She Walked to the Movies. Her Friends Rode the Bus.

Tatiana Cross is a Business and Culture strategist who represented South Africa in the Fortune 500 Most Powerful Women's Global Mentoring Program and is now the founder of The Mother-Daughter Collective. In this episode, she and Imran talk through growing up under apartheid in South Africa, the culture shock of moving to Australia for marriage at 18, and why she named her consulting business after a pencil — because it's meant to be corrected. She also explains why the mentoring women need in South Africa and the mentoring women need in Australia turned out to be exact opposites. KEY TAKEAWAYS • Reframe hardship as training: Why growing up under apartheid segregation taught Tatiana that she "could do anything," and how facing hard limits early can build resilience instead of just leaving scars. • Match support to the actual need: How women's empowerment needs aren't universal. South African women in her survey wanted business knowledge, Australian women wanted mentorship and why assuming what people need before asking can waste your effort. • Build something correctable, not perfect: Why Tatiana named her consulting business "Red Pencil" a tool designed to be corrected, not to be right the first time. • Give people the language first: Why friction between mothers and daughters often comes down to not having the words to express themselves to each other, and how giving them that language is the first step to change. • Migration costs more than the outside sees: Why the visible parts of migrating look "shiny," while the harder parts your community, your youth, part of yourself are the ones nobody accounts for. • Find home in more than one place: Why home doesn't have to mean choosing one country over another it can be an internal sense of belonging that exists in both at once. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro 01:32 Welcoming Tatiana Cross to the podcast 01:41 Leaving a career and community in South Africa to marry an Australian 03:10 "Like someone pulling the rug out from under my feet" 04:06 Settling her kids into a new country 04:57 What people don't understand about what migration actually costs you 06:12 Growing up in a township under apartheid 07:23 Segregated buses and walking to the movies 07:56 How the hardship became a source of resilience 09:24 Her father studying for his degree in a broom closet 10:12 Selected to represent South Africa at the Fortune 500 12:25 Bringing that mentoring experience home through Red Pencil Consulting 14:26 Why she named her business Red Pencil 15:28 What women in South Africa need vs. what women in Australia need 17:49 What "home" means to her now 19:05 Founding the Mother-Daughter Collective 22:02 Where she wants to be in 10 years ABOUT THE GUEST Tatiana Cross Founder of The Mother-Daughter Collective | Business & Culture Strategist | Keynote Speaker | Author | Facilitator Women's Empowerment / Business Consulting Connect with Tatiana: LinkedIn:   / colettetatianacross   Instagram:   / motherdaughtercollective   Website: https://www.themotherdaughtercollecti... Every migrant has a story, of dreams, struggles, and triumphs. My Migrant Soul brings you powerful, real-life conversations with migrants from diverse backgrounds who have navigated the challenges of starting over in a new land. Hosted by Imran Abul Kashem, this podcast sheds light on personal migration journeys, cultural transitions, and the resilience that fuels success. ABOUT THE HOST Imran Abul Kashem Founder, My Migrant Soul Serial Entrepreneur, Former Journalist and Personal Branding Expert Connect with Imran: Website: https://westendpodcast.au/ YouTube:    / @mymigrantsoul-aus   Instagram:   / imran_abul_kashem_melbourne   LinkedIn:   / imranabulkashem   Subscribe for more real stories of migration, identity, and human experience. Got a story to tell? Start your podcast with Westend Podcast: https://www.westendpodcast.com.au