PlusFortyNine Podcast

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

How Yash Das Sharma navigated German directness, leadership, and belonging as an international professional in Germany In this episode of Plus Forty-Nine, we speaks with Yash Das Sharma, a marketing and business developm

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

What winter, bureaucracy, and community teach you over time 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

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

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

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

Munay Zamorano on entrepreneurship, migration, and why letting things fall apart can be the smartest move What happens when you build a business before you’re fully prepared for it and then have the courage to let it go?

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

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, studi

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

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.

Week 48: Breath, Borders and Belonging: Vanessa Muñoz-Pretzell on Yoga and Life in Berlin

In this episode of Plus Forty Nine, Andrea hosts her first interview in the series and sits down with Vanessa Muñoz-Pretzell - a yoga teacher from El Paso with Mexican, Lebanese and Cherokee roots who has been living in

Week 47: Fax, Fear of Change, and 20 Percent Berlin: How Internationals Read the City

Week 47 of Plus Forty Nine takes us to Berlin with Andrew and Maurice, the two minds behind 20 Percent Berlin – a newsletter and podcast that translates the city’s news, quirks, and politics for the 20% of residents with

Week 46: Building Home, One Form at a Time: Simple Germany, Techno, and the New Rules of Belonging

We’re replaying one of our favorite conversations with Jen and Yvonne from Simple Germany—a smart, funny guide to making life here actually work. We talk language as the real unlock, the first steps after arrival, and ho

Week 45: Between Two Worlds: Finding Identity and Belonging with Andrea Fahmel

From Mexico to Germany - growing up between cultures and learning the beauty of directness In this episode of Plus Forty Nine, we speak with Andrea Fahmel, who grew up between Mexico and Germany - two cultures that shape

Neue Episode

Week 44: Mezcal, Migration & Memory: A Latina’s Berlin Journey

In this warm and reflective episode, Mika - a Venezuelan entrepreneur and now the Brand Ambassador for Mezcal Cómplice in Germany shares her story of migration, reinvention, and finding ritual in a new home. From escapin

Week 43: Berlin 2035 – Henning Wehmeyer on Music, Global Goals, and the World Expo

Berlin 2035 – Music, Global Goals, and the Vision of a World Expo In this episode of Plus Forty Nine, we speak with Henning Wehmeyer, Managing Director of EXPO 2035 Berlin GmbH, about the bold idea of bringing the World

Week 42: Intercultural Bridges – Nancy Bravo Identity, and Adaptation

Speaking Across Borders – Stories of Identity and Connection In this episode of Plus Forty Nine, Nancy Bravo, founder of Bravo Intercultural, shares how identity, and culture intersect in the lives of newcomers to German

Week 41: Bridging Borders: Sukesh Das on Work, Opportunity, and Integration

Arriving, Joining, Belonging – Stories about Life in Germany In this episode of Plus Forty Nine, Sukesh Das, co-founder of MyRelocater, talks about how his platform helps German companies connect with skilled professiona

Week 40: Migration Debate, Bernd das Brot and Community

In this episode of Plus Forty Nine, we sort through some major shifts in Germany’s political landscape. From Manfred Webers call for a fresh approach to migration, highlighting the critical role migrants play in filling

Week 39: Bureaucratic Hurdles, Folk Festivals and Savings

Talking with Alejandro Wagner from MLP In this episode of Plus Forty Nine, we sort through some major shifts in Germany’s migration landscape, including a slight decrease in the refugee population and increasing governme

Week 38: Deportations Deal, Oktoberfest and International Students

Talking with Rufruf Chaudhary In today’s episode of Plus Forty Nine, we welcome Rufruf, an international student from Pakistan who has been living and studying in Berlin for over six months. Rufruf shares candid insights

Week 37: Asylum Lawsuits, Voice AI Agents and Mallorca

This week on Plus Forty Nine, we explore some of the key stories shaping Germany today. We break down the surge in asylum lawsuits flooding the courts, while overall asylum applications are dropping due to tighter border

Week 36: Migration Trends, Wine Festivals and German Job Market

From autumn’s wine festivals to the challenges of finding your footing in the German job market—this week on Plus Forty Nine we explore new research on migration and integration, the rise of foreign apprentices, and the