Who am I

Serial expat around the world for 25 years I have spent my life looking for new opportunities to discover this "passion" that everyone talks about... In every country I have tried whatever comes my way: from jewelry design, to painting, to adding up business and interior design degrees online. I must admit that I always did it with a lot of curiosity and enthusiasm, I was very happy but I never managed to be passionate enough to make it a "real business". Because yes, let's face it, when someone asks you the killer question: "what are you doing?" By default, you see yourself judged, since you rarely have a Powerpoint presentation to present a 7-8 figure business… 

But things evolve... A few years ago, during a conversation, I had a trigger that led me to value my life as an expat woman, wife, mother and friend. I suddenly realized how happy I was in my daily life, how much I appreciated my freedom, I didn't want to change anything, I didn't want to give anything up... In fact, I realized that it was my life that I was building with passion! It was there that I had to focus and develop what I had in my hands. I no longer needed to look elsewhere... I was fulfilled by all the activities I was undertaking: meeting people, discovering cultures, learning languages and even if this life is full of pitfalls, I enjoy finding solutions. This life had built me up, made me authentic and optimistic. This awareness helped me to feel good and at peace with myself. Other people's opinions were just opinions, what I saw to this day was an accomplished woman with a beautiful family, healthy children, rich in experiences and full of ambitions. 

Following this episode, I thought about how to use all these years of expatriate life experiences. If until then I thought I had a giant hole on my CV, I started to convert those years into a unique richness, a unique experience. My experience would become useful to many current or future expatriates who would go through similar life patterns as mine. Suddenly, I had gold in my hands. 

But before reaching out to others, I started by completing a coaching course. If this training was meant to teach me how to guide others to bring out the best in themselves, I was the one who benefited from this training first. I have grown from it, this path of life has opened many doors and made me meet like-minded people who have inspired me a lot. 

Very quickly, I realized that I had found my way, I woke up excited about my day, I had a strength that guided me. More and more I felt useful, those around me saw me becoming more grounded and confident. In fact, I had identified my mission: to help expats realize that this life is also an opportunity to become the person you want to be, that all these life changes, if well managed, are gifts of life. Also, through this evolution and thanks to my coaching studies I was beginning to be able to give back to the expat community what it had offered me so much during all these years. 

And then Covid hit, my husband who was posted in India came back (after 4 years of split family), both kids were studying from home, there were no more after school activities... and suddenly I had nothing to do, I was getting bored and thinking too much (LOL)... Due to a combination of coincidences, I wrote my first book. A book that, during my expatriation years, I would have liked to read too, to feel less alone, to realize that despite all our differences, all expat women feel very similar emotions. A positive book, which talks about all the practical and psychological aspects of expatriate life. A book that, thanks to real coaching questions, invites you to reflect on your own situation. Today this book is my way of accessing all expatriate communities and rather than helping one person at a time, I help any number of them. Imagine my joy! 

Fortunately Covid has slowly faded away and for almost 2 years now I have joined Navine Eldesouki, founder of Coffee With An Expat, a group of expat women extraordinarily rich in diversity, culture, and life experiences. I had finally gained enough confidence in my life to dare to accept responsibility for a working group with Hala Gabr: Business & Development. Hala was a wonderful encounter that I probably would never have made if I had not joined CWAE. In addition to having developed a beautiful friendship, Hala and I join our knowledge to develop working sessions that help other members clarify their personal and professional projects and bring them to life.  

Today, I am constantly coming up with new ideas related to the world of expatriation, but my priority is to anticipate my husband's approaching retirement and the children's departure abroad for their studies... I look forward to seeing you in the near future!

By Florence Reisch

@coachingwiththeflo
www.coachingwiththeflo.com