Moving countries in your 30s is often portrayed as exciting and full of opportunity, but what does the reality actually look like?

In this episode, I'm joined by Ana Asanovic to share her journey from Serbia to Australia as a mature age student, to further her education in Communications and take her career in a new direction

Driven by her award-winning travel blog, passion for storytelling, and desire to create meaningful impact, Ana explains why she chose Australia over other destinations and what it really takes to start again professionally and personally later in life.

Together, we explore the often unspoken realities of migration, from loneliness and building friendships as an adult, to navigating the Australian job market and overcoming barriers like the “local experience” requirement, accent bias, and explaining transferable skills.

Ana shares her honest experience of rebuilding her career from the ground up, including completing unpaid internships, working part-time roles on a student visa, and leveraging networking to progress into senior communications positions.

The conversation also highlights the accessibility challenges within professional networking spaces, and Ana’s advocacy work around connection and belonging, including contributing to published works, and creating a marketing and communications co-working day designed to foster genuine community for remote and hybrid professionals.

This episode is a powerful reminder that career paths are rarely linear, and that finding the right advice, aligned values, and supportive community can shape not just your career but your overall experience of life in a new country.

If you’re considering migrating, changing careers, or rebuilding your professional identity, this conversation offers both practical insight and reassurance that you’re not alone.

To connect with Ana:
linkedin.com/in/ana-asanovic

https://anaasanovic.au/

Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome and Acknowledgement
00:28 Life in Serbia Translation Career
00:47 Travel Blogging and Creative Shift
03:40 Why Australia and New Direction
07:06 Early Migration Challenges
08:47 Making Friends and Finding Community
15:09 Australian Experience Job Barrier
24:25 Starting Over Internships and Accents
31:17 Networking Access and Event Costs
34:14 Loneliness Advocacy and Coworking
42:35 Lessons on Values and Career Advice
47:02 Closing Thanks and Takeaways

Can you also find episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EmmaGrahamCareerCoach/videos

Your host, Emma Graham, Career Coach and ex-recruiter, is here to help you with:

💡 Gain clarity on what’s important to you
💡 Confidently communicate your value
💡 Build a personal brand and a strong network
💡 Take a strategic approach to your next move
💡 Navigate the job market effectively
💡 Build career confidence with a repeatable success blueprint

🌐 Explore my coaching programs and free resources:
Website: https://www.egconsulting.au/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/emmajgraham
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmagrahamcareercoach/

🎁 Free Resources:
📄 CV Development Guide: https://www.egconsulting.au/cv-advice
📄 LinkedIn Profile Optimisation Guide: https://www.egconsulting.au/linkedin-profile-guide

📅 Book Your FREE Career Strategy Discovery Call:
https://calendly.com/emmagrahamconsulting/discovery-call

In this episode, I sit down with digital marketer and SEO consultant Briony Cullin to explore how trusting her intuition led her through a series of bold career and life changes, and ultimately helped her build a business and lifestyle she genuinely loves.

Briony shares her journey from studying and practising law to realising it wasn’t the right fit, a chance trip to Japan that unexpectedly changed the course of her life, and her move to Scotland for love. From navigating a new country and culture to transferring her skills into digital marketing at Yelp, Briony talks about the challenges and turning points that shaped her path.

The conversation also delves into freelancing, managing chronic illness alongside career ambitions, the evolution of SEO, and the freedom that comes with designing work around your life, not the other way around.

This episode is a thoughtful and honest discussion about career reinvention, trusting your instincts, balancing health and ambition, and creating a business that supports the life you want to live.

Perfect for anyone considering a career pivot, freelancing, or building a more intentional relationship with work.

To connect with Briony:
https://www.brionycullin.com/

Can you also find episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EmmaGrahamCareerCoach/videos

Your host, Emma Graham, Career Coach and ex-recruiter, is here to help you with:

💡 Gain clarity on what’s important to you
💡 Confidently communicate your value
💡 Build a personal brand and a strong network
💡 Take a strategic approach to your next move
💡 Navigate the job market effectively
💡 Build career confidence with a repeatable success blueprint

🌐 Explore my coaching programs and free resources:
Website: https://www.egconsulting.au/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/emmajgraham
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmagrahamcareercoach/

🎁 Free Resources:
📄 CV Development Guide: https://www.egconsulting.au/cv-advice
📄 LinkedIn Profile Optimisation Guide: https://www.egconsulting.au/linkedin-profile-guide

📅 Book Your FREE Career Strategy Discovery Call:
https://calendly.com/emmagrahamconsulting/discovery-call

Today I'm joined by Michelle Michaux, who shares how her unconventional career journey (from banking operations to marketing) gave her a front row seat to how large complex organisations can bridge the gaps between marketing, sales, and delivery.

Michelle brings a refreshingly honest perspective on what marketing should be doing inside organisations, why alignment with sales is still one of the biggest challenges in B2B, and why marketers need to get better at articulating their value at the leadership table.

Together, Emma and Michelle explore the realities of working inside complex global organisations like Fujitsu, the cultural nuances that shape business decisions, and how marketing can move beyond execution to become a genuine driver of growth.

If you care about career growth, influence, strategic thinking and the future of marketing, this episode will give you both practical insight and plenty to reflect on.

To connect with Michelle:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-michaux/

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
00:22 Michelle's Career Journey
02:07 Transition to Marketing
03:11 Running Her Own Consultancy
04:10 Operations Experience and Its Impact
06:59 Sales and Marketing Dynamics
11:21 Challenges in B2B Marketing
15:32 Global Marketing Complexities
18:41 Cultural Insights from Fujitsu
22:58 Personal Anecdotes and Cultural Reflections
24:06 Understanding Cultural Differences
25:02 Marketing's Role in Business Strategy
25:50 Challenges in B2B Marketing
28:06 The Importance of Customer Insight
30:00 The Role of Chief Customer Officers
32:19 Aligning Marketing with Business Goals
34:11 Articulating Marketing Value
43:28 Final Thoughts and Reflections

Can you also find episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EmmaGrahamCareerCoach/videos

Your host, Emma Graham, Career Coach and ex-recruiter, is here to help you with:

💡 Gain clarity on what’s important to you
💡 Confidently communicate your value
💡 Build a personal brand and a strong network
💡 Take a strategic approach to your next move
💡 Navigate the job market effectively
💡 Build career confidence with a repeatable success blueprint

🌐 Explore my coaching programs and free resources:
Website: https://www.egconsulting.au/
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/emmajgraham
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmagrahamcareercoach/

🎁 Free Resources:
📄 CV Development Guide: https://www.egconsulting.au/cv-advice
📄 LinkedIn Profile Optimisation Guide: https://www.egconsulting.au/linkedin-profile-guide

📅 Book Your FREE Career Strategy Discovery Call:
https://calendly.com/emmagrahamconsulting/discovery-call