This Expat Life

In this episode I sit down with Josh, an experienced expat who, along with his wife Callie, has lived in various countries since 2009, including Spain, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and now Portugal.

We talk about their current challenge: investing in real estate in Portugal - something I was so curious about! Josh shares their journey of finding and renovating a property in Porto, the importance of forming a reliable team, and the motivations behind their investment decisions. This informative conversation provides valuable insights for anyone interested in expat living and real estate investment - and it definitely rekindled my dream of having my own property abroad 🤩

You can find Josh and his wife Callie on YouTube:

- https://www.youtube.com/@expatseverywhere

- https://www.youtube.com/@LetsGetBuildingWithJandK

Let us know what you think!

PS. I've opened doors to my coaching practice in The Hague, the Netherlands again. Schedule a free call to hear more!

Whoa, the past 6 months have flown by and I'm ready to return home after almost half a year in Rio de Janeiro! And, what everyone is asking me... Will I return to the marvelous city?

I recorded an open episode about my time in Rio to answer that question (and more). And when I say open, I do mean that: so you'll hear about what I struggled with, what I loved, my mistakes and lessons learned - I'm not holding back.

I'd love to hear if you recognise any of it either because you lived in Rio or because you've gone through something similar in your expat journey.

And since I'm going back to the Netherlands: in-person sessions in the Hague will now be available again!

Read more about my coaching here or schedule a free discovery call.

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 you as well (yawn).

I actually see 4 elements that you need to include in your life on a regular basis to remain grounded and to feel anchored in your forever-changing life.

Curious? Listen to this episode!

And want more?

My course Touch Base will open its doors again soon - stay tuned!

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 leadership course and a big personal challenge changed her direction drastically - and she took action on it.

Please join us in this episode, as this is one of the most beautiful interviews I've done to date. I felt goose bumps throughout the hour with Diana as she so openly tells what she struggled with and how she changed her life. This is such an inspiring episode and one that you'll want to hear!

Diana's story is not only in itself already incredibly inspiring, she also shares tips at the end if you want to find more purpose in your life - because we all reach that point sometime during our life right?

And if you want to support the talented but underprivileged children who Diana through her NGO EduMais works with, there are several ways!

You can share your money, time, talents or connections - all are welcome. Have a look here: https://edumais.org and connect with them on Instagram or LinkedIn. 

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 opportunity, this episode is for you. Keki shares valuable advice & practical tips that you can apply right away and that will enable your international career growth.

Let us know how this episode helped you!

You can connect with Keki on LinkedIn - and with me as well. 

Want more tips?

Work with me 1:1

Get grounding with me in Touch Base!

Download my free guidebook Become The CEO of Your Expat Life

Hang out with me on Instagram

Find me on YouTube

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 out of it. I know what it's like, and I've also experienced what it is like to actually be grounded, single or not. In this episode I share 7 tips that help me feel anchored in my life abroad. Useful for anyone, whether you're in a relationship or not!

And want to know when we open doors to Touch Base, my new course to help you ground in your busy expat life (single or not!)? Head over to https://www.amandamaximecoaching.com/touchbase-prio!

Want more tips?

Work with me 1:1

Get on the priority list of my new course Touch Base

Download my free guidebook Become The CEO of Your Expat Life

Hang out with me on Instagram

Find me on YouTube

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 to truly feel her emotions (instead of analysing them!), and discovered that childhood experiences still had an impact on her as an adult. 

Doing the inner work and prioritising her personal growth have led to profound transformations in Floor's life. She feels much more confident (in her business & personal life), seeks less external approval and experiences more harmony in her relationships.

If you're uncertain about what coaching can do for you and the impact it can have on your life, work, relationships, belonging and more, Floor's story will inspire you!

You can connect with Floor on LinkedIn. And you are experiencing a vague restlessness too? Book a free call with me here.

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 & authentic selves, and what we think of the dating scene as independent ambitious women.

Recognised something of your own story in ours? We'd love to hear from you! Because both Delphine and I are about creating space for all facets of life and about expression of who we truly are (the reason why we recorded this open chat).

You can find Delphine and her amazing new (free!) membership for female entrepreneurs here: https://www.instagram.com/s.h.e_base/ and http://she-base.com/.

And more about me here: https://www.amandamaximecoaching.com.

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 share 2 principles that will help you find clarity in your indecision.

And need some further help? I offer Your Next Destination, a small coaching package designed to help you make a choice. In 2 coaching sessions I'll help you clarify the thinking loops you are stuck in, so that you are more capable to make a decision aligned with what you truly want. This package is great for those who just want a little support, but don't need a full deep dive coaching journey. Book it here!

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 thoughts? Send me a DM! 

And want to dive more into this topic? My 1:1 coaching programme might be for you - have a look!