Mastering Finland

In this episode, we welcome back our friend Joppe Quaedvlieg. Joppe just released a book, *Reaching Escape Velocity: A Proposal for an Alternative Way of Being.* Join us for a heartfelt and casual chat with Joppe as we dive into the pages of his beautifully vulnerable composition—a blend of short stories, poems, illustrations, and photographs that feels like a friend’s diary. We explore themes of...

Discover how Kati Mayfield’s vision of "no flower should go to waste" is transforming unwanted blooms into gifts of joy for those in need. From hospitals to homeless shelters, Flower Rescue brings beauty and community spirit to Finland. 🇫🇮✨Kati shares her journey from America to Finland, her love for the country's sincerity, and her tips for newcomers.

Kami Fodor, a representative of Mieli Without Borders, discusses her journey and the organisation's mission to make mental health support accessible to foreigners in Finland. The episode underscores the importance of mental health support in the integration process for internationals and provides practical tips for maintaining mental well-being in Finland.

Discover the stories of Annabel & Hatty from Compass Psychology on the Mastering Finland Podcast! Learn how love brought them to Finland, their insights on adapting to Finnish culture, and the vital role of mental health support for expats. Don't miss out on their valuable advice for thriving in a new country! #MasteringFinland #Expats #MentalHealthAwareness 🇫🇮

Sanni Törmänen spills the secrets to mastering Finnish language. From teaching abroad to adapting to online learning, Sanni's journey is as dynamic as the language itself. Forget one-size-fits-all approaches – Sanni's all about personalized learning at sananpuru.com. With Finnish being more like a puzzle than a problem, Sanni and Matt liken it to learning a musical instrument: practice mak...

In Episode 93 of "Bemästra Finland på svenska," Veronica Hetrzberg, a Swedish-speaking Finn, shares her journey of growing up in Finland, learning Finnish and English, and helping others integrate into Finnish society. The podcast discusses Finland's unique culture and emphasises the importance of networking for job opportunities. Veronica provides travel tips for Finland, and the di...

In Episode 92 of the Mastering Finland Podcast, Finnish entrepreneur Oki Tåg discusses the importance of networking for internationals seeking jobs in Finland. He emphasises that many jobs are in a "hidden market" known to trusted connections. Oki shares his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting the lessons it teaches about motivation and overcoming obstacles. He advises quick learning f...

Join Matt for a special episode discussing the new government immigration proposal of 2023 with: Shreyas Ramachandran Srinivasan (originally from India, has both studied and worked in Finland), Nick J. Walters (Founder of Helsinki LEFT that represents immigrants and other minority groups and overcomes knowledge gaps and the language barrier to integrate them into Finnish politics), Sam Spilsbury (...

In this episode Matt interviews Joppe Quaedvlieg, a job coach and community manager from Shortcut in Helsinki. Joppe shares insights on effective communication, networking, and the concept of descriptive communication that are key for finding a job in Finland. Discover how these factors can unlock Finland's treasures and shape your career path.

Discover the fascinating journey of Carmen Lorenzana, a Mexican expat who found herself captivated by Finland's charm. From her personal experiences to empowering women through menstrual education, fertility awareness, and embracing Finland's breathtaking national parks, this episode offers insights into life in Finland and the unique perspectives of women. For more information about this...

Join us for an episode with Josh Hurst, aka JoshOfWestern, as he shares his journey of coming to Finland as an au-pair and becoming a successful freelance writer, blogger, and social media influencer. Discover his tips for mastering Finnish culture and adapting to life in Finland.

The founders of ‘Pawfect Grooming’ business meet with our podcast host Eva to discuss their discovery of puppy power in Finland! The episode also features some pet peeves they met during their journey to mastering Finland. Husband and wife team, Asha and Mikael Singadia-Kuronen, moved to Finland in 2018.  Mikael was returning to his home country, bringing Asha with him from the UK.  Asha...

In this episode Eva meets Kalim Ul Masih — a certified coach, humanitarian worker, and travel enthusiast who’ll open up his insider secrets to Mastering Finland. Kalim is Finnish, but as he was working and traveling abroad in Africa, Middle East, Central Asia for quite a while before returning to Finland with the onset of COVID-19, he had to polish the art of Mastering Finland himself. Also, from...

Many of us here have an on-and-off relationship with Finland. But for our new guest, it was love at first sight! Gemma Cros-Baden came to Kuopio for her Erasmus exchange and simply didn’t want to go back to her home country Spain. But she had to. Fast-forward to when our podcast is recorded, Gemma lives happily in Finland, has a job, and is learning Finnish. Listen in to discover her inspiring sto...

It has finally happened — the whole Mastering Finland team is on the same episode! A Christmas miracle, nothing else. So who’s on the line? Petra, Eva, and Iliana from the best library in the world (Oodi, of course), Matt from Pori, and Matty all the way from the UK. In this episode, we do a lot of Christmas talk: from favorite Christmas songs to the most bizarre Christmas traditions from our home...

Petra is back to Mastering Finland (I bet you’ve missed her) — but now in the guest seat. She is the founder of the podcast, a person who has been bringing up so many individual stories of Mastering Finland and sharing tips and knowledge with our community. The Mastering Finland team is sure that you’re as excited as we to hear from Petra again! But recently Petra had to take some time off. In thi...

You haven’t heard her voice before, and yet she is essential to the Mastering Finland project. This episode sees the ‘Mastering Finland’ founder return to the microphone and interview one of the key people from behind the scenes of the podcast – Eva Valkovicova. Eva’s energy, spirit, and curiosity are keeping the podcast alive, but there’s more to it. Eva has been living in Finland for 15 years an...

Mastering Finland Podcast takes you to the movies for an exclusive interview with the director and screen writer behind the new film “Freeskate” which premieres on 21 October 2022. Getting to know the faces behind this new Finnish film, Matt speaks with director Roope Olenius and screen writer Veera W. Vilo who are partners both on and off the movie set. Freeskate was inspired by both Veera and Ro...

Meet Karoliina Kauhanen with whom we discuss why people need help and why it is often so difficult to ask for it. As internationals, we don’t have a network we can rely on, even in some simple tasks such as moving the furniture. Some people wouldn't mind giving a hand but they don’t know where to start. Karoliina has a solution to this problem. Commu is a free app that makes asking for help and gi...

In Part 2 of Matt’s interview with an American ambassador in Finland the conversation grows in its cultural dialogue and reflections on Finland as experienced by an international. What is the secret of Finnish happiness and where it comes from? Find out in this episode!

Ever dreamt of working in foreign service and being stationed abroad? Listen to our new episode and see if this lifestyle suits you! Bill Couch, Foreign Affairs Officer, shares with Mastering Finland his experiences of working at the US Embassy in Helsinki — from perks and daily routines to the challenges (and new engagement avenues) that the pandemic has brought. The Russia-Ukraine war and Putin’...

Matt Bowen gets to meet Hasan Sohail, the man behind the travelwithasan YouTube channel . In his YouTube videos, Hasan shares his experiences of integrating into Finnish life and making the most out of living in Finland. What is Hasan’s strategy for integrating in Finland? Here are some tips: Get out of your room to find your way around Join groups and associations to manifest your presence Practi...

Matty Davenport lives in the UK, but he is a ‘superfan’ of the Mastering Finland Podcast and pretty much of all things Finland. From an outsider’s perspective Matty explains how he first became aware of Finland as a child and became increasingly fascinated through adolescence into adulthood. Listen and learn more about Matty's passion for winter swimming, what works and doesn't in learning Finnish...

Matt talks with the project planner of the Spouse Program offered by the municipality of the City of Helsinki, Jochen Faugel. The Spouse Program is part of the Talent Boost initiative and is coordinated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the Ministry of Education and Culture. Its purpose is to build an engaging and supportive community for international spouses moving to the ca...

This week we are coming back with an episode with one of our team’s members – actually the most recent one – Rafaella. Rafaella joined our team six months ago when she moved to Finland to be with her partner and move ahead with her career. Finland is for her a country to admire, like all the Nordics, considering their progressive mentality. Petra asks Rafaella what kind of preparation she followed...