Telling Albanian Success Stories: The Journey Behind the Përpara Podcast

Elizabeth Vulaj, host of the Përpara Podcast: “If we can help even one young person feel informed and inspired, our job is done.”

Deepak Chopra once said: “We must not seek to belong, but to become.” I, however, believe that the process of becoming who we are is intrinsically tied to the idea of belonging – belonging to a cause, a calling and most of all, a community. Growing up in New York City as a first-generation daughter of Albanian immigrants from Montenegro, I always accepted my ethnic background and never shied away from it, but never quite took the time to fully explore it either. As a child and teenager, like many Albanian-Americans, over the summers I would visit my family’s region of origin – in my case Montenegro – where I had an endless amount of cousins to play with and grew a particular love for Albanian foods (krofne or petulla to name one of many!) During my high school, college and post-graduate studies, I was so focused on my own life and career trajectory that I didn’t think much about what being Albanian meant beyond those surface- level aspects.

When I started law school in my early twenties, my goals were clear: graduate, pass the bar, get a job in media law and go from there. Trying to make it New York City and carve a role for yourself in the media world is not for the faint of heart; as a first generation Albanian-American, I knew absolutely no one in this industry and instead of relying on connections or generational wealth, I knew I had to prove myself through sheer hard work, determination and that stubborn Albanian unwillingness to give up.

By 2023, I was a full-time practicing attorney at a New York- based multi-platform media company and was writing legal articles on the side for publications like Law360, Law&Crime and Thomson Reuters. As human beings, we always aspire to reach higher ground and set new objectives in life, but as far as the “To-Dos” on my young adult checklist, they were pretty much all completed by that point.

 Yet, even though I was beyond happy and fulfilled, I still felt a strong desire to give back to my community. By this point, many young Albanian-American women and students who were pursuing legal careers began contacting me asking for advice and words of wisdom. I started attending events for incredible Albanian nonprofits like the Albanian Professionals and Entrepreneurs Network) (APEN) and philanthropic organizations like the Gjergj Kastrioti Scholarship Fund. I joined a mentorship program and began guiding other Albanian-American female law students. All of these ways of helping my community and connecting to others in it felt rewarding, yet I still felt the need to do more.

Despite all of the amazing initiatives, programs and organizations that both connect and aid those in our community, I still noticed a missing gap – that there were so many incredible Albanian professionals achieving big things, not just in the U.S. but all over the world, yet no centralized place where everyone could go to hear their stories. There are countless podcasts, shows and resources where you can hear inspiring stories about how to achieve success, but I wanted to create a space where young Albanian aspiring professionals could go to hear the trajectories of others in their community. My thought was that, as Albanians growing up in the U.S., many of us face the same challenges when it comes to achieving our professional goals and listening to the journey of someone who has gotten to the other end of those same obstacles can prove to be even more inspiring. It’s one thing to listen to the incredible guests on success-focused podcasts like Diary of a CEO, Armchair Expert, or even The Joe Rogan Experience, but it hits closer to home when you can listen to someone from your community who similarly grew up without connections, generational resources or a safety net to rely on and still made it in their chosen profession.

When I started Përpara in 2023, I had already become engulfed in the podcast world from the perspective of an attorney – one of the duties at my job includes conducting legal reviews of podcasts our company produces on the biggest trials of the day, from Ruby Franke to Sean Combs to Luigi Mangione. I already understood the amount of work it takes to conceive, produce, edit and publish a compelling podcast and possessing that experience under my belt before I took on creating Përpara was the best knowledge to equip me for what was to come.

The technicalities of creating the podcast (recording, editing and posting) were easier than I anticipated; the more challenging aspects stem from maintaining enough inspiration to continue it. When I told a colleague that I wanted to start a podcast, his advice was invaluable: “Pick something you’re really interested in – it’s very easy to start a podcast, that’s why everyone does it, but it’s hard to keep it going.” I took his words in and long remembered them – after all, what would be closer to my own heart than having in-depth conversations with members of my community?

 The goals behind launching the podcast were numerous: I wanted to fill a gap I noticed within our community and create a centralized hub where young Albanians can go and listen to conversations with stories, advice and wisdom from their peers and successful professionals. I wanted the listeners to feel entertained, inspired, informed and most of all, that they belonged and that anything was possible. I wanted to create a space for the outside world that highlights how many Albanians around the globe are carving out amazing careers for themselves as professionals. Most of all, as a former journalism major and writer, I have always had a curiosity about other people – a trait that I believe all journalists should have – and I was beyond excited about being able to talk to Albanians I admire in fields like law, politics and the arts, and learn from them. 

As my first guest on the podcast, I approached Gjon Juncaj, a highly respected attorney and former federal prosecutor who spent part of his career as the Resident Legal Advisor for the U.S. Department of Justice in Tirana, Albania. At the time, the podcast was only an idea and that’s all I could really convey to him – the idea of what I wanted the podcast to represent, how I wanted it to inspire others and shed a spotlight on Albanians achieving great things. There was no prior catalog, social media profile, or any other materials to give him a sense of what this would be. Despite this, Gjon (who also happens to be my cousin!) was gracious enough to come on the podcast and talk about his upbringing, educational pursuits, career and hopes for the future. I was inspired by our discussion and it turns out, many others were, too. Within a month, his interview reached hundreds of listens on Spotify alone. That momentum helped keep me going; cut to two years later, the podcast is several seasons in, has hosted over twenty guests and has even held live, in-person interviews at events with other members of our community! Anytime I have invited a guest on and explained the format of the show, they do not hesitate for a moment in saying yes – one of the things that has touched me the most is seeing how eager people in our community are to help one another and pay their success forward. Being able to speak to accomplished professionals in our community for the past couple of years has been such a privilege for me personally and being able to see how it benefits others makes it all the more special. 

To this day, young students tell me they reached out to a guest they listened to on the podcast for career advice, or that they heard an episode that inspired them, or that they became aware of who the guests were for the first time and began following them. Hearing stories like that gives me the utmost and sincere satisfaction, because, as I see it, if we can help even one young person feel informed and inspired, our job is done.

Growing up, my high school had no other Albanian students. When I would tell most people where I was from, they would ask something to the effect of: “Uh, where is that on a map? I’ve never even heard of it.” All these years later, people like Dua Lipa, Mira Murati and so many others are making their mark on the world and broadening the reach of young Albanians across the globe. I believe that the higher we as a community advance, the more inspiration and hope that provides to individual members and they more they can excel.

This week, I was privileged to have on the podcast Enri Lala, a young student based in California (and founder of this magazine!) with dreams of attending law school. Hearing how Enri has invested so much time and dedication not only to his own career, but also to understanding and nurturing his space in the Albanian community, was truly inspiring. It’s amazing to see how many different ways people in our community can give back – whether it’s through starting a publication, an organization or a podcast – the truth is, we are all just trying to find our way in this world and make it a bit better than we found it. Seeing Enri’s passion for doing this at such a young age gives me tremendous hope for our future and the next generation to come – that even while you are in the early stages of pursuing your own goals and career, you can always find a space to learn more and help others.

Looking back at when I first began thinking of starting the podcast, I return to that feeling of fulfillment and pride in where I was in my own career, but still wanting to do something to help my community. I wanted to give something to this group of people and diaspora that has given so much to me; the ability to do that and see the ensuing results has brought me to an even more fulfilled place.

Thinking of this takes me back to a quote I saw when I visited London for the first time in 2017 and toured the Churchill War Rooms, a small museum divided into various sections exploring aspects of Winston Churchill’s life in the place he spent most of World War II. On a small plaque affixed to one of the walls in the exhibit was a quote I think of often: "We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." I only ask that other Albanians who achieve success in their own lives remember them too and use them as inspiration to pay it forward to others.

Elizabeth Vulaj is an Albanian-American attorney. Born and raised in New York City, she obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from SUNY Purchase, her Master of Arts degree in journalism from NYU and her law degree from CUNY School of Law. She is currently Head of Legal Affairs at Law&Crime, a multi-platform media company dedicated to covering live trials, legal commentary and analysis and true crime content. She manages and oversees the company's legal distribution, licensing and partnership deals with leading networks and streamers in the industry, such as Netflix, A&E and Discovery ID, as well as any litigation-related issues pertaining to copyright, defamation and First Amendment law. She is the founder and host of the podcast "Përpara." which features in-depth conversations with professionals in the Albanian community in fields from politics to the law and arts. In her spare time, she enjoys running, traveling, writing and taking part in events, programs and initiatives that give back to the Albanian community.