Why What I Know Can Help You: Stop Second-Guessing Yourself, Start Trusting, and Go Embrace Your Life Abroad.
Do you have an impatient desire to make MORE of your life abroad? Then Expat Empowerment Coach Camilla Quintana is your girl:
She helps global women to deeply connect with themselves and their enticing life vision, so they can stop second-guessing and start fully trusting in themselves and in the future they’re creating abroad.
Living between cultures makes us sort of hybrids, and we need to learn how to value and leverage the unique traits this gives us
Camilla Quintana
What inspired you to start pursuing this passion (of helping women thrive abroad)?
I vividly remember the moment: About 10 years ago, as a newlywed, I followed my husband back to his home country, Spain. I’d lived abroad for years before (in the UK and in Spain) and had loved reinventing and finding myself in a different context…
But this experience was completely different:
Moving at that time had not been my choice, I felt it was something I had to do. I felt a lot of pressure coming from my family in-law to do things their way, and always fell short.
While my husband was working long hours, the move had forced me to quit my job as Head of Marketing, and since I quickly got pregnant, I didn’t take on a new job. I was so underchallenged—strolling along the aisles of a huge supermarket for hours was the highlight of my days, I kid you not!
The disappointment of how differently I had envisioned this special time of my life weighed on me and I blamed it on a lot of things.
Until one day, I got my hands on books by Tony Robbins and Brian Tracy. Both wrote about taking our lives into our own hands, and making great things happen, no matter the circumstances.
To be honest, that was a new concept to me at the time, and it completely changed my mindset and outlook on life! I went on to become a certified Coach, eager to help women who felt as lost, disconnected and stuck as I did to create the fulfilling life abroad they deserve!
And that’s what I’ve been doing ever since…
What are your thoughts on living in a new country?
All these obstacles can be overcome and mastered…
Camilla Quintana
I think it’s a wonderful experience that opens your horizon, presents new opportunities, helps you grow as a person and allows you to get to know yourself more profoundly. Everyone should experience this at one point in their lives!
But life in a new country is also complex, and comes with many challenges: loneliness, adapting to a different way of life and culture, learning a new language, lacking a personal and professional network and support system…
All these obstacles can be overcome and mastered, but they are a big deal!
That’s why the Global Women who are committed to thrive abroad are truly admirable and inspiring! We don’t tend to acknowledge the efforts it takes to build a new life in a different country enough—it requires a lot of courage, strength, and grit!
What does “inspirational” mean to you?
…inspiration is contagious, so you can move others by your example, giving them hope, a roadmap and the belief that they can do it too.
Camilla Quintana
It’s a word I use a lot! I interpret it in two ways:
First, when you’re inspired, you’re intrinsically motivated to pursue a vision. Whatever you need to do, inspiration will help you find a way to do it!
Second, inspiration is contagious, so you can move others by your example, giving them hope, a roadmap and the belief that they can do it too. Mirela Sula is such a role model in this regard!
How do you help people take inspired action to accomplish their goals?
This has been my obsession for years now, and I have defined 4 crucial steps that I take my clients through in my Coaching Program:
- You must elevate your state of mind, so you can dream bigger and better and are able to access the power of inspiration I mentioned before.
- Get crystal clear on what you really want. Here, we elaborate your unique purpose manifesto that will guide you like a North Star.
- Take inspired action, which is the feminine response to our current hustle culture. It requires us to act from a place that’s aligned with our values and our vision.
We strive for efficiency, joy and replenishment and to avoid chronic stress and depletion, which women are particularly prone to. - You need to learn to become your own biggest ally throughout it all, to manage your Inner Critic and other saboteurs, and to nourish yourself from within.
You mentioned that you help women abroad live BIGGER. What is your most interesting story about helping expats achieve their goals and passions?
There are so many and that’s the reason I love working with my clients so much: they’re all highly interesting, deeply caring and intelligent women, wanting to further unfold their potential.
Like my client Bianca, an ambitious employee abroad who felt very conscious and insecure being the only woman, the only foreigner on the team.
We created a personal profile that turned her distinctiveness into her biggest asset and worked on managing the inner voices that tried to sabotage her.
She ended up asking for and receiving a big promotion and raise, but most importantly: she felt super deserving of it!
Then there’s my client Isabelle, whom I supported in the scary and vulnerable process of putting herself out there, resulting in finding the perfect part-time job—after 25 years of being a stay-at-home expat wife.
All of the success stories I was blessed to witness had one thing in common: the women dared to dream bigger, asked for help, and gave themselves permission to pursue a more fulfilled life than they deemed possible.
What have been some of the challenges that you have faced while abroad and has the insight you have gained into overcoming these challenges whilst helping other women ever helped you?
Also, the comparison trap: […]
Lacking a support system has definitely been difficult. I have 3 sons, my own business and my husband works a lot and travels. That ease of calling up family on a rainy Sunday to say, “I’m coming over with the kids!” or “Can you bring by some meds?” is something I miss a lot.
Also, the comparison trap: wanting to live up to both the expectations of where you currently live and the ones of your home country and culture. I’ve realized that doing so only sets me and my children up for failure.
Living between cultures makes us sort of hybrids, and we need to learn how to value and leverage the unique traits this gives us, instead of wanting to be more like people who have completely different circumstances and experiences.
I feel like these things are often not publicly addressed, yet when you speak to other expat women, you’ll find they’re going through these exact things. It helps to know you’re not alone with your concerns, and by helping to empower others I also empower myself.
What is your favourite way to play BIGGER with your life abroad?
I love setting new and inspiring goals for myself continuously. By pursuing them, and stepping outside my comfort zone to achieve them, I don’t just get accomplishments: I foster the trust I have in myself!
This is the foundation of a truly fulfilled and empowered life. Because when you can fully trust in yourself, you can trust that no matter what happens, you’ve got yourself, you can find a way out and you’ll be fine. Don’t ever let yourself down, keep the promises you make to yourself and treat yourself with the utmost kindness and respect.
More than a traditional goal setting, I’m inspired by concepts, words and feelings I want to foster.
For instance, in 2023 my theme will be Radical Visibility. This means something to me personally, it evokes certain feelings and I can break this down into a number of action steps. My core values, personal preferences and my big vision will guide me to choose the right ones.
What is the one thing that makes you feel most alive?
Hitting a milestone on my way to pursue my mission, which is this: to accompany, help and empower women abroad to create a life story they’ll love telling!
It’s what fuels me, what reassures me, what makes me feel significant and grateful.
The feeling I have after a transformational Coaching Session is priceless. Speaking about a topic of my expertise and passion makes me lose track of time. Connecting with like-minded women and creating a movement together is deeply gratifying!
Where do you see yourself in the coming 5 years?
Knowing whatever is considered possible today, there’s so much more—[…]
Camilla Quintana
I see myself running a thriving business, Coaching, Teaching and Speaking around the world—including the Global Woman Congress! I will have seen myself release two best-selling books, host retreats for expat women and collaborate with like-minded souls on big and exciting projects aligned with my vision.
At the same time, I see myself enjoying a perfect work-life balance, with plenty of time for my three boys, family vacations or dinner parties with friends.
Knowing whatever is considered possible today, there’s so much more—this fosters a curious excitement to find out what that will be!
Interested in exploring more from Camilla?
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