Feb. 12, 2026
Why You're Stuck in a Life You Hate (and How to Open the Door ) - with Andy Semotiuk
Andy Semotiuk spent over forty years as an immigration attorney, but this isn't a dry talk about paperwork and legalities. Andy is a true expert in the art of transition and opening doors that people didn't even realize were there for them. In this episode of Thrive After 45™, we dive into the deeper, human side of starting over. Andy shares some incredible perspectives on why we choose to move, whether we are being pushed by a "hurricane" in our lives or pulled by a dream of something better...
Andy Semotiuk spent over forty years as an immigration attorney, but this isn't a dry talk about paperwork and legalities. Andy is a true expert in the art of transition and opening doors that people didn't even realize were there for them.
In this episode of Thrive After 45™, we dive into the deeper, human side of starting over. Andy shares some incredible perspectives on why we choose to move, whether we are being pushed by a "hurricane" in our lives or pulled by a dream of something better. He even uses a simple tape measure as a visual to remind us that our time is precious and we should spend it in the place that allows us to be our best selves.
We talk about the big philosophical questions like "Who am I?" and how the answer to that actually reveals why we are here.
Andy gets really personal about his own journey from being a public speaker to discovering a passion for writing, and he shares seven beautiful rules for a successful life that I think we all need to hear.
You’ll hear us chat about:
- The "tape measure" trick to putting your life and goals into perspective
- Why moving for opportunity is a powerful way to reclaim your humanity
- Finding your unique ability and the passion that drives it
- Practical ways to navigate the big hurdles of working across borders
- How to listen to the whispers of your history to find your authentic self
This talk is so grounding and hopeful. It reminded me that we aren't just limited to the borders we see on a map; the only real limits are the ones we stop challenging.
Connect with Andy here:
Website: pacelawfirm.com
Thank you for spending time with me today on the Thrive After 45™ podcast! If this episode spoke to you, be sure to hit that follow button so you never miss one.
And if you loved it, I’d be so grateful if you left a review - it helps more amazing women like you find this show!
Your journey doesn’t stop here - let’s keep the conversation going! Connect with me at denisedrinkwalter.com, and follow @thethriveafter45podcast for daily insp, tips, and support.
Remember, midlife isn’t the end - it’s just the beginning of a new, exciting chapter! Keep thriving, keep shining, and I’ll see you next time!
WEBVTT
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Hello, and welcome to today's episode of Thrive After 45.
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I'm Denise Drink, heart whisperer, midlife mirror and mentor.
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And every week I am honored to share energy and space with inspiring guests whose stories reflect.
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So many possibilities of thriving beyond 45.
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Together we uncover the whispers of the heart, the power of midlife transformation, and the wisdom that fuels expansion.
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What if the next chapter, if your midlife was not limited by borders at all, but expanded by opportunities, careers, and possibilities you never imagined exploring?
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It is an absolute.
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Honor and a privilege to welcome and introduce Andy Chek to our show today.
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Andy is an immigration attorney who has spent more than 40 years guiding international professionals through one of the most confusing and overwhelming systems out there, navigating work visas and crossing borders into new career opportunities over the decades.
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He has helped.
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Thousands of individuals overcome the complexities of US immigration law and step into futures.
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They once thought were totally out of reach.
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But what makes Andy's presence especially meaningful for us women in midlife who are reinventing ourselves, exploring new professional chapters, or even considering opportunities beyond familiar borders.
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Andy doesn't just specialize in law.
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He specializes in transition, reinvention, and opening doors.
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People didn't even realize were available to them.
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And today we're gonna explore his wealth of experience and the deeper human side of immigration.
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How movement, career evolution, and possibility intersect.
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In powerful ways and somewhere in our conversation I will ask Andy a very important question about the misconceptions about US work Visas welcome to our show today, Andy.
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It's great to have you.
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Thanks, uh, I'm delighted to be with you today and I'm looking forward to our discussion.
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Before we came on the air, Andy said, I can't wait.
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I've got some wonderful ideas that I wanna share with the audience because transitions.
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Is something that he is very familiar with.
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Obviously with the work you do as an immigration lawyer, right?
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Right.
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That's all about transitions Correct.
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And very unknown transitions, right?
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Correct.
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What are some of the stumbling blocks that you have noticed over the years that are most common for people who are in this?
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I want to move.
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I want to work elsewhere.
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I want to change everything.
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That will give me a new beginning.
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Well, that's a great question to start with.
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Uh, you know the saying the grass is always greener.
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Mm-hmm.
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Uh, there's a bit of that in immigration, and I'll just still, I'll just share one story about how that may be true.
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Sure.
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I used to practice in Edmonton, Alberta, which is one of the coldest cities in the world.
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And, uh, one day a client came in to see me.
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He was from Florida and I thought, wow, this is interesting.
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Most people from Edmonton dream about, uh, you know, moving to Florida, this guy's moving up to Edmonton Naval, right?
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So I asked him, well, why are you coming up to Edmonton?
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Yeah.
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He said, well, it's very simple, you know, we are having a delightful life in Florida.
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We had a nice house and, uh, near the ocean and so on.
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Mm-hmm.
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But unfortunately, one day.
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Uh, you know, uh, a storm came and it was a terrible storm, you know, and, and it, uh, washed us out basically that the, the town where we were living, uh, you know, they, they had a hard time of it had to recover.
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And after that storm.
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Uh, hurricane.
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Mm-hmm.
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Uh, he looked down the street that he lived on and he saw one sign for sale House, you know, house for sale.
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Mm-hmm.
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So it started in thinking, but he thought, well, this is Florida, you know, beautify, you know, or you know.
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Mm-hmm.
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These hurricanes are, you know, once in a while, but unfortunately the next year they had another hurricane.
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No.
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Yes.
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And uh, at the end of the hurricane, again, he looked down the street and he saw.
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Like multiple for sale signs.
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Oh wow.
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And that was a signal for him.
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You know, I think I better pick up and go somewhere else.
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Now, Edmonton's not the end of the world, but you can almost see the end of the world from Edmont.
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So.
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Now, I grew up in Edmonton, so I don't want to be too, uh, dismissive of the, of the, the city.
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Of course, growing up it's one of the greatest places on earth to, to live in.
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Mm-hmm.
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You can walk out the house without even locking the door.
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Come back five hours later and you're fine.
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Right.
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That's the kind of life you can have in Edmonton.
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Mm-hmm.
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So.
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It's understandable why this person came up, uh, in that context.
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Sure.
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Yeah.
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So that's a little example of, uh, yeah.
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What we're talking about.
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Yeah.
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So interesting because.
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Catastrophes happen, and sometimes those are the things that are the precipice for change.
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I would love to have it where we don't have to face big trauma traumatic events, whether they're within our ability to change or not, but the result being the idea of people choosing.
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To change location, not for the purpose.
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It, and it would be ideal if it's not for the purpose to get away from something, but to explore other possibilities like I shared in the beginning.
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Do you find that people, um, or is it all over the map as to why people.
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Move into Andy help.
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I need your help.
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I, I have to say often it's a push rather than a pull meaning.
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Okay.
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I don't like, for example, whether in Toronto or the economy or whatever.
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Sure.
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But here's a strange thing, for example, yeah.
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I think Canadians, by and large.
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Are not too thrilled with, uh, president Trump and, you know, his Sure.
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Saying he wants Canada to be the next state and so on, right?
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So, uh, I find I'm mm-hmm.
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Such a person.
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Now, I'm a member of the US and Canadian bars.
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I like, I, I lived, I, I practiced in Los Angeles for 10 years and in New York for five, right?
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So I know all about America, right?
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And I like America.
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I love America.
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Yeah.
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But I'm kind of surprised because right now the traffic is going southbound you.
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You might think as a Canadian, you know, you think Americans a lot may be right enchanted and wanna come up north, right?
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Some are.
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But it's not a big tidal wave or anything like that.
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So to each his or her own, you know, they see life differently than perhaps we do.
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Right.
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Um, and it's the life of opportunity that they're looking for.
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Mm-hmm.
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Mainly.
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Mm-hmm.
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Climate is one thing.
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Sure.
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But often it's economic, you know, uh, better jobs, better um, living conditions, um, cheaper.
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Uh, lifestyles, uh, these kind of things that attract people to go southbound.
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Okay.
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And so that's in the realm of what you're talking about, which is choosing something better for yourself and for your family, and perhaps for your growth economically.
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Uh, for example, in my practice, there are a lot of, uh, entrepreneurs mm-hmm.
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Mm-hmm.
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Who are interested in going southbound.
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So they're business people.
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They, they see a, a better business opportunity down there.
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They wanna, you know, uh, uh, get a, a taste of, uh, the American Dream sort of.
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Right.
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There you go.
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And, and I have, I like to tell my clients, you know, mm-hmm.
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They say, well, are there, you know, how's it going with other clients?
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I'd like to tell'em that I have clients.
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Who went down to the United States, say 20 or 30 years ago, they're multi-millionaires.
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Mm-hmm.
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They kick their feet up onto the, you know, to the desk and smoke cigars and count their money.
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And Andy Chu is someone they forgot about long time ago.
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You know, there are people like that.
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Mm-hmm.
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And there is that kind of a life.
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Um, and then there are others who maybe, uh, you know, they move, but.
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Uh, life is not, uh, you know, all, uh, you know, uh, rosy and perfect.
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Yeah.
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Uh, yeah.
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But the thing is just the idea and the effort is what makes us human.
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Yes.
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And what makes it all worthwhile.
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You know, why not try, why not do better, so to speak.
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Right.
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So is there a process that you find is really important for people who are listening right now and going, you know, Denise, I never even thought that this is a possibility to look at moving out of not only province if you're in Canada or if you're in the States moving outta state into province.
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Like, is that something that, um, there's, there's.
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Ideas that are really important to consider when you're listening to this for the first time and all of a sudden we've given you a new placeholder possibility.
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I'll give you a, here's a visual that you can, uh, do for yourself.
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I have here in my hand a tape measure.
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Mm-hmm.
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And I'm just gonna draw an analogy that I think may, uh, perfect make sense for you.
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If, let's say we put, uh, one inch equals one year in your life.
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Okay.
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Let me ask you, uh, Denise, how long do you think, uh, most women live.
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Uh, to what age do most women live?
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Um, I'm going to say 80 to 90.
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88 is right.
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Statistically it's around 80.
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And for men it might be slightly lower.
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80, 79, 70, or it's around the 80 mark.
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So let's just say 80.
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Okay, sure.
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And if you take a tape measure and you allow one inch per year Yeah.
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Yeah.
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And you stretch it out.
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Uh, to how old you are and go on all the way to 80, right.
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And put your finger on your age right now.
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Okay.
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It's amazing.
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And I encourage everybody to do that at home.
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Yeah.
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With their children.
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And put your finger down what age you're on right now.
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Yep.
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You suddenly realize, oh my goodness, I don't have that much time left.
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You know, I've lived a lot of my life already.
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Mm-hmm.
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Like, I just got a few, you know, a guy like me, I got just a few years still to go.
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Right.
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Yeah.
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Um, if you're 25, you got a lot to go still, but, you know.
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Right.
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It's a good, uh, visual way of reminding yourself, look, time is going by.
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Mm-hmm.
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You got a life to lead, make the most of what you got left.
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Mm.
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One of the ways you can make the most of what you got left is to consider moving to the place that will make it the easiest for you and the best for you to do the best that you can do with your life.
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In short, that's the way we put it.
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I love that.
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Now, one thing that's coming forward for me, and this is something that I talk about with my clients all the time, is what is it that you want?
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Okay.
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You have to know what you want in order for you to reach what you're, what you're dreaming of, so it before you start doing this.
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And while I think it's better over here, I think it's better over there.
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You mentioned Andy at the beginning, how.
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To each his own is really important.
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Yeah.
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So what you see others doing doesn't necessarily mean that's good for you.
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It's good to get the information so you can make the best decision you can in your point in time where you are now, but Right.
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You need to know what it is you really dream of.
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What is the ultimate, how am I going to live my life?
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And this is exactly why we have this podcast because we are talking to women about.
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Doing for you by you because of you.
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And when you do that, everything else comes into place.
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But when you keep doing for others, you keep lowering your cup of optimism and you, you end up burning out or you end up, you know, not being the full human that you get to be.
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So good thoughts, uh, knowing what you want.
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Is one of the biggest questions in life.
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In fact, like philosophically, there are two big questions in our lives.
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Yes.
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Number one is, uh, you know, why am I here?
00:13:34.986 --> 00:13:35.136
Mm-hmm.
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Why am I here?
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You know?
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And the other is, who am I?
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Who am I?
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You could spend your whole life asking yourself, who am I?
00:13:47.211 --> 00:13:56.422
And in between these two ears, there's a whole universe as large as the universe out there that you can explore to answer that question, who am I?
00:13:56.871 --> 00:14:02.032
And I believe the answer to the question, who am I gives you the answer to.
00:14:02.032 --> 00:14:04.491
The second question, why am I here?
00:14:04.761 --> 00:14:04.822
Hmm.
00:14:05.062 --> 00:14:07.042
If you're asking yourself, why am I here?
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Ask yourself, who am I?
00:14:08.976 --> 00:14:13.447
Meaning look at your life and your antecedents, your, your, you know Yeah.
00:14:13.476 --> 00:14:14.557
Where you came from.
00:14:15.126 --> 00:14:15.216
Yeah.
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And in there, there's an answer as to what you're all about and what you should be doing with your life if you spend enough time looking at it.
00:14:24.307 --> 00:14:25.267
I believe that's true.
00:14:26.277 --> 00:14:30.807
Uh, so that's a very philosophical way of putting it, but a more practical way.
00:14:30.807 --> 00:14:32.576
I'm just gonna give you one example Yes.
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That I think is very helpful.
00:14:34.317 --> 00:14:34.407
Mm-hmm.
00:14:34.647 --> 00:14:39.716
There was a guy named Carl nda, who was a famous tight work tight rope walker.
00:14:40.017 --> 00:14:40.317
Yes.
00:14:40.886 --> 00:14:52.197
And uh, I think it was in the 1980s, he was walking a tightrope in San Juan, Puerto Rico, between two high, uh, towers, two buildings.
00:14:53.272 --> 00:14:56.542
And, uh, he slipped and fell to his death.
00:14:57.442 --> 00:15:01.731
But before he died, he was interviewed by some journalists.
00:15:01.881 --> 00:15:01.971
Mm-hmm.
00:15:02.211 --> 00:15:07.192
And they asked him, why on earth do you walk the tightrope?
00:15:07.912 --> 00:15:10.162
And his answer was very insightful.
00:15:10.851 --> 00:15:21.471
And his answer was, he said, all my life, I live most on my, on walking the tightrope.
00:15:22.147 --> 00:15:31.116
And everything before is a prelude to and everything after is a postscript after my life on the tightrope.
00:15:32.226 --> 00:15:34.626
So what was in his case?
00:15:34.626 --> 00:15:45.817
That tightrope was so, the experience was so powerful to him that he was willing to risk his life for the sake of getting up there and performing.
00:15:46.626 --> 00:15:59.106
So you gotta ask, we have to ask ourselves, what's so powerful for us in our lives that we would be willing to even walk a tight rope?
00:15:59.256 --> 00:16:11.751
Okay, well, maybe not walk a tight rope or risk your life, but what is it that's so powerful in your life that would move your life forward and that you have to, that you'd be willing to risk to get it?
00:16:12.876 --> 00:16:14.976
Uh, you know, I think that's a great question.
00:16:15.636 --> 00:16:15.726
Mm-hmm.
00:16:16.236 --> 00:16:20.706
There's a guy named, uh, uh, Jim Rohn, who's a big famous Oh yes.
00:16:20.706 --> 00:16:21.787
Speaker in the us.
00:16:22.206 --> 00:16:24.996
I had the opportunity to actually meet him.
00:16:25.777 --> 00:16:26.076
Wow.
00:16:26.076 --> 00:16:28.807
And one of the questions he used to ask is.
00:16:29.317 --> 00:16:30.726
So what are your goals?
00:16:31.986 --> 00:16:38.527
And he used to say, after summer, telling their goals, he'd say, he would say, well, that's very exciting.
00:16:38.557 --> 00:16:39.726
If it was exciting.
00:16:39.756 --> 00:16:42.517
And if it wasn't, he would say, well, why aren't they exciting?
00:16:42.876 --> 00:16:50.557
Why aren't they so exciting that I get excited just listening to you talk about your goals?
00:16:51.216 --> 00:16:51.427
You know?
00:16:51.427 --> 00:16:55.716
So the idea is your goals have to be exciting.
00:16:56.586 --> 00:17:03.037
Um, they should be exciting and, and, uh, uh, you know, that's.
00:17:04.221 --> 00:17:09.501
That's part of live living, the kind of life that, that we should probably live.
00:17:10.041 --> 00:17:14.031
Um, and once you got the goals down, well then you go after the goals.
00:17:14.031 --> 00:17:18.321
You have to define what is the goal, and then what price are you prepared to pay.
00:17:18.321 --> 00:17:18.382
Yeah.
00:17:18.652 --> 00:17:20.902
Are you prepared to die for your goal?
00:17:21.082 --> 00:17:23.692
Or at the very least, walk a tight rope for your goal?
00:17:23.842 --> 00:17:27.622
Or maybe not that, but you know, how much are you willing to pay?
00:17:28.162 --> 00:17:28.642
Right.
00:17:28.731 --> 00:17:30.261
And, and then you go after it.
00:17:30.382 --> 00:17:31.912
Paying, paying the price.
00:17:32.182 --> 00:17:32.481
Yeah.
00:17:32.811 --> 00:17:33.082
Yeah.
00:17:33.321 --> 00:17:33.382
Yeah.
00:17:33.682 --> 00:17:43.551
And, and when you do it through that lens and that conviction, my belief is you can't go wrong.
00:17:43.551 --> 00:17:43.612
Yeah.
00:17:44.031 --> 00:17:48.592
Because you're going after what you are here for, what you are here.
00:17:48.592 --> 00:17:50.467
What is your reason for being.
00:17:51.336 --> 00:17:54.156
Yeah, that's, uh, what I call the unique ability.
00:17:54.547 --> 00:17:57.307
I just came off a program just before this program.
00:17:57.336 --> 00:18:13.231
I came off a program with a guy named, uh, Dan Sullivan, who's called the Strategic Coach, and he was talking about ambition and he said people, he's 81 years old and he has love it more ambition today than he ever had in his life.
00:18:13.987 --> 00:18:17.196
And he was saying ambition equals excitement.
00:18:17.376 --> 00:18:17.646
Yeah.
00:18:18.007 --> 00:18:20.946
You know, you get excited and it's a sort of a loop.
00:18:21.336 --> 00:18:24.666
The more excited, the more, yeah.
00:18:24.666 --> 00:18:26.021
So these are all things, uh, you know.
00:18:29.031 --> 00:18:32.451
Share inside yourself and figure out what's your unique ability?
00:18:32.511 --> 00:18:36.082
What, what can you give the world that the world needs?
00:18:36.082 --> 00:18:36.142
Yeah.
00:18:36.561 --> 00:18:39.531
That they're crying out there to, to, you know, for mm-hmm.
00:18:39.922 --> 00:18:40.912
For you to give.
00:18:41.241 --> 00:18:46.142
And if you're, if, and that could that forgive me for lecturing like that.
00:18:46.267 --> 00:18:47.126
No, this is good.
00:18:47.596 --> 00:18:49.326
It's, it's, no, this is great.
00:18:50.386 --> 00:18:53.872
Um, the, the key thing there is passion.
00:18:53.932 --> 00:18:53.991
Yeah.
00:18:54.261 --> 00:18:57.922
Like, you know, the em emotional commitment to the goal.
00:18:57.926 --> 00:18:58.007
Yeah.
00:18:58.342 --> 00:18:58.491
Yeah.
00:18:58.521 --> 00:19:01.886
If, if you don't have the passion, you're, you're driving down the wrong highway.
00:19:02.287 --> 00:19:02.346
Yeah.
00:19:02.856 --> 00:19:06.606
You gotta find the highway where your passion is, no matter what it is.
00:19:06.967 --> 00:19:07.237
Yeah.
00:19:07.446 --> 00:19:07.751
You know?
00:19:07.926 --> 00:19:07.987
Yeah.
00:19:07.987 --> 00:19:08.767
And get on there.
00:19:08.977 --> 00:19:11.586
So, uh, I'll just share if I may Yeah.
00:19:11.737 --> 00:19:14.106
In my own life Absolutely.
00:19:14.106 --> 00:19:15.156
How I sort of applied this.
00:19:15.636 --> 00:19:16.086
Yes.
00:19:16.267 --> 00:19:19.656
So, uh, you know, I thought, Hey, I'm a big speaker.
00:19:19.656 --> 00:19:22.027
I'm gonna be a big, you know, I was a Toastmaster.
00:19:22.057 --> 00:19:23.946
I gotta plaque up here above my head.
00:19:24.277 --> 00:19:24.696
Yeah.
00:19:24.696 --> 00:19:26.946
Uh,'cause I was one of these, uh, you know.
00:19:27.277 --> 00:19:30.001
Distinguished Toastmaster for being in Toastmaster.
00:19:30.352 --> 00:19:30.642
Sure.
00:19:30.701 --> 00:19:37.777
Uh, the Toastmasters organization, that's a, you know, learn how to speak publicly Right.
00:19:37.777 --> 00:19:41.436
Organization, but that's not what the world wanted from me.
00:19:41.527 --> 00:19:41.707
Hmm.
00:19:42.277 --> 00:19:43.957
That, what the world wanted for me.
00:19:44.321 --> 00:19:48.007
I, I realized over time was for me to write.
00:19:48.906 --> 00:19:53.797
So I now, when I started writing, I was terrible in the university.
00:19:53.977 --> 00:19:56.737
I barely made it through English 1 0 1, barely.
00:19:57.231 --> 00:19:57.471
Yeah.
00:19:57.801 --> 00:20:04.612
In fact, the professor who taught me what turnover in his grave today, if you know what I'm doing, but I write for Forbes.
00:20:04.612 --> 00:20:08.271
I've been writing for Forbes for 10 years, and I'm a former UN correspondent.
00:20:08.271 --> 00:20:09.321
Mm-hmm.
00:20:10.017 --> 00:20:10.636
It didn't come.
00:20:11.692 --> 00:20:13.582
Naturally at first, you know?
00:20:13.586 --> 00:20:13.676
Mm-hmm.
00:20:13.896 --> 00:20:14.317
Mm-hmm.
00:20:14.511 --> 00:20:21.836
But over time, I, you know, as I, I wrote little articles for student newspapers and essays and stuff like that, and over time mm-hmm.
00:20:22.011 --> 00:20:23.301
I got better, better, better.
00:20:23.301 --> 00:20:26.511
Until now I'm good enough to be published.
00:20:27.412 --> 00:20:31.791
Um, but I still have this passion for speaking and presenting.
00:20:32.301 --> 00:20:32.422
Yeah.
00:20:32.422 --> 00:20:34.071
What we are doing right now.
00:20:34.521 --> 00:20:34.882
Yes.
00:20:34.977 --> 00:20:35.557
In my life.
00:20:36.922 --> 00:20:38.602
Is my passion.
00:20:38.602 --> 00:20:38.692
Mm-hmm.
00:20:39.291 --> 00:20:42.142
Sharing ideas with people like this.
00:20:42.142 --> 00:20:43.192
Yeah, exactly.
00:20:43.192 --> 00:20:49.791
You know, I, I can't think, in fact, I'll say this, I can't think of a better place in the world.
00:20:49.791 --> 00:20:52.942
I'd rather be and a better time than right now.
00:20:52.942 --> 00:20:53.511
Mm-hmm.
00:20:53.517 --> 00:20:57.501
And with a better person than you and your audience right now.
00:20:58.011 --> 00:21:02.422
This is the highest thing I can do with my life at this moment.
00:21:03.862 --> 00:21:05.152
And that's what we have to do.
00:21:05.422 --> 00:21:08.152
We have to find places like that and do that.
00:21:08.152 --> 00:21:10.971
Yeah, I, I'm honored.
00:21:11.451 --> 00:21:12.951
To be having this conversation.
00:21:12.981 --> 00:21:24.172
I really am because it is 100% real, authentic and exactly what we are about in, in our, in our conversations here.
00:21:24.682 --> 00:21:34.011
We are here to show people that everybody has their journeys and isn't it interesting that the.
00:21:34.342 --> 00:21:38.241
Outside pieces, you were the top of the Toastmasters.
00:21:38.241 --> 00:21:47.991
You were giving and giving, and you thought that was it, and you were recognized for it, but there was still some a, a, a loop that wasn't finished.
00:21:48.531 --> 00:21:48.682
Correct.
00:21:49.281 --> 00:21:53.602
And I love that it stayed in the realm of communication.
00:21:54.426 --> 00:21:55.686
Yeah, it did.
00:21:56.196 --> 00:21:56.346
Yeah.
00:21:56.346 --> 00:22:03.037
And, you know, I mean, uh, and it's part of my, you know, looping back to what we were talking about earlier.
00:22:03.037 --> 00:22:03.396
Sure.
00:22:03.457 --> 00:22:06.606
I have to ask myself, well, why am I so concerned about communication?
00:22:07.656 --> 00:22:10.386
And, uh, I'll share a sort of an intimate story.
00:22:10.386 --> 00:22:12.457
It's kind of almost like sacred.
00:22:13.521 --> 00:22:13.741
Wow.
00:22:13.747 --> 00:22:15.277
My mother was deaf.
00:22:15.906 --> 00:22:15.997
Mm-hmm.
00:22:16.237 --> 00:22:20.467
She did not hear as a young girl, she lost, lost her hearing to illnesses.
00:22:20.467 --> 00:22:20.527
Hmm.
00:22:21.727 --> 00:22:23.346
So, in my life.
00:22:24.426 --> 00:22:27.156
Uh, I had to learn how to communicate with her.
00:22:27.757 --> 00:22:29.346
Uh, now she lip read.
00:22:29.527 --> 00:22:29.616
Yes.
00:22:29.646 --> 00:22:30.606
She was able to read.
00:22:30.606 --> 00:22:35.497
When you're talking, she could figure out what you're saying by what, how you're making your lip move.
00:22:36.037 --> 00:22:36.096
Yeah.
00:22:36.126 --> 00:22:37.567
So she'd read my lips.
00:22:37.626 --> 00:22:41.017
She had slight hearing on one 20% on her right ear.
00:22:41.737 --> 00:22:44.821
So that made up enough for her to understand what I was talking about.
00:22:45.592 --> 00:22:45.922
Right.
00:22:46.102 --> 00:22:55.582
But communication was very important to her and through her to me, and I realized, wow, that's one of the reasons why I am so dedicated to communication.
00:22:55.582 --> 00:22:55.701
Right.
00:22:56.571 --> 00:22:58.731
Effective communication to this day.
00:22:59.271 --> 00:23:02.207
Yeah, because I, there is.
00:23:02.932 --> 00:23:06.442
Communication and then there is effective communication.
00:23:06.442 --> 00:23:08.211
Yeah, there's a huge difference.
00:23:08.211 --> 00:23:09.682
Thank you for that.
00:23:10.221 --> 00:23:12.622
Um, uh, additional piece.
00:23:12.622 --> 00:23:18.261
And I love what you're saying because to me, I think that's true for all of us.
00:23:18.382 --> 00:23:27.711
When we look back in our history growing up, that's where our true, authentic selves really show.
00:23:28.926 --> 00:23:29.797
Who we are.
00:23:29.797 --> 00:23:35.826
So if we're in the dark about who am I really, those important questions you were sharing earlier.
00:23:36.547 --> 00:23:48.576
One of the techniques I use with my clients is to go and do your milestone history and tune into what you were like as a young child when nothing was interfering.
00:23:48.576 --> 00:23:49.446
What did you do?
00:23:49.446 --> 00:23:52.176
What did you love to do, and why did you love to do it?
00:23:52.297 --> 00:24:01.267
And start stripping down your bare to your bare bones and really understand more about who you are through that lens.
00:24:01.386 --> 00:24:03.817
And it's very interesting to do.
00:24:03.817 --> 00:24:04.326
Yeah.
00:24:05.646 --> 00:24:05.916
Yeah.
00:24:07.041 --> 00:24:07.821
Andy, of course.
00:24:07.821 --> 00:24:09.922
Uh, there's mistakes along the way.
00:24:10.011 --> 00:24:10.432
Oh.
00:24:11.092 --> 00:24:12.021
Make mistakes.
00:24:12.201 --> 00:24:12.352
Right?
00:24:13.281 --> 00:24:14.481
Absolutely.
00:24:14.602 --> 00:24:18.442
Uh, we, if we don't have those mistakes, we don't grow.
00:24:18.442 --> 00:24:18.531
Right?
00:24:18.711 --> 00:24:20.241
I mean, that's one piece of growth.
00:24:20.241 --> 00:24:27.382
I don't think it's the only, but I think it's an important piece to understand, oops, nope, that I won't do that again, and here's why.
00:24:27.471 --> 00:24:31.731
And understanding behind the mistakes and learning through those mistakes.
00:24:31.731 --> 00:24:32.092
Yeah.
00:24:32.481 --> 00:24:32.932
Yeah.
00:24:32.932 --> 00:24:32.991
Yeah.
00:24:34.701 --> 00:24:35.902
Oh my goodness.
00:24:35.902 --> 00:24:38.781
Andy, what an incredible conversation.
00:24:39.291 --> 00:24:46.642
Are there any pieces we haven't, we've talked about so many different things which have all come together to talk about.
00:24:46.642 --> 00:24:50.811
I think, you know, the underlying piece is knowledge.
00:24:51.382 --> 00:24:56.122
Starting over can be a challenge, but there are things that you can do to make it easier.
00:24:56.481 --> 00:24:56.571
Mm-hmm.
00:24:56.961 --> 00:24:59.332
Um, we talked about, um.
00:24:59.692 --> 00:25:01.192
Moving places.
00:25:01.642 --> 00:25:15.082
I'm wondering if there's anything in particular that you can share if there are misconceptions and about us work visas that people need to understand if this is an avenue they're thinking about.
00:25:16.612 --> 00:25:18.142
Uh, well, uh, briefly.
00:25:18.142 --> 00:25:22.402
Um, just because you're a Canadian doesn't mean you're entitled to go to the United States.
00:25:22.551 --> 00:25:24.352
You have to get a visa to enter.
00:25:24.801 --> 00:25:25.071
Okay.
00:25:25.071 --> 00:25:26.997
And to work there, you have to have a work visa.
00:25:28.116 --> 00:25:33.727
To have a work visa, you have to have someone offering a job and not just any job.
00:25:33.787 --> 00:25:34.057
Okay.
00:25:34.116 --> 00:25:38.797
But a job that's in short supply in the United States, like a position.
00:25:39.217 --> 00:25:42.817
So usually that means each, at least a bachelor's degree or higher.
00:25:43.237 --> 00:25:43.596
Okay.
00:25:43.717 --> 00:25:46.567
And um, I can say there are like.
00:25:47.166 --> 00:25:50.257
Briefly, there are five ways to immigrate to the United States.
00:25:50.946 --> 00:25:53.227
One is marry your way in.
00:25:53.257 --> 00:25:56.352
Uh, that is say either a wife sponsoring you mm-hmm.
00:25:56.432 --> 00:25:58.656
Or a family member who's an American mm-hmm.
00:25:58.896 --> 00:25:59.646
Sponsoring you.
00:26:00.186 --> 00:26:07.086
Another is study your way in, you know, go to university, for example, take a master's degree or ma bachelor's degree.
00:26:07.777 --> 00:26:07.896
Mm-hmm.
00:26:07.903 --> 00:26:10.477
Uh, a third way is to, uh.
00:26:10.737 --> 00:26:12.057
Invest your way in.
00:26:12.116 --> 00:26:20.757
If you have a lot of money, say like a million dollars, you could invest in a project and, and you can get a permanent residence in the United States.
00:26:21.297 --> 00:26:24.836
A fourth way is to, uh, work your way in.
00:26:25.557 --> 00:26:29.727
Uh, so if you get a, a work visa, for example mm-hmm.
00:26:29.732 --> 00:26:38.487
If you're a professional, uh, usually there are categories of professionals that will enable you to get a work visa right away.
00:26:38.967 --> 00:26:40.376
Uh, for example.
00:26:40.406 --> 00:26:44.906
Doctor, uh, lawyer, architect, engineer, nurse.
00:26:44.906 --> 00:26:45.057
Okay.
00:26:45.176 --> 00:26:46.467
Any kind of profession.
00:26:46.886 --> 00:26:46.977
Mm-hmm.
00:26:47.457 --> 00:26:50.547
And then there's, uh, asylum you're trying to escape.
00:26:50.547 --> 00:26:50.576
Mm.
00:26:50.906 --> 00:26:57.626
Have a well-founded fear of persecution, and you're trying to escape from that country that's gonna persecute you.
00:26:57.807 --> 00:26:59.186
So you come to the United States?
00:26:59.487 --> 00:26:59.517
Mm.
00:26:59.547 --> 00:27:03.656
Those same avenues are open to Canada in the same way.
00:27:04.017 --> 00:27:04.376
Okay.
00:27:04.481 --> 00:27:04.771
Okay.
00:27:04.946 --> 00:27:06.836
So they go all, both ways?
00:27:07.017 --> 00:27:07.287
Yeah.
00:27:07.317 --> 00:27:07.346
Okay.
00:27:08.527 --> 00:27:08.886
Okay.
00:27:10.297 --> 00:27:25.686
Anything that you would like to share with our audience to help them make some decisions, make some ideas on paper, anything that you'd love to share before we close off this incredible time we've had together?
00:27:26.467 --> 00:27:26.707
Yeah.
00:27:26.711 --> 00:27:30.037
I'm going to share seven rules for a successful life.
00:27:30.936 --> 00:27:31.686
Perfect.
00:27:32.106 --> 00:27:32.497
Okay.
00:27:32.977 --> 00:27:36.396
These are my, my rules, but I learned them from others.
00:27:37.446 --> 00:27:39.696
Number one, they're easy.
00:27:39.757 --> 00:27:44.227
No, they're hard to do, but easy to state.
00:27:44.287 --> 00:27:48.007
Ah, and you have to try and, and lead your life this way.
00:27:48.007 --> 00:27:48.787
Number one.
00:27:49.416 --> 00:27:50.436
Come on time.
00:27:52.146 --> 00:27:54.576
Number two, finish what you start.
00:27:55.926 --> 00:27:58.777
Number three, do what you promise.
00:28:00.531 --> 00:28:04.132
Number four, be sincere.
00:28:05.481 --> 00:28:10.882
Number five, actions speak louder than words.
00:28:12.082 --> 00:28:15.652
Number six, be kind.
00:28:16.701 --> 00:28:21.082
Number seven, be thankful for what you have.
00:28:22.582 --> 00:28:25.132
Seven rules for a successful life.
00:28:25.402 --> 00:28:27.922
I try to lead my life by those rules.
00:28:27.926 --> 00:28:28.326
Mm-hmm.
00:28:28.412 --> 00:28:31.011
I don't always succeed, but I do my best.
00:28:31.582 --> 00:28:38.632
And I think if I did believe my life, lead my life that way, it would be a good life.
00:28:39.711 --> 00:28:40.372
Amazing.
00:28:41.481 --> 00:28:44.842
Those are great, great lessons to live by.
00:28:44.842 --> 00:28:45.922
I totally agree.
00:28:46.642 --> 00:28:51.021
As I'm listening to you, I could finish them as you started, I'd be like, yep.
00:28:51.021 --> 00:28:51.981
I think that's, yep.
00:28:51.981 --> 00:28:55.791
That's what it's, and you know, absolutely.
00:28:55.942 --> 00:29:09.291
And the success, I know people define success differently, but what you are sharing is your life, not from the outside in, but from the inside out.
00:29:09.297 --> 00:29:09.497
Yeah.
00:29:09.497 --> 00:29:09.537
So.
00:29:10.221 --> 00:29:10.701
Yeah.
00:29:10.912 --> 00:29:21.622
Andy, thank you so much for sharing, taking time out to be with us today and giving the incredible examples.
00:29:21.682 --> 00:29:22.852
I love so many.
00:29:22.942 --> 00:29:26.301
I'm gonna go and find my measuring tool now.
00:29:29.152 --> 00:29:30.682
I think that's amazing.
00:29:30.682 --> 00:29:32.332
I am such a visual person.
00:29:32.332 --> 00:29:40.041
So that was perfect and thank you for describing it for those of, uh, for those listeners who are not on the YouTube channel, but on the podcast.
00:29:40.041 --> 00:29:45.231
So thank you again for being here with us today, Andy, and sharing so much.
00:29:45.801 --> 00:29:53.692
For those of you listening, we will have in our show notes how to contact and find Andy so that you can reach out and, um.
00:29:54.442 --> 00:29:59.031
Take your learning and move forward and move.
00:29:59.031 --> 00:30:09.082
If that's the next opportunity that's presenting itself your way, make sure that you share, follow, subscribe, give us reviews.
00:30:09.082 --> 00:30:18.531
Everything helps to move these conversations into a wider audience so more people can benefit from our incredible guests.
00:30:18.682 --> 00:30:23.182
Have a wonderful day, everyone, and make sure you thrive after 45.
00:30:23.866 --> 00:30:24.406
Bye bye.
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.610
Hello, and welcome to today's episode of Thrive After 45.
00:00:05.610 --> 00:00:10.589
I'm Denise Drink, heart whisperer, midlife mirror and mentor.
00:00:10.589 --> 00:00:17.370
And every week I am honored to share energy and space with inspiring guests whose stories reflect.
00:00:18.019 --> 00:00:21.620
So many possibilities of thriving beyond 45.
00:00:21.620 --> 00:00:30.410
Together we uncover the whispers of the heart, the power of midlife transformation, and the wisdom that fuels expansion.
00:00:30.410 --> 00:00:45.289
What if the next chapter, if your midlife was not limited by borders at all, but expanded by opportunities, careers, and possibilities you never imagined exploring?
00:00:45.289 --> 00:00:46.549
It is an absolute.
00:00:46.604 --> 00:00:52.515
Honor and a privilege to welcome and introduce Andy Chek to our show today.
00:00:52.515 --> 00:01:12.743
Andy is an immigration attorney who has spent more than 40 years guiding international professionals through one of the most confusing and overwhelming systems out there, navigating work visas and crossing borders into new career opportunities over the decades.
00:01:12.743 --> 00:01:13.284
He has helped.
00:01:13.368 --> 00:01:20.748
Thousands of individuals overcome the complexities of US immigration law and step into futures.
00:01:20.748 --> 00:01:23.629
They once thought were totally out of reach.
00:01:23.629 --> 00:01:39.680
But what makes Andy's presence especially meaningful for us women in midlife who are reinventing ourselves, exploring new professional chapters, or even considering opportunities beyond familiar borders.
00:01:40.236 --> 00:01:43.147
Andy doesn't just specialize in law.
00:01:43.326 --> 00:01:47.826
He specializes in transition, reinvention, and opening doors.
00:01:47.826 --> 00:01:51.186
People didn't even realize were available to them.
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And today we're gonna explore his wealth of experience and the deeper human side of immigration.
00:01:57.546 --> 00:02:02.272
How movement, career evolution, and possibility intersect.
00:02:02.272 --> 00:02:17.002
In powerful ways and somewhere in our conversation I will ask Andy a very important question about the misconceptions about US work Visas welcome to our show today, Andy.
00:02:17.062 --> 00:02:17.991
It's great to have you.
00:02:17.991 --> 00:02:22.282
Thanks, uh, I'm delighted to be with you today and I'm looking forward to our discussion.
00:02:24.262 --> 00:02:27.412
Before we came on the air, Andy said, I can't wait.
00:02:27.412 --> 00:02:33.921
I've got some wonderful ideas that I wanna share with the audience because transitions.
00:02:34.197 --> 00:02:37.347
Is something that he is very familiar with.
00:02:37.377 --> 00:02:40.736
Obviously with the work you do as an immigration lawyer, right?
00:02:40.801 --> 00:02:41.151
Right.
00:02:41.276 --> 00:02:43.227
That's all about transitions Correct.
00:02:43.347 --> 00:02:46.766
And very unknown transitions, right?
00:02:46.796 --> 00:02:46.947
Correct.
00:02:48.026 --> 00:02:57.056
What are some of the stumbling blocks that you have noticed over the years that are most common for people who are in this?
00:02:57.597 --> 00:02:59.007
I want to move.
00:02:59.007 --> 00:03:00.597
I want to work elsewhere.
00:03:00.597 --> 00:03:02.366
I want to change everything.
00:03:02.366 --> 00:03:03.387
That will give me a new beginning.
00:03:04.942 --> 00:03:07.072
Well, that's a great question to start with.
00:03:07.102 --> 00:03:10.461
Uh, you know the saying the grass is always greener.
00:03:10.792 --> 00:03:10.882
Mm-hmm.
00:03:11.572 --> 00:03:17.391
Uh, there's a bit of that in immigration, and I'll just still, I'll just share one story about how that may be true.
00:03:17.451 --> 00:03:17.722
Sure.
00:03:18.472 --> 00:03:23.812
I used to practice in Edmonton, Alberta, which is one of the coldest cities in the world.
00:03:24.622 --> 00:03:27.227
And, uh, one day a client came in to see me.
00:03:28.026 --> 00:03:31.687
He was from Florida and I thought, wow, this is interesting.
00:03:31.986 --> 00:03:39.602
Most people from Edmonton dream about, uh, you know, moving to Florida, this guy's moving up to Edmonton Naval, right?
00:03:39.997 --> 00:03:42.877
So I asked him, well, why are you coming up to Edmonton?
00:03:43.296 --> 00:03:43.447
Yeah.
00:03:43.507 --> 00:03:48.847
He said, well, it's very simple, you know, we are having a delightful life in Florida.
00:03:48.847 --> 00:03:52.026
We had a nice house and, uh, near the ocean and so on.
00:03:52.417 --> 00:03:52.507
Mm-hmm.
00:03:52.776 --> 00:03:54.067
But unfortunately, one day.
00:03:55.326 --> 00:04:10.836
Uh, you know, uh, a storm came and it was a terrible storm, you know, and, and it, uh, washed us out basically that the, the town where we were living, uh, you know, they, they had a hard time of it had to recover.
00:04:11.497 --> 00:04:13.176
And after that storm.
00:04:13.852 --> 00:04:14.662
Uh, hurricane.
00:04:14.662 --> 00:04:15.861
Mm-hmm.
00:04:15.862 --> 00:04:21.682
Uh, he looked down the street that he lived on and he saw one sign for sale House, you know, house for sale.
00:04:21.982 --> 00:04:22.101
Mm-hmm.
00:04:22.701 --> 00:04:28.401
So it started in thinking, but he thought, well, this is Florida, you know, beautify, you know, or you know.
00:04:28.581 --> 00:04:28.672
Mm-hmm.
00:04:28.911 --> 00:04:35.422
These hurricanes are, you know, once in a while, but unfortunately the next year they had another hurricane.
00:04:35.512 --> 00:04:35.841
No.
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Yes.
00:04:37.521 --> 00:04:42.257
And uh, at the end of the hurricane, again, he looked down the street and he saw.
00:04:43.281 --> 00:04:45.922
Like multiple for sale signs.
00:04:45.922 --> 00:04:47.091
Oh wow.
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And that was a signal for him.
00:04:49.281 --> 00:04:52.432
You know, I think I better pick up and go somewhere else.
00:04:53.211 --> 00:04:58.846
Now, Edmonton's not the end of the world, but you can almost see the end of the world from Edmont.
00:05:01.107 --> 00:05:01.326
So.
00:05:03.141 --> 00:05:07.776
Now, I grew up in Edmonton, so I don't want to be too, uh, dismissive of the, of the, the city.
00:05:07.776 --> 00:05:12.201
Of course, growing up it's one of the greatest places on earth to, to live in.
00:05:12.201 --> 00:05:12.651
Mm-hmm.
00:05:12.891 --> 00:05:15.742
You can walk out the house without even locking the door.
00:05:15.802 --> 00:05:18.291
Come back five hours later and you're fine.
00:05:18.291 --> 00:05:18.382
Right.
00:05:18.831 --> 00:05:21.502
That's the kind of life you can have in Edmonton.
00:05:21.596 --> 00:05:22.016
Mm-hmm.
00:05:22.221 --> 00:05:22.492
So.
00:05:23.276 --> 00:05:27.387
It's understandable why this person came up, uh, in that context.
00:05:27.476 --> 00:05:28.016
Sure.
00:05:28.406 --> 00:05:28.737
Yeah.
00:05:29.007 --> 00:05:31.101
So that's a little example of, uh, yeah.
00:05:31.101 --> 00:05:32.101
What we're talking about.
00:05:33.416 --> 00:05:33.476
Yeah.
00:05:33.867 --> 00:05:35.637
So interesting because.
00:05:38.166 --> 00:05:45.036
Catastrophes happen, and sometimes those are the things that are the precipice for change.
00:05:45.607 --> 00:06:01.536
I would love to have it where we don't have to face big trauma traumatic events, whether they're within our ability to change or not, but the result being the idea of people choosing.
00:06:02.091 --> 00:06:06.291
To change location, not for the purpose.
00:06:06.291 --> 00:06:13.552
It, and it would be ideal if it's not for the purpose to get away from something, but to explore other possibilities like I shared in the beginning.
00:06:14.091 --> 00:06:18.802
Do you find that people, um, or is it all over the map as to why people.
00:06:19.507 --> 00:06:22.086
Move into Andy help.
00:06:22.567 --> 00:06:23.362
I need your help.
00:06:24.242 --> 00:06:28.627
I, I have to say often it's a push rather than a pull meaning.
00:06:28.656 --> 00:06:29.016
Okay.
00:06:29.286 --> 00:06:34.447
I don't like, for example, whether in Toronto or the economy or whatever.
00:06:34.807 --> 00:06:35.047
Sure.
00:06:35.047 --> 00:06:36.817
But here's a strange thing, for example, yeah.
00:06:37.836 --> 00:06:39.817
I think Canadians, by and large.
00:06:40.177 --> 00:06:44.677
Are not too thrilled with, uh, president Trump and, you know, his Sure.
00:06:44.677 --> 00:06:47.947
Saying he wants Canada to be the next state and so on, right?
00:06:48.697 --> 00:06:52.091
So, uh, I find I'm mm-hmm.
00:06:52.172 --> 00:06:52.956
Such a person.
00:06:53.677 --> 00:06:56.677
Now, I'm a member of the US and Canadian bars.
00:06:56.677 --> 00:07:01.927
I like, I, I lived, I, I practiced in Los Angeles for 10 years and in New York for five, right?
00:07:02.257 --> 00:07:04.172
So I know all about America, right?
00:07:04.271 --> 00:07:05.346
And I like America.
00:07:05.346 --> 00:07:06.276
I love America.
00:07:06.281 --> 00:07:06.531
Yeah.
00:07:07.716 --> 00:07:14.107
But I'm kind of surprised because right now the traffic is going southbound you.
00:07:14.107 --> 00:07:22.057
You might think as a Canadian, you know, you think Americans a lot may be right enchanted and wanna come up north, right?
00:07:22.057 --> 00:07:23.016
Some are.
00:07:23.437 --> 00:07:26.286
But it's not a big tidal wave or anything like that.
00:07:26.677 --> 00:07:34.326
So to each his or her own, you know, they see life differently than perhaps we do.
00:07:34.807 --> 00:07:34.956
Right.
00:07:34.987 --> 00:07:38.887
Um, and it's the life of opportunity that they're looking for.
00:07:39.096 --> 00:07:39.216
Mm-hmm.
00:07:39.247 --> 00:07:39.906
Mainly.
00:07:40.326 --> 00:07:40.416
Mm-hmm.
00:07:40.656 --> 00:07:41.797
Climate is one thing.
00:07:41.797 --> 00:07:41.887
Sure.
00:07:42.487 --> 00:07:50.257
But often it's economic, you know, uh, better jobs, better um, living conditions, um, cheaper.
00:07:50.872 --> 00:07:55.612
Uh, lifestyles, uh, these kind of things that attract people to go southbound.
00:07:55.612 --> 00:07:55.641
Okay.
00:07:56.182 --> 00:08:06.141
And so that's in the realm of what you're talking about, which is choosing something better for yourself and for your family, and perhaps for your growth economically.
00:08:06.201 --> 00:08:10.067
Uh, for example, in my practice, there are a lot of, uh, entrepreneurs mm-hmm.
00:08:10.507 --> 00:08:10.786
Mm-hmm.
00:08:10.872 --> 00:08:12.351
Who are interested in going southbound.
00:08:12.922 --> 00:08:14.122
So they're business people.
00:08:14.122 --> 00:08:17.331
They, they see a, a better business opportunity down there.
00:08:17.786 --> 00:08:23.997
They wanna, you know, uh, uh, get a, a taste of, uh, the American Dream sort of.
00:08:24.086 --> 00:08:24.507
Right.
00:08:24.627 --> 00:08:24.956
There you go.
00:08:25.182 --> 00:08:28.362
And, and I have, I like to tell my clients, you know, mm-hmm.
00:08:28.442 --> 00:08:30.987
They say, well, are there, you know, how's it going with other clients?
00:08:30.987 --> 00:08:33.657
I'd like to tell'em that I have clients.
00:08:34.542 --> 00:08:39.611
Who went down to the United States, say 20 or 30 years ago, they're multi-millionaires.
00:08:39.611 --> 00:08:39.701
Mm-hmm.
00:08:40.422 --> 00:08:46.001
They kick their feet up onto the, you know, to the desk and smoke cigars and count their money.
00:08:46.272 --> 00:08:49.782
And Andy Chu is someone they forgot about long time ago.
00:08:50.172 --> 00:08:52.631
You know, there are people like that.
00:08:52.876 --> 00:08:53.297
Mm-hmm.
00:08:53.376 --> 00:08:54.761
And there is that kind of a life.
00:08:55.392 --> 00:08:59.142
Um, and then there are others who maybe, uh, you know, they move, but.
00:08:59.642 --> 00:09:06.211
Uh, life is not, uh, you know, all, uh, you know, uh, rosy and perfect.
00:09:06.211 --> 00:09:06.422
Yeah.
00:09:06.767 --> 00:09:07.346
Uh, yeah.
00:09:07.772 --> 00:09:13.652
But the thing is just the idea and the effort is what makes us human.
00:09:14.221 --> 00:09:14.581
Yes.
00:09:14.942 --> 00:09:16.501
And what makes it all worthwhile.
00:09:16.682 --> 00:09:21.241
You know, why not try, why not do better, so to speak.
00:09:21.772 --> 00:09:22.312
Right.
00:09:22.851 --> 00:09:44.481
So is there a process that you find is really important for people who are listening right now and going, you know, Denise, I never even thought that this is a possibility to look at moving out of not only province if you're in Canada or if you're in the States moving outta state into province.
00:09:44.481 --> 00:09:48.471
Like, is that something that, um, there's, there's.
00:09:49.596 --> 00:09:59.826
Ideas that are really important to consider when you're listening to this for the first time and all of a sudden we've given you a new placeholder possibility.
00:10:01.057 --> 00:10:04.807
I'll give you a, here's a visual that you can, uh, do for yourself.
00:10:04.807 --> 00:10:08.197
I have here in my hand a tape measure.
00:10:08.496 --> 00:10:08.586
Mm-hmm.
00:10:09.397 --> 00:10:14.256
And I'm just gonna draw an analogy that I think may, uh, perfect make sense for you.
00:10:14.917 --> 00:10:21.277
If, let's say we put, uh, one inch equals one year in your life.
00:10:22.177 --> 00:10:22.267
Okay.
00:10:22.267 --> 00:10:28.596
Let me ask you, uh, Denise, how long do you think, uh, most women live.
00:10:29.152 --> 00:10:31.581
Uh, to what age do most women live?
00:10:31.971 --> 00:10:35.991
Um, I'm going to say 80 to 90.
00:10:36.652 --> 00:10:37.522
88 is right.
00:10:37.912 --> 00:10:39.621
Statistically it's around 80.
00:10:39.621 --> 00:10:41.692
And for men it might be slightly lower.
00:10:41.692 --> 00:10:45.711
80, 79, 70, or it's around the 80 mark.
00:10:45.711 --> 00:10:46.642
So let's just say 80.
00:10:46.642 --> 00:10:47.812
Okay, sure.
00:10:47.871 --> 00:10:53.751
And if you take a tape measure and you allow one inch per year Yeah.
00:10:53.751 --> 00:10:53.812
Yeah.
00:10:53.812 --> 00:10:54.687
And you stretch it out.
00:10:56.106 --> 00:11:00.846
Uh, to how old you are and go on all the way to 80, right.
00:11:00.846 --> 00:11:03.517
And put your finger on your age right now.
00:11:03.846 --> 00:11:04.356
Okay.
00:11:04.356 --> 00:11:05.917
It's amazing.
00:11:05.917 --> 00:11:07.986
And I encourage everybody to do that at home.
00:11:07.986 --> 00:11:08.047
Yeah.
00:11:08.496 --> 00:11:09.576
With their children.
00:11:10.116 --> 00:11:13.057
And put your finger down what age you're on right now.
00:11:13.287 --> 00:11:13.767
Yep.
00:11:13.826 --> 00:11:17.817
You suddenly realize, oh my goodness, I don't have that much time left.
00:11:17.876 --> 00:11:20.336
You know, I've lived a lot of my life already.
00:11:20.412 --> 00:11:20.831
Mm-hmm.
00:11:20.912 --> 00:11:25.736
Like, I just got a few, you know, a guy like me, I got just a few years still to go.
00:11:25.736 --> 00:11:26.096
Right.
00:11:26.576 --> 00:11:26.787
Yeah.
00:11:26.787 --> 00:11:29.667
Um, if you're 25, you got a lot to go still, but, you know.
00:11:29.966 --> 00:11:30.356
Right.
00:11:30.417 --> 00:11:35.817
It's a good, uh, visual way of reminding yourself, look, time is going by.
00:11:35.971 --> 00:11:36.392
Mm-hmm.
00:11:36.836 --> 00:11:40.586
You got a life to lead, make the most of what you got left.
00:11:40.586 --> 00:11:40.596
Mm.
00:11:41.631 --> 00:11:53.721
One of the ways you can make the most of what you got left is to consider moving to the place that will make it the easiest for you and the best for you to do the best that you can do with your life.
00:11:54.802 --> 00:11:56.511
In short, that's the way we put it.
00:11:56.542 --> 00:11:57.831
I love that.
00:11:58.552 --> 00:12:07.101
Now, one thing that's coming forward for me, and this is something that I talk about with my clients all the time, is what is it that you want?
00:12:07.177 --> 00:12:07.206
Okay.
00:12:08.346 --> 00:12:18.096
You have to know what you want in order for you to reach what you're, what you're dreaming of, so it before you start doing this.
00:12:18.096 --> 00:12:21.667
And while I think it's better over here, I think it's better over there.
00:12:22.807 --> 00:12:25.086
You mentioned Andy at the beginning, how.
00:12:25.897 --> 00:12:28.206
To each his own is really important.
00:12:28.206 --> 00:12:28.267
Yeah.
00:12:28.537 --> 00:12:32.706
So what you see others doing doesn't necessarily mean that's good for you.
00:12:32.976 --> 00:12:40.116
It's good to get the information so you can make the best decision you can in your point in time where you are now, but Right.
00:12:40.267 --> 00:12:43.086
You need to know what it is you really dream of.
00:12:43.147 --> 00:12:47.407
What is the ultimate, how am I going to live my life?
00:12:47.407 --> 00:12:53.856
And this is exactly why we have this podcast because we are talking to women about.
00:12:54.101 --> 00:12:56.501
Doing for you by you because of you.
00:12:56.501 --> 00:13:01.152
And when you do that, everything else comes into place.
00:13:01.751 --> 00:13:15.162
But when you keep doing for others, you keep lowering your cup of optimism and you, you end up burning out or you end up, you know, not being the full human that you get to be.
00:13:15.162 --> 00:13:20.621
So good thoughts, uh, knowing what you want.
00:13:20.706 --> 00:13:23.856
Is one of the biggest questions in life.
00:13:24.456 --> 00:13:28.596
In fact, like philosophically, there are two big questions in our lives.
00:13:28.927 --> 00:13:29.226
Yes.
00:13:29.287 --> 00:13:34.506
Number one is, uh, you know, why am I here?
00:13:34.986 --> 00:13:35.136
Mm-hmm.
00:13:35.496 --> 00:13:36.756
Why am I here?
00:13:37.476 --> 00:13:37.927
You know?
00:13:38.346 --> 00:13:40.986
And the other is, who am I?
00:13:42.022 --> 00:13:42.802
Who am I?
00:13:43.522 --> 00:13:46.701
You could spend your whole life asking yourself, who am I?
00:13:47.211 --> 00:13:56.422
And in between these two ears, there's a whole universe as large as the universe out there that you can explore to answer that question, who am I?
00:13:56.871 --> 00:14:02.032
And I believe the answer to the question, who am I gives you the answer to.
00:14:02.032 --> 00:14:04.491
The second question, why am I here?
00:14:04.761 --> 00:14:04.822
Hmm.
00:14:05.062 --> 00:14:07.042
If you're asking yourself, why am I here?
00:14:07.042 --> 00:14:08.422
Ask yourself, who am I?
00:14:08.976 --> 00:14:13.447
Meaning look at your life and your antecedents, your, your, you know Yeah.
00:14:13.476 --> 00:14:14.557
Where you came from.
00:14:15.126 --> 00:14:15.216
Yeah.
00:14:15.216 --> 00:14:24.307
And in there, there's an answer as to what you're all about and what you should be doing with your life if you spend enough time looking at it.
00:14:24.307 --> 00:14:25.267
I believe that's true.
00:14:26.277 --> 00:14:30.807
Uh, so that's a very philosophical way of putting it, but a more practical way.
00:14:30.807 --> 00:14:32.576
I'm just gonna give you one example Yes.
00:14:32.576 --> 00:14:34.076
That I think is very helpful.
00:14:34.317 --> 00:14:34.407
Mm-hmm.
00:14:34.647 --> 00:14:39.716
There was a guy named Carl nda, who was a famous tight work tight rope walker.
00:14:40.017 --> 00:14:40.317
Yes.
00:14:40.886 --> 00:14:52.197
And uh, I think it was in the 1980s, he was walking a tightrope in San Juan, Puerto Rico, between two high, uh, towers, two buildings.
00:14:53.272 --> 00:14:56.542
And, uh, he slipped and fell to his death.
00:14:57.442 --> 00:15:01.731
But before he died, he was interviewed by some journalists.
00:15:01.881 --> 00:15:01.971
Mm-hmm.
00:15:02.211 --> 00:15:07.192
And they asked him, why on earth do you walk the tightrope?
00:15:07.912 --> 00:15:10.162
And his answer was very insightful.
00:15:10.851 --> 00:15:21.471
And his answer was, he said, all my life, I live most on my, on walking the tightrope.
00:15:22.147 --> 00:15:31.116
And everything before is a prelude to and everything after is a postscript after my life on the tightrope.
00:15:32.226 --> 00:15:34.626
So what was in his case?
00:15:34.626 --> 00:15:45.817
That tightrope was so, the experience was so powerful to him that he was willing to risk his life for the sake of getting up there and performing.
00:15:46.626 --> 00:15:59.106
So you gotta ask, we have to ask ourselves, what's so powerful for us in our lives that we would be willing to even walk a tight rope?
00:15:59.256 --> 00:16:11.751
Okay, well, maybe not walk a tight rope or risk your life, but what is it that's so powerful in your life that would move your life forward and that you have to, that you'd be willing to risk to get it?
00:16:12.876 --> 00:16:14.976
Uh, you know, I think that's a great question.
00:16:15.636 --> 00:16:15.726
Mm-hmm.
00:16:16.236 --> 00:16:20.706
There's a guy named, uh, uh, Jim Rohn, who's a big famous Oh yes.
00:16:20.706 --> 00:16:21.787
Speaker in the us.
00:16:22.206 --> 00:16:24.996
I had the opportunity to actually meet him.
00:16:25.777 --> 00:16:26.076
Wow.
00:16:26.076 --> 00:16:28.807
And one of the questions he used to ask is.
00:16:29.317 --> 00:16:30.726
So what are your goals?
00:16:31.986 --> 00:16:38.527
And he used to say, after summer, telling their goals, he'd say, he would say, well, that's very exciting.
00:16:38.557 --> 00:16:39.726
If it was exciting.
00:16:39.756 --> 00:16:42.517
And if it wasn't, he would say, well, why aren't they exciting?
00:16:42.876 --> 00:16:50.557
Why aren't they so exciting that I get excited just listening to you talk about your goals?
00:16:51.216 --> 00:16:51.427
You know?
00:16:51.427 --> 00:16:55.716
So the idea is your goals have to be exciting.
00:16:56.586 --> 00:17:03.037
Um, they should be exciting and, and, uh, uh, you know, that's.
00:17:04.221 --> 00:17:09.501
That's part of live living, the kind of life that, that we should probably live.
00:17:10.041 --> 00:17:14.031
Um, and once you got the goals down, well then you go after the goals.
00:17:14.031 --> 00:17:18.321
You have to define what is the goal, and then what price are you prepared to pay.
00:17:18.321 --> 00:17:18.382
Yeah.
00:17:18.652 --> 00:17:20.902
Are you prepared to die for your goal?
00:17:21.082 --> 00:17:23.692
Or at the very least, walk a tight rope for your goal?
00:17:23.842 --> 00:17:27.622
Or maybe not that, but you know, how much are you willing to pay?
00:17:28.162 --> 00:17:28.642
Right.
00:17:28.731 --> 00:17:30.261
And, and then you go after it.
00:17:30.382 --> 00:17:31.912
Paying, paying the price.
00:17:32.182 --> 00:17:32.481
Yeah.
00:17:32.811 --> 00:17:33.082
Yeah.
00:17:33.321 --> 00:17:33.382
Yeah.
00:17:33.682 --> 00:17:43.551
And, and when you do it through that lens and that conviction, my belief is you can't go wrong.
00:17:43.551 --> 00:17:43.612
Yeah.
00:17:44.031 --> 00:17:48.592
Because you're going after what you are here for, what you are here.
00:17:48.592 --> 00:17:50.467
What is your reason for being.
00:17:51.336 --> 00:17:54.156
Yeah, that's, uh, what I call the unique ability.
00:17:54.547 --> 00:17:57.307
I just came off a program just before this program.
00:17:57.336 --> 00:18:13.231
I came off a program with a guy named, uh, Dan Sullivan, who's called the Strategic Coach, and he was talking about ambition and he said people, he's 81 years old and he has love it more ambition today than he ever had in his life.
00:18:13.987 --> 00:18:17.196
And he was saying ambition equals excitement.
00:18:17.376 --> 00:18:17.646
Yeah.
00:18:18.007 --> 00:18:20.946
You know, you get excited and it's a sort of a loop.
00:18:21.336 --> 00:18:24.666
The more excited, the more, yeah.
00:18:24.666 --> 00:18:26.021
So these are all things, uh, you know.
00:18:29.031 --> 00:18:32.451
Share inside yourself and figure out what's your unique ability?
00:18:32.511 --> 00:18:36.082
What, what can you give the world that the world needs?
00:18:36.082 --> 00:18:36.142
Yeah.
00:18:36.561 --> 00:18:39.531
That they're crying out there to, to, you know, for mm-hmm.
00:18:39.922 --> 00:18:40.912
For you to give.
00:18:41.241 --> 00:18:46.142
And if you're, if, and that could that forgive me for lecturing like that.
00:18:46.267 --> 00:18:47.126
No, this is good.
00:18:47.596 --> 00:18:49.326
It's, it's, no, this is great.
00:18:50.386 --> 00:18:53.872
Um, the, the key thing there is passion.
00:18:53.932 --> 00:18:53.991
Yeah.
00:18:54.261 --> 00:18:57.922
Like, you know, the em emotional commitment to the goal.
00:18:57.926 --> 00:18:58.007
Yeah.
00:18:58.342 --> 00:18:58.491
Yeah.
00:18:58.521 --> 00:19:01.886
If, if you don't have the passion, you're, you're driving down the wrong highway.
00:19:02.287 --> 00:19:02.346
Yeah.
00:19:02.856 --> 00:19:06.606
You gotta find the highway where your passion is, no matter what it is.
00:19:06.967 --> 00:19:07.237
Yeah.
00:19:07.446 --> 00:19:07.751
You know?
00:19:07.926 --> 00:19:07.987
Yeah.
00:19:07.987 --> 00:19:08.767
And get on there.
00:19:08.977 --> 00:19:11.586
So, uh, I'll just share if I may Yeah.
00:19:11.737 --> 00:19:14.106
In my own life Absolutely.
00:19:14.106 --> 00:19:15.156
How I sort of applied this.
00:19:15.636 --> 00:19:16.086
Yes.
00:19:16.267 --> 00:19:19.656
So, uh, you know, I thought, Hey, I'm a big speaker.
00:19:19.656 --> 00:19:22.027
I'm gonna be a big, you know, I was a Toastmaster.
00:19:22.057 --> 00:19:23.946
I gotta plaque up here above my head.
00:19:24.277 --> 00:19:24.696
Yeah.
00:19:24.696 --> 00:19:26.946
Uh,'cause I was one of these, uh, you know.
00:19:27.277 --> 00:19:30.001
Distinguished Toastmaster for being in Toastmaster.
00:19:30.352 --> 00:19:30.642
Sure.
00:19:30.701 --> 00:19:37.777
Uh, the Toastmasters organization, that's a, you know, learn how to speak publicly Right.
00:19:37.777 --> 00:19:41.436
Organization, but that's not what the world wanted from me.
00:19:41.527 --> 00:19:41.707
Hmm.
00:19:42.277 --> 00:19:43.957
That, what the world wanted for me.
00:19:44.321 --> 00:19:48.007
I, I realized over time was for me to write.
00:19:48.906 --> 00:19:53.797
So I now, when I started writing, I was terrible in the university.
00:19:53.977 --> 00:19:56.737
I barely made it through English 1 0 1, barely.
00:19:57.231 --> 00:19:57.471
Yeah.
00:19:57.801 --> 00:20:04.612
In fact, the professor who taught me what turnover in his grave today, if you know what I'm doing, but I write for Forbes.
00:20:04.612 --> 00:20:08.271
I've been writing for Forbes for 10 years, and I'm a former UN correspondent.
00:20:08.271 --> 00:20:09.321
Mm-hmm.
00:20:10.017 --> 00:20:10.636
It didn't come.
00:20:11.692 --> 00:20:13.582
Naturally at first, you know?
00:20:13.586 --> 00:20:13.676
Mm-hmm.
00:20:13.896 --> 00:20:14.317
Mm-hmm.
00:20:14.511 --> 00:20:21.836
But over time, I, you know, as I, I wrote little articles for student newspapers and essays and stuff like that, and over time mm-hmm.
00:20:22.011 --> 00:20:23.301
I got better, better, better.
00:20:23.301 --> 00:20:26.511
Until now I'm good enough to be published.
00:20:27.412 --> 00:20:31.791
Um, but I still have this passion for speaking and presenting.
00:20:32.301 --> 00:20:32.422
Yeah.
00:20:32.422 --> 00:20:34.071
What we are doing right now.
00:20:34.521 --> 00:20:34.882
Yes.
00:20:34.977 --> 00:20:35.557
In my life.
00:20:36.922 --> 00:20:38.602
Is my passion.
00:20:38.602 --> 00:20:38.692
Mm-hmm.
00:20:39.291 --> 00:20:42.142
Sharing ideas with people like this.
00:20:42.142 --> 00:20:43.192
Yeah, exactly.
00:20:43.192 --> 00:20:49.791
You know, I, I can't think, in fact, I'll say this, I can't think of a better place in the world.
00:20:49.791 --> 00:20:52.942
I'd rather be and a better time than right now.
00:20:52.942 --> 00:20:53.511
Mm-hmm.
00:20:53.517 --> 00:20:57.501
And with a better person than you and your audience right now.
00:20:58.011 --> 00:21:02.422
This is the highest thing I can do with my life at this moment.
00:21:03.862 --> 00:21:05.152
And that's what we have to do.
00:21:05.422 --> 00:21:08.152
We have to find places like that and do that.
00:21:08.152 --> 00:21:10.971
Yeah, I, I'm honored.
00:21:11.451 --> 00:21:12.951
To be having this conversation.
00:21:12.981 --> 00:21:24.172
I really am because it is 100% real, authentic and exactly what we are about in, in our, in our conversations here.
00:21:24.682 --> 00:21:34.011
We are here to show people that everybody has their journeys and isn't it interesting that the.
00:21:34.342 --> 00:21:38.241
Outside pieces, you were the top of the Toastmasters.
00:21:38.241 --> 00:21:47.991
You were giving and giving, and you thought that was it, and you were recognized for it, but there was still some a, a, a loop that wasn't finished.
00:21:48.531 --> 00:21:48.682
Correct.
00:21:49.281 --> 00:21:53.602
And I love that it stayed in the realm of communication.
00:21:54.426 --> 00:21:55.686
Yeah, it did.
00:21:56.196 --> 00:21:56.346
Yeah.
00:21:56.346 --> 00:22:03.037
And, you know, I mean, uh, and it's part of my, you know, looping back to what we were talking about earlier.
00:22:03.037 --> 00:22:03.396
Sure.
00:22:03.457 --> 00:22:06.606
I have to ask myself, well, why am I so concerned about communication?
00:22:07.656 --> 00:22:10.386
And, uh, I'll share a sort of an intimate story.
00:22:10.386 --> 00:22:12.457
It's kind of almost like sacred.
00:22:13.521 --> 00:22:13.741
Wow.
00:22:13.747 --> 00:22:15.277
My mother was deaf.
00:22:15.906 --> 00:22:15.997
Mm-hmm.
00:22:16.237 --> 00:22:20.467
She did not hear as a young girl, she lost, lost her hearing to illnesses.
00:22:20.467 --> 00:22:20.527
Hmm.
00:22:21.727 --> 00:22:23.346
So, in my life.
00:22:24.426 --> 00:22:27.156
Uh, I had to learn how to communicate with her.
00:22:27.757 --> 00:22:29.346
Uh, now she lip read.
00:22:29.527 --> 00:22:29.616
Yes.
00:22:29.646 --> 00:22:30.606
She was able to read.
00:22:30.606 --> 00:22:35.497
When you're talking, she could figure out what you're saying by what, how you're making your lip move.
00:22:36.037 --> 00:22:36.096
Yeah.
00:22:36.126 --> 00:22:37.567
So she'd read my lips.
00:22:37.626 --> 00:22:41.017
She had slight hearing on one 20% on her right ear.
00:22:41.737 --> 00:22:44.821
So that made up enough for her to understand what I was talking about.
00:22:45.592 --> 00:22:45.922
Right.
00:22:46.102 --> 00:22:55.582
But communication was very important to her and through her to me, and I realized, wow, that's one of the reasons why I am so dedicated to communication.
00:22:55.582 --> 00:22:55.701
Right.
00:22:56.571 --> 00:22:58.731
Effective communication to this day.
00:22:59.271 --> 00:23:02.207
Yeah, because I, there is.
00:23:02.932 --> 00:23:06.442
Communication and then there is effective communication.
00:23:06.442 --> 00:23:08.211
Yeah, there's a huge difference.
00:23:08.211 --> 00:23:09.682
Thank you for that.
00:23:10.221 --> 00:23:12.622
Um, uh, additional piece.
00:23:12.622 --> 00:23:18.261
And I love what you're saying because to me, I think that's true for all of us.
00:23:18.382 --> 00:23:27.711
When we look back in our history growing up, that's where our true, authentic selves really show.
00:23:28.926 --> 00:23:29.797
Who we are.
00:23:29.797 --> 00:23:35.826
So if we're in the dark about who am I really, those important questions you were sharing earlier.
00:23:36.547 --> 00:23:48.576
One of the techniques I use with my clients is to go and do your milestone history and tune into what you were like as a young child when nothing was interfering.
00:23:48.576 --> 00:23:49.446
What did you do?
00:23:49.446 --> 00:23:52.176
What did you love to do, and why did you love to do it?
00:23:52.297 --> 00:24:01.267
And start stripping down your bare to your bare bones and really understand more about who you are through that lens.
00:24:01.386 --> 00:24:03.817
And it's very interesting to do.
00:24:03.817 --> 00:24:04.326
Yeah.
00:24:05.646 --> 00:24:05.916
Yeah.
00:24:07.041 --> 00:24:07.821
Andy, of course.
00:24:07.821 --> 00:24:09.922
Uh, there's mistakes along the way.
00:24:10.011 --> 00:24:10.432
Oh.
00:24:11.092 --> 00:24:12.021
Make mistakes.
00:24:12.201 --> 00:24:12.352
Right?
00:24:13.281 --> 00:24:14.481
Absolutely.
00:24:14.602 --> 00:24:18.442
Uh, we, if we don't have those mistakes, we don't grow.
00:24:18.442 --> 00:24:18.531
Right?
00:24:18.711 --> 00:24:20.241
I mean, that's one piece of growth.
00:24:20.241 --> 00:24:27.382
I don't think it's the only, but I think it's an important piece to understand, oops, nope, that I won't do that again, and here's why.
00:24:27.471 --> 00:24:31.731
And understanding behind the mistakes and learning through those mistakes.
00:24:31.731 --> 00:24:32.092
Yeah.
00:24:32.481 --> 00:24:32.932
Yeah.
00:24:32.932 --> 00:24:32.991
Yeah.
00:24:34.701 --> 00:24:35.902
Oh my goodness.
00:24:35.902 --> 00:24:38.781
Andy, what an incredible conversation.
00:24:39.291 --> 00:24:46.642
Are there any pieces we haven't, we've talked about so many different things which have all come together to talk about.
00:24:46.642 --> 00:24:50.811
I think, you know, the underlying piece is knowledge.
00:24:51.382 --> 00:24:56.122
Starting over can be a challenge, but there are things that you can do to make it easier.
00:24:56.481 --> 00:24:56.571
Mm-hmm.
00:24:56.961 --> 00:24:59.332
Um, we talked about, um.
00:24:59.692 --> 00:25:01.192
Moving places.
00:25:01.642 --> 00:25:15.082
I'm wondering if there's anything in particular that you can share if there are misconceptions and about us work visas that people need to understand if this is an avenue they're thinking about.
00:25:16.612 --> 00:25:18.142
Uh, well, uh, briefly.
00:25:18.142 --> 00:25:22.402
Um, just because you're a Canadian doesn't mean you're entitled to go to the United States.
00:25:22.551 --> 00:25:24.352
You have to get a visa to enter.
00:25:24.801 --> 00:25:25.071
Okay.
00:25:25.071 --> 00:25:26.997
And to work there, you have to have a work visa.
00:25:28.116 --> 00:25:33.727
To have a work visa, you have to have someone offering a job and not just any job.
00:25:33.787 --> 00:25:34.057
Okay.
00:25:34.116 --> 00:25:38.797
But a job that's in short supply in the United States, like a position.
00:25:39.217 --> 00:25:42.817
So usually that means each, at least a bachelor's degree or higher.
00:25:43.237 --> 00:25:43.596
Okay.
00:25:43.717 --> 00:25:46.567
And um, I can say there are like.
00:25:47.166 --> 00:25:50.257
Briefly, there are five ways to immigrate to the United States.
00:25:50.946 --> 00:25:53.227
One is marry your way in.
00:25:53.257 --> 00:25:56.352
Uh, that is say either a wife sponsoring you mm-hmm.
00:25:56.432 --> 00:25:58.656
Or a family member who's an American mm-hmm.
00:25:58.896 --> 00:25:59.646
Sponsoring you.
00:26:00.186 --> 00:26:07.086
Another is study your way in, you know, go to university, for example, take a master's degree or ma bachelor's degree.
00:26:07.777 --> 00:26:07.896
Mm-hmm.
00:26:07.903 --> 00:26:10.477
Uh, a third way is to, uh.
00:26:10.737 --> 00:26:12.057
Invest your way in.
00:26:12.116 --> 00:26:20.757
If you have a lot of money, say like a million dollars, you could invest in a project and, and you can get a permanent residence in the United States.
00:26:21.297 --> 00:26:24.836
A fourth way is to, uh, work your way in.
00:26:25.557 --> 00:26:29.727
Uh, so if you get a, a work visa, for example mm-hmm.
00:26:29.732 --> 00:26:38.487
If you're a professional, uh, usually there are categories of professionals that will enable you to get a work visa right away.
00:26:38.967 --> 00:26:40.376
Uh, for example.
00:26:40.406 --> 00:26:44.906
Doctor, uh, lawyer, architect, engineer, nurse.
00:26:44.906 --> 00:26:45.057
Okay.
00:26:45.176 --> 00:26:46.467
Any kind of profession.
00:26:46.886 --> 00:26:46.977
Mm-hmm.
00:26:47.457 --> 00:26:50.547
And then there's, uh, asylum you're trying to escape.
00:26:50.547 --> 00:26:50.576
Mm.
00:26:50.906 --> 00:26:57.626
Have a well-founded fear of persecution, and you're trying to escape from that country that's gonna persecute you.
00:26:57.807 --> 00:26:59.186
So you come to the United States?
00:26:59.487 --> 00:26:59.517
Mm.
00:26:59.547 --> 00:27:03.656
Those same avenues are open to Canada in the same way.
00:27:04.017 --> 00:27:04.376
Okay.
00:27:04.481 --> 00:27:04.771
Okay.
00:27:04.946 --> 00:27:06.836
So they go all, both ways?
00:27:07.017 --> 00:27:07.287
Yeah.
00:27:07.317 --> 00:27:07.346
Okay.
00:27:08.527 --> 00:27:08.886
Okay.
00:27:10.297 --> 00:27:25.686
Anything that you would like to share with our audience to help them make some decisions, make some ideas on paper, anything that you'd love to share before we close off this incredible time we've had together?
00:27:26.467 --> 00:27:26.707
Yeah.
00:27:26.711 --> 00:27:30.037
I'm going to share seven rules for a successful life.
00:27:30.936 --> 00:27:31.686
Perfect.
00:27:32.106 --> 00:27:32.497
Okay.
00:27:32.977 --> 00:27:36.396
These are my, my rules, but I learned them from others.
00:27:37.446 --> 00:27:39.696
Number one, they're easy.
00:27:39.757 --> 00:27:44.227
No, they're hard to do, but easy to state.
00:27:44.287 --> 00:27:48.007
Ah, and you have to try and, and lead your life this way.
00:27:48.007 --> 00:27:48.787
Number one.
00:27:49.416 --> 00:27:50.436
Come on time.
00:27:52.146 --> 00:27:54.576
Number two, finish what you start.
00:27:55.926 --> 00:27:58.777
Number three, do what you promise.
00:28:00.531 --> 00:28:04.132
Number four, be sincere.
00:28:05.481 --> 00:28:10.882
Number five, actions speak louder than words.
00:28:12.082 --> 00:28:15.652
Number six, be kind.
00:28:16.701 --> 00:28:21.082
Number seven, be thankful for what you have.
00:28:22.582 --> 00:28:25.132
Seven rules for a successful life.
00:28:25.402 --> 00:28:27.922
I try to lead my life by those rules.
00:28:27.926 --> 00:28:28.326
Mm-hmm.
00:28:28.412 --> 00:28:31.011
I don't always succeed, but I do my best.
00:28:31.582 --> 00:28:38.632
And I think if I did believe my life, lead my life that way, it would be a good life.
00:28:39.711 --> 00:28:40.372
Amazing.
00:28:41.481 --> 00:28:44.842
Those are great, great lessons to live by.
00:28:44.842 --> 00:28:45.922
I totally agree.
00:28:46.642 --> 00:28:51.021
As I'm listening to you, I could finish them as you started, I'd be like, yep.
00:28:51.021 --> 00:28:51.981
I think that's, yep.
00:28:51.981 --> 00:28:55.791
That's what it's, and you know, absolutely.
00:28:55.942 --> 00:29:09.291
And the success, I know people define success differently, but what you are sharing is your life, not from the outside in, but from the inside out.
00:29:09.297 --> 00:29:09.497
Yeah.
00:29:09.497 --> 00:29:09.537
So.
00:29:10.221 --> 00:29:10.701
Yeah.
00:29:10.912 --> 00:29:21.622
Andy, thank you so much for sharing, taking time out to be with us today and giving the incredible examples.
00:29:21.682 --> 00:29:22.852
I love so many.
00:29:22.942 --> 00:29:26.301
I'm gonna go and find my measuring tool now.
00:29:29.152 --> 00:29:30.682
I think that's amazing.
00:29:30.682 --> 00:29:32.332
I am such a visual person.
00:29:32.332 --> 00:29:40.041
So that was perfect and thank you for describing it for those of, uh, for those listeners who are not on the YouTube channel, but on the podcast.
00:29:40.041 --> 00:29:45.231
So thank you again for being here with us today, Andy, and sharing so much.
00:29:45.801 --> 00:29:53.692
For those of you listening, we will have in our show notes how to contact and find Andy so that you can reach out and, um.
00:29:54.442 --> 00:29:59.031
Take your learning and move forward and move.
00:29:59.031 --> 00:30:09.082
If that's the next opportunity that's presenting itself your way, make sure that you share, follow, subscribe, give us reviews.
00:30:09.082 --> 00:30:18.531
Everything helps to move these conversations into a wider audience so more people can benefit from our incredible guests.
00:30:18.682 --> 00:30:23.182
Have a wonderful day, everyone, and make sure you thrive after 45.
00:30:23.866 --> 00:30:24.406
Bye bye.