LCR Success Stories | Daniela Schelbauer

Hear a compelling conversation with Daniela Schelbauer, while she immigrated to the United States with children amidst covid-19. Daniela and her husband always wanted to live in another country, and one of the many advantages of the EB-5 Visa is it allows for exploration across the country and freedom to explore different career options. Through EB-5, LCR Capital Partners helps families to access American markets and American schools.

"We always wanted our kids to feel safe and have freedom in their activities"

Interviewed by Cass McCrory from the Real Women In Business podcast

Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):

Um, so the way that this process works is pretty simple. We're going to have a conversation about the process for you and immigrating to the U S kind of what motivated that decision and try to help people that are in a similar place as you were before, um, and making this decision, and then traversing the lands of, you know, moving to a completely new country. Um, at the end of it, I will record a bit of an intro for the podcast, and then we'll wrap up. We're going for about 30 minutes. That's our objective somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes is perfect.

Speaker 1 (00:45):

I could only ask you something. If I say something like completely wrong, correct me and edited. We can do that for sure. I'll have us kickoff with you saying your name and if you have a title or something you'd like me to use when referencing the work that you do, I'll just have you state your name so I can make sure that I say it correctly. Okay. Daniella, Daniella, yes, please. Daniella, welcome to the show. Thank you. I'm first. I want to start off with where you are in the world right now. Okay. I mean, Miami right now. And how is your journey then from your home country to Miami? And I know that you've got quite the plan for what comes next. I'd love to start off with how you found yourself to be in Miami.

Speaker 1 (01:50):

So right now in the middle of the coronavirus, Miami is not the best place to be. Um, we ended up, uh, appear because we were supposed to go to New York and then, um, was scheduled for mid March when all of this started here in the U S and New York at the center. So we had to postpone our trees. And then afterwards, um, we were risking, um, get to the, to the expire date of our visa. So we decided to come in way and we decided to, because things were a bit better down here. Um, my husband is working for a Brazilian bank or has had fires in New York and a branch here in Miami. So that's why we also decided to come here and then in the middle of it. Um, so we arrived and April 28th, and then some weeks after that, his boss asked him to stay here in Miami, instead of going up to New York, because we were already planning on going to New York.

Speaker 1 (03:08):

And that was, I don't know, may, June probably. And things were a bit better in New York, we were planning to move up. And then he asked him to stay here for awhile, at least for the first few years, because, because of course it made more sense for him to have him here instead of there. So we decided to stay. We were in, um, in, uh, province, sorry, um, apartments. And then I started looking for school, um, neighborhoods and houses and so on. And then the virus, the virus became worse here and there. And, uh, well, since we arrived, we were just having to deal with all the crying tin, uh, uh, way of living, um, with all the things that moving to another country where it's a small kids involved. So it's been tricky, but we're managing how old are your kids? I have a five-year-old and a one year old that will, uh, turn two in two weeks.

Speaker 2 (04:23):

Exciting. Yeah, that's, it's a hard group to keep contained.

Speaker 1 (04:28):

It's impossible when you're out with them, especially the younger ones and the light, he, his hands are all over the place. And then back to his mouth, they're too small to understand

Speaker 2 (04:42):

Totally. When you considered, you know, making this move amidst the coronavirus mean, did you have hesitation given what's happening with the virus?

Speaker 1 (04:54):

Well, by the time, uh, our trip was canceled. mid-March things were still very, in a very good shape in Brazil, but I was sure it was going to be a chaos as it is right now. There was no way around it. So as it's a global thing, I mean, it would be easier to move to another country in another period, but we would have to deal with the virus anywhere. So being here or being dead, wasn't like, um, I wanna make a difference, you know, that for me. So, uh, I never thought of canceling or postponing is a more because of that. And yeah, I don't know it's being treated, but I think it's like this all around. I just, I sometimes I feel sorry. Cause I think that for my, especially for my oldest son, uh, if we had calls by now, uh, like in presence and not online, he would be having the chance to interact with others and, and learn that language because she doesn't speak English. Yes. Has been learning, but just a little here and there. So, uh, I think it will be easier, but that's not an option. I would just have to do other,

Speaker 2 (06:25):

I think, uh, you know, as a mom, myself, you know, and I have little kids, I have a little guy that's five, two, and I have a three year old and a two year old.

Speaker 1 (06:35):

Great.

Speaker 2 (06:36):

Because a lot of people it's a lot of people. Um, but for me it's been, it's been both good and hard at the same time. Like I feel like I've gotten a chance to know my children more than I ever did because I've been working and living with them and

Speaker 1 (06:52):

24 seven,

Speaker 2 (06:54):

Like there's no babysitter. There is no outside influence so much in their life. And so they're definitely becoming different people because of this, which I hope is for the best. Yeah. I hope, yeah. When you think about, um, the decision to move to the U S what motivated that decision?

Speaker 1 (07:18):

In fact, uh, Nina has been, we've always wanted to live, uh, Brazil and before having kids, we've tried, um, a couple of different, uh, positions abroad in my workplace and in his, in his workplace, uh, for a lot of reasons, those didn't came out. And then when we had our first child, we started looking at it going like, uh, immigrate more, um, more a sanction. And, and my husband's sent from a German family. So we were trying to get a German nationality and go to Europe and go to Germany. And then I don't want to maybe stay in Germany or not. I don't know. But, uh, there were some papers missing, uh, things, uh, like for the genomics, like from his great grandparents to now there was some type of missing and we couldn't, um, go for that. So he started looking at some other options and especially in the United States, because we knew there were, uh, many kinds of different visits and, uh, opportunities when you decide to come here and, uh, have a business or in, in something investment, uh, in a more, um, uh, big, uh, spectrum. And then, uh, that's, that's how he, he, the [inaudible] and we started looking at that with LCR and yeah.

Speaker 2 (09:06):

Process. Was there anything about it that was surprising to you? Because, you know, we've had a few episodes of the podcast now, and I've, I've always spoken to the person that was making the primary decision and like their name was the primary on. And did it feel different for you as coming in as the wife on this situation,

Speaker 1 (09:31):

Discussing this back and forth since day one? So I think, uh, even if I wasn't the person, uh, going after that, I was always involved since the beginning. And, uh, I've always, uh, uh, made part of all the decision process. So, uh, I, I can say there was a surprise. Um, the only thing, uh, that I found a bit hard let's say, uh, was the, the, like the dates, you know, we had to wait for almost two years to get the visa and be able to move. So that wasn't a very long time for me. I mean, cause I don't know, but I have a hard time when you decide to do something like move to another country. I have a really hard time, you know, managing my life where I am until that moment. So, you know, uh, all kinds of mid term, long term decisions in Brazil were very difficult for me because at that time I should be already.

Speaker 1 (10:41):

So I was putting, I, we like to stay in this apartment or go to another apartment, uh, things related to work and a more, a longterm, uh, spectrum. I was like, I want to hear anymore. I'll probably won't be here anymore, but maybe I will. So that's hard for them. That was the hard part for me. But apart from that, I don't think there were any surprises or anything like that. And we had to make a lot of translations. I was a bit impressed by that too. Like the amount of documents that has to translate to make the source offense without a lawyer. And so long, I looked like way more than we thought in the beginning. But it's just part of the process.

Speaker 2 (11:28):

If you were to give advice for her, a mom, a woman that is in a similar position, what advice would you give?

Speaker 1 (11:38):

Well, I I've talked to a lot of people, uh, that were, that moved to the United States before and were living already here and move with kids more or less, uh, around my, my kids age. And that me a lot because, uh, hearing about their experiences, how did they, or their kids at that world war? Uh, it made me more comfortable and more, um, I don't know, uh, confident that that would be okay for them. I've always worried word a bit more about the older one, because the little one is so little, you know, he, he's not even two yet. So I mean, as long as he has me and my husband and he's his brother, I think his, okay. He doesn't understand too much, but, but the other one was in the age that he was starting to make, uh, you know, um, more strong relationships that Conversio with some friends from school, friends from soccer, uh, his grandparents that he used to spend a lot of time with them. And I mean, people, we used to see a lot. So I was really worried. She was saying to me, all these people a lot, but this was a good, uh, like a good thing to be in, in the middle of this virus because everybody's in finances. So even if his here, all his friends, I'm not like getting together and they're not meeting each other or going to soccer, going to store, going to the grandparents. So he's not like missing anything. That would be a good, a good part of it.

Speaker 2 (13:28):

How did you find that network of women that could give you guidance and say, this is my experience

Speaker 1 (13:35):

A friend of a friend of a friend. That's right. Yeah. And I would just like getting to just say hi and probably move into us in a couple of months. Okay. Can I talk to you about the whole of your experience? And they were always very open.

Speaker 2 (13:52):

I think that's such a good example to set for other women too and saying, Hey, you know, as I immigrated, I was able to reach out to women that have been in my same shoes before, and then it's kind of like a pay it forward. So you can do that for somebody else that, you know, that was a friend too.

Speaker 1 (14:12):

Of course, of course. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (14:15):

When you think about, um, what you're most excited about to be in the U S and to be a resident and have quarantine hopefully left, what are you most looking forward to?

Speaker 1 (14:28):

Uh, uh, so, uh, we decided to move from the apartment. We are to a house and it's like two blocks from the school. Um, my son is going to study at, and it's like, it's a very quiet neighborhood, all kids cycle all around it by themselves. There are no Gates. There are no like big, uh, brick walls around the houses. No, like, um, private security all around. So that's just the dream coming from Brazil and all. And that's always something that was huge, uh, thing for us, for me and my husband, because we've always wanted that kids to leave in a safer place, especially because we didn't want them to be so, uh, so I dunno if that's the term. So, you know, we didn't want them to have, uh, to not do a lot of things because of security, you know, and in Brazil, I mean our family and our friends, they all, um, uh, have to, uh, not have the Liberty and the freedom they would like to and decide not to do a lot of things because of, uh, insecurity because of violence and because of all of this stuff. Uh, so knowing that my kids don't have to deal with that here and they will David to do much more by themselves. I think that's the biggest plus for it.

Speaker 2 (16:22):

Yeah. I mean, we can't, can't overestimate how important it is to feel safe, where you live and have options for activities and things that don't feel limited. I mean, that's, that's what being a kid is about.

Speaker 1 (16:36):

Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (16:39):

Um, when you consider what your next step is here, so you're going to stay in Miami now

Speaker 1 (16:47):

For now. Yeah. In a couple of years, at least I think. Yeah. How are you liking Miami in a long time? It's very good because the weather helps a lot. It has a lot of things to do outside. And now a lot of immigrants, which in one hand can be good because especially for my kids, but also for us, we'll just be like another immigrant. And then, so it's not such a big deal. I think if you think of going to a very small town in the middle of the United States, it might be trickier in this way. But I think that in the other hand, sometimes I worry that we will meet so many people from Brazil and we'll just like stay in Brazil. So I think we'll have to make an effort in those. And we got into and try to make trends with, you know, American and I don't know people not from Brazil and make a broader network.

Speaker 2 (18:06):

What would be the advantage of the broader network? I mean, I can think of a handful, but I'd be really curious to see what has you most excited?

Speaker 1 (18:14):

Oh, I think all the culture, uh, uh, richness that you can get out of that, uh, for and for the kids. And I think that that's, that's priceless. I knew when you have friends from other countries that were brought up, uh, in another coach for, with other influences, I think that that's priceless. And also, I mean, if she was saying that my kid will have at least two languages from stark cause so we'll have to speak Spanish English, and it will keep sticking to him. So, uh, that's already, I suppose, if he decided to study something else on his a bit older than that will be a far flounder. So that's always very good.

Speaker 2 (19:09):

Yeah. When you consider, um, your biggest hope in moving, what, what is your biggest hope in moving?

Speaker 1 (19:28):

I think it goes back to the point that we talked before, the hope that they will have the freedom to do a lot of things that they probably won't have if we wouldn't had it. So yeah. I just hope they have that and they like it. And then we can go back to Brazil in the vacations and that they don't come back to us crying and wanting to stay my husband in the beginning, like in the first, but not like for a long time. I hope that, um,

Speaker 2 (20:11):

Yeah. Were there any,

Speaker 1 (20:13):

Yeah, and I think that helps also that we, we managed to be viewed, um, friendships here as not good, but as, as, um, stronger as the ones we have.

Speaker 2 (20:33):

Yeah. That's a good home. It's an investment of time too. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. I'm going to take one pause. Cause I know that there was specific question that John had asked me and I want to make sure that I,

Speaker 1 (20:53):

Yeah.

Speaker 2 (20:54):

Oh, let's see.

Speaker 1 (21:11):

Okay.

Speaker 2 (21:12):

Alright. I think we're in good Chuck, but I'm going to ask you one last question. Danielle, is there anything that I should have asked you today that I didn't

Speaker 1 (21:24):

Not that I can think of? No, but something interesting about our trajectory and that I think we could share is that, um, we, we decided to come to the United States and then we did the, the [inaudible] process and we didn't have, uh, a specific place to move to because at that time we didn't have this double opportunity. My husband, uh, accepted when we came. So it was very, um, funny for me because we would like open the map of the United States, which is like huge country in front of us. And what would be like big cities that we would like to, to move to and put pros and cons of each city and start saying, okay, so once we have our visa, you start looking for jobs in this city and the one that got us to get it, be the city we're moving to. So that was like, because we were considering different places.

Speaker 1 (22:40):

And then in the middle of it, this job opportunity appeared and we just took it. So we didn't have to take a city out of the blue. And what were your top three? Um, I really wanted to go to San Diego. My husband was trying to convince me that it wasn't an economic, an economic good option, you know, because, because of legendary, very high taxes or not. So you would have to get like a very good job to go there. I was very interested in going to all seem to, but if I haven't been to Texas, so I'd have to go there first and see if what I was imagined was really that, and we have a very close person in the family that lives in Charlotte. So that was an option to never, for me, I'm not even for him. So yeah, somehow we ended up here. So

Speaker 2 (23:48):

The good news is, is that with the green card and with your possibility is not tied to a job.

Speaker 1 (23:55):

Exactly. Always. Yeah. We can always go somewhere else or an option for sure. Exactly. And these, um, there's Brazilian friends that we have here. I would say that I don't know, 90% of them have, uh, some, uh, employment, uh, linked visa L something. And they're all very worried because when the pandemic came the crisis and we would see all the time people being laid off. So if it happens to them, they have to quickly have another job or go back to Brazil. So, uh, it's very good to know that we're not in this position because I mean, we don't have to worry about it. You know, we, we always have other options. So yeah, that's, that's a big plus.

Speaker 2 (24:55):

Yeah. That is a huge weight lifted for sure. When you're not worried about, you know, a global pandemic causing economic constraints that would change your ability to stay. Yeah. That would be scary to live with it, Danielle and this has been great. I am so appreciative of your time and your candor and sharing so much about your experience. I know that the listeners of the podcast are going to enjoy it.

Speaker 1 (25:22):

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Speaker 2 (25:25):

Awesome. I'm going to record the intro and then we'll wrap up.

Speaker 1 (25:28):

Okay.

Speaker 2 (25:30):

I'm going to need you to pronounce your last name again for me, because I'm not going to remember how to say it and I don't want to spell it, right.

Speaker 1 (25:36):

That's fine. It's show Bowie show bar. Yeah, that's right.

Speaker 2 (25:42):

Friends today. We'll talking to Daniella Shober we talk about so much in this conversation about moving to the United States with children and moving amidst of global pandemic and really embracing the fact that we have a lot of options in front of us. When we look at immigrating to the U S through the [inaudible] investor visa, as opposed to a work-based visa, this is a really great conversation. If you were in a position of looking to move to the U S with kids, this is definitely one you want to listen,

Speaker 1 (26:14):

Let's get into it.

Speaker 2 (26:16):

Cool. Awesome. Okay. This was really great. Thank you again. Um, I wish you the best of luck with your five year old and your almost two year old is you navigate the waters of whatever comes next here.

Speaker 1 (26:31):

Thank you. Thank you so much. And let me ask you, where are you living right now?

Speaker 2 (26:34):

I live in upstate New York. So we live in Rochester. It's close to Niagara falls. We're about an hour from there. Well,

Speaker 1 (26:44):

The older one that plays a little bit back.

Speaker 2 (26:48):

Yup. So they may go back to school September 5th around there. Um, and we haven't decided exactly. Yeah. Yeah. So w um, and I have a 12 year old too, so I have a 12 year old, a five year old, a three year old and a two year old. Um, we haven't quite decided what we're doing. It's, you know, they're making announcements in New York and I don't know, you know, New York was at one point such a huge epicenter for all of this, and now it's not anymore, but I don't want to get to a place where we're back. I don't want them to be in and out of school back and forth. I feel like that would be counter, counter productive, but we'll see fingers crossed. I hope you and your, all of your family stays well and enjoy the Miami weather. Um, yeah, you'll be, I think part of you will be very glad to not be in New York, uh, freezing in November.

Speaker 1 (27:55):

Definitely.