After relocating numerous times, expat partner Eline van der Linden developed a flexible career that is well suited to expat life.
Business inspiration
“I first set up my business in Shanghai, where we lived from 2015 to 2019. Before then I had lived as an expat in Ireland, Nigeria and the UK,” says Eline, a former flight attendant with KLM. “For many years, I had been interested in health and fitness. Friends and colleagues were often asking me how they could eat better and get into shape – that’s basically how I realised I could do this for a living!”
Formal training
Before Eline became a personal trainer and barre instructor, which she combines with nutrition and lifestyle coaching, she enhanced her knowledge and expertise through study. “I enrolled with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (based in New York but I studied online). It was a brilliant, rigorous two-year course, which included getting certified as a Gut Health specialist. My entrepreneurial life began when I started making and selling healthy snacks, and organising healthy cooking workshops at my home in Shanghai. I then found my first clients as a coach / trainer,” says Eline, who now uses Instagram to promote her expertise.
No grey area
“Moving to Singapore I was very conscious of setting up a business the right way. My husband has an EP (employment pass) and I have a dependent pass. I’m allowed to work but it’s not straightforward. For starters, I need a Letter of Consent from the government authorities. I hired an accountant / legal expert to do the paperwork. In Singapore it’s very important to do things to the letter of the law. Otherwise you could jeopardise your stay.”
A fulfilling life
While she waited for the paperwork to come through, Eline taught clients for free and built up her network. “Obviously when I relocate, I need to get out and meet people. I do offer online coaching, but usually just to people who I coached in person and have relocated,” says Eline, who runs classes at the British Club and Dutch Club in Singapore. She also has a small home studio for one-on-one sessions. “I love what I do and social interaction is a big part of it. It’s a very fulfilling vocation to help people lead healthier lives and get into shape – or in some cases overcome health issues and combat disease. I wouldn’t want to do anything else.”
Photo: Eline with a client (Liz Winckel Photography)
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