Mastering Finland
Episodes
#98 Escape Velocity w/ Joppe Quaedvlieg
21 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we welcome back our friend Joppe Quaedvlieg. Joppe just released a book, *Reaching Escape Velocity: A Proposal for an Alternative Way...
#97 Mastering Flowers with Kati Mayfield
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
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....
#96 Mental Health without Borders with Kami Fodor
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kami Fodor, a representative of Mieli Without Borders, discusses her journey and the organisation's mission to make mental health support accessib...
#95 Mental Health in Finland for Foreigners
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Discover the stories of Annabel & Hatty from Compass Psychology on the Mastering Finland Podcast! Learn how love brought them to Finland, their in...
#94 The Worlds Most Difficult Language with Sanni Törmänen
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sanni Törmänen spills the secrets to mastering Finnish language. From teaching abroad to adapting to online learning, Sanni's journey is as dyna...
#93 Bemästra Finland på Svenska - Mastering Finland in Swedish
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 93 of "Bemästra Finland på svenska," Veronica Hetrzberg, a Swedish-speaking Finn, shares her journey of growing up in Finland, ...
#92 Fate Favours the Fast with Oki Tåg
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 92 of the Mastering Finland Podcast, Finnish entrepreneur Oki Tåg discusses the importance of networking for internationals seeking jobs i...
#91 New Finnish Government Immigration Proposal: Special Episode
28 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Join Matt for a special episode discussing the new government immigration proposal of 2023 with: Shreyas Ramachandran Srinivasan (originally from Indi...
#90 Finding a Job in Finland Through Descriptive Communication with Joppe Quaedvlieg
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Matt interviews Joppe Quaedvlieg, a job coach and community manager from Shortcut in Helsinki. Joppe shares insights on effective comm...
#89 From Sunlight to Empowerment with Carmen Lorenzana
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Discover the fascinating journey of Carmen Lorenzana, a Mexican expat who found herself captivated by Finland's charm. From her personal experienc...
#88 From Aupair to Influencer with JoshOfWestern
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 freel...
#87 A Pawfect Way to Mastering Finland
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The founders of ‘Pawfect Grooming’ business meet with our podcast host Eva to discuss their discovery of puppy power in Finland! The episode also ...
#86 Anyone Can Become Anything with Kalim Ul Masih
20 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Eva meets Kalim Ul Masih — a certified coach, humanitarian worker, and travel enthusiast who’ll open up his insider secrets to Mas...
#85 Follow your heart to Finland with Gemma Cros-Baden
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 h...
#84 Under the Christmas Tree with Mastering Finland Team
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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,...
#83 Frankly About Work-Life Balance, Burnout, and Self-Care with Petra, the Founder of Mastering Finland Podcast
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
#82 A way to Mastering Finland with Eva
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You haven’t heard her voice before, and yet she is essential to the Mastering Finland project. This episode sees the ‘Mastering Finland’ founder...
#81 "Freeskate" Movie with Roope Olenius & Veera W. Vilo
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Mastering Finland Podcast takes you to the movies for an exclusive interview with the director and screen writer behind the new film “Freeskate” w...
#80 Asking For and Giving Help is Easy with Karoliina Kauhanen
29 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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...
#79 Part 2: The Secret of Finnish Happiness with Bill Couch
18 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 e...
#78 From Teacher’s Desk to Foreign Service with William Couch
20 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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, Forei...
#77 Helping Others Integrate in Finland with Hasan Sohail
23 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Matt Bowen gets to meet Hasan Sohail, the man behind the travelwithasan YouTube channel. In his YouTube videos, Hasan shares his experiences of integr...
#76 Fascinated by Finland with Matty Davenport
25 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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’...
#75 Introducing Spouse Program by City of Helsinki
21 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 pa...
#74 Getting Settled in Finland with Rafaella Troupkou
28 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
#73 Dealing with Unfulfilled Expectations & Frustrations in Finland: Raysa França
14 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Petra meets Raysa, an old guest from episode 20. Raysa was invited back for another episode due to a LinkedIn post reflecting unfulfi...
#72 Playing Flute in a Finnish Orchestra: Lucia Hellerhoff
31 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Matt welcomes Lucia Hellerhoff, a German flautist living in Finland, Pori, and a member of the Pori Sinfonietta. Lucia has been...
#71 Sauna Culture with Joona Virtanen
17 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Whether you are planning to move to Finland or you already live in Finland, one way to achieve mastering life in it, in any case, is to experience the...
#70 Summary of 2021 by Jean & Petra
20 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When Jean & Petra meet again to summarise the 2021 and share some info about Finnish Christmas traditions. PS. Full of laughter as usually. Happy ...
#69 Independence Day with Soila Sariola
06 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
December 6th is a very important day in Finland and for Finnish people in general. On this day Finland’s Independence Day is celebrated, one of the ...
#68 Finnish Metal Music with Dafne Jalomo
22 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The new Mastering Finland Podcast episode is this time all about metal music in Finland and for this reason, the guest of this episode is Dafne Jalomo...
#67 Establishing Ethical Business in Finland with Pukhraj Ranjan
08 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week's episode introduces Pukhraj Ranjan, an educator and entrepreneur establishing a new ethical fashion brand Moi namaste - that is creating ec...
#66 Halloween in Finland with Bella de Graves
25 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week we wanted to join the Halloween madness and record a special spooky episode for you 🎃 This time, Matt talks to Bella de Graves, a Finnish...
#65 Cultural Identity & Community Building with Kamilla Sultanova
11 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we introduce Kamilla Sultanova, a Nordic and Uzbek citizen, speaker, entrepreneur, event host, mentor, and consultant in diversity inc...
#64 Guiding Internationals on Their Career Paths with Olivia Kumpula
27 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, Matt speaks with Olivia Kumpula, a Nigerian Youtuber, social media blogger, and entrepreneur who lives in Pori with her husb...
#63 Empowering Internationals & Communities with Ronny Eriksson
13 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Petra talks to Ronny Eriksson, a 25-year-old serial entrepreneur and storyteller based in Helsinki, co-founder of the "Norders", a cr...
#62 Reform Migri with Julia & Anuka
30 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Reform Migri petition’s goal is to improve Migri's system and service procedures, which has caused a lot of difficulties, stress, and pain. In this ...
#61 Kätälyst: Making Music in Finland as a Multinational Rock Band
09 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, Matt hosts Kätälyst, a multinational rock band based in Espoo. Each of the band’s five members came to Finland independe...
#60 Fathering in Finland with Early Artis
26 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode you will get to meet Early Artis, a teacher and a father living in Finland. He has been all over the world teaching and helping others...
#59 Autism in Finland: Folashade's Story
12 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Petra talks to Folashade, who shares the story of her family and her daughter with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in Finland. Folasha...
#58 Jean's Last Episode aka Goodbye Jean
28 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jean and Petra meet for the last time to talk about their mastering Finland journey. They reflect on their podcast, their personal li...
#57 Accessibility in Gaming & Living with a Disability in Finland with Felicia Prehn
21 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matt speaks with Licia Prehn, who works in the gaming industry, as a producer, voice actor, and writer in Finland. They are also a board member of We ...
#56 Parenting in Finland with Rabea
14 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Jean talks to Rabea about her Finnish journey including auparing, university tutoring, and exchange studies. They also talked about p...
#55 Swedish Community in Finland, PhD & Depression, and Municipal Elections with Arseniy
07 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Petra talks to Arseniy Lobanovskiy, who moved to Finland from Russia about 6 years ago. Arseniy talks about his learning of both Finn...
#54 From the UK to Finland: Jessica's Story
31 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jean chats with Jessica, who is originally from the UK. Jessica moved to Finland in 2016 to live with her Finnish partner. In this week’s episode, J...
#53 Municipal Elections with Sini Korpinen
24 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Petra is joined by Sini Korpinen. Sini is a political podcast host and a municipal election candidate. She visited for a chat about the sig...
#52 Multilingual and Multicultural MONIKU-service with Counsellor Alba
17 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Moniku began as a temporary project aimed at reducing inequality and usage of rehabilitation services among multicultural families. When the need for ...
#51 Brazilian Musician in Finland: Pedro's Story
10 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Pedro Bergamo is a singer/songwriter from Brazil who originally moved to Finland for love. In this episode, he shares his deep connection to music, hi...
#50 How to Land a Job in Finland with Carl Nykopp
03 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tune in for an informative chat with Carl, an executive consultant and headhunter in Finland. Carl decided to pursue a career in recruitment, a proces...
#49 From Finnish Vappu to Armenian Culture with Aino
26 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Aino talks about the Finnish tradition Vappu that is annualy celebrate on May 1st. She also shares many interesting experiences with A...
#48 How I Married My Finnish Penpal: Matt Bowen's Story
19 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Please join us in welcoming Matt, our new co-host at Mastering Finland! Matt moved to Finland for love in 2016. He packed up his life in Maryland, and...
#47 With ADHD in Finland: Roham's Story
12 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tune into a chat with Roham, originally from Iran, about his experience moving with his wife and daughter to Finland four months ago, in late 2020. T...
#46 Co-Writing and Self-Publishing a Book in Finland: Pamela & Eloisa
05 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is the first episode of the "International Authors in Finland" series, and in this episode, we welcome mother and daughter Pamela and Eloisa Spok...
#45 PhD in Finland & Connection between Finland and Japan
29 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Jean sat down to chat with Karina, a PhD student of Applied Linguistics at the University of Jyväskylä. Originally from Japan, Karina beg...
#44 Finding Work in Finland: Recruiters' Perspective
22 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we combined two interviews together to provide you an overall picture of recruitment in FInland enriched by many tips and suggestions ...
#43 Unlocking Your Potential with The Shortcut
15 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing our series on job-seeking in Finland, Petra chats with Stefan Cave. Originally from the UK, Stefan moved to Finland with his partner in 201...
#42 Talent Attraction & Retention with Iiris Ranta
08 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Iiris Ranta, who recently graduated from the University of Jyväskylä with a master’s degree in intercultural management. While completing her thes...
#41 Danielle: A Postpartum Doula aka Parents' Support & Community Provider
01 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we had Doula Danielle on to talk about her experience working as a post-partum doula in Helsinki. Through her personal practice, Mothers Tr...
#40 Making Sense of Finnish Language & Culture with Varpu (Her Finland)
22 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Meet Varpu, your “Finnish fairy godmother.” On her online platform Her Finland, you can find culture-based language courses that will help you mas...
#39 Learning Finnish, Job-Seeking, and Facing Racism: Esther's Story
15 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Join us for a chat about Esther's inspiring experience related to learning the Finnish language, working and raising children in Finland, and overcomi...
#38 Valentine's Day in Finland
08 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Valentine’s Day is happening soon and we thought we might share a bit about how do people usually celebrate such a day in Finland. In this episode,...
#37 Book Writing & Post-Army Life: Matthew's Story
01 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You may remember Matti, a Finnish-American from last week’s episode, and his tales of service in the Finnish Defense Forces. This week, we continue ...
#36 Matthew's Story & Military Service During the COVID-19 Pandemic
25 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Joining Petra in this episode is a Finnish-American named Matthew (or in Finnish Matti) who moved from New Jersey to Finland in 2019. Matti received F...
#35 Introducing Foreigners in Finland Magazine
18 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s short and sweet episode, Petra has a chat with Mehri, who is a contributing writer at Foreigners in Finland magazine. Founded by Mae ...
#34 Brexit and Its Impact on UK Citizens Residing in Finland
11 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to our first episode of the New Year 2021! 2020 brought many challenges and we are looking forward to a chance to turn things around in 2021. ...
#33 How to Stay Sane while Looking for a Job in Finland?
30 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Petra talks to Dani, who had been struggling with her mental health during a process of job-seeking in Finland. In Dani’s words: ’I am a recently ...
#32 Migration, Discrimination, and Mental Health Issues through Scientific Lens with researcher Shadia Rask (THL)
23 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we look through scientific lens on the impact of migration, and discrimination on mental health, and the representation of these topi...
#31 Davide's Story of Overcoming Anxiety and Loneliness
16 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we continue our mental health series with a foreigner’s perspective on mental health care in Finland. We reconnected with Davide fr...
#30 Occupational Mental Health Services in Finland with Mervi Lamminen
09 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
During these unusually stressful times, we could all use a little help improving our mental well-being. Whether you’re suffering from workplace over...
#29 Mental Health in Finland with Psychologist Sinnu
02 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Petra talks to an occupational health psychologist, Sinnu about mental health and the services available in Finland. Sinnu sheds light on the specific...
#28 Katerina's Wedding Woes & Finnish Bureaucracy
26 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Katerina talks about her wedding woes in Finland and the last minute obstacle which unfortunately forced her to cancel her wedding! Find out what docu...
#27 Dating in Finland
19 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Petra & Jean finally spill the beans on their dating experiences in Finland and using Tinder, as well as share anecdotes of their most memorable dates...
#26 Serving in the Finnish Military as a Finnish-Canadian: Dallin's Story
12 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dallin relocated to Finland specifically to serve in the Finnish military and afterwards stayed to study. He gives us an inside look at the Finnish mi...
#25 Finnish Social Culture - Is the Struggle Real?
05 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Petra and Jean react to Facebook posts of foreigners living in Finland, which leads to a discussion of the Finnish social culture and mentality and so...
#24 The Life of a Dutch-Finn in Papa New Guinea & Beyond: Eline's Story
28 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Eline is a Dutch-Finn who grew up in Papua New Guinea for the majority of her childhood. She talks about growing up as a *"Third Culture Kid" and how ...
#23 Pioneering International Adoption Services for Foreigners in Finland: Paola's Story
21 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Paola, originally from Italy, shares her family's remarkable journey of adopting internationally in Finland. She talks about her multicultural family,...
#22 Working at Nokia & Living Life to the Fullest in Finland: Lorena's Story
14 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jean chats with Lorena who relocated to Finland for her job at Nokia. Lorena gives an inside look at working in a Finnish company, the work culture, a...
#21: Journey to Inclusion & Diversity in Finland: Priyanka Banerjee
07 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Petra chats with diversity and inclusion public speaker/coach and CEO/co-founder of Businesswiz, Priyanka Banerjee. Priyanka's work helps Finnish comp...
#20 Diversity for Future: the Importance of Internationalisation in Finland
31 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Petra interviews Raysa and Katarina, students at the University of Tampere and creators of "Diversity for Future." Their mission is to address the top...
#19 All Things Finnish
24 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Petra and Jean talk about some of the most popular Finnish inventions and brands (you'll be surprised to see what's on the list!). Get to know a littl...
#18 An Honest Chat About University vs. Real Life in Finland: Raul's Story
17 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What better way to prepare for the new academic year than to speak to Raul- a former tutor, student and teacher (triple threat!) at the University of ...
#17 Erasmus in Jyväskylä, Finland: Alvaro's Story
10 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Alvaro looks back on the good times as an Erasmus exchange student (EU program) in Finland! He talks about his studies in Education, 'friendship famil...
#16 Building a Community
03 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Community is key to surviving and thriving! Petra and Jean share their experience of making friends and building a community as international students...
#15 Part 2: Travelling in Northern Finland & Neighboring Cities
27 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Petra and Jean continue to share their travel experiences in Finland. In this episode, they give an overview of: ✔️Lahti ✔️Oulu ✔️Kemi ✔...
#14 Part 1: Travelling from Southern to Central Finland
20 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Wondering how you can travel safely around Finland now? From popular tourist attractions to hidden gems, join Petra and Jean in this two-part series a...
#13 Inspirational Reflection of Life in Finland: Davide's Story
13 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Davide moved to Finland from Italy with the intention and mindset to settle long-term. He shares practical tips for writing effective job applications...
#12 From Student to Job-Seeker (EU/Non-EU Process)
06 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Petra and Jean share their experience of transitioning from student to job-seeker status, particularly in regards to: ➡️ new residence permit ➡️...
Q&A Session with International Student Ambassadors of Finland (timestamps in summary)
02 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A panel of international student ambassadors answer your questions regarding studies in Finland! This is packed with information and lots of great ...
#11 University Life in Finland
13 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Petra and Jean look back on their student years in Finland and chat about university life, education and culture and not to mention all the student pe...
#10 Chat with Henna Pursiainen - CEO of Dare to Learn
06 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Petra sits down with Henna Pursiainen - CEO of the initiative, "Dare To Learn." The initiative organizes an annual event, which attracts visitors from...
#9 COVID-19 in Finland
30 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Tune in to find out how some listeners are coping and how their daily lives have changed because of COVID-19 in Finland. We hope that through this epi...
#8 Moving for Love and Teaching Kindergarten in Finland
23 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Shanarah (Australia) and Maria (Philippines) moved to Finland for their significant others. We chat about how they obtained their residence permits, w...
#7 Settling into Finland: Furniture, Groceries and Other Necessities
16 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Turning a house into a home is a process but having to do it alone while in a foreign country can seem like a daunting task. Petra and Jean talk about...
#6 Culture, PhD, Racism & Dating: Saswati's Story
09 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Saswati came to Finland from India in 2017 to study Education in a Master's degree program. Coming from a country of 455 people per square km to Finla...
#5 Important Things To Do Upon Arrival to Finland
02 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Petra and Jean talk about what you should do once you arrive to Finland. Jean delves into the process of obtaining a personal identity code (henkilöt...
#4 Lifelong Learner and Full-time Mum: Kadiya’s Story
24 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Kadiya moved to Finland with her husband from Urumqi, China back in 2015. Since then she has experienced significant life moments, like getting her Ma...
#3 Things to Get Done Before Entering the Promised (Fin)Land
17 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Petra and Jean share all the nitty-gritty details of planning your move to Finland. Whether it’s applying for a Finnish residence permit or finding ...
#2 From Greece to Finland: Katerina's Story
10 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Katerina talks about her move from Greece to Finland with her Finnish-Greek fiance and recalls some hilarious and challenging moments that she faced i...
#1 First Impressions of Finland
03 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Petra and Jean share their first impressions of Finland. Is Finland everything the media makes it out to be...or more? Was it love at first sight? Fin...
Introducing Mastering Finland
01 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Meet your hosts! Petra is from the Czech Republic and Jean is from California and they met while studying in a Master’s degree program in Jyväskylä...