Everybody Wants to Be an Internet Superstar: Panama Edition
REAL TALK PANAMA | EXPAT LIFE
Everybody Wants to Be an Internet Superstar
REAL TALK PANAMA | EXPAT LIFE
So you’ve decided to research moving to Panama. You Google “expat life Panama” or “moving to Panama” and suddenly your algorithm thinks you’re best friends. Your YouTube feed explodes with thumbnails of beaming faces against tropical backdrops, promising to reveal “THE TRUTH about Panama” or “What NOBODY tells you about Panama City.” Welcome to the expat content creator industrial complex.
Here’s what I’ve noticed: Land in Panama, get your temporary resident card, figure out where to buy toilet paper, and boom—suddenly you’re a relocation guru with a YouTube channel, Facebook group, and a carefully curated link tree full of “partnerships.”
The Predictable Pipeline
The pattern is almost comically predictable:
Month 1-3: Fresh-faced excitement. “We just moved to Panama and we’re documenting EVERYTHING!” Content is raw, genuine, and actually helpful because they’re figuring it out in real-time alongside you.
Month 4-6: The pivot. They’ve made some local connections. A real estate agent takes them to lunch. An immigration attorney offers them a referral fee. A tour company suggests a “partnership.” The content subtly shifts from documentation to promotion.
Month 7-12: Full guru mode activated. Now they’re the expert. They’ve got a “relocation package” that includes their carefully selected partners (who are definitely paying them, whether they disclose it or not). They’re hosting Zoom calls, selling consultation services, and positioning themselves as your one-stop solution for moving to Panama.
Month 13+: The content becomes increasingly defensive. “Why people fail in Panama” videos start appearing. Comments questioning their advice get deleted or result in blocking. The echo chamber tightens.
The Seduction of Instant Expertise
I get it. I really do. Especially as an African-American, the allure of entrepreneurship in a new country is powerful. In the echo chamber of frustrations with the US, the collective desire to exit, and the online adoration of Panama as paradise, it’s intoxicating to think you can build something here. It’s easy to convince yourself that because you successfully navigated getting a bank account and finding an apartment, you’re now qualified to guide others through this entire process.
The barriers to entry are low. Set up a YouTube channel—free. Create a Facebook group—free. Film on your phone—already have it. Get people to trust you enough to use your affiliated services—just be relatable and post consistently.
And before you know it, you’re monetizing your move.
The Real Issue Nobody Mentions
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Many of these instant gurus are bringing their emotional baggage with them and packaging it as expertise.
They’re running from something in their home country and projecting that escape as a universal solution. They’re processing their own trauma, disillusionment, or failure by creating a narrative where Panama is the answer and they’re the prophet. Their advice isn’t grounded in long-term experience or comprehensive knowledge—it’s grounded in their emotional need to validate their own decision to move.
That’s why the content often skews so heavily toward either toxic positivity (”Panama is perfect and anyone who struggles just isn’t trying hard enough!”) or dramatic negativity (”I’m EXPOSING the dark side of Panama!”). Neither extreme is helpful. Both are driven by unprocessed emotions rather than practical reality.
The Connect-You-For-A-Fee Crowd
Then there’s the adjacent hustle: the “I’ll connect you with people” approach. They’re not quite selling full packages, but they’ve got their hand out for facilitating introductions. Need a lawyer? They know someone. Need a real estate agent? They’ve got a guy. Need a maid, a handyman, a dentist? They’ll connect you—for a finder’s fee, a referral commission, or just the general expectation that you’ll reciprocate somehow.
Again, entrepreneurship isn’t the problem. Capitalism isn’t the problem. Making money from your experience isn’t inherently wrong. But when your primary qualification is “I’ve been here six months longer than you,” maybe pump the brakes on positioning yourself as the definitive authority.
How to Navigate the Noise
Read everything with skepticism. That glowing review of a specific real estate agent? Check if they’re getting paid. That urgent warning about a particular neighborhood? Consider their own biases and limited experience. That “must-have” service? Ask yourself if it’s actually necessary or just convenient for someone’s commission structure.
Compare and contrast multiple sources. If ten different creators are all recommending the same three attorneys, ask yourself why. Is it because they’re genuinely the only good options in a country of 4 million people, or because those attorneys have a good affiliate program?
Keep your purse tight. Just because someone seems nice on video doesn’t mean they have your best interests at heart. Their business model might literally depend on you spending more money than necessary.
Look for longevity. Someone who’s been here five years has more credibility than someone who’s been here five months, regardless of how many videos they’ve posted. Time reveals what initial enthusiasm obscures.
Trust your instincts. If something feels like a sales pitch, it probably is. If someone gets defensive when questioned, that’s a red flag. If their advice always seems to funnel toward services they profit from, that’s not a coincidence.
The Bigger Picture
This is all part of the process of navigating expat life in Panama. The content creator explosion, the instant experts, the monetization of migration—it’s the reality of moving to a popular expat destination in the digital age. You can’t avoid it, so you might as well understand it.
Some of these people will provide genuine value. Some are harmless if you keep your guard up. Some are actively problematic, selling dreams they can’t deliver and taking advantage of vulnerable people in transition.
Your job is to develop the discernment to tell the difference.
Take it all with a grain of salt. Learn what you can. Keep your expectations realistic. Protect your resources. And remember: the fact that someone made it to Panama and bought a ring light doesn’t make them qualified to orchestrate your entire relocation.
Panama will teach you plenty on its own. You don’t need to pay someone else’s rent while you learn those lessons.
All of this!!! 👏 Every country has this set, too. And now, people who haven't even left the US are holding themselves out as experts in emigrating. Make it make sense.