Camilla is a certified Life & Relationship Coach specialising in expat women spouses. “As an expat partner, it's easy to feel a disconnect from yourself, your spouse, and your life's long-term vision. My signature coaching program guides women through the whirlwind of emotions in play, helps them to reclaim their inner power, and create a fulfilled and purpose-driven life on their terms,” she explains. Camilla is also the host of The Empowered Expat Wife Podcast, discussing expat women's concerns such as emotional wellbeing, financial independence, portable career possibilities, relationships, and third culture kids.
Camilla doesn't struggle to find balance between being an expat, a mother, and a professional. “I work in the mornings and in the evenings, but I'm with my children in the afternoon. My work doesn't feel like work to me, and Monday is my favourite day because I can get back into it after the weekend,” she says.
I ask Camilla to tell me how expat life has helped her grow as a mother, a professional, and a human being. “There are times in your crossborder life when you'll be tested and challenged. Problems are magnified because you're outside your comfort zone. Such experiences can make you or break you. In my case, expatriation has made me stronger and extremely connected to myself. I have also developed a special sensitivity, open-mindedness, and resilience that I treasure a lot. Raising bilingual, third culture kids has made me reflect a lot on what I want to teach and pass onto them. So, it's made me more intentional in the way I raise them. I also think that being away from home allows me to see them for who they are and not in comparison to their little peers or through my home country's cultural lense. Last, being an expat partner has challenged me to think outside the box with my professional development. Starting an online portable business has been an absolute game-changer for me, and I'm so proud to serve the expat community, which feels like home to me.”
As an expat mother, lacking the support network of grandparents, family members, and long, close friends, Camilla feels that she has to meet the expectations of being a superhero. “I often feel the need to compensate for our extended family's absence or feel guilty when I do something for myself when my kids are at home. What helps me is self-compassion. Or, when I get frustrated after a stressful day with the kids, I come back into the present moment, reminding myself that kids grow up so fast, and in just a few years, they will need me less and less. Looking at it that way, my frustration quickly turns into gratitude for being able to enjoy motherhood so fully. This strategy works for me because I take good care of myself otherwise. My coaching business is an intellectual and professional outlet, I study and read about personal development, and I purposefully surround myself with people who uplift me.”
To expat mothers out there, Camilla sends a big round of applause for doing such a great job and so much more than others can grasp. She suggests you make it a priority to proactively look for a support network, offline and online, no matter how difficult and time-consuming it is. “You must become your own support system,” she says, “not because you don't need other people in your life, but because when you're on your own and life feels tough, you need to show up and be there for yourself. Talk to yourself kindly. Acknowledge and accept your feelings — the good, the bad, the ugly. Listen to what it is you need right now, and try to grant it to yourself. Thank yourself for the things you do because your kids and husband may not do it enough. Keep the promises you make to yourself.”
For Camilla, International Women's Day means empowering women and girls of all colours and backgrounds to know and believe that they can be whoever they choose to be — from president or CEO to stay-at-home, homeschooling mom, and everything in between. “To create this world, we must all contribute. Are we supportive and appreciative of other women in our lives? Do we pay heartfelt compliments to them, celebrate their successes, and offer a hand or a shoulder to cry on when they're struggling? Do we encourage other women to chase after their dreams and invite them to sit at our table when we've accomplished ours? There are many big issues we must tackle for women to live in a world where they can be safe, healthy, respected, independent, and equally successful. These things take time, but what each and every one of us can do right now is to support other women because we're all in this together, and we need to progress as a collective.”
