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 Guidebook to becoming the CEO of your expat life ....
Sep 03, 2023•41 min•0Ep. 20
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 strong experience in diplomacy. In this extra long episode, Kees talks about what diplomacy really is abou...
Aug 24, 2023•1 hr 13 min•0Ep. 19
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 really tiring ✅ and of course our Success Beyond Borders event on 13 September in Amsterdam!...
Aug 18, 2023•37 min•0Ep. 18
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 personal episode as of yet. And... I have an exciting announcement at the end! Here are the things ...
Aug 16, 2023•49 min•0Ep. 17
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 her business, and Switzerland, the country of her fiancé & where she finds peace in the mounta...
Aug 10, 2023•36 min•0Ep. 16
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 episode too! If you want to know more about Esther and her online courses, take a look at her website ....
Aug 04, 2023•33 min•0Ep. 15
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!
Jul 26, 2023•35 min•0Ep. 14
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! Tune in to hear how she is linking this to her music and why it's so important to her. --- Vivien...
Jul 20, 2023•35 min•0Ep. 13
"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 positive, empowering mindset is KEY if you want to take a big step or create the life of your dreams. In t...
Jul 12, 2023•28 min•0Ep. 12
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 you his 3 steps so you can start your community too. We actually didn't make the 3rd step explicit...
Jul 03, 2023•35 min•0Ep. 11
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 traded chasing goals at home for chasing goals on the road - but then completely changed his min...
Jun 27, 2023•43 min•0Ep. 10
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 want more tips? Sign up for my weekly-ish Air Mail !...
Jun 13, 2023•31 min•0Ep. 9
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 interview we talk about the importance of positivity, believing that the good will happen, daily habits, fi...
May 30, 2023•30 min•0Ep. 8
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 new training The Expat's Path ! In this 30-min video training & workbook you will discover where...
May 18, 2023•31 min•0Ep. 7
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 think of this episode, especially if you are or were a diplomat as well. Make sure to leave a revi...
Apr 17, 2023•42 min•0Ep. 6
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 and TikTok . Liked this episode? Please leave a review or rating! This will help us grow our community ...
Mar 21, 2023•44 min•0Ep. 5
"I wish I had known this when I lived in Brazil!" was my thought after interviewing Coco Hofs. Coco explains so clearly that your personal preferences and cultural roots determine how you perceive another culture - and that two different cultures can look at a third culture in a completely different way, as they each value different things. Understanding your own preferences and those of the culture you're living in or working with, will therefore save you a LOT of time and frustration. Coco rea...
Mar 02, 2023•54 min•0Ep. 4
In this episode I speak with online entrepreneur - and my personal example - Celine Charlotte. Celine has been a huge inspiration for me not only when I started my business, but also when I made the leap from diplomacy to entrepreneurship and started living life on my terms. And this is what I love about Celine and her courses: she shares life & business lessons just as easily and offers a strong combination of mindset shifts and practical tips, helping you to really make a change in your li...
Mar 02, 2023•28 min•0Ep. 3
With my 7+ years of experience living abroad and my knowledge as an expat coach… What would I do now if I were to start over again as an expat in a new country? In this episode I share the 10 things I’d focus on when building a new life abroad. Want more of this? In Expat Life School we look at those 10 things and MUCH more so you can create your best life abroad, aligning it with your needs & dreams. People are talkin’.... “Expat Life School offers something for everyone” “The combination o...
Feb 13, 2023•29 min•0Ep. 2
Kicking off the start of This Expat Life with one crucial aspect of a thriving life abroad: finding friends and building a new social circle! In this episode I’ll tell you how easy and not so easy finding friends has been for me in my 7+ years abroad and back home again. I’ll share the 3 key principles I’ve used to connect with new people and to build a strong community, and you’ll also get some practical tips on how & where to meet new friends. Want my cheatsheet with additional tips? Downl...
Feb 13, 2023•34 min•0Ep. 1
For all expats & globetrotters across the world, This Expat Life is your place to find real understanding and grow from the inside out. First episodes coming live on Friday 10 February - stay tuned!
Jan 31, 2023•1 min0
