Success Tips for Expat & International Careers

Expat Entrepreneurs: A Portable Career Supporting a Life Abroad & Artists Worldwide

I recently wrote about the research of Ernst & Young and their model for exceptional entrepreneurial leaders. Their research identified the top (personal brand) attributes and skills of the most successful entrepreneurial leaders worldwide. Given we are CEOs of our own careers in the new world of work, this list is applicable to today's most successful professionals and executives as well.

In this and future posts I'll be featuring expat professionals and entrepreneurial leaders that demonstrate those critical factors for success abroad as well as some additional qualities I've added based on research on success across cultures. 

This particular expat entrepreneur's personal brand definitely includes many of these attribute and skills as you'll soon see as you read this interview and learn more about his fantastic project. Being a big believer in the power of art to inspire and transform, I'm a big fan of Naysawn Naderi, founder of ArtSumo.com. But I'll let him tell you more...

 

Naysawn, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I think of myself as a Canadian engineer who is aspiring to be a global entrepreneur. I joined Microsoft right out of university, and spent the next four years in Seattle, Washington developing and releasing Microsoft Test Professional, speaking at conferences around the world, and drinking free soda in the Microsoft Commons. After four years in corporate life, I decided to start Art Sumo and travel the world in search of incredible art finds. Art Sumo is my first venture.

 

Expat Careers & Businesses: Personal Brand Attributes of the Most Successful CAN be Nurtured

Entrepreneurs are the source of most job creation, economic growth and innovation in the world. They are critical players in the global economy and their role in generating prosperity and growth across the globe continues to increase. 

Ernst & Young, founders of the prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year Program, realized that there was no universal definition of entrepreneurship or a definitive list of traits and behaviors of the world's most successful entrepreneurial leaders. They decided to use current research, in-depth interviews with winners of Entrepreneur of the Year Program, and a survey of 685 entrepreneurs worldwide to build a model and remedy that problem.

The results of their work - a look at the personal brand attributes and skills of successful entrepreneurial leaders from around the world - is a report entitled, "Nature or nurture? Decoding the DNA of the entrepreneur".

Expat Careers & Businesses: The Next Issue of Personal Branding Magazine is Out (Download Sample)

I received an advance copy of Volume 4, Issue 4 of the Personal Branding Magazine from Dan Schawbel and his team at the magazine. Once again they've done a fantastic job of getting thought leaders in their field to share their thoughts on the topic of personal branding.

The focus of my work is helping expats leverage their personal brand and online identity to help the build a successful career or business abroad. Hence I consider learning more about personal branding a must do whether you are building or managing your expat career or portable business.

This issue is focused on CEO branding strategies, leadership and corporate culture. Leading CEOs from across multiple industries are interviewed, including Deloitte and Campbells, to present multiple perspectives on personal branding from the top down. The strength of the CEO brand can be attributed to the overall success of a company, regardless of size. Employees look to the CEO for guidance, leadership and personality. 

There are interviews with Doug Conant, CEO of Campbells, Jim Quigley, CEO of Deloitte, Bob Taylor, CEO of Taylor Guitars, Sam Calagione, CEO of Dogfish Head and Brian Halligan, CEO of Hubspot. 

Although the fully paid issue (25 articles) will not be available until May 1st, you can download a sample issue (9 articles) right now here: Personal Branding Magazine Sample Issue.

EXPAT CAREER & BUSINESS SUCCESS TIP: Download the Personal Branding Magazine Sample Issue and learn more about the power of building your personal brand online for expat career and business success abroad.

 

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For American Expats: It's April 15th - Have You Paid the Tax Man?

For my American expat readers - expat professionals and entrepreneurs alike - today is a dreaded day for many. Taxes are due. Some of you may still be scrambling to get something out. Others comforted in knowing you've gotten it all in on time and are looking forward to those refund checks (hopefully).

In honor of this day, I decided to conduct an interview with a taxes expert who caters to the unique tax challenges of expats, Vincenzo Villamena of onlinetaxman.com. 

I'd first like to thank Vincenzo for taking the time to answer a few questions.

The Future Looks Portable: Portable Careers Allow the Expat Do What They Enjoy While Living Where They Want

THE PORTABLE CAREER

A portable career is a career that you can take with you, wherever you go. It can gracefully move with you to a new city or new country - be it for several months or several years.

A portable career gives you more freedom to choose where you want to live and work, and helps you maintain a professional identity rather than starting over professionally every time you move somewhere new. It gives you more flexibility to organize your work to support your lifestyle, and can actually help you work less so you can enjoy life more. The portable career is rooted in the idea that you can live where you want and do what you enjoy at the same time.

 

WHY A PORTABLE CAREER?

You live or desire to live in a country where:

• You don't speak the language which makes you ineligible for most jobs.

• You don't have, or it is incredibly difficult to get, a work permit.

• You have specific credentials that are not accepted or recognized.

• There is little or no demand for your specific skill set so there are few to no work opportunities available.

• Salary levels are such that you cannot support your family and desired lifestyle.

Other reasons include:

• You want continuity in your professional life. Due to a spouse working for the foreign service or company with locations abroad, you move every few years. This requires you to start over professionally in a new place every time you move - a stressful and often frustrating process.

• You want to travel and experience the world. You want the freedom to come and go as you like. This may mean 3 months in one country, 3 weeks in another, and 3 days in yet another.

The first six items on this list seem to suggest that a portable career is a workable solution for dealing with some very difficult and specific challenges. Indeed, this is true.

However more and more I believe that people will be pursuing portable careers for the remaining item on the list - freedom and desire to live where they want while making a living doing what they enjoy. Both technological advances and marketplace demands are making pursuing a portable career a more viable and accessible choice to those with a preference for an international lifestyle.