Rachael Dickens arrived on the French Riviera just days after osteopathy became legal in France: a move that could have been risky, but she treated it like a masterclass in strategy. In this episode, hosted by Cecile Liconnet, Rachael shares how meticulous planning, foresight, and sheer determination allowed her to turn a bold relocation into a thriving, high-end practice serving an international clientele.

From carefully orchestrating her move and navigating French bureaucracy, to finding her first clients through clever networking and free advertising, Rachael demonstrates how to build a career abroad with precision and creativity. She opens up about the early months of emotional autopilot, the challenge of forging a professional identity from the ground up, and the lessons learned managing collaborators, contracts, and high-stakes situations, all while staying true to her values.

Beyond business, she explores the nuances of integration, friendship, and connection, sharing how charity work expanded her network and led to unexpected opportunities. Rachael also reflects on the Riviera life, blending hard work with glamour, light, and the freedom that drew her here in the first place.

This episode is more than a story of relocation, it’s a step-by-step blueprint for turning courage into sustainable professional success, packed with insights that anyone looking to start over or elevate their career will find invaluable.

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.

Living the Dream: French Riviera Podcast Women and their professional journey while relocating to the South of France. https://livingthedreampodcast.com

Moving to France is often described as a dream. But what happens when it doesn’t feel like one?

In this episode of Living the Dream: French Riviera, Cecile Liconnet speaks with Valentina Gargano, an independent educational consultant, who first moved to the South of France in her mid-forties full of hope, only to realise that life there was far more complex than expected. The excitement faded, professional stability was hard to find, and eventually, she made the difficult decision to leave and return home.

Later, something pulled her back. This time, without illusions, but with experience, clarity, and a deeper understanding of what it really takes to live and work in France.

What followed was not an overnight success story, but a slow, thoughtful professional shift. Drawing on years of teaching and personal experience, Valentina gradually built an independent practice helping families navigate university choices across Europe. A niche role shaped by trust, word of mouth, and real expertise.

This conversation explores disappointment, resilience, and the courage it takes to try again. It speaks honestly about failed relocations, rebuilding confidence, finding legitimacy in a new country, and creating a professional life that finally feels sustainable.

🎧 This is the full-length episode. A condensed 28-minute radio edition is available on the Living the Dream – Radio Edition channel.

Living the Dream: French Riviera Podcast Women and their professional journey while relocating to the South of France. https://livingthedreampodcast.com

Suzanne’s story is a powerful illustration that building a life abroad rarely follows a straight line.

In this episode, Cecile Liconnet sits down with Suzanne Shields, who first arrived in the South of France in 2000 after a career as a British Airways stewardess. What followed were multiple relocations and a series of professional reinventions, from villa management to running a creative ceramic café in Biot, and eventually creating her own bespoke cake business, Les Gâteaux Sucrés.

Together, they explore what it really takes to make relocation work long term: resilience, adaptability, strong work ethics, and the willingness to learn the language and adjust to local culture. Suzanne shares honest insights into working in France as a foreigner, navigating administration, adapting to the French palate, dealing with seasonality, and why effort and integration matter when settling into a local community.

This episode also touches on the realities of entrepreneurship in France, the importance of evolving your offer, and how community, word of mouth, and consistency quietly build a sustainable business over time.

A grounded, inspiring conversation about relocation, work, and finding your place in France without shortcuts. Living the Dream: French Riviera Podcast Women and their professional journey while relocating to the South of France. https://livingthedreampodcast.com