When everything familiar fell away, did he double down on bitterness or choose a frame that let him move forward?

He thought getting knocked down was the headline. It wasn’t. The story is how he keeps standing. Anton and Ben sit down with Grant Parkin, who grew up in East London, migrated to Brisbane, and learned, sometimes the hardest way, how to turn pain into perspective without pretending it didn’t hurt.

At 3, a dog attack. At 19, a car crash in which his father died while Grant was driving. Years later, a marriage that ended in betrayal. And still… a degree finished, a CA earned, a rowing club founded, multiple Ironman triathlons completed, and a memoir—Yourself or Someone Like You—written and voiced by the man who lived it.

This is not trauma for spectacle; it’s choices, responsibility, and the mindset to rebuild, one honest step at a time.

There’s a line you’ll hear between the lines: don’t bring yesterday’s baggage to tomorrow’s country, and don’t outsource your agency. Grant talks about arriving with PwC, finding his “crew,” the long tail of grief, why asking for help was a turning point, and even “Fuchsia Friday” as a small weekly nudge to get comfortable being a little uncomfortable. It’s balanced, practical, and quietly brave.

Catch Episode 17 of a Stranger, a Suitcase and a Story now at https://3spod.com
Also on your fav channels: Spotify, YouTube, Apple.

#AStrangerASuitcaseAndAStory #3SPod #Episode17 #GrantParkin #MigrationStories #Resilience #Mindset #Responsibility #Brisbane #PwC #Rowing #Ironman #YourselfOrSomeoneLikeYou #SouthernCrossings #SouthAfricansInAustralia #Podcast

Anton and Ben sit down with Andrew Reitzer, and this onestays with you.

Born in Johannesburg to Holocaust survivor parents. Raisedin Cape Town. A life that arcs from a small family glove factory to the CEO seat of Metcash, turning a $240 million loss into a thriving ASX Top 100 company… and yet, that’s not the real story.

The real story starts when he’s a teenager and his motherquietly hands him a copy of The Diary of Anne Frank and says, “That’s what happened to me.”
No big speech. No drama. Just a sentence that changes everything.

From there, Andrew’s journey is shaped by courage withoutfanfare: conscription and discipline, equestrian boots and factory floors, starting again (and again), saying yes to Australia with 20 minutes to decide and three days to get on a plane, and leading with a “burn the ships” commitment that left no easy way back, only forward.

In this episode, we go beyond the numbers.
We talk about what it means to grow up in the shadow of silence. About finding out late what your parents survived — and how that quietly forges your views on family, work, loyalty, and leadership.
We talk about landing in Australia at the very top of thefood chain… and still feeling like a trainee Australian. About misreading the room, learning the culture, adjusting without erasing yourself.
We talk about why South Africans can thrive here, and whysome don’t. About burning ships, backing yourself, and the fine line between bravery and naivety.

And there’s a moment - you’ll hear it - where Andrew connects all of it: his parents’ story, his own choices, and what it really costs to start over and still hold onto who you are. We left that part in almost untouched.

What did he learn from parents who survived the unthinkable…and only told him when he was old enough to understand?
How do you lead, decide, and belong with that kind ofhistory under your skin?
And what does his story ask of the rest of us who’ve come here with our own suitcases, accents, and second chances?

Find out in Episode 16. 🎧Listen to episode 16 – find it at https://3spod.com and also on your fav channels: Spotify, YouTube, Apple.

#AStrangerASuitcaseAndAStory #3SPod #Episode16#AndrewReitzer #MigrationStories #HolocaustSurvivorFamily #Leadership #StartingOver #SouthernCrossings #Belonging #CourageWithoutDrama

“We landed with two suitcases, a toddler, and no idea wherewe were going after the airport.”

In this powerful new episode of A Stranger, A Suitcase,and A Story, Anton and Ben sit down with Kaveer Soni, a Durban-born lawyer whose life has been a tapestry of faith, grit, heartbreak, and reinvention.

Kaveer's story begins in Durban, born into a Hindu household,yet his early years unfold inside a Jewish school, learning Hebrew before he could fully understand what it meant. Then came a Catholic school, Sunday mass, and a new religion called rugby. His childhood, filled with laughter and mischief, was also where his voice as a lawyer first emerged, not in court, butin the principal’s office, defending his friends.

Years later, a family holiday to the US would change everything. What started as a magical trip to Disney World became a decision to leave South Africa behind. But dreams abroad don’t always unfold as planned. Bureaucracy, uncertainty, and endless waiting forced his family back home, a move that taught him resilience before he even knew he’d need it again.

And then came Australia.

A country that promised clarity but delivered challenge after challenge. A new life in a tiny one-bedroom apartment in Sydney, a young family starting over from nothing, and the devastating loss of a pregnancy in their first year. It was a season of heartbreak and perseverance, the kind that tests the limits of love and faith.

But through it all, Kaveer's quiet determination never wavered. From sitting for new legal exams while his wife rebuilt her career, to opening Soni Legal from scratch with no network and no guarantees, he turned every setback into a stepping stone.

Today, nearly a decade later, Kaveer has built a thriving practice, a beautiful family, and a sense of belonging that was once only a dream. His story reminds us that “home” isn’t a place you find. It is something you build, one choice, one struggle, and one act of courage at a time.

🎧 Listen to Episode 15: The Long Road Homewith Kaveer Soni now on https://3spod.com orwherever you get your podcasts — Spotify, Apple, and more.

#AStrangerASuitcaseAndAStory#3SPod #Podcast#MigrationStories #Courage #Resilience #Belonging #HumanSpirit