Paula-A, my story…
Expat since birth. Puzzle enthusiast by accident. Dream chaser by nature.
Hi, I’m Paula, a married mom of three who loves to sing and wear white t-shirts, jeans and white sneakers every day! As a lifelong expat, I’ve always been ‘the different one’. My craving for adventure and fulfillment has been my main driving force in life. My life has not been ordinary and for that, I’m very grateful. I have swum with sharks, lived with a tribe in Papua New Guinea, explored the African jungle and became fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French.
I grew up in South America, lived in Africa at a very young age, worked in Australia in my late teens, and then worked in multinational companies that took me around the globe, working in every single continent and interacting with human beings from the largest modern cities and the most remote, primitive areas.
Yet, I didn’t always embrace my ‘different’.
In fact for years, I hid from it, trying to fit in with each international move; learning the language, the culture, the laws and starting over from scratch more times than I can count.
Then, 15 years ago, I traded in my hard-earned title of International Project Manager for the even more prestigious title of Wife and Mom.
After supporting my husband as an entrepreneur from the sidelines in starting and growing 7-figure businesses in 9 different countries operating in a wide range of cultures and languages,….and raising 3 kids (navigating childbirth in different countries). One morning, I looked in the mirror and did not recognize the Paula I saw. Sure I was happy with what I had…but…, I felt I craved for something more than being defined by being the ‘mom or wife of’….Not only that, I felt that there was more in me, to BE MORE, to have my challenges, my recognition, I wanted to create MY world within my family life.
Yet, I have to admit, I struggled a lot with identifying WHAT I really wanted, what my real passion or purpose even was and HOW I would even go about it. I was full of fears, self-doubt, overwhelm, frustration.. ‘maybe I was too old’, ‘too late now to start’, ‘I don’t have enough experience’, ‘my kids still need me’, ‘I really don’t have anything special or valuable enough to offer’, ‘my husband loves it this way’, ‘I would never have enough time’, and many many more excuses that blocked me every day from actually doing something about my craving for more.
Finally, I decided it was better to try and fail than regret not having tried at all. So, I did some soul-searching work (with a coach), to figure out what it was that I really wanted for my life. I finally gained CLARITY, things started to shift, change, and slowly I was able to discover a whole new world of opportunities for myself, design a customized ACTION PLAN for my goals, AND get back that Paula essence, joy, self-value, energy, excitement and enthusiasm back into my life.
And that is WHY, now as an international certified professional coach, with specialization in emotional intelligence, neuroscience and executive leadership coaching…
I have a huge passion and have made it my mission, to help and empower other women, moms, wifes, expats,…to grow, evolve and become the best version of themselves. I love different cultures and the challenge of bringing people from different worlds together. I love to work with international women, so they can step into their ‘different’, be their authentic self, discover their uniqueness, follow their dreams, thrive and overcome all the challenges they face in their quest for success. Not when their kids are older….not when their husbands are retired….not when they move back home…but right now-TODAY!
So, the question becomes: “What do you really want?”
Let’s connect and I promise we can go after it ALL together! I can’t wait to meet you!
University Major in Business Administration
Certified Professional Coach (iPEC)
Corporate and Leadership Coach
International Coaching Federation (ICF) Certified
Emotional Intelligence EQi2.0 Certified
Energy Leadership Index (ELI) Certified
