to the country
(36:44):
and things are not going well.
Hey, barely affording the bills like rentscrazy.
I'm working maybe two shifts just to makeends meet.
I'm applying like crazy.
Nothing is working.
It's dark.
It's bad.
And I see your billboard.
What is going to say?
(37:08):
It says, you are not alone and do not giveup.
I've never, I've never seen the firstperson who had died of hunger in Canada or
anywhere where I've been.
Right.
I know it's tough.
(37:29):
I know it's not that easy.
It's a challenge.
That's why you are there.
And that's why a lot of people go backafter
two or three months, right?
That's a fact.
People go back and guess what?
They are so, with so many regrets, why didI leave Canada?
And I saw a lot of people when I was therethat I was in that situation.
(37:51):
Miguel, I was in that situation.
I was in dark places.
Last year I was in a dark place, right?
And it's not that easy.
And something to share with peoplelistening, and I'm here opening my heart
to everyone.
I went through a divorce when I was in,when I first moved, I was with my first
(38:14):
two kids mother and didn't work out.
It was hard.
It was hard, but do not give up.
Right.
I listened to a powerful speaker.
You probably know him, Tony Robbins.
And he says there are seasons, right?
There is spring, there is...
(38:35):
There is summer, there is winter, there isfalling, there is winter.
They don't last forever, right?
So you question, going back to yourquestion, if you're in a dark place, yeah,
that is winter right now, but guess what?
Winter doesn't last forever, right?
Just don't give up.
Do everything you can to survive, to keepthat balloon up, right?
(39:00):
Just keep pumping it and make sure it's uphigh.
By doing an activity that you like the appapply the app Use the app right like a
phone use the app And and keeps upyourself motivated right surround yourself
And that's a key part Miguel that helpedme a lot to Surround yourself with people
(39:22):
who are successful because they will rubon on you right and you will become
successful Is that saying that we have Iknow?
most of us who grew up in in a LatinAmerican country.
And the saying is, tell me who you hangout with and I will tell you who you are.
(39:43):
If you hang out with people who are up tono good, let's guess what?
You're going to be up to no good.
Is that true?
So surround yourself with people that arepositive, that always see the bright side
of things and that will rub on to you.
Right.
And that will keep you motivated.
Remember there are seasons, right?
(40:04):
If you're going through winter right now,look forward to summer.
Look winter, look forward to summer.
There will be the sunny days.
The rain is going to stop.
The snow is, it's not going to be coldanymore.
Right.
It will be hot and it will be summer.
I love that.
And you're so right.
It's a, it's about also asking for help.
(40:25):
Because sometimes we come from cultureswhere you cannot be vulnerable.
You cannot be weak.
You cannot say I'm struggling.
And I raised my hand and said, that was metoo.
When I was like, hey, everything'sperfect.
Hey, no, all good.
And in the meantime, I don't know if I'mgoing to pay my rent a month.
So, and I struggle just by myself.
(40:47):
But at the moment that you start askingout and being vulnerable, that becomes
your superpower.
And everybody, because we know how hard itis.
Hey.
A lot of people are willing to help.
So I love your message.
No, I love what you say, Miguel.
Actually, I'm going to ask you questionsso you can keep articulating that message.
Asking for help is so important, Miguel.
(41:08):
You are spot on.
You are spot on.
And when we talk about mentors at work,it's just if you have a question, a
challenge, ask for help, talk to yourmentor.
I have this challenge, this difficulty.
What should I do?
you are a support on Miguel.
I'm glad.
Thank you for sharing that with theaudience as well.
(41:29):
Last two questions very quickly.
What are the, as a mentor that you arereally helping others and now you're in a
position to help so many with all yourexperience and so on, especially
internally in your organizations.
What are the three characteristics thatyou look on a mentee?
Somebody who is cautions.
That's the first one.
(41:51):
The second one, and you said it is beingvulnerable.
Right?
You want someone who is not as modestperson in the room and that person needs
to acknowledge that.
Right?
That's the second part.
And the third one is that that person hasthe skills or the desire to become a
(42:16):
leader so that person can help all theleaders, can help other people become
leaders.
Right?
It's like a snowball.
Right?
You as a leader, you need to develop otherpeople so they can become leaders and they
can develop more leaders, right?
Those are the three things that I will,that I would say I look for people to have
(42:37):
in order for them to be good mentees andbuild that relationship with me.
Amazing.
And you're so right, like train thetrainer to build a pipeline of the future
and to grow because the more you grow,guess what?
The more you need within your organizationto, to
to help you accomplish the bigger goals.
So yeah, spot on.
Last question.
(42:58):
If I ask you, like, let's say that's thefirst time we met each other.
It's like, I know that you're verysuccessful, Andres.
What are the three things that I can do totry faster in Canada?
I go back to my four elements of success,right?
Just build your relationship skills,right?
(43:22):
Just connecting with people, developingpeople, being able to inspire yourself and
inspire others, right?
The talent piece, right?
I'm not talking about how much you knowabout books, science, or math.
when I talk about talent, you know that isthe ability to lift your hand and say,
hey, how can I help?
(43:44):
I don't know how to do it now, but I willfigure it out.
But I want to help.
Right.
That's the second one.
The third one is commitment.
Once you say I want to do it, you arecommitted to it.
Right.
And make that commitment public.
So you for yourself to to get it tocompletion.
Right.
That's that's the
(44:05):
That's the third piece.
And the fourth one is hard work, right?
Just show up, go to the arena, work hard,show up.
If you need to wake up five o 'clock inthe morning, wake up five o 'clock in the
morning, right?
If you say, I need to sleep more, youprobably need to sleep faster.
(44:25):
As Arnold Schwarzenegger says, I don'tknow if you heard that quote from him.
He says, he says,
Yeah, there is no enough time for me tosleep.
I need to sleep eight hours so I canrecover well.
And then he says, well, if you need tosleep eight hours to sleep faster, so you
can recover faster.
(44:46):
So that's the hard work part of it, right?
You need to, you need to show up, Miguel.
You need to do the best you can do.
in order to help yourself, help others andshow results.
That's what it was down at the end of theday.
Yeah, that's true.
That was your formula of success anddefinitely is a formula of success.
(45:09):
And success leaves clues.
So that's the way to go.
Lastly, is there, I think, a person, amoment in time that you are so grateful
for all the success you have today?
Wow, that's a good one.
I wasn't expecting that question.
Wow, okay.
(45:31):
I...
Again, I just want to make somethingclear.
To me, success is the journey, right?
I don't see myself as a successful person.
I still see myself as a person who I'mstill trying to achieve that success.
And with that said, to me is I wouldn'tboil it down to a person, but a group of
(45:57):
people.
And that is that is my family.
Right.
That's that's my wife and my children.
Sometimes, and everybody go through thisups and downs, right?
Sometimes you wake up in the morning andsay, holy man, I need to deal with this
person.
I'm going through this situation.
(46:17):
I don't want to get up.
Right?
But you need to get up.
You need to get up.
You need to do it.
And the way that I get to do that isbecause I think of my family, right?
My wife and my children.
If I don't do it,
they are going to be in a position laterthat I don't want them to be.
(46:38):
So I need to do it.
I need to get up and get things done.
Right.
So I don't point my finger at a singleperson, but a group of people.
And in the spirit of progressing careerwise, I have a few people that I connected
with throughout my career that I considermentors.
(47:01):
And
Again, going back to your question earlierduring the discussion is finding that
mentor that eventually will give you themotivation that you need to continue to go
in that journey to be successful.
Right.
So that's my answer to you.
(47:22):
And of course it's like all the elementsthat you went through in order to become
what you are today is part of the entireprocess of it.
So yeah.
Thank you.
Anything that we miss or that you like tosay?
There is so much to talk about Miguel.
I really appreciate it.
I just want to say thank you.
(47:44):
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I do believe what you're doing is great.
So congratulations.
I said it before, but I will say it again.
You are my hero.
Thanks for doing this.
I want the people who are listening to...
to know and also understand that they arenot the first ones and are not going to be
(48:09):
the last ones going through what they aregoing through.
Right?
Exactly.
If you're in Canada, and I know I don'tneed to say it twice, you are in the best
country in the world.
So you are blessed.
It's a privilege to be in Canada.
So you are in the right place.
And now you is you, so you are the bestperson you can be to get things done.
(48:34):
Right.
So don't be afraid of facing thechallenge.
You are not alone.
Just go and get it done because it'spossible.
Miguel has done it.
I've done it.
So many people has done it and you are notgoing to be the exception to the rule.
You're going to do it.
I love it.
(48:55):
wow.
So inspirational.
Thank you, Andres.
Thank you so much for being so generouswith your time.
with your wisdom, with sharing so much.
I recommend and highly recommend everybodyto get your book because, boy, that's
transformational.
And let's talk more about it.
Let's talk more in another episode.
Let's go more into the details because wehave there is so much we can share.
Let's see how much feedback we get.
We get from from these discussion becausewe there is so much we can help people
(49:18):
with, right?
Getting more stories shared, somethingthat people are afraid of speaking about
money.
I don't have money, but
We need to educate ourselves how to have avery good relationship with money.
And as newcomers, and you mentioned thison a question, we get to positions where
we cannot pay the bill.
(49:39):
We need to learn how to build a goodrelationship with money, right?
And that could be a different topic thatwe can bring into the podcast and get a
chat with people, get some feedback realtime and take it from there.
But there's so much we can do to helppeople.
I love that and that's very importantbecause I can tell you, you as a newcomer
(50:00):
that you're getting very little, you makeone mistake with a credit card, with the
line of credit, whatever.
Guess what?
That mistake can take you seven years ormore just to like get fixed.
So again, that could impact purchase of acar, purchase of a house, you name it.
You're just hoping a huge topic.
I know, I know.
No, definitely.
Let's do it.
(50:20):
Let's do it.
Hey, challenge accepted.
Good.
It's been a pleasure, really appreciateit.
Thank you so much.
Thank you, really appreciate it.
That wraps up another great conversationfull of actionable advice to help you
thrive as a newcomer.
If you enjoyed this or took away somethinguseful, I have just three quick asks.
(50:43):
First, spread the word.
Post about this on social media or shareit directly with somebody that needs this.
Next, pay it forward.
Take a minute and leave us a review withyour biggest takeaway.
You can also share your experience bysending us a message or recording a short
video at story .onfire .show.
And finally, come and join our community.
(51:05):
Connect with fellow newcomers, askquestions, and keep the conversation going
at onfire .show.
That's all for this episode of Newcomerson Fire.
I am Miguel reminding you that with theright mindset and community, anything is
possible.
See you next time for more amazing storiesand practical tips to help you build the
life you want in your new home.
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