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#109 New Roots w/ Dozie Anyaegbunam
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Dozie is the Managing Editor and Host of The Newcomers — a media platform that dives deep into what it truly means to be an immigrant.
Before launching The Newcomers, Dozie was the Executive Editor at The CMO Club, leading stories that connected and inspired B2B marketing leaders. He also helped build and scale the content engine at UserGems as their first content marketing hire, guiding the company’s growth from seed to Series A.
Dozie is an AWAI-certified direct response copywriter and a Cannes Lions–certified storyteller. He holds an MBA in Marketing and Strategy from Lagos Business School, a Diploma in Social and Content Strategy from Miami Ad School in Toronto, and he’s an alumnus of the prestigious Stanford SEED program.
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Transcript
Introduction to Episode 'New Roots'
00:00:18
Dozie
Awesome. Awesome.
00:00:31
Find A Way Podcast
Welcome, everyone. This is episode 109, New Roots, and today our guest is Dozi Anyebuniam.
Dozi Anyebuniam's Diverse Career
00:00:39
Find A Way Podcast
Dozi is the managing editor of and host of The Newcomers, a media platform that dives deep into what it truly means to be an immigrant.
00:00:47
Find A Way Podcast
Before launching The Newcomers, Dozi was the executive director at the CMO Club. leading stories that connected and inspired B2B marketing leaders. He also helped build and scale the content engine at User Gems as their first content marketing hire, guiding the company's growth from C to Series A. Dozie is an AWAI certified direct response copywriter and a Cannes Lion certified storyteller.
00:01:14
Find A Way Podcast
He holds an MBA in marketing and strategy from Lagos Business School, a diploma in social and content strategy from Miami Ad School in Toronto, and he's an alumni of the prestigious Stanford SEED program.
00:01:26
Find A Way Podcast
Welcome, Dozie!
Identity Journey and The Newcomers Creation
00:01:28
Find A Way Podcast
Welcome to the home of
00:01:30
Dozie
ah yeah you know when you're reading by buy your back to me um i just go like wait wait wait wait is that me you're talking about honestly because i think the only thing ill just change this is this executive editor i identity did i say director probably a mistake was executive editor i was executive editor at the cm club actually i'm not director yeah yeah sure that but that's on the biggie thank you um
00:01:36
Find A Way Podcast
you!
00:01:46
Find A Way Podcast
Oh, amazing. Okay.
00:01:51
Dozie
Thank you very much. Like, excited to be here with you. i mean, I feel like, it feels like I'm talking to a friend because I feel like we talk a ton about a ton of things. We're talking a couple of other places. So it's like, okay, is this podcast recording or am I going to have a conversation with you? Yeah, I don't know what call
00:02:07
Find A Way Podcast
I am so happy to have you here. It's an honor, Dozie. So welcome, welcome, welcome. That's all I can say.
00:02:12
Dozie
Thank you. Thank you so much.
00:02:15
Find A Way Podcast
Well, let's deep dive into your incredible journey because not only you're dear friend, but an and you know ah inspiration for the community, ah the newcomer community. I'm so honored to know you, ah to have been a part, have participated in your podcast, the Newcomers Podcast.
00:02:32
Find A Way Podcast
So please, before we start, can you share more about your business?
00:02:36
Dozie
Yeah, sure. um i I launched the newcomers three years ago. well two years plus. We were three years... think the first episode was published March.
00:02:47
Dozie
First week of March, I believe, 2023. So I think we'll be three years next next March. But I launched it three years ago because...
Motivation Behind The Newcomers Platform
00:02:56
Dozie
When I moved to Canada, I just wasn't sure who I was anymore.
00:02:59
Dozie
You know, I kind of spent one year just... Just kind of dealing with that thing that comes when you... Scatter your life and then pack the remnets into two boxes and say, you know what? I'm going to go to a new country and leave the new country.
00:03:14
Dozie
And so, at some point, just kind of dealing with all that, I said... Part of what I said asking myself was, what does he actually mean to be an immigrant? And...
00:03:23
Find A Way Podcast
you
00:03:24
Dozie
Like, what does that mean? And you know I couldn't find the answer. i mean, I had thoughts, but I, you know how this thing they say about, you have to be careful where your thoughts is just one part of the equation, just a ton of things. And I said, you know what, maybe, maybe I should, um,
00:03:39
Dozie
Maybe I should send a Google form to people and tell ask them to answer that question. Tell me about your first night and your first job at your first house. Just how did you feel? Just to get a sense of one, was I the strange one here? And two, just to listen to other people.
00:03:55
Dozie
but along the way, I was like, oh, it could be a podcast. And then I launched a podcast and then turned into media publication. So that's what I'm doing right now is when see people say, what am I doing? I'm like, Really?
00:04:07
Dozie
I'm exploring what it means to be an immigrant. Really. That's, that's just really what I'm trying to do is I'm hoping that I'm really hoping that at some point in the future, in the future i don't know when it will be 20, 30, 40 years that we'll have more better immigrant conversations. Cause it's just, when you look back on history and the world, it feels like the same thing keeps repeating itself.
00:04:27
Dozie
We keep repeating i ourselves. We keep going to the same cycles over and over and over and over again. I'm just like, that's just horrible. And so, Yeah, that's what I'm doing with newcomers. yeah It's not a business, but I honestly feel like I have a personal mission.
Immigrant Identity and Cultural Challenges
00:04:42
Find A Way Podcast
No, it's beautiful. And I love how you you you just emanate that energy everywhere you are. And I had the privilege of getting to know you in person.
00:04:53
Find A Way Podcast
and it was just like, so, you know, had someone recording it, right?
00:04:56
Dozie
Thank you.
00:04:58
Find A Way Podcast
Because for two people have never met each other, we just like jumped into a huge hug and I'm like, yay!
00:04:59
Dozie
you.
00:05:04
Find A Way Podcast
It was so good, so good to who have people that see us for who we are that resonate with what we are.
00:05:05
Dozie
Yeah.
00:05:11
Dozie
Yeah.
00:05:11
Find A Way Podcast
um Our purposes are aligned. And so so just a blessing and I'm so grateful to know you.
00:05:17
Dozie
Thank you.
00:05:17
Find A Way Podcast
um I am curious. ah You did mention, you know, having your own immigration journey, but the story behind the newcomers, where was there a specific moment or a specific story that made you realize that you needed to launch this platform?
00:05:32
Find A Way Podcast
When was like a pivotal moment in your life? Like, this is what I need to do.
00:05:37
Dozie
I think I don't exactly remember what triggered it, but I do know that part of what kind of kick up that com kicked up that theme for me was this was this struggle with how... people you So I think it was seeing people talk, reading the news, and talking to a couple of people.
00:06:02
Dozie
and you just got the sense that but the immigrant. like So people people just literally compress the in immigrant experience into a monolith. And so the immigrant. And so everyone just says the immigrant. And instantly,
00:06:18
Dozie
you are just put in one box. like It didn't matter. like you You could be a black immigrant immigrant or maybe a Latino immigrant. But I struggled with that because was like, everyone is not... like Even if...
00:06:31
Dozie
even there are people from Brazil probably who, if they talk about their immigrant experience, it'll be very different from yours because you all, even though you're from the same country, there's just so many things that mean that the experience is different.
00:06:39
Find A Way Podcast
For sure.
00:06:42
Dozie
And there was
Restarting Life as an Immigrant
00:06:44
Dozie
that struggle. Then the second part of the struggle for me was where it's kind of linked to this, but it was, it's like a a, lower, a lower layer of that conversation, which is that is,
00:06:58
Dozie
it felt like, so people come here and strip every single thing of themselves to start again. And then even the locals themselves, you talk to a couple of people, it just feels like there's no, people are, people are treated like as if your past doesn't matter. And I'm not saying your past should be a crutch, but,
00:07:23
Dozie
you You can't... Someone can come here and with all the experience and the beauty and the stuff they have. And what you've just done is when you're talking about them or their career or who they are, it's almost are like it doesn't matter. It's like, oh, you kind of have to start again. and And I'm like, yeah, you have start again. But there's a benefit of what you're bringing to the table that could be an advantage for everyone. So why...
00:07:47
Dozie
does that happen and this is me talking about it at a very high level because if you drill it down that thinking or that framing is why you have a lot of things that happen you have the dissociated experience problem you have the fact that people just talk to immigrants that's like yeah you just see some people say things i'm like like you wouldn't say like you wouldn't talk like this to some other person because somehow you just, you don't think that much of that person. Oh yeah, you came to my country and just, you're really nothing. But like every single one that mo has moved, even if they were forced to move because of a war, was a full human being with a family, with experience, with different things.
00:08:31
Dozie
And I'm like, we need to find a way to kind of respect that, you know, like we need to acknowledge that to some extent.
Bias and Ignorance Towards Immigrants
00:08:38
Find A Way Podcast
I agree.
00:08:38
Dozie
um So i feel like it was that first year, you know, struggling all those things, you know, seeing people people asking you some questions that i'll just be like yeah you he ignorant like what are asking me i mean someone i remember one time i was talking and oh you speak really good english and i'm like i'm like uh was we were colonized by the british by the way so yeah i i grew up speaking english english is my first language you know and a i usually term those things as ignorance and all that and
00:09:06
Find A Way Podcast
Yeah. Yes.
00:09:13
Dozie
So part that's part of what led to this, is that can we... Can you build a publication that explores what it means to be an immigrant, but hopefully also helps people who are not immigrant immigrants understand what the immigrant journey is all about, you know? Because...
00:09:31
Dozie
I've had this i have this professor, I forget his name, Joseba Chotegui, who is the founder or the person behind the Ulysse-Usli syndrome, which is migratory grief. And he talks about how when people do these things, they're like, at some no one knows the future you could be an immigrant tomorrow like the eternal thing that could make an immigrant tomorrow and so when when there's this this um i don't what call that thing you see you if you can't place it because there's no oh i hate immigrants but it's just this thing about who the hell are you like you you moved you came here so you're probably
00:10:07
Dozie
You're probably begging or you're this or you're that. It's just that thing that happens. And I'm like, can we build a publication that kind of explores that liminal space?
00:10:14
Find A Way Podcast
Like an unconscious bias, you say?
00:10:16
Dozie
Yeah. It's almost like unconscious
Cultural Respect vs Superiority
00:10:18
Dozie
bias in a way, basically.
00:10:19
Find A Way Podcast
Okay.
00:10:19
Dozie
And it comes from a ton of different things. Like the narratives we are told, the way our politicians hog the immigrant conversation, you know? So, but yeah.
00:10:28
Find A Way Podcast
Yeah. No, and i and I love it because you um and I've listened to various of your episodes and i was I had the privilege of being in one. And you dig a lot into identity and belonging, right?
00:10:42
Find A Way Podcast
Because you as you mentioned, we are whole human human beings. We are multifaceted human beings that come here with a huge journey, a huge story, all of the experience we have.
00:10:53
Find A Way Podcast
So it takes from, of course, our part as well into adapting to the cultural norms, learning about where we're going.
00:10:58
Dozie
Yes. Yes.
00:11:00
Find A Way Podcast
But it takes also from the other people around to have cultural humility, to want to learn about you.
00:11:04
Dozie
Yep.
00:11:06
Find A Way Podcast
to learn about why, why do you say certain things?
00:11:06
Dozie
Mm.
00:11:10
Find A Way Podcast
Why do you communicate in a certain way? And why do you, um what are those, uh, background cultural, um, patterns that you were brought up with and how unique that is, you know, how beautiful that can be if, um, people really dug deep and, and learn more.
00:11:23
Dozie
Mm. Mm.
00:11:27
Dozie
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:11:28
Find A Way Podcast
Right. so on the On the item of identity and belonging, I really want to hear, is there any, I'm sure you've seen lots of immigrants and I think all of them, if I'm not generalizing too much, but I think all of them redefine how they see identity and belonging in their new countries.
00:11:48
Find A Way Podcast
Is there any specific story that you'd like or any exhibit example, or even yourself, anything you'd like to highlight on how you were able to rebuild that?
00:11:58
Dozie
ah like I feel like i feel like my there's a ton of stories and um and I'll probably just start talking and thinking at the same time because of all that but I think I'll first start with like what's the biggest theme I see and I think the biggest theme I see
00:12:18
Dozie
is kind of tied to it feels like the world itself is struggling with the difference between cultural respect and cultural
The 'In-Betweener' Experience
00:12:27
Dozie
superiority and And I suspect that the underlying theme that drives a lot of the conversations is cultural superiority, not cultural respect.
00:12:40
Dozie
And I don't blame anyone. I think that that's the model with which the world has built itself over the past 300, 400, 500 years is what what culture was superior And so we see it now, even with people, people do it without knowing when they do it.
00:12:59
Dozie
For example, it's like when you expect someone to fully assimilate and discard their culture. Like I feel like that is actually, you're being disrespectful to their culture. I can understand when someone talks about it with my children and say, my children, my kids will be Canadian-Nigerians, but I'll always be Nigerian-Canadian because I left Nigeria at a point where it had already left an imprint on me. So I can't pull that off.
00:13:22
Dozie
And so that's what I mean by that theme of cultural superiority, cultural respect. Like we struggle with that theme. But kind of leading, then building on that, what I'm finding or what the biggest theme I see with immigrants is that a lot of us, how I call immigrants the in-betweeners. call us like immigrants.
00:13:39
Dozie
There's a term in an article just wrote that I found. It's called Nepantla, which is like, it's think ladies, she's South American. isn't ne pan which is There's this space where immigrants sit in between because, and you probably know this, is that you're never fully Canadian, and right? like But you're also never fully Brazilian anymore.
00:13:58
Dozie
Every single time you go home, You're just, your you you like you know, yeah, i'm I have my Brazilian roots in me. i still feel defensive about Brazilian things, but I just don't really fit in anymore. And then when i come back to Canada, am not exactly here. Like, I'm struggling to fit into this place.
00:14:20
Dozie
And I find that no matter how people express... identity, belonging, and all that. I just see that in different ways, depending on how the person's bias, us perspective of life, the person's temperament.
00:14:35
Dozie
just the i think like for me, like when we say identity, belonging, I think that's thing. And I'm beginning to say that we should probably call ourselves global citizens because for most of us that left the country a certain age, you will almost always be stuck within that space.
00:14:49
Dozie
You can suppress it. We're human beings are pretty good at that. But every now and then, Something will awaken you to the fact that, okay, I don't fully belong here. I can have integrated, yeah.
00:15:03
Dozie
But every now and then I'm reminded that I'm not exactly Canadian. I mean, like someone said to me, have a Canadian passport. But when I go somewhere, they ask me, where are you from? I'm from. I say, I'm Canadian. I'm kinding that like, no, no, where exactly are you from?
00:15:17
Dozie
But I do have a Canadian passport. So even the fact that I have a passport and I've lived here for long and I've integrated for long, Just because of how the world sees the stains, it just means that I'll already be reminded, matter what happens, like, oh, you said you're Canadian? Where exactly are you from?
00:15:36
Find A Way Podcast
True, true. And it's, Stepping into that theme, what is something that you you, you know, because as you mentioned, we are, we go back to our home countries, at least I go back to Brazil, and I fully am just like, okay, it doesn't, you know, it doesn't quite fit in.
00:15:53
Dozie
my
00:15:53
Find A Way Podcast
um What is something that you, you absolutely refuse, like any cultural aspect or anything in the way, um anything that you refuse to give up on from your culture?
Cultural Traditions and Connection
00:16:06
Find A Way Podcast
that you are really, because you mentioned your kids and how they're going be mostly, you know, more inclined to the Canadian because you're growing up and being raised here.
00:16:08
Dozie
Yeah.
00:16:12
Dozie
Yeah.
00:16:15
Find A Way Podcast
But what is something that you absolutely don't want them to lose?
00:16:19
Dozie
greeting all the people when anybody they see them
00:16:22
Find A Way Podcast
love that.
00:16:24
Dozie
I mean, I know we talk about cultures where they have first names and stuff. And someone's not to say all these conservative liberals. I think those things are very stupid, to be honest. i I mean, I know. I'm sorry, everyone. Like, I think that all those liberals we put to ourselves, I think that, yeah, i find them ridiculous.
00:16:40
Find A Way Podcast
Thank you.
00:16:40
Dozie
I honestly do find them ridiculous. I find that human beings have this, we carry labels and use them to judge our lives. And so we, and then every single, I mean, someone said to me one day, because I said someone, I'm more of a centrist. The guy said, you don't know where you start. I'm like,
00:16:56
Dozie
I know where I stand because I fully accept the paradox of me as a human in the sense that I'm always going to morph between different things based on my age, my experience. like think So I will be liberal some things. I'll be conservative on some things. Why should I hold on to one label and then use that to define who I am? Like, why would I do that to myself? why would I limit myself to a label?
00:17:14
Dozie
But back to the thing is that it's back to what I was saying. Sorry, sorry about the rant. But is that I don't want them to give up the idea that when you see an older person, you greet the older person.
00:17:18
Find A Way Podcast
No.
00:17:25
Find A Way Podcast
Yeah.
00:17:27
Dozie
Because it's not just a function. I think i think people rail on about respect, but I think it's actually more than respect. It's similar to the advice I tell immigrants. I say one of the best best things you can do for yourself is when you see someone say hi.
00:17:43
Find A Way Podcast
Yes.
00:17:44
Dozie
Hi, how you doing? Some people don't respond to me.
00:17:47
Find A Way Podcast
That can open so many doors, right?
00:17:49
Dozie
Yeah. Some people don't respond and that's okay. Okay.
00:17:52
Find A Way Podcast
so Okay.
00:17:53
Dozie
And some people respond, yeah.
00:17:53
Find A Way Podcast
You're doing your part.
00:17:55
Dozie
Some people respond, like, oh, how's it going? I'm like, your life will be much, much better as an immigrant if you can just do that. Like, every single time you go out to someone, just say, how you doing? With a smile on your face, like a real smile.
00:18:07
Find A Way Podcast
And I even dare to say, um it's not just as an immigrant, as a human being,
Storytelling for Integration
00:18:11
Find A Way Podcast
right?
00:18:11
Dozie
As a human being, actually, yes.
00:18:12
Find A Way Podcast
Right?
00:18:12
Dozie
Oh, yeah. Yeah.
00:18:13
Find A Way Podcast
but
00:18:13
Dozie
Oh, yeah.
00:18:14
Find A Way Podcast
It's just being human and connecting, right?
00:18:17
Dozie
Yeah.
00:18:17
Find A Way Podcast
It's powerful.
00:18:17
Dozie
Exactly. yeah
00:18:19
Find A Way Podcast
And i completely agree with you. Thank you for putting that out.
00:18:21
Dozie
Yeah, so I don't want the kids to give up i don't want them to give up that. I don't want them to lose the idea that you just respect the older people around you. Greet them. like Greet them. Ask them how you're doing.
00:18:32
Dozie
The world opens up to you in a very interesting way when you do that because then you're much more open.
00:18:32
Find A Way Podcast
Yeah.
00:18:36
Find A Way Podcast
For sure. For sure.
00:18:38
Dozie
Because it's like you just walk past people and then you wonder why the world were lonely.
00:18:44
Find A Way Podcast
Yeah, I agree, Dozie. um One of the things I talk a lot about when I'm talking about smart goods or anything related to, you know, integrating newcomers and immigrants is the power of storytelling.
00:18:58
Find A Way Podcast
One thing I'm super curious is that you're a CansLion certified storyteller. How do you and your personal perspective think that storytelling can help ah newcomers and immigrants integrate, connect, or even influence culture in their new societies?
00:19:15
Dozie
hmm you know i was was looking i was looking for something i had this note i kept somewhere because i want to read it to you let me look for it because am obsessed with stories because part of why part of why i do the newcomers is sorry what i mean you want something kid um part of why I do the newcomers is that people say, do you want to do news or do you want to do stories?
00:19:39
Find A Way Podcast
Thank you.
00:19:46
Dozie
And I'm like, no, I want to do stories. There are lot of people doing the news, but I want to do stories because the human mind is tuned to detect patterns. Like the human mind is a pattern matching thing.
00:20:03
Dozie
And every single time someone tells you a story about their experience, your brain has this ability to take that story and match it to the stories you have. Now, this is a weakness and a strength.
00:20:15
Dozie
But your brain keeps doing that and it matches it. And then you you won you don't forget those lessons because what your brain literally did was you took the story and matched it to a previous experience or to a previous story you have. or you built like Because you you know they say the brain has this thing where it's it's two models. It's prediction, it's a modeling. It has a prediction model up, which is where that's how he's making decisions. And he has a sensing model, which is basically taking all data it's getting from the world and it's saying, oh, how does this match with my models?
00:20:50
Dozie
Stories allow you do that much, much easier. If I say to you, if I say to you, these are 10 ways to settle into Canada, right? do this, this, this, this.
00:21:03
Dozie
Like, that's a list.
00:21:05
Dozie
You're not going to remember that. fewies We're not air, we're not cloud. We don't remember a list that well.
00:21:13
Find A Way Podcast
For sure.
00:21:15
Dozie
You know, but if I told you a story about how I settled it into Canada with all the bad and the good, you would remember that.
00:21:27
Find A Way Podcast
you would
00:21:28
Dozie
And then when people say, okay, how many stories can you tell? i say as many as possible. say, do you know why? Because there's some stories that just won't resonate with you.
00:21:42
Dozie
And your brain has the ability to know. like Think about yourself when you've been in conversation and someone is saying something. And sometimes you just check out. You just check out because instantly what your brain has done, it has calculated the story.
00:21:55
Dozie
It has matched with the models it knows. And and this again, it's good or bad because we should be able to know when that is happening and somehow say, ok okay, let me just listen and see whether it's something learn here. But your brain does that. It's like, this is a story and goes like, nah.
00:22:08
Dozie
And you check out of that conversation in a way till you hear something that picture, you're like, oh, what did they say? Sorry, what was that? And your brain is doing that like over and over again, you know? And so the question really is, there's some stories you hear and you're like, God, this story just fits my conversation because I've experienced that. There's some stories you hear and you'll be like, nah that's not me.
00:22:35
Dozie
And so for me, storytelling is everything. Like it's, it should be how we tell things. Like that's just the way to go.
00:22:43
Find A Way Podcast
And it's even the way, at least myself, looking back in school, I remember that every time that I was able to, like when we talk about history or even geography, when I told myself or created a story into a content, it's so much easier to assimilate, right?
00:22:53
Dozie
Yeah.
00:23:00
Find A Way Podcast
So, and it's a way that people can absorb that content and...
00:23:00
Dozie
Yeah.
00:23:06
Find A Way Podcast
really sink it in in some easier than just facts out there and statistics and numbers so if you relate to the stories um uh i completely agree thank you for giving us your uh inputs on that
00:23:07
Dozie
Yeah.
Vision for The Newcomers Platform
00:23:22
Find A Way Podcast
Well, the other thing that I'm very curious to um to know is like looking ahead, ah when do you think, when you think about the future of the newcomers and the impact that you still, that you have done and you continue to hope it continues to contribute, um what is what is down the line for you?
00:23:32
Dozie
Yeah.
00:23:41
Find A Way Podcast
What is, how do you see the newcomers going in the future, maybe five-year plan? What do you see as you guys achieving with this?
00:23:47
Dozie
I used
00:23:54
Dozie
to say I wanted to be like the New York Times of immigration. um Nowadays, I wonder whether want to be the Atlantic.
00:24:01
Find A Way Podcast
I love that.
00:24:02
Dozie
Yeah, I want to be the New York Times of immigration. But nowadays, maybe I want to be the Atlantic in a way. Because New York Times is mostly a news site. And I'm not exactly a news site. The Atlantic is more like it explores topics.
00:24:15
Dozie
You know, so it It takes a news topic and explores that topic and just essays and stuff. And there's a ton of things. and there's probably some news in there. But in the end, it's exploring that topic in a way. And so I think... Nowadays, I say I want to be the Atlantic of immigration. and That's what I think five years down the line. But I think the biggest thing I really hope I can do in the next five years, what next five years, is that... Maybe 10 years, maybe much longer.
00:24:41
Dozie
Because I think who what does it mean to be an immigrant is a really big conversation. But I think the other one I'm hoping is that I absolutely hate the fact that politicians are able to control the immigrant narrative. narrative I would love to counter that.
00:24:57
Find A Way Podcast
That's powerful, Dozi.
00:24:58
Dozie
would love to counter that narrative. I absolutely hate the fact that... Because just look at Canada right now. I do think that there's a ton of things wrong the immigration process.
00:25:10
Dozie
but I also think that a ton of bad actors who have taken advantage of that and said things that they shouldn't say.
00:25:11
Find A Way Podcast
you know
00:25:15
Find A Way Podcast
So many, so many. I agree.
00:25:18
Dozie
You know, and so it just feels like we've lost nuance in the conversation. There's just immigrant good, immigrant bad.
00:25:26
Dozie
And so I really would love to be able to control, like maybe not just me, But i would love that this immigrant media that helps countries take take that narrative and control it.
00:25:39
Dozie
And when politician says, like, no, that's wrong. There are 10 different... Don't just... Don't take the a a messy, complex, chaotic situation as immigration and put it into soundbites for Twitter and social.
00:25:54
Dozie
Like, I'm sorry, I'm getting very passionate about that topic. like Because anytime I listen to them, I go like... come on you know what you're doing because you know when you say this they're afraid so i'm saying they're going to pick up on it and we'll go all on and talk and talk and so yeah i really love trying stop that like so when like sorry i'm i'm sorry with all you i think you don't know what you're saying or you're lying or you're just you're into pictures like you're literally just playing a very interesting game because you want to you want to talk to your bees
00:26:11
Find A Way Podcast
Yeah.
00:26:18
Find A Way Podcast
Yeah.
00:26:25
Find A Way Podcast
yeah And they're putting in the buckets again, right? When you said in the beginning and they, they end up putting everybody the bucket and not.
00:26:30
Dozie
Yeah, exactly. It's just a bucket thing. Yeah, it's bucket thing.
00:26:32
Find A Way Podcast
Yeah.
00:26:33
Dozie
Like, it's...
00:26:34
Find A Way Podcast
Yeah.
00:26:34
Dozie
You can talk about the bad part of the immigration process, but we can also do that with much respect.
00:26:39
Dozie
We can do that with some more empathy. We can say, okay, this was wrong. How do we make it better?
00:26:45
Find A Way Podcast
Yeah.
00:26:46
Dozie
We don't have to always pick people against each other because that's what we do every single time. For example, the last two years, felt like we an open mic session. Oh, this, that, that. I'm just like, oh, gosh, what is going on with these folks?
00:26:57
Find A Way Podcast
Yeah. And I, agree, Dozie. I think it should be treated with so much more, ah dignity and respect because I think only people that go through a journey like this, they are
Incorporating Refugee Stories
00:27:08
Dozie
Yeah.
00:27:08
Find A Way Podcast
able to measure and, and, and understand everything that it entails of resilience, of, um, positive thinking of attitude of, you know, desire.
00:27:14
Dozie
Yeah.
00:27:22
Find A Way Podcast
And it's so much more than that. So I, I completely agree with you.
00:27:25
Dozie
Yeah.
00:27:27
Find A Way Podcast
um
00:27:27
Dozie
so yeah, that's that's five years. I'd love to kind of start making a dent with that, like just kind of making that kind of dent.
00:27:34
Find A Way Podcast
Well, you know you got your cheerleaders next to you So we're here. right here
00:27:40
Dozie
Thank you. really appreciate that, honestly. Yeah.
00:27:43
Find A Way Podcast
One of the things that we we do on the podcast, Ozzy, is always ask the previous guest to leave a question. And I think it's really, ah it felt really good, the question that was left for you based on this previous question that you just had on where you want to ah where you want to go.
00:27:58
Dozie
yeah
00:28:00
Find A Way Podcast
ah The question left for you was, whose voice or experience is missing from your business today? And how do you make sure and how you make sure they belong for tomorrow?
00:28:11
Find A Way Podcast
That's a powerful one.
00:28:13
Dozie
Yeah, I think the biggest voice missing from mine is refugees.
00:28:19
Find A Way Podcast
refugees.
00:28:20
Dozie
Yeah, I think about that a lot. And I've tried to get a couple on the podcast, but hasn't worked. I just, I need to do better. um
00:28:27
Find A Way Podcast
Okay.
00:28:29
Dozie
I need to better with that. and i mean, i'm I'm a big fan of the work Fatima Al-Hosseini of Impact Foundation does. Like, I love that lady so much, honestly. Gosh, I love her so much. She's amazing.
00:28:41
Dozie
And, I mean, we've talked a lot. um I'm trying to do stuff with Devon C. Probably one of the biggest people I should explore. there are a couple in Calgary. should probably start from home. Sorry, I'm just thinking and talking. But...
00:28:54
Dozie
Yeah, the refugees are like my... The people I think about, like every time I'm like, I don't cover these people enough.
00:29:01
Find A Way Podcast
Okay.
00:29:02
Dozie
Yeah, I don't cover them enough. Like, I and don't cover them enough. Because I feel like...
00:29:08
Dozie
Like...
Empathy and Shared Humanity
00:29:10
Dozie
And it feels like they're always the first one to kind of get hit when people are looking to blame for stuff and all that.
00:29:16
Dozie
So, but yeah...
00:29:17
Find A Way Podcast
it If you could choose a superpower, Dozie, what would that be?
00:29:21
Dozie
can i Can I answer two questions?
00:29:25
Find A Way Podcast
Yes, please.
00:29:26
Dozie
Can answer with two, rather with two answers? I think the... and if If I was just a superpower, the first superpower I'd probably love to have, but I think that it doesn't really go in tune with the world, is I would love to be... to be immortal.
00:29:45
Dozie
And I'll tell God to give me 100 years... Because then I would literally, whenever I see a leader who's not exactly doing this thing, I'll literally go and tell him, you have two years to fix If you don't fix up, I'll send you back to your creator to go meet your God and talk to him.
00:30:02
Dozie
because then you can't kill me. And so I'm just going to anything want to to you. But I guess that's not, that is not, that is too ruthless. and to But that's so that's how I feel sometimes, honestly, about when I see bad leaders. Because I think that bad leaders define the world in ways that are way, way more than they want to accept.
00:30:17
Dozie
But I think the other thing, if i was to have a superpower, I think it would be...
00:30:21
Dozie
is utopian, but I think it will be finding ways to connect, for us to kind of understand that we're not so different.
00:30:30
Find A Way Podcast
No.
00:30:32
Dozie
We're not so different. Like, we're not so different.
00:30:36
Find A Way Podcast
No, i agree.
00:30:39
Dozie
We're not so, like, and it's to find a way to help people see that.
00:30:43
Find A Way Podcast
Okay.
00:30:43
Dozie
You know, i i sometimes I think about the Sandman. I seem to think about his powers. you know There's this episode in Sandman where there's all this um all these killers that come there all in having a conference. And then he comes, at the end of when he's done with all he's doing there,
00:31:02
Dozie
He tells them that I'm going to put you because he can go into your dream. I'm going to put the, I think, i forget how he put it, but I think it's all the the horrors that you've inflicted on other people. I'm going to put that in your dream so you can experience what those people experience. Then, you know, all these folks stumble out. Some of them kill themselves in their car and all that. So it's almost like have that Sandman kind of power.
00:31:26
Dozie
just kind of put in people's heads that we're not exactly we're not like just cultural nuances and just stuff and all that we're not so different
00:31:38
Find A Way Podcast
Would you say we need a little bit more empathy in the world?
00:31:42
Dozie
i honestly don't even know i've come to believe that human beings we struggle with empathy it's if it's like i feel like we we say it a lot but empathy is actually a very hard thing to have
00:31:46
Find A Way Podcast
It is.
00:31:53
Dozie
Human beings appreciate fear and uncertainty more than empathy. That's the sad truth about our species. We forget pretty fast. And so, which is why i'm like, is it possible to just kind of put it somewhere in your brain so you see it?
00:32:09
Dozie
So it's not, it's almost like a chip in your head, like your dream, like you dream about it all night.
00:32:12
Find A Way Podcast
Yeah.
00:32:14
Dozie
And you can understand that the person out there is not very different from you. You're probably different colors, different heights, different...
00:32:18
Find A Way Podcast
yeah
00:32:22
Dozie
You know, like someone said to me one time that if you move, you went to every country in the world, you would see one, someone that looks like you a bit, if you're not careful, you see someone that behaves like you, that you all share the same things. Like if they put two of you together, be like, that's your brother sister or cousin or whatever. But that person, that's a, and I know because I've traveled around a bit, I know places I've been like, you remind me of someone from here.
00:32:52
Dozie
And the person is like, what? I'm like, yeah, like I'm just, I'm looking at you and I'm like, you look like a friend of mine that I know.
00:33:00
Dozie
you know, so that, honestly, that, I think that will be the,
00:33:05
Find A Way Podcast
Yeah.
00:33:06
Dozie
because um again, it feels a bit utopian, but maybe it's utopian because, maybe it feels utopian because all we know is just the world we live in right now, which is one of where,
00:33:18
Dozie
we're always trying to fight about who's who's superior. It feels like we're stuck with that.
00:33:24
Find A Way Podcast
Maybe this utopian vibes is what we need more in the world now, I guess, right? To hang on.
00:33:29
Dozie
Yeah, like I think so.
00:33:30
Find A Way Podcast
And I agree.
00:33:31
Dozie
I think so.
00:33:33
Find A Way Podcast
if um If you could have a dinner with any person, alive or dead, dozy, who would that be?
Inspiration from Jane Goodall
00:33:40
Find A Way Podcast
Any person. It can be a family member, a celebrity, anybody, alive or dead.
00:33:45
Find A Way Podcast
who Who would that be?
00:33:46
Dozie
I was dead.
00:33:48
Dozie
Who are the folks that I think about a lot?
00:33:51
Dozie
I'd love to have dinner with
00:33:54
Dozie
this lady that just passed.
00:33:57
Dozie
I think Marianne Goodall. She was zoologist or something.
00:34:04
Dozie
Yeah, because...
00:34:06
Dozie
i'm not I'm not a vegetarian and I'm not one of those people who believes that. There are people say, oh, we should only eat plants. I don't believe that. But I do think that it takes a special empathy for you to love animals. And it's not just dogs and cats. I tell people that dogs and cats are the easiest things to love.
00:34:28
Dozie
we people don't like to hear that but i'm like do you we love dogs and cats because they worship us to some extent cats not that much but dogs yes we love dogs a lot because dogs worship us dogs are like children that don't fight back that's what dogs are dogs are kids that don't fight back so it's probably unpopular people who hate me for that but that's just so that so dogs when when i see people a lot i think dogs remind us that we love like in in somewhere inside of us all of us we're really actually meant to get a lot of people
00:34:39
Find A Way Podcast
True.
00:34:42
Find A Way Podcast
search
00:34:55
Dozie
Because the dogs are the closest thing to what that filial love that you get from children comes. But the only difference is that with children, at some point, they grew up it's like, mommy, no, sorry, I don't agree with you.
00:35:06
Dozie
Dogs never really do that. Never really do that. You're always in control of the conversation with the dog, more often than not. But I think it takes a lot more to extend that same love to animals, to protecting them, to save, like, to doing, and I would love just to ask her,
00:35:24
Dozie
how did you do it for that long?
00:35:27
Find A Way Podcast
Wow.
00:35:28
Dozie
just how Just tell me, how did you do, how did you keep that going for that long?
00:35:34
Find A Way Podcast
This is powerful, Dozie. I'm going to now I'm actually curious to read more about her. So thank you.
00:35:40
Dozie
Yeah, she was ah she was a very interesting lady.
00:35:41
Find A Way Podcast
and
00:35:41
Dozie
Like, how did you do it for that long? How did you, how did you dedicate your life to just being for the animals? Her full name is Goodall.
00:35:50
Find A Way Podcast
No, this is perfect.
00:35:54
Find A Way Podcast
And if you could summarize in a sentence, oh,
00:35:56
Dozie
Jane Goodall, yeah. Jane, yeah, that's name. Jane Goodall. She passed. She passed just, she passed October 1, actually, yeah? She just passed.
00:36:05
Find A Way Podcast
ah wow. Okay.
00:36:06
Dozie
Yeah.
00:36:07
Find A Way Podcast
Big loss then. Big loss for the world.
00:36:08
Dozie
Yeah. Oh, I think, I think she's a huge loss here to human beings, yeah.
00:36:09
Find A Way Podcast
Okay. um If you could summarize in a sentence, what is success to Dozie?
Defining Success and Community
00:36:21
Dozie
Happy family. Loving kids. You know, living in this living within five minutes from my friends, that's really success to me.
00:36:30
Find A Way Podcast
That's amazing. Thank you for sharing.
00:36:32
Dozie
Yeah. I'm not too big on money. I mean, won't make money because that money allows you to propagate your ideas into the world. So I want to make money. So let's not get that. i that make Anyway, i go i want I want to be wealthy so I can propagate ideas into the world. But...
00:36:47
Dozie
i guess there's a cost and so probably i'm not willing to go past the point where all these things i'm talking about i don't i lose them so happy marriage my kids i'm close to my kids and they know that i love them and i'm just being able to live close to my friends i always make this joke with my friends and family that if i made a lot of money today what i'll do is i'll buy houses around myself and then i'll call them be like hey
00:37:11
Find A Way Podcast
So you had them close.
00:37:13
Dozie
i but i build a I'll build a commune.
00:37:13
Find A Way Podcast
That's a really good strategy.
00:37:15
Dozie
I'll build a commune.
00:37:15
Find A Way Podcast
Yeah.
00:37:16
Dozie
We don't have to live on the same street, but like I just say, hey, I have this house. I bought it for $700,000, but you know what? Just give me $1,000 a year for the rest of your life and you can take it. to one You can go live there. I'll sign it about you.
00:37:29
Find A Way Podcast
I love that. Yeah.
00:37:29
Dozie
Yeah, because I think that one one of the theme one of the things that we've lost in the world and you kind of started with the West and then you moved to the rest of the world is we lost the idea of the community.
00:37:42
Find A Way Podcast
I agree.
00:37:43
Dozie
And so we've become very individualistic and selfish. And which is why I always say that we have the poorest of billionaires right now. And it's probably not their fault. It's just how the world has been.
00:37:54
Dozie
the world the world we see today raised them. So all they think about is themselves. Most of them.
00:38:00
Find A Way Podcast
Yeah.
00:38:01
Dozie
you know So...
00:38:03
Find A Way Podcast
I agree. we There's a lot of work for us to do and for everyone, right? So there's a lot of work.
00:38:08
Dozie
Yeah. Yeah.
00:38:09
Find A Way Podcast
And community building is something I'm personally very passionate about, just you know integrating people and connecting. And I always feel so blessed when I'm able to meet another human being because it's a whole other
00:38:16
Dozie
yeah
00:38:23
Find A Way Podcast
story it's a whole other book of learnings that you can you know just deep dive and it's so magical for me um so people are are my thing for sure and if they're your thing too dozi i know everyone they're your thing too
00:38:25
Dozie
yep yeah people are beautiful yeah humans are beautiful creatures honestly i think we are we just um
00:38:40
Find A Way Podcast
they are yeah yes i agree
00:38:43
Dozie
We are really beautiful people. Once we all allow ourselves be.
00:38:50
Find A Way Podcast
I'm going to move into some rapid fire questions. so I'm going to give you two options and you pick whatever resonates more with you.
00:38:53
Dozie
Sure.
00:38:57
Dozie
Sure.
00:38:57
Find A Way Podcast
Okay.
00:38:58
Dozie
Sure. Cool.
00:38:59
Find A Way Podcast
Mountains or beach?
00:39:01
Dozie
The beach. i'm ah I'm a tropical kid.
00:39:04
Find A Way Podcast
women
00:39:06
Dozie
I'm not going on any hiking. Nah, nah, no, not doing that.
00:39:08
Find A Way Podcast
for you no
00:39:09
Dozie
Nah. and I'm a tropical kid. The beach. Always. Always.
00:39:14
Find A Way Podcast
um Wine or cocktails?
00:39:18
Dozie
why
00:39:19
Find A Way Podcast
Okay, ice cream cone or cake slice?
00:39:26
Dozie
if you if it's the If it's red velvet, I'll take the cake slice.
00:39:30
Find A Way Podcast
My daughter, it's her favorite.
00:39:33
Dozie
I'm obsessed with red velvet cakes.
00:39:36
Find A Way Podcast
And one thing I'm actually curious that this rapid fire, public speaking or one-on-one chat?
00:39:42
Dozie
One-on-one.
00:39:44
Find A Way Podcast
I figured that would be.
00:39:46
Dozie
Yeah, one-on-one.
00:39:48
Find A Way Podcast
um If you could, we always ask for our listeners, we always ask ah book recommendations.
Recommended Reading: 'Maximum Canada'
00:39:54
Find A Way Podcast
Are there any one or two books that have changed your impact in your journey that you would like to share with the group?
00:40:00
Dozie
I think one is Doug Sanders' book, Maximum Canada.
00:40:04
Find A Way Podcast
Okay.
00:40:05
Dozie
Yeah, it's a really depressing, intense, amazing, all-emotions kind of read. but what I like about it is that for an immigrant, i think you should read it because then you understand the country much better. You understand where you are coming from. understand some of the things you are struggling with and some of the things that are still disturbing us still today. It's a really good book.
00:40:28
Dozie
It's called Maximum Canada.
00:40:28
Find A Way Podcast
Okay.
00:40:30
Dozie
Canada's Road to 100 Million or something. like That's the subtitle.
00:40:33
Find A Way Podcast
Okay.
00:40:33
Dozie
It was Dog Sounders, I believe. He's a global male reporter. He also wrote Arrival City, I believe. but But yeah, it's really good book.
00:40:45
Dozie
Really, really good book.
00:40:47
Find A Way Podcast
Well, thank you. i This is noted. um And what question would you like to leave to the next guest we have on the episode?
00:40:56
Dozie
I think the question is everyone, people will say immigrants make great entrepreneurs. Does the person feel that way?
00:41:03
Find A Way Podcast
Okay.
00:41:04
Dozie
know, do you feel that
00:41:04
Find A Way Podcast
That's powerful one.
00:41:06
Dozie
if you feel that way?
00:41:06
Find A Way Podcast
I love that.
00:41:11
Dozie
you feel that way?
00:41:11
Find A Way Podcast
Amazing. Dozie, as much as I would love to continue this for hours and hours to go, but we do, I know I have to be respectful of your time, but we can do multiple episodes after because know you and I can unpack so much more in this.
Conclusion and Gratitude
00:41:29
Dozie
yeah yeah yeah thank you thank
00:41:31
Find A Way Podcast
And we will continue for sure. I'm sure we'll have other opportunities. But I wanted just to say a huge thank you for being here with us today. um I'm a big fan of your work. You know that I'm a big fan of you as an individual.
00:41:45
Find A Way Podcast
Keep doing what you're doing.
00:41:45
Dozie
you so much
00:41:47
Find A Way Podcast
You have cheerleaders here um and also very much aligned with your purpose too.
00:41:52
Dozie
yeah thank you
00:41:53
Find A Way Podcast
So is there anything you'd like to add to the group before we close the episode?
00:41:58
Dozie
nothing else it's just people listen to bian ingrid this podcast is great and it was lovely talking to you honestly it was really lovely thank you so much um i'm usually the one on the other side of the conversation so it's always interesting to be the one answering the questions like oh i have to think
00:42:10
Find A Way Podcast
yeah
00:42:17
Find A Way Podcast
Now you're one answering.
00:42:18
Dozie
yeah have to think about the answers normally i'm like i'm like oh they're talking i'm like
00:42:24
Dozie
I disagree with that, but let me disagree nicely. Okay, if that happened, like, what of this? So then I'm like, okay, I'm the one on this end, of the on ah the other end of it, so I have to think about my answers.
00:42:34
Dozie
But yeah, thank you so much.
00:42:37
Find A Way Podcast
No, thank you, Dozie. Thank you. It's a pleasure with being here with you today. And this was our episode 109, New Roots with Dozie Anie Bunyan. Hi, let me say that again.
00:42:46
Dozie
i
00:42:51
Find A Way Podcast
Dozie Anie Bunyan. Is that correct?
00:42:53
Dozie
Yes. Yeah.
00:42:54
Find A Way Podcast
Oh, much better.
00:42:57
Find A Way Podcast
We'd like to thank all of our listeners and would like to remind you that we will be posting one episode bi-weekly, always with a different guest. So make sure to subscribe on your favorite streaming platform.