Living the Dream: Women Reinventing Their Careers Abroad | Stories from the French Riviera

Living in English on the French Riviera: Mystical Experience and Career Limitations - Kirsti Formoso

Living in English on the French Riviera can feel easy, especially in a region where so many people speak your language. But what does that ease really cost when it comes to building a career? In this episode of Living the Dream, Cecile Liconnet explores the professional journey of Kirsti Formoso, whose path has evolved from yoga and massage therapy to a deeper, more complex field shaped by mystical experience and spiritual psychology. After relocating to the Côte d’Azur from the international yachting world, Kirsti built a life without speaking French. Like many expats, she was able to get by, working with an English-speaking clientele and navigating daily life with relative ease. But over time, that reality quietly limited her opportunities. From setting up multiple businesses in France, to navigating administration without the language, to repeatedly reinventing her work in response to both personal evolution and external changes—including the rise of AI—this is an honest look at what it really takes to create a sustainable professional life abroad. As her work deepened into the exploration of mystical experience, her career became more aligned, but also more niche, raising new challenges around visibility, credibility, and finding clients in a foreign country. This conversation explores the intersection of: * women, work and relocation * language as both a support and a limitation * building a niche career on the French Riviera * and the reality behind a life that can look idyllic from the outside This is the full-length episode. If you would like to listen to a condensed 28-minute version, it is available on Living the Dream – Radio Edition [https://livingthedream-radioedition.podbean.com/]. 🎙️ Living the Dream: Women, Work & Relocation on the French Riviera Real stories of women building meaningful, sustainable lives in the South of France. https://livingthedreampodcast.com [https://livingthedreampodcast.com/french-riviera-expat-stories]

How 9/11 Redirected a Nicola Horlick-Level Career to Life on the Riviera - Helen Bates

What happens when a high-achieving career no longer aligns with the life you want to build? In this episode of Living the Dream: Women, Work & Relocation on the French Riviera, Helen shares her journey from a career in finance to building a new professional life in the South of France. At the start of her career, she had a clear ambition: to follow in the footsteps of Nicola Horlick and succeed at the highest level in finance. But a pivotal moment, being in New York during 9/11, shifted her perspective. It wasn’t about leaving finance overnight, but about recognising that the life she was working towards no longer matched what she wanted long term. Together with her husband, she made a deliberate decision to build a different kind of life on the French Riviera: one that prioritised lifestyle, flexibility, and time. They created a property rental business in Cannes, combining financial planning with a long-term relocation strategy. On paper, everything worked. But building a life abroad also meant navigating the realities many expats face: – The complexity of French administration and business set-up – Cultural differences in customer service and professional expectations – A business model dependent on tourism and seasonal income – And the impact of COVID, when travel stopped and their revenue disappeared overnight In that moment of uncertainty, Helen adapted once again. What started as a small opportunity through her children’s school evolved into a new career: tutoring English and maths, bringing a renewed sense of purpose and independence alongside the family business. This episode explores the professional journey behind relocation: how women adapt their careers abroad, how financial realities shape decisions, and how success can be redefined beyond income and status. A thoughtful conversation about building a sustainable life on the French Riviera, one that truly fits.   This is the full-length episode. If you would like to listen to a condensed 28-minute version, it is available on Living the Dream – Radio Edition [https://livingthedream-radioedition.podbean.com/]. Living the Dream: French Riviera Podcast Women and their professional journey while relocating to the South of France. https://livingthedreampodcast.com [https://livingthedreampodcast.com/french-riviera-expat-stories]

Trailing Spouse in France: Rebuilding a Regulated Architect Career - Nita Sharma

Relocating abroad is challenging for anyone. But what happens when your profession is highly regulated and your qualifications don’t automatically transfer? When Nita moved as a trailing spouse from London to the French Riviera in 2006, she left behind a prestigious career working on major international architectural projects. What began as a temporary relocation quickly became a long-term life in France. With no French language skills and a young family, she had to rebuild her professional identity step by step. In this episode, Nita shares how she gradually re-established herself as an architect in France. From freelancing under the umbrella of a local practice, to navigating the complexities of French planning regulations, to eventually registering with the Ordre des Architectes and launching her own practice. We discuss the realities of transferring a regulated profession across borders, including: • learning technical French • understanding French planning laws and local mairie regulations • working with French construction teams and builders • adapting architectural methods to the Mediterranean climate • building a client base through word of mouth and international networks Nita also reflects on the personal side of relocation: learning a new language as an adult, raising children between cultures, and redefining success after leaving a high-pressure London career. Today she runs her own architectural practice on the Côte d’Azur, working with international clients and designing renovations and homes that blend sustainability, local architecture and modern living. A candid conversation about resilience, professional reinvention, and proving yourself again in a new country. This is the full-length episode. If you would like to listen to a condensed 28-minute version, it is available on Living the Dream – Radio Edition [https://livingthedream-radioedition.podbean.com/]. Living the Dream: French Riviera Podcast Women and their professional journey while relocating to the South of France. https://livingthedreampodcast.com [https://livingthedreampodcast.com/french-riviera-expat-stories]

Never Retiring: Love and a Tranquil Life on the Riviera - Faye Villalba

Faye arrived on the Côte d’Azur in the late 1990s after a decade in Madrid and a career in film production that had taken her across Europe. Monaco was glamorous. The Riviera was quieter than she expected. The beaches were pebbled, not white sand. Life looked different here. What she could not foresee was how profoundly her professional life would change. After years working in film, alongside IVF treatments and a four-year adoption journey, Faye found herself at a crossroads. A painful moment at an airport made her realise she could no longer live out of a suitcase. She had waited 44 years to become a mother. Something had to shift. Yoga, which had supported her through infertility and uncertainty, slowly became more than a personal practice. It became a vocation. What began as one informal exchange — yoga lessons for pottery classes — evolved into a fully fledged business built through entrepreneurial networks, word of mouth, strategic pricing decisions and a bold “one-month intensive” model that worked perfectly in the transient Riviera environment. In this episode, we talk about: – Leaving a well-paid but unstable film career – Navigating the French freelance system and auto-entrepreneur status – Building a yoga business in an area saturated with wellness professionals – The reality of financial pressure during the 2009 crisis – Balancing motherhood and entrepreneurship without external childcare – Charging fairly in a profession often expected to be “spiritual” and free – Why Riviera glamour is mostly a myth – And what it really means to nurture a business like you would a child This is a candid conversation about reinvention, resilience, financial simplicity, women supporting women, and building a sustainable life in the South of France not through glamour, but through passion and persistence. This is the full-length episode. If you would like to listen to a condensed 28-minute version, it is available on Living the Dream – Radio Edition [https://livingthedream-radioedition.podbean.com/]. Living the Dream: French Riviera Podcast Women and their professional journey while relocating to the South of France. https://livingthedreampodcast.com [https://livingthedreampodcast.com/french-riviera-expat-stories]

Investing in France as an Expat: Financial Confidence & Wealth Management - Vicky Kirby

Vicky moved from Manchester to the French Riviera with a plan, savings in place, jobs secured, and a dream built years earlier on a beach in the South of France. But building a long-term professional life abroad is never as simple as the dream. In this episode, we go deep into what it really takes to build a financial advisory practice in France as a British expat: from navigating French bureaucracy and cultural differences in the workplace, to understanding social charges, licensing requirements, and the realities of entrepreneurship on the Côte d’Azur. After nearly two decades working in corporate finance, including at AXA UK and AXA France, Vicky made the bold decision to leave salaried employment, complete a French master’s degree in financial engineering, obtain AMF certification, and build her own wealth management company focused on expats and women. We discuss: * The shock of French social charges and what they actually fund * The cultural differences between UK and French working life * The complexity of French investment products and inheritance rules * Why financial confidence is not about having a million euros * Pricing your services ethically as a female entrepreneur * The reality behind Riviera glamour * And how to build credibility in a country that isn’t your own This is a candid conversation about relocation, financial literacy, resilience, and what it really means to build a sustainable career abroad. A must-listen for anyone considering moving to France, starting a business here, or trying to understand the French financial system. This is the full-length episode. If you would like to listen to a condensed 28-minute version, it is available on Living the Dream – Radio Edition [https://livingthedream-radioedition.podbean.com/]. Living the Dream: French Riviera Podcast Women and their professional journey while relocating to the South of France. https://livingthedreampodcast.com [https://livingthedreampodcast.com/french-riviera-expat-stories]