Taking an international assignment is tough. For the spouse, and the children, it’s often even tougher. But there is a service that can help. What’s more, it’s one that you can earn from. Interested …?
Nicola Meier is a coach. She specialises in helping expatriates, and especially their spouses, re-discover their lives when they follow their partner on an overseas assignment. Her company, Inspired Expat Coaching, has developed what she calls her 7-Step Re-start process. It’s not relocation; that’s what relocation companies do. It’s what happens when the relo service stops and reality kicks in with new challenges to be mastered. Could this be a new revenue stream for you?
She knows what she’s talking about. She has lived an expatriate life, moving every three years throughout Asia, America and Europe. Every time she had to manage the cultural differences and re-start her life to give it direction and meaning. “My husband’s company did support us with a moving company and most of the time with a relocation agent to find the right home and school. But then I was on my own,” she explained. “And the real journey began with questions: What is possible for me now? What do I want? How can I make that assignment one that I enjoy not endure? How can I make the guilt I feel about taking my kids out of their comfortable environment, worth it?”
Nicola has had the big job: 60-hours a week, leading million euro projects. Then there was nothing. “I could not define myself any longer by the success I had at work, instead I had to develop my own view on success.” She worked her way through it and, eventually, took charge of her life again. In so doing she realised that others were suffering in the same way. The business opportunity was obvious.
Today she provides her 7-Step Re-Start process to expatriates directly or offers the service to relocation companies that recognise that their customers often need more long-term help than their standard relo package provides.
“To see opportunities and not threats people need to take responsibility for their lives,” Nicola explained. “Do they take charge or give the responsibility to someone else? It seems scary but the moment we are in charge we can give our life the direction we want. The next step is then to get clarity about the direction for our life and how to move towards that goal – overcoming all obstacles on the way. Without that mindset of taking charge and seizing the opportunities, the assignment fails.”
If you would like to find out more about the 7-Step Re-Start process, e-mail Nicola Meier at nicolameier@inspiredexpatcoaching.com. It’s a service that your customers probably need more than they would admit to. If you team up with a coach specialising in this area this could become a value added service that many of your competitors are yet to recognise.
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