The Learneezee Cast

Today we delve into the complex experiences of immigrants with Dr. Shanta Pamphile, a licensed therapist and founder of Free of Mind Psychotherapy. Dr. Pamphile shares her personal journey from St. Lucia to the United States, the impact of assimilation, and the psychological costs that come with adapting to a new culture. She discusses the importance of staying connected to one's roots, the role of faith and spirituality in coping, and the nuanced challenges of maintaining one's cultural identity. This episode is a rich exploration of the immigrant experience, resilience, and the delicate balance between adaptation and self-preservation.

About

Shanta Dr. Shanta Pamphile, PhD, LPC, LMHC, NCC, ACS is a licensed psychotherapist, educator, founder, and owner of Free of Mind Psychotherapy, LLC. With over 15 years of clinical experience, she specializes in relational and somatic trauma work that helps people reconnect with themselves, deepen self-understanding, and create lasting change.

You can connect with her on Instagram — @freeofmindpsy — and learn more at www.freeofmindpsychotherapyllc.com

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In this episode of the Learneezee podcast, hosts Andrew and Patrick talk with Ariane, a coach who helps women navigate life transitions across cultures and personal challenges. Inspired by the Greek myth of Ariadne, Ariane shares her journey from Germany to Canada, her multicultural identity, and how she guides clients through uncertainty using her unique "Ariadne Logic." The conversation explores themes of identity, resilience, and embracing change, with practical advice for anyone feeling lost or stuck. Tune in for inspiring stories, actionable coaching tips, and a reminder that it’s okay to change direction and seek clarity in life’s labyrinth.

About Ariane
Change can feel overwhelming, but it’s a natural part of life. Hi, 👋🏻 I’m Ariane, a certified coach based in Freiburg, Germany, supporting women locally and worldwide through transitions and personal challenges. I lived in Canada for 30 years before returning to Germany: a life experience that spans two continents, three languages, and a life between urban energy and the Black Forest. With clarity and compassion, I help women pause, sort through inner chaos, and reconnect with their true voice. With me at your side, we uncover patterns, explore new perspectives, and take meaningful steps toward a lighter, self-directed life. I blend intuition and strategy, and I believe: Change may begin in chaos, but it can lead to clarity, strength, and vitality as every change holds the potential for growth.

www.derarianefaden.de
https://www.linkedin.com/in/arianeschuessler/
https://www.instagram.com/der_ariane_faden/
https://www.facebook.com/ariane.schuessler

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In this episode of the Learneezee podcast, co-hosts Andrew and Patrick sit down with Cheryl Leonhardt, a Jamaican teacher, poet, and storyteller living in Germany. Cheryl is a Jamaican at heart, shaped by the rich storytelling traditions, rhythms, and warmth of her homeland.

Though she now lives in Germany, she carries her culture with her - spun into words, experiences, and poetry. Her journey has been one of movement, not just across borders but through emotions, memories, and self-discovery.

Cheryl discusses her cultural journey, the languages she speaks, and the importance of maintaining her Jamaican heritage while adapting to German life. The podcats delves into the differences in educational approaches between Jamaica and Germany, her transition from tourism to teaching, and her passion for poetry. Cheryl also shares insights on overcoming fear of failure and the significance of cultural expression.

Check out Cheryl's work here:

  / leonhardtempress  

  / cherylclassics    

 / cheryl-a-leonhardt-msc-b2aa7356  

 

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In this episode of the Learneezee podcast, the hosts welcome Ashley Matthäus, an American expat, filmmaker, and community builder living in Freiburg, Germany. Ashley discusses her multifaceted journey which includes leading Creative Mornings Freiburg and organizing events at the Carl Schurz House. She shares her experiences with learning languages, navigating German bureaucracy, and the importance of building a community when living abroad.

Ashley also delves into her work on a feature documentary about Jesse Coston, an American opera singer and expat. The episode focuses on themes of risk, connection, and the pursuit of belonging in a foreign country. Ashley Matthäus is a US-American who has lived in Germany since 2010.

She works for the Carl-Schurz-Haus as Head of the English Program for Adults & Companies as well as Head of the German-American Business Community. Outside of work, she is the host of the Creative Mornings / Freiburg chapter and takes on filmmaking projects such as her edit of the 2024 documentary on Jesse Coston.

Check out Ashley’s work here:

•  / ashleyrdmatthaeus  
• CreativeMornings/Freiburg: https://creativemornings.com/cities/FR
• Jesse Coston: Of Life and Opera on imdb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32392429/
• Carl-Schurz-Haus, DAI Freiburg: https://www.carl-schurz-haus.de

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Building Bridges from Belgrade to Berlin: The Journey of Stefan Velickovic

Welcome to the Learn Easy podcast! In this episode, we talk with Stefan Velickovic, a product manager for corporate planning solutions at Jedox and a passionate blogger. Stefan shares his journey from Belgrade to Berlin, discussing his language skills, his early interest in technology, and his career progression. He details his experiences living in Dubai whilst  working as an intern, and his move to Germany for better career opportunities and work-life balance. Stefan also talks about his blog 'Jedox for Beginners' and his ongoing YouTube project to share quick tips on Jedox software. Join us for an insightful conversation about cross-cultural experiences, lifelong learning, and bridging gaps in technology.

In this edition of the Learneezee Cast, we interview Andrew Pounder, a Trinbagonian who has moved to Germany to pursue a master's degree in sustainable systems engineering. The episode covers Andrew's experiences with German bureaucracy, his motivation to study abroad, and how his background in Trinidad and Tobago shaped his career in sustainability. Andrew talks about the differences in educational systems, practical aspects of his studies, and his future plans in the field of sustainability and renewable energy. Tune in to hear about his journey and insights on sustainable aviation fuel, mental health in migrant communities, and much more.

Craft Beer and Biodynamics: Jorrell's Brewing Journey Join Rico Lazo and Patrick Bastien as they interview Jorrell Rush-Kittle, a craft beer enthusiast turned business owner. Jorrell shares his journey from studying medicine to becoming a brewmaster in Germany, discussing differences in brewing culture between the US and Germany. Discover the art of farmhouse brewing and the Demeter certification's role in sustainability. Learn about Jorrell's future plans, including opening his brewery and promoting biodynamic farming practices. This episode also marks Rico's farewell as cohost of the Learneezee cast.

Time stamps:
00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:57 Jorrell's Background and Language Skills

02:28 Journey into Homebrewing

05:25 Brewing in Germany vs. the U.S.

08:07 Farmhouse Brewing and Demeter Certification

19:42 Challenges and Insights in Brewing

29:51 Future Plans and Final Thoughts

37:38 Host Farewell and Podcast Future

In this episode of the Learneezee Cast, hosts Rico Lazo and Pat Bastien chat with therapist Cecilia Iacono, an expert in Gestalt counseling for expats. Cecilia shares her journey from traveling the world to finding her calling in helping others navigate the unique challenges and opportunities that come with living abroad. She offers insights into the transformative power of Gestalt therapy, its emphasis on present-moment awareness, and how it can support expats in finding belonging in a new environment. The conversation also explores the profound practice of Vipassana meditation and offers a glimpse into the future of the web (Web 3.0 and beyond).

In episode 24 of the Learneezee Cast, hosts Rico Lazo and Patrick Bastien have an uplifting conversation with Natalie Riede, a life coach, clinical hypnotherapist and cancer survivor originally from the UK, now based in Germany.

Natalie shares her incredible story of using mindset techniques to overcome two harrowing cancer battles that brought her back from the brink of death.

Beyond the remarkable personal journey, Natalie explains how she now helps awaken transformation in others. She provides tangible insights into modalities like hypnotherapy, Emotional Freedom Technique (tapping), and NLP to drive rapid change by reprogramming the subconscious mind. Natalie also discusses her tips for quickly growing a successful coaching business by modeling other pros, hiring mentors, shifting limiting beliefs around deservingness, and taking bold action.

In the final “What’s on Your Mind” segment, hosts Rico and Patrick discuss learnings from Rico’s recent life coaching certification, the importance of continual self-investment, ideas for pushing English learners out of their comfort zone, and recommendations for improving language acquisition through engaging more actively.

Viewers can connect with Natalie at:

hello@natalieriedecoaching.com https://www.natalieriedecoaching.com https://dare-to-dream.natalieriedecoaching.com/join-dtd-now https://www.facebook.com/groups/3484840898453066/ https://instagram.com/natalie_lifecoaching https://www.tiktok.com/@natalie_lifecoaching

In this podcast episode, hosts Rico Lazo and Patrick Bastien interview Seba Pereyro, founder of Empirical LLC, about his journey from software engineer to entrepreneur. Seba discusses his background coming from Argentina to the U.S., and how he started his company Empirical which provides top Latin American talent to tech firms through nearshoring. 

 

Seba explains the concepts of nearshoring and staff augmentation, and shares the unique aspects of his company's offerings. The hosts and Seba also have an insightful discussion around the challenges of starting your own business, the role of luck vs hard work in success, and the importance of investing in your own development and growth. This episode provides an interesting perspective on software engineering and entrepreneurship.

 

Connect with Seba via his company’s website: www.goempirical.com or via email at seba@goempirical.com or via his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spereyro/ 

 

In the “What’s on Your Mind” segment, hosts, Rico and Pat, delve into the importance of investing in yourself as a way to grow your skills, abilities and confidence and the challenges of confronting the possibility of COVID not being completely eradicated. 

As always, we hope you enjoy the show and please check out our previous podcast episodes as well as the variety of courses our teachers have created for you at https://www.learneezee.com/.  

 

#Nearshoring #StaffAugmentation #Inspiration #Entrepreneurship #SoftwareEngineering 

 

TIME CHAPTERS 

0:00 Introduction 

1:03 Origin story 

2:21 Leaving Argentina 

3:31 Decision to study Systems Engineering 

6:45 Becoming an entrepreneur 

9:14 What is nearshoring & staff augmentation?

12:55 Cultural gaps between Latin America and the United States 

15:08 Empirical’s unique selling proposition 

19:33 Biggest challenges faced as an entrepreneur

26:49 Attracting top flight talent from Latin America

31:13 What is the biggest contributing factor to Empirical’s success?

40:50 What’s on Your Mind segment