#20. The ten commandments of integrating into Canada
1. Thou shall read the news.
Hey hey,
How’s your week going? I am battling a bad flu. I guess it’s the weather plus the residual effects of back to school and daycare.
In today’s newsletter: Ben Joffe talks about how our default cultural lens shapes our worldview.
Also: Abdullah Sharief is building Canada’s biggest car care platform.
Plus: The ten commandments of integrating into Canada.
By: Dozie Anyaegbunam
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Your default cultural lens shapes how you interact with the world
And it’s not a bad thing. However, it’s important we recognize that we all have these underlying prompts which influence our language structure, our views on material success, personal relationships, and more.
Especially when we move to a new country. So, to truly understand a new country or society requires deliberate effort. Learn the language, watch local stand-up comedy, volunteer, engage in local activities. Being a passive observer rarely helps.
Listen to the full conversation⤵
The Syrian immigrant who’s building Canada’s biggest car care platform
Abdullah Sharief arrived in Canada in 2018 with $2,000 in his pocket and a steely determination to build a new life. He had just turned 21.
Fast-forward to 2025. He’s co-founded Panda Hub, a Toronto-based mobile car-detailing company, with Reza Ahmadi. They’re valued at over $60 million, with operations in Ontario, British Columbia, and 11 U.S. states.
It’s a success story that sounds neat and tidy in retrospect; immigrant arrives Canada, works hard, builds company. But I think that trope simplifies Abdullah’s journey through Canada so far.
Read the full story⤵
The ten commandments of integrating into Canada
After publishing The Ten Commandments of Settling into Canada,
sent me an email with the first commandment on integration; Thou shall read the news.Once I read his email, I went researching for the rest of the commandments.
Read the full thing⤵
What am I excited about?
Immigrant Entrepreneur Canada is working with Telfer School program of management consulting to conduct research on immigrants to Canada that have purchased an existing business. If you or someone you know has purchased an existing business in the past 15 years, could you share this link with them: IEC & Telfer: ETA Immigrant Entrepreneurs
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