In this episode, my guest is a former nurse who reinvented herself as a medical translator and communicator after health issues forced her to leave her career in its original format. She shares how a childhood steeped in first aid and Red Cross training led to decades in nursing across several countries, and how ending her career left her feeling completely lost until languages opened a new door. Kathrin explains how she niched down into medical and life sciences translation, built on medical English, clinical experience, and SEO‑savvy branding to become a specialist rather than a generalist translator.​ We also talk about her groundbreaking project “How to Speak Cancer”: a volunteer‑driven book and movement that makes cancer communication clearer for patients, caregivers, and medical communicators, now being translated into 18+ languages by 30+ volunteers. She also introduces MetTalks, her webinar‑meets‑podcast series on medical communication, and her new co‑authored book on making clinical trials more human and accessible.

It’s fascinating to discover the stories behind the people we “only” bump into on social media.

For years I knew that Rosário was the driving force behind Sintagma, but we had never actually sat down to talk calmly about how everything happened behind the scenes – and it was definitely worth the wait.

In this episode, I sit down with Rosário Valadas Vieira, founder and director of Sintagma, one of the key names in subtitling and audiovisual translation in Portugal.

We talk about her journey, how Sintagma was born, how the Portuguese multimedia industry has grown and reinvented itself, and how streaming platforms have transformed subtitling, dubbing and accessibility work.

If you work with languages, audiovisual content, localisation, or dream of subtitling films and series, this conversation takes you right into the real backstage of the Portuguese market and shows you, without filters, the skills it needs today.

What is it like to be a Project Manager in the Language Industry?

What really happens on both sides of the “PM vs vendor” relationship in the language industry?

In this episode of The Language Worker, Rita talks with Gabriella (vendor, translator, agency owner) and Lucia (project manager) about how freelancers and LSPs can finally stop seeing each other as “us vs them” and start working as a real team.

Through their joint podcast project, they share how their friendship began in an LSP, why Gabriella fully embraces the “vendor” role, and why Lucia is “the PM of PMs” thanks to her experience in project management, vendor management, sales, and account management.

They also discuss how AI and tools like ChatGPT can support, not replace, human work, and how better communication can prevent blame, rants, and frustration on both sides. You will hear practical insights on:

How PMs are often limited by company policies and why blaming them rarely solves anything.

How freelancers can negotiate, ask questions, and think beyond per‑word rates (e.g. hourly rates for MTPE and revision).

How their podcast is opening up previously “taboo” topics like referrals, NDAs, AI, and expectations between vendors, PMs, and clients.

Perfect for freelance translators, PMs, vendor managers, and language professionals who want more transparency, empathy, and collaboration in the localization ecosystem.