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Have you ever thought about telling your expat story – sharing your international journey, the highs and lows, the insights and learning gained along the way?

This is exactly what 20 brave ladies did when Louise Ross invited them to contribute to her latest book: Women Who Walk: How 20 Women from 16 Countries Came to Live in Portugal.

In this podcast episode Louise shares what she learnt from these amazing stories. So much of what Louise shared in terms of common themes and insights resonated with me (the other Louise). What about you?

What also struck home was the value of really listening – giving people the time and space to talk about their experiences and journeys. Louise shares this quote from Barack Obama:

“I learned that if you listen hard enough, everybody’s

got a sacred story, an organising story of who they are and what their place in

the world is. And they are willing to share it with you if they feel as if you

actually care about it. And that ends up being the glue around which

relationships are formed, and trust is formed, and communities are formed. And

ultimately, that’s the glue around which democracies work.”

Often, we may ‘think’ we know people without really understanding their full stories. To be truly listened to and ‘heard’ is a becoming an unusual occurrence in this fast-paced technological world.

And yet, offering a listening ear is one of the easiest things we can do. I hope this conversation inspires you to listen and give someone you know the gift of being truly heard.

NOTE: This episode has focused on women’s stories because this was the focus of Louise’s current book. Louise is currently writing her next book and this will tell the stories of 20 men who have all come to be living in Portugal. Both male and female stories matter equally of course!

Enjoy this fascinating conversation where Louise shares:

* What she learned from these diverse stories.* The personal benefit of documenting our own stories irrespective of whether we share them.* The personal strengths and characteristics that Louise recognised in the personal stories – I am sure you will relate.* The themes that bubbled up through the stories – many that you will recognise.* What motivates people to move once, settle and then decide to uproot and move on again? Link to the article mentioned HERE* The value of recording our stories so that others can benefit from our experience and lessons.

Interview with Louise Ross: Author of Women Who Walk: How 20 Women from 17 Countries Came to Live in Portugal

Interested in writing your own story?

Download the show notes to find questions from Louise to get you started. Why not join the closed

* Download the Full Transcript HERE* Download the Show Notes HERE* Sign up to receive regular podcast news HERE

Relocating internationally can leave us feeling somewhat powerless and perhaps a little disappointed when we find that resources or services that we seek are not available.

We then have two choices, either we accept the situation and adjust and live with it, or we look for a solution. Lucy Chow generally prefers the second option saying:

“I very honestly believe that the onus is on us as individuals to seek out and find what we need, or to bring it in..”

Lucy Chow’s energy and positivity shines through in this conversation. 

Canadian by birth, expat by nature, entrepreneur by profession, Lucy has lived all over the world, and for the past ten years has been living in Dubai. Lucy and her family feel a really strong connection and involvement to Dubai and its growth and development:

“UAE is a very young country. It’s not even 50 years old yet. And, by virtue of the fact of us having lived here, for over a decade, that means we have been very much a part of the Dubai story, if you will, and the growth. So, we’ve been here for a fifth and, you know, probably going forward longer for the lifetime of a country and I think it’s very rare to have that ability to contribute to building a place and an ecosystem.”

As a passionate entrepreneur and Angel Investor, Lucy is active in many aspects of Dubai’s business and entrepreneurial future. In this podcast episode Lucy tells us what it is like to live in Dubai, from an everyday practical, family and educational perspective providing useful tips and advice for those considering relocating to Dubai – first 20 minutes of the podcast. 

Lucy shares an exciting project that her son, Max, initiated to celebrate Canada’s 150thanniversary which, built a connection between his life in Dubai and Canada – all using the online game Minecraft. A fantastic initiative, and one that many schools and expat families could use to help their children build connections between the different locations in which they have lived – Listen at minute 24:25 to learn more. 

Continuing with this ‘building’ theme, Lucy strongly believes in being proactive in the way she contributes to her community. Lucy had an idea for supporting children in her sons’ school to begin to build their entrepreneurial muscle, and was invited to help create one of his schools ‘Pursuit’ topics, structured around the subject of entrepreneurship – listen to her story at minute 28:30

The questions we ask ourselves will shape our lives – here are some suggestions prompted by today’s podcast:

Re Dubai:

* What have you learned about life in Dubai that is helpful? What action will you take as a result that will help you to make an informed decision about relocating to Dubai? Chapter Five in my book is all about making an informed decision. Pick up a copy HERE.

* What additional questions do you have? Post your questions on the

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The core element of support for international employees when sent on assignment is the assignment policy. This details the range of support that the organisation will provide to assist employees through the relocation process and in their new life abroad.

In this interview I speak to Susan Gregory, HR Consultant at LSS Relocation about good policy design and communication.

The interview will be a valuable listen for you if you are:

* An HR or global mobility professional responsible for administering, designing or communicating assignment policies.

* An employee who is considering embarking on an international assignment and wants to know more about how their company may define benefit levels and design their overall support package. If you would like to learn more about the global mobility function and how they will work to support your international relocation, chapter four of my book: THRIVING ABROAD: The definitive guide to professional and personal relocation success, will be helpful.

In this conversation we talk about:

* What employers should think about when balancing the cost of support for international relocation and the benefit to the employee and family.

* The importance of having clarity regarding policy objectives, assignee expectations, outcomes and organisational values.

* How employees can help themselves when it comes to longer term planning and what comes next after an assignment.

* The value or not – of lump sum benefits and policy flexibility.

* How best to communicate assignment support to employees.

* Addressing the accompanying partners needs and expectations

* Why it pays to validate your assumptions.

You can connect with Susan Gregory via LSS Relocation’s website HERE

You can buy a copy of the book: THRIVING ABROAD: The definitive guide to professional and personal relocation success HERE and access the free accompanying workbook HERE