Podcast

When you’re planning a move to a new country, there’s a lot to get your head around, and understanding how things work locally is key to quickly landing on your feet. Today’s guest is Emma Pearson, Editor of The Local France, a website covering French news, culture and practical tips on everyday life in the country.

Emma’s going to walk us through how to move to France. We cover everything from visas, to finding a job, a place to live, getting into the French healthcare system, opening a bank account and schooling options if you have kids. Think of this, as a really useful “pick your brain” session with someone who has been through it all - in Emma’s case, twice in fact.

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Just as the world was coming to grips with the seriousness of COVID-19 and countries were locking down, parts of China were getting over the worst of the pandemic and life was beginning to return to normal. This was the case when we recorded this interview with Mauricio ‘Momo’ Estrella, an Ecuadorian digital designer based in Shanghai with his wife and young son. In fact, Momo tells me that now, life is very much back to normal there.

In this chat he’s going to explain how a city of more than 24 million people handled the outbreak, and what that experience was like. We also discuss how he adjusted culturally to life in China when he first made the move a decade ago. We also chat about the country’s social credit scoring system: Momo explains why it’s not as creepy as that episode of Black Mirror makes the concept out to be!

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Where are you spending your coronavirus lockdown? Are you in a densely populated city? A smaller town, where social distancing is made that bit easier? Are you spending this time away from where you’d normally call home? Maybe you’re on your own property in the countryside, with not a soul in sight…

Danish expat Christian Graugart and his young family are spending their isolation time at home in St Barts, a small French island in the Caribbean. In this episode, Christian explains how they got there, and what lockdown life is like on a 25 square kilometre island with a pretty small population, only one supermarket and currently, no swimming allowed!

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The property market - like so many sectors right now - has slowed down as the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic. Tenants, landlords and homeowners are all feeling the pressure. Governments are being looked to for bailout packages, while people in the process of buying or selling are now working to completely unknown timelines.

We arranged this interview with today’s guest - Ugo Arinzeh, founder of Onyx Property Consultants - just before the pandemic fully hit, with the intention of sharing her insight into how the US property market works and providing tips for first-time investors there. We’re still going to talk about that, along with Ugo’s work with clients where she’s based in the UK. But she’s also going to share her thoughts on what the current crisis means for property owners; the risks and the opportunities.

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Government-mandated isolation has become the new normal for so many of us, as the world fights the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m in lockdown here in France where only essential shops remain open, and we need to carry a permission form when we leave the house which can only be for specific reasons like, going to the supermarket, the pharmacy or doing some exercise close to home.

In this episode I’m chatting to American expat Leslie Keeler Saglio about her experience with coronavirus containment where she lives in Spain. As she mentions, the situation is changing so quickly, and since we recorded this interview on Thursday the 19th of March, Spain has introduced a permission form for its citizens to be able to leave the house. The country has recorded its highest number of virus deaths in a day, and its nationwide lockdown won’t be lifted until the 11th of April at the earliest.

As a motivational speaker and life coach, Leslie has some good advice for how we can all lift our spirits and try to focus on the positives at this very difficult time.

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You might be feeling a bit paralysed by the news at the moment as the Coronavirus pandemic worsens across the world, and governments update their guidance every day. But amid the chaos, are people trying to do some good.

Volunteers in many countries are sewing masks for local hospital staff facing shortages. GoFundMe pages have been set up so we can buy coffees for people doing essential work. A new website in Australia is highlighting small businesses doing it tough that are still able to open.

And in Switzerland, an expat entrepreneur is hoping to connect communities through his new app. Slovakian Stefan Kuruc is our guest in this episode to talk about how Help’n’Trade can be used by individuals and families, to get the support they need.

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Today we’re exploring the foreigner’s experience of working in Asia, with a man who has written a book on the subject; Steve McGinnes.

Originally from England, Steve has lived and worked across the Asian continent for fifteen years, and his book combines practical advice with first-hand stories and experiences of professionals, covering topics including power, relationships, family and corruption. So whether you’re already working in Asia, looking to make the move, or just curious about some of the key cultural differences between Asian work environments and the West… I hope you enjoy this interview.

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The Coronavirus pandemic is forcing cities across the world into lockdown, and in Italy, American business owners Linda and Steve have had to close their Rome hostel, The Beehive, for the first time in 21 years.

In this episode, the couple share what the past few weeks have been like as the impact of COVID-19 set in, what support Italy is providing to business owners like themselves, and how they’re hoping to survive this very tough time.

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Mario Cacciottolo's move from the UK to Malta was very much a homecoming. He spent the first 12 years of his life in the country, and its booming economy, 300 days of sunshine a year and a desire to close some local ‘knowledge gaps’ were big motivators for him to return.

In this chat, he’s going to shed some light on what it’s like to live on this small island in the Mediterranean. You’ll find out where you can expect to land a job as a foreigner, where you should look for your first apartment, the best ways to get around, and, find out if you should bother learning Maltese in a country where English is an official language too. Mario also shares his thoughts on getting to know the locals, and explains why for him and his wife, every Friday is the start of a holiday.

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A fellow podcaster is our guest on this episode, to give you the lowdown on what it takes to set up and run your business from anywhere in the world. Sundae Bean is an American by birth and the host of the ‘Expat Happy Hour’ podcast.

Sundae is an intercultural strategist who left her corporate job in Switzerland to set up her own coaching business, working from Burkina Faso in West Africa and later, from South Africa.

In this chat, Sundae’s going to talk through:

• how she identified her ‘calling’ and her clients
• the admin that comes with working for yourself and being location independent
• time management and motivation as a solopreneur
• how she juggles clients all over the world while also carving out time for herself
• money, and earnings - what’s realistic when you’re starting out on your own

Sundae also stresses the importance of investing in yourself, and ‘doing the work’ to reach your goals.

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