Welcome to Resilient Interview, an initiative by Resilient Immigrant where we document the full truth of the immigrant journey, not just the challenges, but the resilience, strategy, and impact. By sharing your story, you're helping shape how immigrants are seen, understood, and remembered. Your story has the power to inspire, empower, and shift narratives.

In this feature, we highlight Helena de Groot, an acclaimed audio producer and host of Poetry off the Shelf and The Paris Review Podcast, as well as the creator of the audio memoir Creation Myth. Below is her complete, unedited interview detailing her journey from Antwerp, Belgium to building a deeply connected life in the United States through the power of listening.

Where are you from, and what year did you immigrate?

"I am from Antwerp in Belgium, and I moved to the United States in 2016."

What do you do today, and how would you describe the contribution you are making?

"Fifteen years ago, I started working at the public radio in Belgium. It was the best job I had ever had: I got to be curious, tell stories, play with sound - what's not to love. Then I gave up that job to come to the US, hoping I could find work in radio or podcasting once I was here. That turned out to be a lot harder than I had expected, even emotionally. For three years, I felt so insecure, lost, alone. But I have found my groove! Today I mostly make podcasts about books (Poetry off the Shelf, for the Poetry Foundation, and The Paris Review Podcast), and I just came out with my 8-part audio memoir for CBC Personally: Creation Myth. My contribution is really: I listen. I listen deeply. To the people I interview, to my friends, my colleagues, my neighbors, to a woman I met in line at the DMV, or a man who sells flowers. Making people feel heard is what I'm about in life!"

What moment or experience tested you the most during your immigrant journey? (Share a specific situation rather than a general challenge.)

"The moment I left my American husband. We had been living together in San Francisco, and I made the decision to move to LA by myself. Only: I didn't have a driver's license. I found an instructor who agreed to teach me in 10 days, then I drove the 400 miles south. I was so scared of getting into an accident that I didn't dare to turn on the radio, the AC, or open a window. But the moment I arrived at my friends' place in LA, and saw their smiling faces, joy flooded my body."

What did you do differently that allowed you to move forward? (Think in terms of a decision, a mindset shift, or a specific action.)

"I realized that I can have a conversation with my fear. "Thank you so much for warning me! You're right, it is scary, so much can go wrong. But I can't help it, I am curious. Maybe I'll surprise myself, you know? But thank you for looking out for me! I'll check back in later, OK?" Like that. It's silly, talking to yourself as if you're talking to a toddler, but it helps."

What has your immigrant background given you that you would never trade?

"It's given me a sense of possibility I didn't have before. It's also made me deeply grateful to every single person who's helped me exist here. From the clerk at the Social Security Administration, to my driving instructor, to the woman who gave me my first job, to the people who became my friends. I always keep that in mind, that a small, friendly interaction can change someone's life when they most need it."

What is an achievement you are proud of that people don't fully understand the weight behind? What did it actually take to get there?

"I'm proud of making my audio memoir, Creation Myth. It was difficult, it took a very long time, and I often lost my nerve. Because who could possibly care about my life's story? Turns out: a lot of people. And not because I am so interesting, but because they recognized something of themselves in me. I think that emigrating is what gave me the confidence to keep going. I knew that I could do hard things."

How are you actively shaping how immigrants are perceived through your work, leadership, or presence?

"On the interview podcast I host, Poetry Off the Shelf, I regularly have immigrant poets on, from Palestine, Iran, India, Haiti, Romania, China, the list goes on. There is something extraordinary about poets writing in a language that is not their first (often not even their second, third, or fourth). I love that I can show the willpower it takes, the daring, the fierce commitment to creativity and self-expression. Hopefully it can inspire everyone who listens - immigrants and not - to speak, to share, and to know that they will be heard. We all deserve that."

What do immigrant professionals need to hear early that they are almost never told?

"Americans love confidence. It took me a long time to learn, because in Belgium, it's poor form to toot your own horn. It is seen as embarrassing. So when I first moved to the US, I was downplaying my skills, my experience, my savoir-faire. I don't do that anymore. And I have to say, it feels pretty good to just say: "I make some of the most critically acclaimed podcasts in the business." The Belgian in me still cringes, but I now have a little American in me too, who says, HELL YEAH."

Describe your immigrant journey in one word.
"Impatient"

Complete this: "I am a Resilient Immigrant, and I belong where I...
"sing"

Helena's journey is a beautiful testament to how we can build our lives not by erasing our fears, but by learning to have a conversation with them. By embracing the power of deep listening and finding her confidence in a new culture, she has created a space where people can truly feel heard and find themselves in the stories of others.

The Resilient Interview series is a living archive of identity, strategy, and unfiltered truth. Read more stories or submit your own journey to help us document how immigrant voices are shaping narratives across the globe.