Alle Folgen

Week 5: From Public Policy to Impact Communication: Finding Purpose, Honesty, and Boundaries in Berlin

05.02.2026•30:24

In this episode of Plus Forty-Nine, we speaks with Yash Das Sharma, a marketing and business development professional originally from Kolkata, India, who has been living in Berlin for six years. Trained in political science, international relations, and public policy, Yash’s path into communication was anything but linear. The conversation explores how Berlin shaped his professional identity, the role of brutal honesty in German work culture, adapting to direct feedback, and the challenge of setting boundaries in environments that reward efficiency over people-pleasing. Yash also reflects on leadership, migrant work ethics, failure as a learning tool, and the question many internationals quietly ask: why punctuality matters so deeply in Germany. An honest, thoughtful episode about growth, resilience, and learning how to communicate impact without losing yourself along the way.

Week 4: God Has Done Well: Directness, Belonging, and Building a Life in Germany - Chiemela O.

30.01.2026•29:48

In this episode, we sit down with Chiemela, a product manager from Nigeria living in Berlin, whose name means “God has done well.” What starts as a conversation about moving to Germany for work quickly becomes a deeper reflection on language, cultural adjustment, community, and the quiet ways belonging is built over time. Chiemela shares what surprised him most about German directness, why adapting your communication style matters more than changing who you are, and how finding community through work, faith, and friendships makes life here feel grounded. We also talk about winter survival, vitamin D, Germany’s love of paperwork, and whether this country is really as automated as it thinks it is. The episode closes with a reflection on German honesty: where it comes from, why it’s not meant to be rude, and how learning to read it differently can make life here a little easier.

Week 3: Germany Didn’t Choose Me. It Happened to Me - Laura Soto

22.01.2026•33:51

Laura Soto never planned to stay in Germany. Like many internationals, she arrived through love, stayed through circumstance, and slowly built a life through resilience, curiosity, and openness to change. In this episode, Laura shares how Germany became home after heartbreak, bureaucracy, a second master’s degree, and an unexpected journey into entrepreneurship. As a Colombian founder working in Germany’s startup ecosystem, Laura reflects on cultural differences between Latin America and Germany, why migrants often thrive in innovation, and how learning not to “submit” to perfection became essential to her confidence. From navigating German structure and skepticism to embracing risk, failure, and difference, this conversation explores what it really means to belong without losing yourself. It’s an honest, warm, and practical reflection on building a life between cultures and learning to take the best from all of them.

Week 51: Failure, Freedom, and Founding in Germany with Munay Zamorano

17.12.2025•33:51

What happens when you build a business before you’re fully prepared for it and then have the courage to let it go? In this episode, Andrea speaks with Munay Zamorano, entrepreneur, mentor, and founder of the Female Founder Academy. Born in Germany to Chilean and US-American roots, Monaisa reflects on growing up between cultures, buying her first company at twenty-three, navigating German bureaucracy, and learning when growth becomes misalignment. They talk about business succession instead of the usual startup myth, the emotional reality of entrepreneurship, failure as a learning space rather than a flaw, and why migrants are often more willing to take entrepreneurial risks. Monaisa also shares how her multicultural background shapes her leadership style, why she never struggled with impostor syndrome, and what she sees every week working with founders across Germany. A grounded conversation about ambition without burnout, structure without rigidity, and why sometimes the most radical move is knowing when to sell, rest, and begin again. Perfect listening for anyone building something new in Germany or questioning whether the path they’re on still fits.

Week 50: Burnout, Big Moves and Listening to Your Gut – Simon de los Rios on Starting Over in Germany

10.12.2025•30:44

In this episode of PlusFortyNine, we talk to life and career coach Simon de los Rios about what really happens when you reinvent yourself far from home. Simon grew up in Colombia, spent almost two decades in Miami, studied in Europe and eventually chose Germany as the “hardest” next step: new language, coldest climate, barely any prior connection. Behind that decision were years of high-pressure leadership jobs, a pattern of burning out every five years and several long sabbaticals that ended in a silent retreat in Indonesia – and the realisation that something had to change. Together they talk about migration as a permanent transition, the pressure to just “take any job” to keep the visa, how to make space for intuition in the middle of bureaucratic chaos, and why he now makes decisions based on excitement rather than fear. Sigrid shares her own crash-landing from diplomat to suddenly visa-less in Berlin – and why she still chose to stay. This episode is a reminder that if you’ve managed to migrate, you’ve already done something incredibly hard. You’re allowed to be proud of that, even while you’re still figuring out what comes next.

Week 49: Understanding Pets in Germany with Tierheilpraktikerin Katja HerbstNeue Episode

03.12.2025•27:47

This week, we dive into something many newcomers think about sooner or later: getting a pet in Germany. And let’s be honest - nothing prepares you for how seriously Germans take dogs, cats, and every creature in between. We talk with Katja Herbst, a Tierheilpraktikerin - basically an animal health practitioner who works with dogs, cats, and horses using traditional Chinese veterinary medicine. She explains what you need to know before adopting a pet, how to choose the right breed for your life, why some “trendy dogs” struggle with health issues, and what makes German adoption centers so thorough. We also explore acupuncture for animals, what a first appointment looks like, and why even the most energetic dogs suddenly melt into deep relaxation when the needles go in. Katja shares her approach, what she looks for in an animal’s environment, and why prevention matters as much as treatment. If you're thinking about bringing a furry friend into your life or you already have one and want to understand Germany’s approach to pet care this episode is for you.