I know, grounding doesn't seem so sexy but it's KEY if you want to live a happy & fulfilling life as a busy expat. After all, there's a lot going on around you or asking of you, while you also constantly have to adapt to the new culture. To keep your energy high, to stay calm in busy times and to live from your authentic self, grounding yourself is a non-negotiable first step. And.. there's much more to grounding than the pretty lame 'do mindfulness exercises' advice that ChatGPT can give yo...
Jun 27, 2024•32 min•0Ep. 50
From jet setting around the Middle East as HR manager to finding your purpose working with kids in the favelas of Rio... Diana Nijboer made this incredible transition. Originally from the Netherlands, Diana shares her inspiring journey and what brought her to stay in Rio. Years ago, she enjoyed her exciting life in the Middle East but she realised that she was simply filling a void. She was living a successful life on the outside but felt empty on the inside. A vision that came to her during a l...
Jun 25, 2024•51 min•0Ep. 48
In this episode of This Expat Life, Amanda welcomes Keki Mwaba, founder of Expat Career Development, to discuss career advancement for international professionals. As an expat herself and having worked with dozens of expats, Keki knows first hand what kind of challenges international job seekers face. Like: selling 'gaps' on your CV, not speaking the language and where to start if you're brand new to a market?! If you're looking to shift your international career or want an international opportu...
Jun 19, 2024•28 min•0Ep. 47
Living abroad can sometimes be a challenge or just simply super exciting, taking up all your time or headspace. Places to go, a job to excel at, decisions about the future to take, contacts at home to maintain... It's easy to be 'on', busy or in your head all the time - the opposite of grounded. And while being grounded in your expat life is already a challenge, I believe it's harder as a single. Because you don't have a partner to share some of the stress or decisions with or to help you snap o...
Jun 11, 2024•43 min•0Ep. 49
Floor Oosterlee was living abroad and experiencing a vague, nagging restlessness when she saw one of my LinkedIn posts and decided to act on her intuition right away & book a call with me. Although she initially thought she needed some business coaching, she quickly realised there were more personal topics to work on. In The Coaching Journey that followed, Floor examined that restlessness and peeled away layers with every session. She found valuable insights about her patterns, learned how t...
Jun 05, 2024•46 min•0Ep. 46
Being a female globetrotter in your mid-30s with big ambitions often means you're not choosing the conventional path, which comes with both pros and cons. Fellow international entrepreneur Delphine van de Smet and I have a very open chat about how that exciting unconventional path inspires us but also has an effect on our personal lives. Tune in to hear about the importance of taking care of yourself & setting boundaries, how we both learned to be more in touch with our emotions & authen...
May 29, 2024•1 hr 1 min•0Ep. 45
Big life decisions can be difficult for anyone - but I think for expats even more! Think about it: a decision on your career automatically has impact on your location, and thus your social life, proximity to your friends, a relationships, etc etc. No wonder some expats find it hard to make a decision! I very often speak with expats who feel stuck and can't decide on their next move. Their thoughts keep going round & round in circles and they don't know what's best for them. In this episode I...
May 22, 2024•32 min•0Ep. 44
There's something I started spotting within myself and with other high-achievers who get things done... Something that has often worked well, but which might also be blocking you more than you realise. At least it did for me! Curious what it is? In this episode I share my view on it & open up how it has been manifesting in my own life - and how it could be present in yours. And as always, a few tips on what to do with it so you can ensure it keeps working in your favour. Want to share your t...
May 16, 2024•44 min•0Ep. 43
Whether you have done so many different jobs in different countries, followed your spouse so there's a gap on your CV, or find it hard to break into the local labour market: selling yourself as the next best hire can be tricky as an expat. All the more reason to build your professional personal brand online! But how exactly do you do that?! Communication strategist Ashley van Heiningen is here to help. I worked with Ashley myself to translate my coaching magic - which is so different with every ...
May 08, 2024•30 min•0Ep. 42
Before we start: I share all my woo woo practices (AND SO MUCH MORE) in my new course Touch Base! Get in for just €97 - doors close on 3 July. When I was a busy diplomat trying to excel at my career AND enjoy Brazil to the fullest, I was most of the time living in my head. My head & nervous system were always 'on' and I realised I needed a practice or habit to ground myself more. I started meditating and while this worked for me for quite some time, I abandoned the habit when life got even b...
May 01, 2024•32 min•0Ep. 41
What if you're a strong, independent woman with your own career, and your partner of 1.5 year asks you to follow him abroad? Nathalie van Haaren knows all about it. Even though she's been internationally minded from birth, she did have to adapt moving to Senegal now as the spouse of an expat. In this beautiful conversation, Nathalie shares openly and vulnerably what it meant for her identity and how she dealt with - and overcame! - the challenges. This episode is a must for anyone who moved abro...
Apr 24, 2024•32 min•0Ep. 40
I'm halfway into my 6-months stay in Rio and that got me thinking: How am I finding it? Listen to this episode to hear: - what I've been up to - how Rio has been treating me (spoiler alert: very good!) - if the fears & doubts before leaving came true - how I deal with lows when living abroad - what plans I have for my 2nd half in the marvelous city As always I'd love to hear what you thought of the podcast! Feel free to send me a DM on LinkedIn or Instagram . And want to know how I'm always ...
Apr 15, 2024•38 min•0Ep. 39
And following up on the open conversation with Tamara Stroop (see the previous episode), here's part 2... With a plot twist! We had another call about 6 weeks after we first spoke, to see how we were both doing and what had changed for us. Well, for Tamara quite a lot! Listen to this episode to hear what that was. And are you an expat who's also struggling abroad? Know that I offer a listening ear in my free discovery calls. Book yours here ....
Mar 28, 2024•42 min•0Ep. 38
Business coach Tamara Stroop and I had each just moved abroad - Tamara to Barcelona, me to Rio - and as we were talking about our experiences, we figured it would be nice to record an open conversation about journeys! This is not the usual interview but rather a candid conversation between two women in their mid-30s who decided to take a chance and enjoy life abroad. You'll hear us speak very openly about our first struggles after arriving, expensive AirBnB's, how the countries make us feel, our...
Mar 28, 2024•54 min•0Ep. 37
There's one thing that's essential if you desire a big change in your life, which is also often overlooked. If you are ready to achieve a big goal, go off the beaten track or just want to follow your heart, make sure to include this key element. It has been crucial in my own journey. Listen to the episode to know what I'm talking about!
Mar 24, 2024•46 min•0Ep. 36
As a seasoned female, latina & expat engineer in tech, Iliana Quiñonez knows what it's like to move abroad and stand out from others in the workplace. Iliana moved to the US in her 20s and through trial and error learned to adapt to - and embrace - the American work culture. Now with over 20 years of experience, this trailblazer is passionate about DEI in the work place. In this episode Iliana gives valuable and practical advice for those who live abroad but may feel like they're standing ou...
Feb 15, 2024•31 min•0Ep. 35
Today I'm sharing two personal stories of my time in London and Brazil when things were NOT going so well. An almost burnout and grief knocked me off course and looking back, I wish I had a coach by my side. Tune in to hear these stories and why I believe every expat should hire a coach at some point in their life abroad. Want to hear how my coaching could work for you? Find more here: https://www.amandamaximecoaching.com
Feb 08, 2024•41 min•0Ep. 34
Today I'm sharing my 'origin story', the story of when a perfect storm really kickstarted my personal growth and made me the person & coach I am today. This is my most personal story as of yet and I'm sharing it in the hopes that it might inspire you. Listen how returning back home, grief, a pandemic, heartache and a coaching training all at once nearly broke me - but in hindsight, really resurrected me. What's your origin story?
Feb 01, 2024•47 min•0Ep. 33
It's one of the things every expat at some point struggles with: friendships. It may be hard to find them abroad, to maintain your friendships back home, or to stay connected to new friends as you or they move again. But here is Sarah Siegert, expat friendship coach who's dealt with all of the above herself. Having moved abroad to the UK for her partner, she found herself feeling lonely as it struggled making new friends. After applying techniques she learned in coaching, she was able to turn he...
Jan 25, 2024•38 min•0Ep. 32
When I shared that I was moving to Rio I got the same questions over and over again.. Some of which even made me laugh! In this episode I answer them all, also hoping to inspire you to make a similar move, whether that's to Rio or elsewhere. Listen to this episode to know: - Why I chose Rio - If I'm going to work there - Why 6 months - If I still have a lot of friends here - What visa I'm on - What happened to my cats Let me know if this episode helped you in any way and if you have any other qu...
Jan 15, 2024•36 min•0Ep. 31
Expats do one thing more often than those who stay at home: moving! I feel like organising & clutter are relevant topics for expats simply because they have to go through their belongings more often than others. And plus, all the things you keep because they remind you of when you lived in country X... Because I struggle immensely myself with decluttering and organising (😅), I've invited professional organiser Manuela Weiss on the show. Manuela is Brazilian, has lived in Italy and is curren...
Dec 28, 2023•34 min•0Ep. 30
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 question mark 😩 I'm craving some unconditionality around my favourite holiday so that I don't need to ...
Dec 21, 2023•28 min•0Ep. 29
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 next year, so that I can really live my best year yet.
Dec 12, 2023•47 min•0Ep. 28
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, Nyna shares how she got started and what you can do to make LinkedIn your professional playground. B...
Nov 02, 2023•52 min•0Ep. 27
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 practical tips she has to help families feel at home abroad. If you would like to know more about B...
Oct 26, 2023•34 min•0Ep. 26
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 moves. Like my tips? 🚀 Take a look at my coaching 😎 Follow me on Instagram 🫶 Or leave a review ab...
Oct 12, 2023•44 min•0Ep. 25
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 brought her on the show! Tune in to listen to Cinthya about: - the not very pleasant state of being in ...
Oct 11, 2023•46 min•0Ep. 24
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 types of energy that I see - what I do when one of them is lacking - my non-negotiables to keep my ener...
Sep 25, 2023•47 min•0Ep. 23
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 my experiences inspire you in some way. Enjoy this episode!
Sep 18, 2023•48 min•0Ep. 22
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 the Netherlands and Peru / Latin America. And I loved her answers. Listen to this episode to hear h...
Sep 11, 2023•50 min•0Ep. 21
