Hi Everyone, I hope you having a wonderful week! I'm back from last week's trip to Japan and wanted to share some expat links I have tweeted recently that might interest you...
A Beautiful Look at Pinterest From Expat Travel Writer Christine Gilbert
http://bit.ly/x6Lbiy
Women Move Into Asia’s Corner Offices: NY Times Talks To The Female CEO of Ogilvy Greater China
http://nyti.ms/xcspF9
Telegraph Expat Talks to Expat Ali Meehan, Founder of the Costa Women Network in Spain
http://tgr.ph/zBRb4A
New Trailer For Expat Film: Shanghai Calling [Video]
http://bit.ly/wFePxb
Looking for a Job Abroad? Learn from American Expat in Sweden, Kate Reuterswärd
http://bit.ly/wCpesx
How Expat Annabel Candy Got Headhunted for a Jaunt to Japan
http://su.pr/ABpgzN
Consultants Help Turn Frequent-Flier Awards Into Tickets
http://t.co/yhYtULIS
New Off-The-Beaten-Path Tour in N.Korea Comes With Big Price Tag
http://bit.ly/wURu4P
Why Do The UAE's Expats Know So Little About The UAE?
http://tgr.ph/xLGEAo
Last Chance! Explorer Publishing's Competition for UAE Residents:
"Could You Be The Next Ultimate UAE Explorer?"
http://bit.ly/w1DWFM
Not related to being an expat, but my favorite video from last week:
The CIA Loves Facebook [Brilliant Tongue-In-CheekVideo!]
http://bit.ly/z2oLbM
And finally, some expat wisdom from Expat Lingo's Jen Brown...
"There are always hard days,but here’s the secret no one dares tell the ones back home: we’re the lucky ones"
***
To follow me in 'real time' and keep up with even more great expat links on Twitter, please click here.
Showing posts with label annabel candy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label annabel candy. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Missed Some Great Expat Links on Twitter? (March 6-7 edition)
If you reading this blog post online and you are not already an Expat Women member, please support us and sign up here to receive our monthly, motivational newsletters.
Thanks for your support and I wish you a sensational day/evening! Andrea @andreaexpat
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Meet Annabel Candy – Expat, Web Designer, Copywriter and Travel Fiend
Hi Everyone, You may recall that when we launched our book Expat Women: Confessions - 50 Answers to Your Real-Life Questions about Living Abroad last May, several kind women donated prizes for our launch competition. Today, we would like to introduce you to one of those wonderful women...
Meet Annabel Candy – Web Designer, Copywriter & Travel Fiend
Two years ago, Brit Annabel Candy was experimenting as a blogger and set up a travel blog called Get In the Hot Spot. Since then, Annabel's blog has grown exponentially and Annabel even scored a free trip to Shanghai, courtesy of Coca Cola!
Expat Women: Annabel, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Annabel: I was born in the UK and I have lived in France, Laos, Zimbabwe, the USA, New Zealand, Costa Rica and now in Queensland, Australia. I have been a web copywriter and web designer for 17 years, and currently run an Internet marketing company called Mucho (with clients in Australia, New Zealand, North America, Europe and Africa).
Growing up, I always dreamed of living in a hot tropical place by the sea and I am so grateful I actually do. I work from home and live with my husband and our three school-aged kids. It is quite chaotic, but the beauty is that we can always escape to the nearby beach when we need some down time.
Expat Women: How did you come to be living in Australia?
Annabel: My husband and I owned our own web design and copywriting business in New Zealand and our three kids were born there. But we are both travellers and yearned to hit the road again. It took us a while to pluck up courage, but when our youngest child was two, we sold our house, along with most of our belongings, and moved to Central America.
We did not speak Spanish at first and had never been there before, so most of our friends thought we were crazy. We lived in the jungles of Costa Rica for 18 months with no Internet. We loved it but schooling the kids was hard (we had to buy desks for the classroom) and of course we could not do any web design work without the Internet! It was a great experience but in the end we decided to move to Australia instead - it had the warm weather and the Internet.
Expat Women: Why did you start blogging?
Annabel: I started because I wanted to learn about blogging and have a creative outlet for my writing (that was not anonymous like my normal web copywriting work was). I started blogging before I left New Zealand (but the blog was understandably on hold while I was without Internet in Costa Rica). It was 2006, and in my first blog post I wrote that I was going to: "Stare fear in the face and overcome my fear of being read, the fear that my writing would be judged." I never wrote another blog post for three years!
Expat Women: So what inspired you to pick up blogging again in 2009?
Annabel: I decided to give it another go. This time, I was determined to stick with it, even though at first, it was depressing because no one was reading my blog. However, slowly but surely, I started to connect with readers and get subscribers.
I started guest posting on other people's blogs and that helped grow my blog faster. Then, after I had been blogging for one year, Coca-Cola got in touch and paid for me to go to a social media conference in Shanghai (!) because they liked my writing. That was a real breakthrough moment because finally I felt that all the effort I had put into my blog was being recognized.
Expat Women: But is guest-posting just giving away your best content for free?
Annabel: I have learnt to stop thinking of guest posting as "giving away" my best work and start thinking of it as free prime time advertising. I am proud to say that my writing has now been featured on some of the biggest blogs on the Internet, like Problogger, Copyblogger and Zen Habit - and that has helped me grow my blog more than anything else. It has also been an excellent way for me to connect with new readers and raise my profile.
Expat Women: Do you make money from your blog?
Annabel: My core business is web design and copywriting, but blogging has helped me get clients all over the world, which is a huge benefit because I live in a holiday area with limited business opportunities otherwise.
In New Zealand I could never get a job unless I met the client. But blogging has helped me get clients all over the world. Not because of my qualifications (I do have an MA in Design for Interactive Media) or experience, but because of the personal experiences and stories I shared on my blog.
Now, I also sell my own e-book about blogging and promote other people's products, so blogging has allowed me to increase and diversify my income in these ways as well.
Another benefit: I can now also pick and choose what work I do. I have reached a point where I only do jobs that I enjoy and work with people that I like, which is a real luxury. For example, I just got a travel writing job for our local tourism board, where I go for a massage or try a new beauty treatment, then write about it for them. How good is that? :)
Expat Women: Do you have any advice for other bloggers and writers?
Annabel
But success with anything depends on perseverance, so my advice is stick with blogging, if you enjoy it, even when you want to give up.
Do not expect to see any results for a year or so, but promise yourself that you will keep updating your blog at least weekly. Blogging is an art, not a science. So keep blogging, keep experimenting and have fun with it!
Annabel Candy shares her travel stories and personal writing at Get In the Hot Spot. Or find her blogging tips and blogging book at Successful Blogging.
Thanks Annabel! Andrea
Meet Annabel Candy – Web Designer, Copywriter & Travel Fiend
Expat Women: Annabel, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Annabel: I was born in the UK and I have lived in France, Laos, Zimbabwe, the USA, New Zealand, Costa Rica and now in Queensland, Australia. I have been a web copywriter and web designer for 17 years, and currently run an Internet marketing company called Mucho (with clients in Australia, New Zealand, North America, Europe and Africa).
Growing up, I always dreamed of living in a hot tropical place by the sea and I am so grateful I actually do. I work from home and live with my husband and our three school-aged kids. It is quite chaotic, but the beauty is that we can always escape to the nearby beach when we need some down time.
Expat Women: How did you come to be living in Australia?
Annabel: My husband and I owned our own web design and copywriting business in New Zealand and our three kids were born there. But we are both travellers and yearned to hit the road again. It took us a while to pluck up courage, but when our youngest child was two, we sold our house, along with most of our belongings, and moved to Central America.
We did not speak Spanish at first and had never been there before, so most of our friends thought we were crazy. We lived in the jungles of Costa Rica for 18 months with no Internet. We loved it but schooling the kids was hard (we had to buy desks for the classroom) and of course we could not do any web design work without the Internet! It was a great experience but in the end we decided to move to Australia instead - it had the warm weather and the Internet.
Expat Women: Why did you start blogging?
Annabel: I started because I wanted to learn about blogging and have a creative outlet for my writing (that was not anonymous like my normal web copywriting work was). I started blogging before I left New Zealand (but the blog was understandably on hold while I was without Internet in Costa Rica). It was 2006, and in my first blog post I wrote that I was going to: "Stare fear in the face and overcome my fear of being read, the fear that my writing would be judged." I never wrote another blog post for three years!
Expat Women: So what inspired you to pick up blogging again in 2009?
Annabel: I decided to give it another go. This time, I was determined to stick with it, even though at first, it was depressing because no one was reading my blog. However, slowly but surely, I started to connect with readers and get subscribers.
I started guest posting on other people's blogs and that helped grow my blog faster. Then, after I had been blogging for one year, Coca-Cola got in touch and paid for me to go to a social media conference in Shanghai (!) because they liked my writing. That was a real breakthrough moment because finally I felt that all the effort I had put into my blog was being recognized.
Expat Women: But is guest-posting just giving away your best content for free?
Annabel: I have learnt to stop thinking of guest posting as "giving away" my best work and start thinking of it as free prime time advertising. I am proud to say that my writing has now been featured on some of the biggest blogs on the Internet, like Problogger, Copyblogger and Zen Habit - and that has helped me grow my blog more than anything else. It has also been an excellent way for me to connect with new readers and raise my profile.
Expat Women: Do you make money from your blog?
Annabel: My core business is web design and copywriting, but blogging has helped me get clients all over the world, which is a huge benefit because I live in a holiday area with limited business opportunities otherwise.
In New Zealand I could never get a job unless I met the client. But blogging has helped me get clients all over the world. Not because of my qualifications (I do have an MA in Design for Interactive Media) or experience, but because of the personal experiences and stories I shared on my blog.
Now, I also sell my own e-book about blogging and promote other people's products, so blogging has allowed me to increase and diversify my income in these ways as well.
Another benefit: I can now also pick and choose what work I do. I have reached a point where I only do jobs that I enjoy and work with people that I like, which is a real luxury. For example, I just got a travel writing job for our local tourism board, where I go for a massage or try a new beauty treatment, then write about it for them. How good is that? :)
Expat Women: Do you have any advice for other bloggers and writers?
Annabel
But success with anything depends on perseverance, so my advice is stick with blogging, if you enjoy it, even when you want to give up.
Do not expect to see any results for a year or so, but promise yourself that you will keep updating your blog at least weekly. Blogging is an art, not a science. So keep blogging, keep experimenting and have fun with it!
Annabel Candy shares her travel stories and personal writing at Get In the Hot Spot. Or find her blogging tips and blogging book at Successful Blogging.
Thanks Annabel! Andrea
Monday, June 6, 2011
And the Winners of the Expat Women Book Launch Competition are...
Hi Everyone, We're delighted to announce the winners of our first Expat Women book launch competition for our new motivational book, Expat Women: 50 Answers to Your Real-Life Questions about Living Abroad. The winners, and their fantastic prizes are...
Prize 1: Career, Recruitment and/or Personal Branding Coaching - Valued at US$1,010!
Winner = Carrie Shearer!
Lois Freeke
Lois Freeke is an award-winning recruitment manager and career and personal branding strategist. She helps expats, executives and entrepreneurs manage their careers and effectively differentiate themselves for career and business success.
Prize 2: Personal Branding, Career or Executive Coaching – Valued at US$900!
Winner = Andrea Cummings!
Career by Choice Expat Career and Personal Branding Coaching (Megan Fitzgerald)
Megan Fitzgerald helps expats seeking inspiration and a sense of purpose draw out "untapped expertise" to become highly visible, sought after and land work abroad. She works with these global minded professionals and entrepreneurs to find what they do best to build careers that fit who they are and the life they want to live overseas.
Prize 3: Career and/or Executive Coaching – Valued at US$660!
Winner = Heidi Reyes!
Winner = Heidi Reyes!
Clear Horizon Coaching (Rebecca Wells)
Clear Horizon Coaching provides career advancement and personal branding coaching for senior and middle management executives. Clear Horizon Coaching helps you raise your profile and get ahead at work in 2011.
Prize 4: Career Coaching – Valued at US$500!
Winner = Heather Detrick!
Winner = Heather Detrick!
Zest and Zen International Coaching (Anne Egros)
Global Career and Life Coach, Anne Egros, specializes in helping global executives, international managers and expatriates developing their international career. She helps her clients to have a successful expat life and provides support for transition management.
Prize 5: Blogging Consultation and Free eBook, Audio Book and More – Valued at US$499!
Winner = Gry Tina Tinde!
Winner = Gry Tina Tinde!
Successful Blogging (Annabel Candy)
Successful Blogging teaches small business owners and writers how to tap into the power of blogging to market their business or build a platform for their writing.
Prize 6: Writing Coaching – Valued at US$480!
Winner = Nicole Göksel!
Winner = Nicole Göksel!
Summertime Publishing (Jo Parfitt)
Jo Parfitt is the author of 28 books and runs Summertime Publishing. She specializes in helping new expat writers to get into print and loves empowering others to find their story and their voice.
Prize 7: Passport Career database access (3 months) – Valued at US$395!
Winner = Cynthia Woods!
Winner = Cynthia Woods!
Passport Career (Susan Musich)
Passport Career is a dynamic global job search tool (with loads of useful information) for organizations to support accompanying partners of international assignees.
Prize 8: Expatriate Life Coaching – Valued at US$300!
Winner = Genevieve Faith!
Winner = Genevieve Faith!
Live Life Now Coaching (Nicola McCall)
Live Life Now Coaching specializes in coaching for expatriate life and work issues. It aims to improve the fulfilment of employees, families and employers during expatriate assignments. Happier expatriates make happier employees, families and successful assignments!
Prize 9: Amazon Kindle (WiFi) – Valued at US$156!
Winner = Carole Mobbs!
Winner = Carole Mobbs!
Amazon Kindle
Kindle Wireless Reading Device. Wi-Fi. 6" Display. The #1 Bestseller on Amazon.
Prize 10: Amazon Gift Voucher – Valued at US$100!
Winner = Jacqueline van Gent!
Winner = Jacqueline van Gent!
Amazon Gift Vouchers
Buy something you have been saving up for on Amazon. Redeemable at your Amazon store of choice.
Congratulations to all of our winners and a big thanks to all of you who supported us and bought a copy of our new book. All winners will be emailed individually in the next 48 hours and should confirm their acceptance of their prize within seven (7) calendar days. For full terms and conditions of our competition, please click here.
Thanks and have a day/evening! Andrea
PS. If you have not yet downloaded a free sample of (some of) our book, but would like to, please click here. Thanks. :)
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Be Quick... Only 2 Days Left in our Expat Women US$5,000 Book Launch Competition
Hi Everyone, If you would like to enter our big book launch competition, time is running out...
Our prizes include: Life Coaching; Career Coaching; a Successful Blogging Consultation; Personal Branding Coaching; Writing Coaching; Passport Career access; an Amazon Kindle; and an Amazon gift voucher!
Here's more about the book...
In Expat Women: Confessions - 50 Answers to Your Real-Life Questions about Living Abroad, experienced expats Andrea Martins and Victoria Hepworth share a wealth of wisdom and positive tips to motivate you at every stage of your expat journey. They cover popular topics like leaving family back home, transitioning quickly, intercultural relationships, parenting bilingual children and work-life balance. They also address more difficult issues such as expat infidelity, divorce, alcoholism and reverse culture shock.
If you have ever wondered what it is like to live abroad, work abroad or accompany your working partner abroad, this book is for you. If you are already living the expat life but have mixed feelings about settling in, rebuilding your identity, relationship changes, successfully managing your money and career, raising children far from home or repatriating, this book is also for you. Or if you are just looking for a motivational gift for your expat friends, clubs or companies, Expat Women: Confessions is likewise for you!
Here's more about the US$5,000 in prizes...
For each copy of our book bought in May 2011, we will thank you with one (1) entry into our fantastic US$5,000 book launch competition (if you email us your purchase e-receipt by 11:59pm 31 May 2011 New York time). For full terms and conditions, click here.
Prize 1: Career, Recruitment and/or Personal Branding Coaching – Valued at US$1,010!
Lois Freeke (Lois Freeke)
Lois Freeke is an award-winning recruitment manager and career and personal branding strategist. She helps expats, executives and entrepreneurs manage their careers and effectively differentiate themselves for career and business success.
Prize 2: Personal Branding, Career or Executive Coaching – Valued at US$900!
Career by Choice Expat Career & Personal Branding Coaching (Megan Fitzgerald)
Megan Fitzgerald helps expats seeking inspiration and a sense of purpose draw out "untapped expertise" to become highly visible, sought after and land work abroad. She works with these global minded professionals and entrepreneurs to find what they do best to build careers that fit who they are and the life they want to live overseas.
Prize 3: Career and/or Executive Coaching – Valued at US$660!
Clear Horizon Coaching (Rebecca Wells)
Clear Horizon Coaching provides career advancement and personal branding coaching for senior and middle management executives. Clear Horizon Coaching helps you raise your profile and get ahead at work in 2011.
Prize 4: Career Coaching – Valued at US$500!
Zest and Zen International Coaching (Anne Egros)
Global Career and Life Coach, Anne Egros, specializes in helping global executives, international managers and expatriates developing their international career. She helps her clients to have a successful expat life and provides support for transition management.
Prize 5: Blogging Consultation and Free eBook, Audio Book and More – Valued at US$499!
Successful Blogging (Annabel Candy)
Successful Blogging teaches small business owners and writers how to tap into the power of blogging to market their business or build a platform for their writing.
Prize 6: Writing Coaching – Valued at US$480!
Summertime Publishing (Jo Parfitt)
Jo Parfitt is the author of 28 books and runs Summertime Publishing. She specializes in helping new expat writers to get into print and loves empowering others to find their story and their voice.
Prize 7: Passport Career database access (3 months) – Valued at US$395!
Passport Career (Susan Musich)
Passport Career is a dynamic global job search tool (with loads of useful information) for organizations to support accompanying partners of international assignees.
Prize 8: Expatriate Life Coaching – Valued at US$300!
Live Life Now Coaching (Nicola McCall)
Live Life Now Coaching specializes in coaching for expatriate life and work issues. It aims to improve the fulfilment of employees, families and employers during expatriate assignments. Happier expatriates make happier employees, families and successful assignments!
Prize 9: Amazon Kindle (WiFi) – Valued at US$156!
Amazon Kindle
Kindle Wireless Reading Device. Wi-Fi. 6" Display. The #1 Bestseller on Amazon.
Prize 10: Amazon Gift Voucher – Valued at US$100!
Amazon Gift Vouchers
Buy something you have been saving up for on Amazon. Redeemable at your Amazon store of choice.
Here's some nice words from the review copies sent out...
"What a great book! For the first time, a real-life manual that will reassure every expat woman that she is not alone in her unspoken feelings and questions. I loved it!"
Ruth E. Van Reken, Co-author of Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds
"A terrific book! Real-life examples of the challenges expat women face, with insightful and practical advice, this should be on the must-read list for anyone involved
with expatriate administration."
Andrea David, Head of Global Mobility, Bloomberg LP
"For once, a book that tells the truth about the expat experience. An inspiring account, and a must read for those contemplating an international assignment or those already on one."
Yvonne McNulty, PhD, Assistant Professor, James Cook University, Singapore
"A must for anyone who is, has been or will be an expat!"
Peggy Love, GMS, CERP, President, FIGT (Families in Global Transition)
"Expat Women: Confessions is a wonderful addition to the literature on the experiences of women during their lives abroad. Andrea and Victoria answer difficult questions with empathy, an upbeat attitude, and wisdom. This is a book that every expat woman should keep at her bedside for the moments that inevitably surface when abroad – and even after repatriation."
Elizabeth Perelstein, President, School Choice International and named one of Fortune Magazine's 10 Most Powerful Women Entrepreneurs (2010)
"This book is a great resource for all expat women."
Leslie Brant Teixeira, Director, U.S. Department of State Family Liaison Office
Here's how to download a free sample of the book...
Here's how to support us and buy the book...
Buy on iPad (Coming June 2011) - or just buy it on the Kindle app on your iPad!
E-Book (Coming June 2011)
Don't forget to email us your purchase e-receipt and be entered into our fantastic US$5,000 book launch competition. For full terms and conditions, click here.
And if you like it, please, please leave a review on any Amazon site. Thank you so much. :-)
Here's where to go if you need images for your blog or expat club newsletters...
Here's where to go to request a full preview e-copy if you are representing a registered expat club and would like to review it for your expat club newsletter... Just click here and talk to Ashley, thanks.
Thanks Everyone! Andrea
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
