E91: Donovan Francis on embracing the challenges that come with starting afresh

Hello, I'd really like to grow this email list. If you enjoy this newsletter, it would mean the world to Jola and I if you encouraged one friend/fellow immigrant/colleague to subscribe…Very likely, the the only thing you will get in return is warm fuzzy feelings, and if I can attribute it to you, I’d personally send you a thank you email.

Join us as we explore the bitter-sweet world of the immigrant.

In this episode, I'm speaking with Donovan Francis, who traded the sunny beaches of Jamaica for the frozen skies of Edmonton, Alberta. But that's not all.

Donovan moved to Canada as a communication professional. I mean, he was a television host for a quasi-government organization back in Jamaica. “Things were good. But we wanted to see someplace else," Francis explains. “Jamaica is a small place and there's just this big world out there.“

But the transition wasn’t seamless. It took nearly a year to return to a communications role similar to what he had back home. But this superhero wasn’t done. He went ahead to chase a long-held dream of becoming a lawyer. And after seven unsuccessful law school applications, he got into Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto.

In this conversation, Donovan and I explore what it’s like to start afresh. We also chat about:

* How taking “whatever jobs present themselves” allows immigrants to find stability in those early days

* Why food and music are great ways to pass on our cultural heritage

* Spending a year in East Africa with the family to help the children connect with their roots

* Canada’s cultural diversity and its benefits

Official Links

✅ Connect with Donovan on LinkedIn

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