Hi Everyone! I can't believe it's been six months since my last update. Whilst Expat Women is still 'on a break' (I'll tell you about my new venture very soon), there are a few fantastic books that have crossed my desk in that time that really deserve a shout out.
Small Biz Abroad:
Finding a Small Business That Fits You and Works Well Overseas
by William Beaver
William Beaver is the epitome of a lifelong expat entrepreneur. He has had the openness and courage to pursue lots of business ideas, he has willingly mentored others, he has never given up, and he constantly sees opportunities instead of obstacles.
The great news is that rather than keep all of his learnings to himself, William has put together the most impressive free expat e-book I have ever read. He shares links to 385 expat businesses, he reveals his Top 20 Mistakes with this overseas small businesses, and much, much more.
If you're an expat (or soon-to-be expat) contemplating starting a business abroad, William's free e-book (available for download from his home page) is an excellent read and I highly recommend it.
The Suitcase Entrepreneur:
Create Freedom in Business and Adventure in Life
by Natalie Sisson
If you remember our Expat Women interview with Natalie last year, you'll recall that this former body sculpting champion is an absolute dynamo. Originally from New Zealand, Natalie has citizenship in the United Kingdom, permanent residence in Canada, has travelled to 63 countries, lived on 5 continents, broken a world record, won a gold medal in Ultimate Frisbee and has now grown her laptop business to six figures annually. Amazing.
Having written multiple e-books for her website, Natalie has now stepped it up a level and released her very first book on Amazon. And it's brilliant. Why? Because not only does it share motivational messages, anecdotes, lessons and stories, but it gives the best list I've ever seen of products and resources that you can use to build your business, each with Natalie's explanation of what the product does and how it worked for her.
In my humble opinion, that list alone is worth the price of her book. I wish I'd had this list when we set up Expat Women. I'm so glad I had this list when I just set up my new venture (details soon).
Harvesting Stones:
An American Woman's International Journey of Survival
by Paula Lucas
This book I have not read yet, but we interviewed Paula Lucas on Expat Women some years ago, I've met Paula in person a few times, and I'm totally in awe of everything she does, so I have a feeling her book will impress also.
In short, this book shares the story of how for 14 years, Paula lived what looked like an ideal life overseas in the UAE: A Newsweek photojournalist husband, worldwide travel, a successful advertising, marketing and PR business, and three beautiful sons.
But she also hid a terrible secret: the children suffered severe child abuse and Paula, horrific domestic violence, at the hands of her husband. Her husband threatened to kill her and the children during increasingly violent rages. Her pleas to the American Embassy and the State Department were futile. Finally her chance to escape materialized, thanks to a thief.
Paula went on to set up the American Domestic Violence Crisis Line in 1999 and has been proactively helping American expats suffering domestic violence ever since. Paula's dedication is phenomenal.
Want More?
Unfortunately I don't have the capacity to let you know about every great new expat book released anymore. (Huge apologies to everyone who's emailed me information about their new book this year).
But if you do want more, I invite you to head over to my friend Jo Parfitt's Expat Bookshop. Lots of great resources there (including Expat Women: Confessions).
Thanks Everyone and I wish you a sensational week!
Andrea
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Excellent Expat Books Worth A Shout Out
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
2 Awesome New Books for Expat Women Interested in a Career and/or Business Abroad
Hi Everyone, I'm so excited to share two newly-released books from my good friends Jo and Melody, that are must-have books for any expat woman interested in a portable career/business abroad and/or just being inspired by women who have set up their own business, almost failed, then successfully turned their business around.
The first book, A Career in Your Suitcase by Jo Parfitt and Colleen Reichrath-Smith, is in its fourth edition and is literally THE handbook for any expatriate woman wanting a portable career that she can take with her from country to country. It's the kind of book that you can read before you venture abroad, and every year thereafter on your expat journey - to help you continually clarify what it is that you want abroad, and then turn those ideas into actionable steps.
Bonus - If you're super quick (you only have about 24 hours), you can score a free Kindle copy of A Career in Your Suitcase before the price changes. (If you do grab one, and you like the book, please kindly leave a review on Amazon or GoodReads, to reciprocate Jo and Colleen's nice gesture. Thanks!)
The second book, Flipped It! by Melody Biringer, is a gorgeous colour e-book that profiles 40 women entrepreneurs who decided to flip their business models/concepts when times got tough, instead of ditching them. (Jo Parfitt is featured. As is another inspiring expat friend of ours, Natalie Sisson, aka The Suitcase Entrepreneur - who also has some great e-books available on her site - eg. BYOB Build Your Online Business Guide and The Ultimate Toolkit for Entrepreneurs.) What an inspiration these women are - and a reminder to us to never, never, never give up on our ideas/dreams!
By the way, if you missed Melody's first book, Craving Success, I also highly recommend that one (it's a very quick, easy and enjoyable read). Craving Success goes through the 20 businesses that Melody has had on her entrepreneurial journey, en route to her current passion, Crave. As even Melody says, most of her businesses were full of mistakes and failure - but she learnt something from every one of them. Sometimes I think we learn more from other people's mistakes, than from all the success stories out there that make it look like the journey was easy. What do you think?
Thanks for your potential support to these wonderful authors and I wish you a wonderful day/evening!
Andrea Martins x
ps. I am not currently giving many shout-outs on this blog for new books (unless I am super-passionate about them). But if have written a new book and want a shout-out on Twitter, feel free to tweet me the link and a personal message via @andreaexpat and I will try and help you there. Thanks!
Monday, September 26, 2011
Women's International Networking (W.I.N) Conference - Oct 5 - 7 (8) - Rome, Italy
Hi Everyone, It's W.I.N Conference time again, and this year the "Creating History" themed event for 800-1,000 participants will be held in Rome, Italy. If you have not registered yet, but you have time to attend, I highly recommend it. I attended in 2007 in Oslo and only have great things to say about the event, the humble founder Kristin Engvig, and the wonderful women that attend.
The speakers this year include:
- Mikael Ohlsson, Swedish, President and CEO, IKEA Group
- Jeanette Horan, British, VP and CIO, IBM
- Dr. Debra Clary Gmelin, American, Corporate Director, The Leadership Institute, Humana, Inc.
- Avivah Wittenberg-Cox, French/Canadian, CEO, 20-first
- Alison Smale, British, Executive Editor, International Herald Tribune
- Nuria Chinchilla, Spanish, Professor, IESE Business School
- Zoë A. Yujnovich, Australian, President and CEO, The Iron Ore Company of Canada
- Dr Yolanda Nokuri Hegngi, American/Cameroonian, Founder, Stimulus, LLC
- Gabi Zedlmayer, German, Vice President Global Social Innovation, HP
- Poonam Ahluwalia, American, President, Youth Entrepreneurship and Sustainability
- Fabrizio Castlelucci, Italian, Professor, SDABocconi
- Binna Kandola OBE, British, Senior Partner, Pearn Kandola
- Dominique Turcq, French, Founder/ President, Boostzone Institute
- Marguerite Barankitse, Burundian, Founder, Maison Shalom
- Nancy Fina, American, Fashion/Advertising photographer
- Umran Beba, Turkish, President Asia Pacific Region, PepsiCo
- Lorella Zanardo, Italian, Author and Director, Il Corpo delle Donne (Women’s Bodies)
- Karen Tse, American, Founder and CEO, International Bridges to Justice
- Dr Kumkum Pareek Malik, American, Founder, Dr Malik and Associates
- Dr Amany Asfour, Egyptian, President, Egyptian Business Women Association
- Dr Jemilah Mahmood, Malaysian, Senior Visiting Research Fellow, Humanitarian Futures Programme Kings College London
- Barbara Shipka, American, Owner, Barbara Shipka Designs
- Dr Graeme Codrington, South African/British, Founder and Senior Partner, TomorrowToday
- Emma Bonino, Italian, Vice President, Senate of the Italian Republic
- Melody Biringer, American, Founder, The CRAVE Company
- Jo Parfitt, British, Publisher, Summertime Publishing
- Mary Farmer, Canadian/Dutch, Lecturer, Les Roches Gruyere University/Glion
- Tracy Ann Curtis, American, Founder, TAC Global Organizational and Talent Development Consulting
- Dana Frost, American, Master Certified Life Coach, Dana Frost Life Coaching Services
- Jeanne A. Heinzer, German/Swiss, Director, Heinzer Consulting
- Heidi Forbes Oste, Swedish/American, Global Social Strategist
Everyone going to W.I.N. this year, enjoy! Andrea
Friday, September 16, 2011
Missed Some Great Expat Links on Twitter? (September 15-16 edition)
Hi Everyone, I hope you are all enjoying September! Here are some expat links I have tweeted recently, that might interest you...
7 Ways Hurricane Irene Taught Me Not To Lose My Head As An Expat
bit.ly/rsySgT
5 Lessons Wonderland Taught Me About Expat Life, by Lewis Carroll's Alice
bit.ly/oJ8St0
Do Expat Child Custody Laws Need Changing?
bit.ly/oME2bi
10 Most Liveable Cities in 2011?
bbc.in/nfie0w
How to Turn Study Abroad Regret into a Positive
bit.ly/pJIN3w
10 Most Expensive Cities for Hotel Stopovers
tgr.ph/qrCQ5t
How Does an Expat Define 'Home'?
bit.ly/p1HSlp
10 Things I Miss From Home by Suzanne in Bermuda
bit.ly/qKAXZ4
Expat Taxes on Forbes: "Can Moving From Japan to NY Make You a Rhode Island Resident?" onforb.es/qMpRkP
Expat Life isn't as Peachy as You Might Think - The Uncertainty of Expat Life
bit.ly/nId1dz
Please Support Expat Writing Mentor Jo Parfitt and Her New Upcoming Novel - Interview Her or Ask Her to Write for You!
aweber.com/t/FHz6o
To follow me in 'real time' and keep up with even more great expat links on Twitter, please click here.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Want one of Your Expat Stories included in Jo Parfitt's updated book 'Forced to Fly'?
Hi Everyone, Here is a message from our good friend, Jo Parfitt (author of 28 books and an expert on the expat writing scene)...
"Back in 1998 I published an anthology of humorous writings about living overseas and called it 'Forced to Fly'. I sold over 2,000 copies and one forward-thinking international oil company even bought 200 copies to give to their international staff. Now, thanks to constant prods from satisfied readers I have decided to republish it in a second edition later this year.
So, to celebrate, I would like to include 20 new pieces of writing of up to 1,000 words in length. They can be on any specific incident or any theme that could only have happened to you because you were living abroad. Like how amusing your life became when you lived in Holland and began to travel everywhere by bicycle, or how you entered into the local Oktoberfest with more gusto than was appreciated, or the pickle you found yourself in when driving in India.
Laughter is the best medicine and Forced to Fly not only makes readers laugh with its funny stories, but also includes chapters on coping with culture shock and how to be happy. In the second edition we will also have a brand new chapter on developing resilience.
Entries will close on August 31st 2011. All winning entries will appear in the book and winners will not only receive two free copies and have the ability to buy additional copies of the book at discount but their entries will be included on the blog throughout 2012. Please send your entries to me (Jo Parfitt) via email."
This is a great opportunity to have one of your articles published. So if you are interested, get your thinking caps on, and good luck! 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!
Winner = Heidi Reyes!
Winner = Heather Detrick!
Winner = Gry Tina Tinde!
Winner = Nicole Göksel!
Winner = Cynthia Woods!
Winner = Genevieve Faith!
Winner = Carole Mobbs!
Winner = Jacqueline van Gent!
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
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Missed Some Great Writers' Links on Twitter?
Hi Everyone, Here are some great writers' links I have tweeted recently, that might interest you for your expat/business/personal writing endeavors. Enjoy!
5 Crippling Beliefs That Keep Writers Penniless and Mired in Mediocrity
http://bit.ly/hQaTFY
Expat Writer Jo Parfitt Says Thank You for the Suitcase Years
http://bit.ly/gTDgxj
Writers: What is it Like to be Outed?
http://bit.ly/g0zLWv
12 Signs Your Novel Isn't Ready to Publish
http://bit.ly/lIs1Lz
8 Ways Writers Can Make the Most of Online Video
http://ow.ly/4Kcq1
12 Places Authors Should Look To Develop a Strong Web Presence
http://bit.ly/awOv2S
Some Tips for Expat Freelance Writers
http://bit.ly/ks7wT3
17 Great Information Sources for Authors and Writers
http://bit.ly/kRdNah
What Works: Promo for Ebooks
http://bit.ly/ix2FzW
To follow me in 'real time' and keep up with even more great expat links on Twitter, please click here.
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 wonderful day/evening! Andrea @andreaexpat
Monday, January 31, 2011
Writers: Missed Some Great Writers' Links on Twitter?
Hi Everyone, If you are an aspiring, or a professional, writer, here are some of my recent writer-related tweets that might interest you, as you write your expat stories and/or you write for business or pleasure:
Highly Recommended: 52 Great Blogs For Self-Publishers http://bit.ly/i4keQx
5 Strategies for Success as a Freelance Writer http://bit.ly/g6QpM5
Inspiring: Interview with self published, single dad, whose income went from poverty level to US$25k this quarter http://bit.ly/hOENKz
Just Discovered: 50 Things Under $50 To Help Promote Your Book (2009, but still great tips) http://huff.to/gaua80
Tips to help you overcome writer's block, by one of world's leading thinkers http://bit.ly/czJxKr
Inspiring: Interview with self published, single dad, whose income went from poverty level to US$25k this quarter http://bit.ly/hOENKz
Just Discovered: 50 Things Under $50 To Help Promote Your Book (2009, but still great tips) http://huff.to/gaua80
Tips to help you overcome writer's block, by one of world's leading thinkers http://bit.ly/czJxKr
23 Websites (http://bit.ly/aM56LE) and 23 More Websites (http://bit.ly/d8ClJj) To Help Make Your Writing Stronger
Some good answers to the "How do you prevent a PDF/e-book from being shared?" question: http://su.pr/1otRLj
3 Ways To Capture/Visualize Your Literary Goals http://bit.ly/g58Sff
Thinking of Getting Bloggers to Help Promote Your Book? Advice: http://bit.ly/g80qxh
Writers: How to Find Paying Magazines with Keyword Research http://bit.ly/etmQH4
Writers: Tips For Checking Your Book Proofs From The Printer http://bit.ly/gpvn9e
How to Sell More Books on Amazon http://bit.ly/hcMNsL
Next Big Market For eBooks? South Korea http://goo.gl/uhBn8
Writers: Seen Duotrope's Digest? Free resource site listing publications that might take your articles... http://www.duotrope.com/
Recommended: 7 Secrets for Amazing Author Websites http://bit.ly/dXZ42f
Writers: 12 Ways To Create A Mailing List That Will Sell Books http://huff.to/gjACcX
Writers: Book Designer, Book Shepherd, Book Doctor or Book Producer: Which One Do You Need? http://bit.ly/ewpOx4
Writers: Tips for Setting Financial Goals for Your Book http://bit.ly/fD3vDN
Authors: Thinking of Using a Pseudonym? http://bit.ly/eYMrIh
6 things wannabe expat writers must know featuring Jo Parfitt http://nblo.gs/bGuhp
Is This The Biggest Book Promotion You Have Ever Seen? http://bit.ly/fSyxTg
Want To Get Published? Watch interview with John Wiley and Sons rep at Blog World 2010 http://bit.ly/fNiYSJ
Do You Make These Press Release Mistakes? http://bit.ly/hIhSCq
Writers: Success Story: Karen van der Zee: 35 Romance Novels Published! http://bit.ly/g3NTQm
How do you get Google to notice your eBook? http://oreil.ly/e4HoYJ
Influencers 2010: On Writing, Publishing, Blogging, Marketing and Entrepreneurship http://bit.ly/gI4R85
If you would like to follow me in 'real time' on Twitter, my Twitter ID is @andreaexpat, or you can just click here. Twitter is surprisingly easy, once you take a look.
Best wishes, enjoy your day/evening! Andrea :-)
ps. My apologies if this text/font comes through too large. I'm still adjusting to a Mac and my Mac doesn't talk well to Blogger, apparently. Thanks for your understanding. Andrea.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Missed Some Great Expat Links on Twitter?
Hi Everyone, Here are some expat-related articles and links that I have tweeted about recently, that might interest you:
Expat Survey says it's the leisure time, not the money, that's better abroad
http://bit.ly/c0ZWTh
Top 10 Places for Women Expats
http://bit.ly/bVyQ5S
Loved new video promo for book by expat trailing man Alan Paul who reinvented himself in China
http://youtu.be/tAth-nW9L5U
Top International Women to Follow on Twitter
http://ht.ly/3hb9K
Why Should Expat Families Abroad Care About the Boarding School or College/University Visit?http://bit.ly/d1b00t
Ex-Career Expat Wives - Your thoughts?
http://wp.me/ptOFQ-mG
Expat study suggests that providing too much support may actually hinder workplace performance
http://bit.ly/crMypE
Got $500k to $1million to invest in the U.S. economy to fast track your U.S. citizenship?
http://ow.ly/2ZCjJ
Well-known author of expat books, Robin Pascoe, releases new repatriate "blogella"
http://t.co/55kLAqV
Article Writing: Interview with Expat Writing Coach Jo Parfitt
http://bit.ly/gtss5h
Want To Know Who's Speaking At The 2011 FIGT Conference?
http://www.figt.org/2011_Conference_Schedule
Moving to London, Geneva, Zurich, Hong Kong, Singapore or Dubai?
Check out http://www.lookseecity.com/ - they just won industry award
Expat Wives: Blog Post for You
http://bit.ly/fJ1xEl
British expat woman in Turkey raising funds to help train families still recovering from earthquake of 1999
http://bit.ly/hrMW4K
Expats: Online Magazine for Parents Raising Little Global Citizens
http://incultureparent.com/
Expat Issues: Cauldrons of Cultural Complexity, Deal-Breaking Weather, Fashion Faux-Pas
http://bit.ly/a7NcCN
Expat Women moving to the U.S.? Check out Girlfriend Circles to meet new friends in your area
http://bit.ly/hlwUbC
Funny: Expats Helping to Re-Write Chinglish Signs In Shanghai
http://bit.ly/fzG7BF
Expats: Looking For The 'Good Life' in France?
http://bit.ly/fesy7F
and WAIF (Women Alone in France)
http://bit.ly/gEl4qe
Expat Secrets: Great Week of Posts about Damaging Expat Behaviors from Expat Coach Marie Brice
http://ow.ly/3n8IF
Do expats really have a better life abroad?
http://bit.ly/hRneCK
Does abuse occur in expat communities?
http://bit.ly/gxdWtQ
Congrats to Winners: Expatriate Management and Mobility Awards
http://bit.ly/gU3362
**
To follow me in 'real time' and keep up with even more great expat links on Twitter, please click here.
To sign up and receive our monthly, motivational Expat Women newsletters, please click here.
Thanks for your support and have a great week!
Andrea
Twitter handle: @andreaexpat
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Insights Into The World Of Article Writing: An Interview With Expat Writing Coach Jo Parfitt
Hi Everyone, If you are interested in writing articles (for profit, as a hobby, or to promote yourself/business), please read on to see what we learned from expat writing coach Jo Parfitt, author of A Career In Your Suitcase (now in its third edition), who has just launched her article writing program online...
Expat Women: Jo, last time we talked, you had just launched your Write Your Life Stories online program. How did your new online program, Definite Articles, come about?
Jo: Actually, I created this program first (in 2002) and ran it as a live one day workshop for many years. In about 2005, I turned the notes from the live workshop into an ebook and that became part of an eight lesson correspondence course. I have been running it ever since in that way. However, since 2005, I have adjusted, amended and honed the course, adding new stuff to such an extent that it became about twice as long as before. I added material about blogging, marketing yourself online, pitching and writing a book review too.
Jo: Definite Articles will work for anybody, sure. But my writing experience is mainly for the expat market, so this is the area I know best. The examples and markets mentioned target this niche too, so I believe the program is of particular interest to people living abroad.
Expat Women: Why do you think expatriates want or even need to learn to write articles, Jo?
Jo: Writing is a great portable career. I can say that because it has been my own career for over 20 years and five international moves. I have written books, articles, columns, copy and all kinds of things, but hour for hour, word for word, there is no doubt in my mind that articles are the most lucrative. Even better, articles are short, so you have an idea, pitch it, get commissioned, write it and then get paid. They are quick to pitch and quick to write. And, with many publications paying €150 - €300 per 1,000 words that represents pretty good return on investment. When you consider that books are typically more than 35,000 words, it is hard to get an advance from the smaller presses, and royalties might amount to only about 50 cents per book, the maths is clear: articles are more lucrative.
But writing articles is something that any entrepreneur should master. With the price of advertising being relatively high, having your name in print, crediting you as the author of an article on your specialist topic can do wonders for your reputation and that, in turn can make you money. So I believe that expats and entrepreneur expats both need to learn how to do this.
Expat Women: Jo, you said ‘have an idea, pitch it, get commissioned, write it’. What about writing an article first, then trying to sell it?
Jo: That is a common mistake. Sure, some publications, particularly those online would take prewritten articles, but the kind of publications that pay will always want to see a pitch first, and then commission a piece that is just right for them – with the right content, tone, case studies, length and so on. Actually, I believe that good freelance writers are successful because they have lots of ideas, manage to hone them to the right market and then write a good pitch letter.
Expat Women: What do you think would make an editor agree to publishing the work of a new writer. Is it just down to the pitch letter?
Jo: The pitch letter is the first communication a writer has with an editor. It is vital that it is spot on. In the letter you need to prove why your idea is perfect for the publication and why the writer is the perfect person to write it. This is what I call the ‘authority’ of the writer. Having first hand experience of the topic you plan to cover gives you that authority. A pitch letter is paramount, but your idea and its suitability for that publication are what will help most of all.
Expat Women: How can people find out more about your program, Jo?
Jo: For more information about my article-writing course, or my write your life story course, please visit my website. Thanks Everyone!
Editor's note: Expat Women welcomes voluntary article contributions. Please click here for details. Thanks.
