Success Tips for Expat & International Careers

Expat Stories: Being Portable While Educating Global Nomads Worldwide

When searching for people to feature in my expat story series, I'm always excited to learn about successful expats who support the expat community.

Being an expat myself, I know the importance of having service providers who understand the unique challenges of expat life and are dedicated to help other expats overcome them.

Often it is not enough to just have the training and expertise to effectively solve a problem. Being able to properly address a challenge sometimes requires first hand experience and an understanding of that particular environment and ecosystem - especially when trying to find creative and sustainable solutions to situations with ever-changing and moving parts.

There are many challenges that expat families face as they move around the globe - raising children being one of the biggest. The expat community is fortunate to have a tremendous resource to support them in that journey - Rebecca Grappo.

Becky Grappo is one of those people who has the powerful combination of extensive training and personal experience - as well as a long history of success supporting expat families and their 'third culture kids' and 'global nomads' worldwide.

Becky was kind enough to take some time to share about her story both as an expat and also as a successful portable business owner. So without further ado...

Expat Stories: Songa Designs Writing a New Story for Africa

Sarah Dunigan is the co-founder of Songa Designs, a company providing a fashionable, fair trade line of innovative accessories exclusively handmade by Rwandan artisans. Each of these designs represents a collaboration among a growing network of over 150 artisans composed of individuals and women’s cooperatives.

An expat in Africa for many years who now splits her time between the U.S. and Rwanda, Sarah has graciously agreed to share her story to help inspire others who may have aspirations for building a business to support their life as well as their local communities overseas.

Sarah started her career in commercial real estate development and spent almost ten years in the field before heading in a new direction. She was drawn to East Africa in 2008 while earning an MBA in Sustainable Management and has dedicated herself to work in the region ever since. She believes strongly in reducing poverty through job creation, and is now focusing on building viable markets for skilled rural artisans through Songa Designs. 

Expat Stories: Writing her Way from the Canadian Cold to the Sun & Sand of Dubai

Anne O'Connell, originally from Canada and now living in Dubai, is a freelance writer, author, editor and trainer who has been in the PR and writing business for more than 20 years. 

Anne has been an expat since 1993 when she and her husband escaped the cold of Toronto, Canada and moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.  They enjoyed the sun and sand for 14 years, while she worked in the PR field, and then decided it was time for a new adventure.  Heading for even more sun and sand, they moved to Dubai in 2007.

Anne has graciously agree to share her story for those who are inspired to use their experience in public relations to build a career broad.

 

And with that I’ll let Anne tell her story…

Expat Stories: Acclaimed Author & Fine Art Photographer Living 'As the Romans Do'

Photography by Diane Epstein

Diane and Alan Epstein are both great examples of what is possible when you commit to facing whatever obstacles you encounter head on in order to realize your dream of living and working abroad. They went from owning a business in San Francisco to living in Rome as an acclaimed author and fine art photographer that exhibits her work worldwide.

I first met Diane during a creativity workshop she was running in the Roman countryside about 6 years ago. Her passion for creative expression and photography was obvious even then. I recall speaking with her at the workshop about her struggle with the choices she had to make to resolve her creative interests, her passion for photography and her work and training as a therapist. Fast forward to today and Diane has since gotten clear about her true passions - she is doing what she loves to do in the country she loves to do it in. 

I've been fortunate to come to know both Alan and Diane over the years. Their passion for ideas, for Italy and enjoying the richness of life in all its forms - be it through word or image - is contagious. Who they are, how they live and the life and careers they've built for themselves always remind me how much we can achieve if we truly commit to making our dreams a reality.

Diane has graciously agreed to share about her and Alan's story. So without further ado, I give you Diane... 

Expat Stories: Miss Expatria Shares about Blind Confidence, L'Amour in France, Rome & Walking Off Cliffs

Christine Cantera is a freelance writer, editor and translator, as well as the author of BootsnAll's WhyGoFrance Travel Guide.

She is also the first featured "story" in the the new "expat stories" series you'll be reading on this blog. 

 

Miss Expatria

I first "met" Christine as @MissExpatria in 2008 on twitter. She was most certainly an enabler of travel addiction back then through her Miss Expatria blog where she shares about her adventures in the south of France and with the gay mafia in Rome. She became a judge (along @michellefabio, @mybellavita and @tinatangositaly) in my Expat Snapshot contest - a contest requiring entrants (expats in Italy) to complete the sentence: “You know you are in Italy when…”. Her insights into life into life in Italy made her a valued addition to the judge's panel. 

Since then I've seen Christine publish a book on her expat adventures, Miss Expatria, as well as continue to write freelance and be featured in major media. And she's now an author for WhyGoFrance.

I admire Christine for many reasons. Her ability to paint piercingly poignant snapshots of expat life with her words. Her unabashed honesty in her sharing of experiences. And her come hell or high water commitment to building a life for herself abroad.

As part of the "Expat Stories" series, I've asked Christine to share her story of how she came to be an expat, her reflections on it and any lessons learned she'd like to share with other expats who may benefit from her words of wisdom.  So without further ado...