Expat Entrepreneurs: Inspiring Interviews from our international community

Expat parents turning business dreams into reality

There’s no denying living and working abroad can be a challenge. There’s always paperwork – a lot of paperwork – communication barriers and different business customs to become acquainted with.

On top of this, many expats have started families which can ultimately result in one half a couple becoming a stay at home parent and struggling to find their way with their new lives abroad.

Whatever the background, and despite challenges, if you have a dream, dream big. Don’t just talk about what you could and should do with your new life abroad, find a way to make it happen.

This section of the blog has interviews with expats I have met who have turned their dreams into reality and forged successful businesses for themselves while living abroad. Each one of these women and men I have found inspiring, seeing not only how resourcefully they have been, but taking their ideas to the next level, building something for the community around them, and doing it all with a family.

Jenny Haddad from Db Babies

A lack of choice in baby goods available in Dubai back in 2007 made Jenny turn to online gift baskets for new parents – the popularity of her products lead to rapid expansion into the retail space, and now a chain or baby stores and an online baby goods business in the GCC.

Lisa Irwin from Music Monkeys

From living room singalongs to children’s entertainment business; find out how Lisa’s desire to entertain her 3rd child turned into a registered business running over 30 music classes a week in the UAE Capital; on top of new babies, bringing in business partners and battling through local registration systems.

Jane Barraclough & Tamsin Anderson from Yalla

Taking fragmented and often hard to find information on kids activities in Abu Dhabi, Yalla was launched in 2015 to become the premier source of information on family events in the capital. Find out how Jane & Tamsin have worked together to create this valuable community resource and their ongoing business aspirations.

Kimberley Sheedy from Starfish Lane Kids

Seeing a shortage of viable childcare options in Doha back in 2006, Kimberley looked to create an environment that would not only provide quality, holistic early years education but give employment and empowerment to expat women in Qatar, and now also Abu Dhabi.

Jon Pepper from Tigit Motorbikes

Seeing a need to bring safety to the Vietnamese motorbike hire business, English expat Jon started his own motorbike hire company in Ho Chi Minh City. From a starting point of just one bike in 2014, Tigit Motorbikes now have over 350 and has expanded into offering tours and safety equipment for Vietnamese cyclists.

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Do you know any expat parents who inspire you? We would love to feature them on this page and share their journey to success too – contact Keri at keri@ourglobetrotters.com with details of their story