The Coffee Pod

Fashion editor who followed her instincts from Hong Kong to London to Copenhagen: now launching an intuitive styling consultancy after years of rebuilding.In this episode of The Coffee Pod, we sit down with Ophelia Wu: fashion editor, stylist, writer, and founder of The Intuitive Aesthetic Studio. Ophelia shares how Copenhagen Fashion Week led her from London to Denmark, why fashion is much more than trends, and how personal style can help us communicate who we are before we say a word.We also talk about building a portfolio career, trusting intuition, navigating life as an international in Denmark and creating work that feels aligned rather than boxed in.Ophelia Wu on LinkedIn This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit coffeepod.substack.com

Construction architect who ended up on the cover of her local newspaper for her interior design and that "why not?" energy runs through everything she does. Mentoring international students at VIA, organising community walks, and now taking the leap into freelance consulting because sometimes going with the flow beats having a plan.Connect with Silvana on LinkedInSilvana will also be speaking at Everybody Networks Here’s workshop in Aarhus on 11th June, full details and tickets here This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit coffeepod.substack.com

From hospitality in London to accounting to business excellence in Denmark. Kata has some honest advice about making it in Denmark at an immigrant.Kata Kaplar on LinkedIn This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit coffeepod.substack.com

This week on CoffeePod, Kelly sat down with Sune Selsbæk-Reitz: data and AI strategist, poet, and author of a new book called Promptism that asks us to slow down and think before we let large language models think for us.Sune’s journey took him from studying history and philosophy to nearly two years of unemployment, into an internship at a pension fund and eventually to leading data and AI strategy at a hearing aid manufacturer. Along the way, he never stopped writing: poems for his wife and kids, stories and now a book about what happens to our minds when we stop questioning the machines.If you’ve ever wondered whether we’re trusting AI a little too much, or how someone with a history degree ends up in a data warehouse, Sune’s story is for you.Connect with Sune on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/suneselsbaekreitz/ Promptism book link→ https://www.saxo.com/dk/promptism-fluent-machines-forgotten-questions-and-the-fight-for-meaning-in-the-age-of-ai_bog_9798898160821 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit coffeepod.substack.com

International criminal investigations expert who wrote a book using 100,000 leaked documents, now volunteering at Kirkens Korshær and helping her small town survive. We also chatted about the pitfalls of learning Danish from a Klovn boxset.Telita’s Dirty Tobacco book Connect with Telita on LinkedIn. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit coffeepod.substack.com

She applied to study in Denmark before her parents even knew.Her mom said: “Shouldn’t we have a family meeting?”She said: “I’ve applied and I’m going.”That was 15 years ago. Since then, Greete went from marketing to career counselling in a country where she didn’t speak the language, had no experience in the field, and had to figure it all out through 100+ coffee meetings and a LinkedIn community she built from scratch.Get in contact with Greete on LinkedIn if you liked the episode.If you want to hear more episodes like this, you can subscribe and have it delivered straight to your inbox when a new episode drops. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit coffeepod.substack.com

Kalpita absolutely nails it in the latest episode of Last Week in Denmark (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJll7GLH8co) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit coffeepod.substack.com

Yamanic offered to interview me in her episode, and I thought it might be a nice way to end the first season.We talk about my career transition from education to data, and also some of the projects that have been keeping me busy lately.If you want to meet for coffee (on or off-air), get in touch, I love hearing people’s stories.This is my linkedin if you are curious to know more about my story. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit coffeepod.substack.com

This week we talk to Amel Hot: a multilingual project manager from Horsens with a knack for making complicated things simple.The son of Bosnian parents who came to Denmark during the war, Amel grew up translating letters, tax forms and everyday Danish bureaucracy for the people around him. That early habit of helping others understand the system followed him through university and eventually inspired Easy Denmark, a side project that’s now reached more than 11,000 newcomers.Highlights✚ The power of simplifying complex ideas✚ Growing up between cultures and how it shaped his empathy✚ Speaking six languages (and learning a seventh for love)✚ Finding flow in focused work and community projects🔗 Connect with Amel on LinkedIn or check out EasyDenmark This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit coffeepod.substack.com

This week, Daniela Hummelgren shares how a non‑native teacher’s perspective helps learners finally speak Danish with confidence, especially in a country where conversations often switch to English.Highlights:✔ Four moves to Denmark and what finally made it stick✔ Why being a non‑native teacher is a superpower for advanced learners post‑PD3✔ Practical strategies to keep conversations in Danish when people switch to English✔ The role of exposure and intentional practice beyond grocery‑aisle DanishGet in contact with her on LinkedIn or through her website . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit coffeepod.substack.com

This week, Clive Vignola Ruder shared his story of moving from São Paulo to a small Danish village and building a career in video game writing.Highlights:✔ How improvisational theatre taught him creative collaboration (and got him his first writing job)✔ What it's like to found a game studio✔ The surprising connection between running marathons and writing storiesClive's story is about creativity but also about trusting the process. His approach to collaborative writing shows how listening and asking questions can elevate projects to the next level. Get in touch with him on linkedin if you want to know more. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit coffeepod.substack.com

In this episode, Kelly Rasmussen sits down with Marianne Bech for a coffee chat, exploring her journey from architecture to teaching. They discuss the Danish Friskole tradition, the importance of genuine learning and how Marianne’s architectural background influences her teaching methods. The conversation also touches on Marianne’s personal experiences growing up in Greenland and Thailand, and her passion for literature and language.If you would like to have a coffee chat with Marianne about architecture or friskole teaching or learning Danish, then the best way to reach her is by email. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit coffeepod.substack.com

This week on CoffeePod, Kelly sat down with Bradley Sowter: architect, entrepreneur and the creator of Dansk AI a new app that’s already helping dozens of learners improve their Danish.Brad’s journey took him from architecture in the UK to setting up his own consultancy in Denmark. Along the way, his love of tinkering with workflows and tech side projects led him to build an AI-powered language tool for newcomers who need more than Duolingo ducks and democracy debates.In this episode, Brad shares:📱 Why he built Dansk AI to make Danish less stressful and more practical💡 The “workflow hacks” he coded during COVID that inspired his product mindset🌍 Why being both the learner and the builder makes him design tools differentlyIf you’ve ever moved abroad, wrestled with learning a new language or thought about turning your side project into a real product, Brad’s story is for you.🔗 Connect with Brad on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleysowter/✍️ Try Dansk AI → https://www.danskai.co.uk/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit coffeepod.substack.com

Kelly sat down with Greg McQueen this week: a former children’s TV writer, filmmaker and now a ghostwriter who helps people turn their expertise into books that matter.From delivering papers at 1 a.m. to delivering books that change lives, Greg’s story is a lesson in resilience and creative reinvention. We talk about the screenwriting trick he uses to structure every book, why he only takes on projects that do good and how one tweet snowballed into a global fundraiser.In this episode, Greg shares:* ☕ How he reinvented himself in Denmark* 📚 How ghostwriting taught him to get passionate about other people’s ideas* 💡 Why every project he takes on has to help people, not just make money* 🌍 The story of 100 Stories for Haiti a writing project that raised £10,000 for disaster reliefIf you’ve ever thought about writing a book or making a bold career pivot, Greg’s story will inspire you.🔗 Connect with Greg on LinkedIn✍️ Wondering if your expertise could be a book? → https://iwritebooksforbusypeople.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit coffeepod.substack.com

This week Kelly sits down with Yamanic Martínez, a chemical industrial engineer turned international volunteer leader, who brings two decades of supply chain experience and a refreshingly human take on life abroad. We talk about:☕ Why she only drinks coffee with people🌍 What internationals get wrong about “making Danish friends”💼 Her journey from corporate career to leading strategy at IDCN💡 How becoming a mother turned her into “a reloaded version” of herself🔧 …and why her screwdriver set was her best friend for two weeks straightContact her on LinkedIn to set up a coffee meeting of your own: [https://www.linkedin.com/in/yamanic-martinez/]Find out more about IDCN: https://idcn.info/about-idcn/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit coffeepod.substack.com

🎙 Guest: Alexandra Jensen💼 Skills: Journalism · Investigations · Development & International Relations · Politics · RecruitmentThis week, Kelly sits down with Alexandra Jensen: a Serbian editor and investigative journalist who knows how to get to the bottom of a problem and persuade people to say yes. Her path in Denmark hasn’t been linear but it’s packed with grit: master’s degree, frontline work and the kind of intercultural savvy that once saved a company a six-figure sum. With Denmark opening more routes for non-EU workers, Alexandra lays out a timely vision: a recruitment bridge that helps Balkan talent thrive in Danish workplaces and communities.Smart, multilingual and resourceful, she’s looking toward her next chapter. 🔗 Connect with Alexandra on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleksandra-jensen-33026839/If you liked the conversation, consider reaching out and inviting Alexandra for a coffee meeting of your own.A short chat can go a long way. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit coffeepod.substack.com

What happens when you arrive in Denmark with no job, no network and no idea how long it’ll take to find your footing?In this episode of The Coffee Pod, Dominic sits down with Szilvia Schöffer, founder of Decoding Denmark. Szilvia moved from Hungary in 2018 as a spouse, faced rejection, learned the rules and ultimately decoded Denmark building a business that now helps internationals succeed.☕ In this 15-minute coffee chat, Szilvia shares:* Why the first year was the hardest and how she got through it* The cultural shifts that surprised her most* How she turned her job-seeker struggles into a business helping others* What she wishes every company knew about hiring internationalsWhether you’re new to Denmark, thinking about a move, or just curious about the challenges internationals face, Szilvia’s story is full of practical insights and honest reflections.If you liked the conversation, consider reaching out and inviting Szilvia for a coffee meeting of your own.💼 Role: Decoding Denmark FounderLinkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/szilviaschoffer/]Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/DecodingDenmark]A short chat can go a long way. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit coffeepod.substack.com

🎙 Guest: Dominic J. StevensonBlending creativity and business to make workplaces unforgettable.💼 Role: Writer • Artist • Musician • Entrepreneur • Founder of Culture Cracker📍 Based in: DenmarkDominic blends words and art to create unique company portraits that capture the soul of workplaces, leaders, and communities. With a background in writing, publishing and music, his projects bring creativity into spaces that often feel purely corporate.If you enjoyed the conversation, consider inviting Dominic for a coffee meeting of your own.✉️ [email protected] short chat can go a long way. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit coffeepod.substack.com