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This week on Lucky to Be Here
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In today’s Lucky to Be Here, we are traveling across regions (and career pivots!) with Carmen Fleitas, going from Paraguay to Thailand with stops in Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
Carmen Fleitas is an Advocacy and Communications Expert working at the United Nations, with over eight years of international experience spanning Latin America and Asia. She has worked in international organizations and non-profits, focusing on sustainable development.
In this episode of 'Lucky to Be Here', Carmen shares her journey of navigating career transitions across countries, starting in Paraguay where she was born and raised, and moving through Taiwan, Panama, United Kingdom, and now in Thailand. From her initial aspirations of becoming a diplomat to her eventual shift towards human rights and communications, Carmen discusses the importance of trusting oneself, continuous learning, and building a supportive network to navigate pivots within pivots. She reflects on her experiences living in different cultures, the challenges of reverse culture shock, and the significance of community in overcoming obstacles. Carmen also provides valuable insights for those aspiring to work in international development, particularly within the UN system, emphasizing the need for language skills and grassroots experience.
Throughout our conversation, Carmen’s determination and willingness to step into the unknown and thrive at each step shone through. We talked about that fine line between self-trust to dare and open-mindedness to accept and embrace the challenges of each city, job, and stage in her life. During our conversation, she also shared how important it has been for her to feel supported by her community, and how that is ultimately what determines her sense of home. Something she shares about her career pivots from international relations and human rights to communications in the United Nations system resonates for career and life changes alike: “Don’t underestimate yourself.”
Did this episode resonate with you? Please reply back and let us know! Do not forget to rate and review our podcast wherever you listen to help us grow our community.
We are getting ready for the holidays break, so we will take a short break from our usual episodes. Keep an eye out for our short end-of-year mini episodes through the rest of this month. I’ll be sharing with you more about what I call “the anatomy of a bold move” and some strategies to implement and prepare for your next bold move in 2026.
In the meantime, I look forward to hearing from you!
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Upcoming events
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This is the second iteration of our collaboration with Rakhel Milstein, founder of Milstein Law Group, focused on providing career coaching advice and education on immigration based on participants questions. In our first session, we covered essential distinctions between H-1B and O1 visas, regulations about J-1 and F-1 visas, and questions regarding parameters for EB1 and EB2 NIW filings.
Register for this special edition of our Office Hours here. Know anyone who can benefit from attending? Please share it with them!
Cannot make it? Register anyway and send your questions. We will record our session to share with Lab members and registered participants only.
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Our original session was postponed, so you still have time to join us!
During this special edition of Office Hours (open to Lab Members and friends, and that includes you!), Shayne and I will answer your career questions. While I focus on strategy and plans, Shayne helps you untangle the invisible threads of executive function—planning, prioritizing, task initiation, time management, and follow-through.
Whether you’re juggling work deadlines, creative projects, or everyday life tasks, she offers practical tools and compassionate strategies to help you move from overwhelm to organized action. Through this discussion, we seek to support you in identifying what works best for you to tackle your next career move.
Register for this special edition of our Office Hours here.
Cannot make it? Register anyway and send your questions. We will record our session to share with Lab members and registered participants only.
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A Sip of Joy
You hear me a lot referring to joy and the need to connect with ourselves as part of any career development process. So this is my sip of joy, where I am sharing what I am reading, watching, doing these days. I hope this sparks an idea or two of your own!
Today, I share a song (and an artist).
Song: Vaitimbora (Mariana Froes & Trinix). This song is both great for getting you dancing while also slowing down. I definitely recommend this one, but also take a look at Mariana Froes' work more broadly, with a similar vibe (and also great way of practicing Portuguese!).
Want to listen to our music recommendations so far? Check out our Sips of Joy playlist.
Have any recommendations to add? Send them our way!
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Before You Go...
How You Can Support My Work:
- Share this newsletter with someone who can benefit from it.
- Subscribe to this newsletter, Lucky to Be Here: From Within here.
- Listen, rate and review our podcast, Lucky to Be Here wherever you listen (find it on your preferred audio platform here or on YouTube here).
How I Can Support You:
- Join AGV Lab for Career Explorers, our career development membership to identify, design, and implement your next career move through coaching and community. Currently at $99/quarter. Reply back to this email to schedule your call to join.
- Enroll in our seasonal program, From Here to Clear for Winter 2026. Throughout eight weeks starting early January 2026, we will meet weekly and work through a series of self-paced workbooks to dive deeper into who you are, what you want and need, and walk away with a clear strategy for your next career move. Enrollment: $497 (AGV Lab Members receive a $200 discount).
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Remember: this post is for informational purposes only and may not be the best fit for you and your personal situation. It shall not be construed as legal, financial, or medical advice. The information and education provided here is not intended or implied to supplement or replace professional advice of your own attorney, accountant, physician, or financial advisor. Always check with your own physician, attorney, financial advisor, accountant, or other business or medical professional before trying or implementing any information read here. |
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