This Expat Life

Christmas... I LOVE the holidays but they are also a trigger for me. Having grown up with difficult and unconventional family dynamics, the who/what/where of Christmas was always a question mark, bringing up a lot of anxiety. I assumed that things would get better as I got older, but this year as I find myself single & parentless in my mid-30s, I've realised that damn, Christmas is still a questio...

New Year New You... Is it really possible? I think it is! Listen to this episode to hear what has been a game-changing method for me when it comes to reaching my goals and what has helped me to go confidently from diplomacy to coaching & entrepreneurship. I also share the 4 elements that I include in my loooong 'December ritual' every year to create a super strong foundation for myself for the nex...

Careers... One of the main topics for high-achieving expats! But  what can you do to build your professional personal brand, find job leads in the host country, and stay up to date on opportunities in the home country if you know you're returning? LinkedIn is the place to be! According to Nyna Caputi, LinkedIn expert and one of LinkedIn's Top Experts in the San Francisco Bay Area.  In this episode...

The one part of expat life I don't know at all... Moving abroad with your family! I always moved abroad as a solo expat so what it's like to move with kids is very foreign to me. Reason to speak with Betina Pflug, a Brazilian expat in Australia who helps expats & their families to navigate life abroad! Listen to this episode to hear how Betina approaches family life and expat journeys, and the pra...

Taking small decisions in daily life? Not my forte. But the big bold life moves? No problem! I recently decided to move to Rio and I took that decision in just 4 days. Easy peasy! But I know not everyone finds these big decisions easy. So in this podcast I share how I came to that decision and what helps me generally in the decision-making process, hoping to inspire you to decide on your own bold...

Welcoming a guest to This Expat Life, and a very special guest: former diplomat - and my friend - Cinthya Mayorga! Cinthya is from Nicaragua and now lives in Spain, after quitting her diplomacy career 2 years ago. We actually met in Brazil when we were both working there at our respective embassies. We don't only share a working history, but also a passion for personal growth and this is why I bro...

Expat life takes a lot of energy and just like with entrepreneurship, you also need to rely a lot on yourself. Whether it's about finding friends or mentally picking yourself up during a low, it's all down to you. That's why it's KEY to keep your energy in good shape. If you want to thrive in your expat life, you want to ensure your energy supply. In this episode I share about: - the different typ...

In this episode I share some (pretty personal!) examples of the power of community and of having a coach by your side that I saw in my life last week. Listen to this episode how I'm finding working with a coach on some deeply personal issues and on the business decision I took that just opened up SO much space. I'm realising that being so open also feels very vulnerable, but as always I hope that...

Welcoming another guest today: Claudia Arroyo - or better known as latina in The Netherlands! Claudia is Peruvian and has lived in The Netherlands for 18 years, and is famous on Instagram for making funny, relatable videos about life in the Netherlands (this is also how I got to know her!). I invited her to This Expat Life because I wanted to hear more about how she looks at the difference between...

Become the CEO of your expat life, so you can thrive abroad! I want you to thrive & flourish in your expat life - not just survive. And you can do that by adopting a CEO approach to your life abroad: think, act & feel as a modern CEO. How that looks, I share all about it in this episode, as well as the 3 pillars of becoming that CEO of your expat life. If you want to learn more, download my FREE G...

Welcoming a guest of honour to This Expat Life today: retired ambassador Kees van Rij!  Kees was a Dutch ambassador to Turkey, Spain, Greece and Brazil, and was also posted in Brussels, Peru and South Korea. I met Kees in Brazil, where we worked closely together on the topic of deforestation in the Amazon during the Bolsonaro administration - and this is when I learned a lot from him and his stron...

This is a recording of a LinkedIn stream Coco and I did on the personal & cultural dynamics of living abroad (and specifically: in The Netherlands). Listen to this bonus episode to hear more about: ✅ the Dutch directness - and their positive intention behind it ✅ how finding friends on the work floor is difficult in the Netherlands ✅ how constantly having to rely on yourself as an expat can be...

Returning home is definitely the hardest part of expat life - or at least that is what it was for me. Today, as this episode comes out, marks exactly 3 years that I returned home from Brazil 🇧🇷 And with that questionable anniversary I'm looking back on 3 very eventful years in the Netherlands. Listen to this episode to hear how change upon change rocked my boat ever since my return. It's my most p...

Another fantastic guest on the show today! I'm speaking with Puck Landewé, founder of start-up Elfin and on a mission to making women financially independent. A mission I personally very strongly support and which we also talk about at the end of this episode. But I invited Puck for another reason: and that's because she splits her time between the Netherlands, her home country & where she runs he...

In this episode I speak with Esther Grootenboer, a Dutch psychiatrist who moved to Norway with her family. Esther shares what it's like to continue her career in Norway, how living in Norway has made her more relaxed, what conscious decisions she took to start her new life, and how mindfulness has helped her in her expat journey. I really enjoyed talking to Esther and I hope you'll enjoy this epis...

Expat life isn't a stagnant line, just like normal human lives. I identified 7 typical phases that often occur, and knowing what they are about helps you to ride expat life like a smooth operator instead of a rollercoaster maniac. As always, I give practical tips as I go. Enjoy the ride!

For This Expat Life I spoke with someone who has a successful career in something I know very little about... jazz music! In this episode the Dutch, New York-based vocalist, conductor & composer Vivienne Aerts shares her story of how she built her music career in the US, plus some tips if you are dreaming of something similar. And that we would speak about chocolate from Congo, I never expected! T...

"No, you can't do that" "No, that's not for you" "No, you are too old / too young / not smart enough / not capable enough for that" Etc etc... How often do you have those thoughts when you think of something you desire or something outside your comfort zone? My guess: probably often, although you might not be aware of your thoughts. Most of us have these critical or negative thoughts. But a positi...

The one struggle that almost all expats talk about? Finding a new, fun & meaningful social circle that fits in with your life. Am I right?! But creating a community actually doesn't have to be that hard - yes, even in countries that are known for their closed culture! In this episode, global entrepreneur Marcel Wijermars shares how he has been creating communities in several countries and gives yo...

Well - a lot! In today's episode I speak with Willem van Uijen, a business friend of mine. Even though he's not an expat, I figured his 5-month(!) solo hiking trip through Europe would be an experience full of lessons useful for others too. And I wasn't disappointed during our interview! Listen to this episode to find out: - Why & how Willem took the decision to leave for 6 months - How he nearly...

This one is for you, chaotic, overwhelmed or busy expat who's travelling a lot! I've been in your shoes - when I lived in Brazil, I had trip after trip, which was a lot of fun but also generated quite some stress. In this episode I've collected 10 of my tips that have been working for me to stay sane, organised, happy & energised when you're constantly jetting off.  Hope they work for you too! And...

In today's episode I talk with Amandine P. Ruiz, one of my coachees. Living in Belgium now, the French-Panamian Amandine is an example of staying positive and what an optimistic mindset can bring you. I've always loved her positive outlook on life so I invited her to This Expat Life, as I know it can sometimes be hard to maintain that positivity while building up a new life abroad. In this intervi...

The one question I always get asked when I share my professional journey: "how did you make the leap from diplomacy to coaching?!". Well, in this episode I share everything about how I was able to quit my diplomacy career and choose to become an entrepreneur. With tips for you, as always! And could you use some guidance in taking the leap? Or in changing a situation you feel stuck in? Then get my...

Did you know I worked at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs for nearly 7 years? In this episode I share my personal experience of being a diplomat and what I like & didn't like about the job. It's hard to do it justice in just one episode and I'm talking about a few things (both positive and negative!) that stood out for me, plus my story of how I became a diplomat. I'm very curious what you th...

Tumi Sineke is a South African entrepreneur currently residing in Oslo, Norway. I loved talking to her about how she intentionally designed her new life, struggled with the challenges of being an expat of colour and what she does to make expat life easier for herself. In this episode Tumi shares many tips that even serial entrepreneurs can learn from. Find more from Tumi on Twitter ,  Instagram an...