Expat partner Edyta Nales was on the verge of resuming her career with a full-time job but, at the 11th hour, she changed her mind. She explains why she has never looked back.
The penny drops
“Earning money, building a pension, having a professional purpose – it’s not easy for anyone to discontinue their career and give all of that up when they became an expat partner,” says Edyta, a dual citizen (Polish-Dutch), who had been a HR professional in Amsterdam. “But just before the final interview for a job in Frankfurt, it suddenly hit me. I had hardly unpacked the boxes! My kids were not yet feeling at home. So I decided I didn’t want to work full-time. I wanted to have more time for my kids and explore other possibilities.”
Stage presence
Initially, Edyta concentrated on networking and learning languages. Subsequently, she also signed up for a course hosted by World Class Speakers Training. The goal for all participants is to make a motivational talk at an event alongside many renowned motivational speakers: “When I attended the first workshop, I was surprised at how nervous I became! It was very intense but I learned a lot about how to steady my nerves, use body language and control my delivery. Indeed ‘fear and courage’ were the main themes for my own motivational talk, which I delivered on stage in Warsaw in March 2023,” says Edyta, whose interest in self-motivation began when she suffered a stroke some years ago.
Making connections
“On the day of the event, I felt relaxed enough to have fun and I got great feedback. Subsequently, I organised my own event in Amsterdam with three Polish motivational speakers and many Polish guests living in Europe and the UK,” says Edyta. “I also have a book project in the pipeline but that’s currently on pause as I’m now training to become a certified coach. Even when I worked in HR, I loved helping people overcome challenges and mental obstacles to find their dream job. As a career coach, I hope to do something similar in the future. I would love to work with expats, who are in the same boat as me, and help them to visualise and then realise their dreams. As I discovered, expat life is a chance to spread our wings. But sometimes we just need a little motivation!”
Photo: Edyta delivers a motivational talk (credit: The Photographer)
