Meet Shannon,

an American expat who followed love to Germany—and ended up building a thriving small business in Baden-Württemberg.

Originally from the San Francisco area, Shannon moved to Germany for what was meant to be a temporary chapter. Fourteen years later, she’s still there, raising a family and running her own aesthetics business from the ground up. In this episode, we talk about navigating entrepreneurship abroad, dealing with German bureaucracy, learning the language while building a client base, and adapting to cultural differences without losing yourself.

Shannon shares the reality of starting a business as an expat woman in Germany, the importance of community (especially when friendships come and go), and how she blended her American personality with German culture to create a business that truly works—for her and her clients.

An honest, warm conversation about resilience, identity, and building something of your own far from home.

📍 Location Recommendations (Germany)

• Kazumi (Böblingen) – her go-to sushi spot

• Motorworld Böblingen – where her business is located, plus bars, restaurants, and car lovers’ heaven

• Brazilian Churrasco Restaurant (Stuttgart) – lively atmosphere, music, and all-you-can-eat Brazilian BBQ

🎶 Expat Song

• “I Follow Rivers” – a song that captures the leap of faith that brought her to Germany

Find Shannon: www.californiaglowbeauty.com

Follow for more expat stories:

📘 Meet the Expats Blog

📹 Youtube Channel

📱 Instagram

📱TikTok

Credits:

Intro outro Ice tea, Not the king

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Meet Josh,

Entrepreneur, community builder, and Dutch expat who turned isolation on the French Riviera into connection, and a thriving international community.

Joshua moved to the South of France in 2018 with his wife, chasing a better quality of life, sunshine, and a slower pace. What he didn’t expect was how isolating life abroad could feel, even in one of the most beautiful regions in the world.

In this episode, we talk about

• the reality of settling into the French Riviera: navigating language barriers, adapting to a slower (very slow) pace of life, and the challenges of building genuine friendships in a place shaped by tourism and transient expat populations.

• how that experience led him to create Next Locals, a community-first platform born from simple meetups over drinks, consistency, and the desire to bring like-minded people together offline

• French culture, the importance of making an effort with the language, the differences between Paris and the South, and how creating a “tribe” is what truly makes a place feel like home.

🎤Song Tell Ol’ Bill - Alternate version by Bob Dylan: https://open.spotify.com/track/4UFz15tiyxEV8w70Az6GtN?si=Rxnj3klnSPiKVVxdhXxTIA

🍕Restaurant recommendations in Cagnes-sur-Mer.

La Spiaggia : https://www.laspiaggiaplage.com/

Le Bistrot de la Marine: https://lebistrotdelamarine.fr/

Next Locals website: https://nextlocals.com/

Follow for more expat stories:

📘 Meet the Expats Blog

📹 Youtube Channel

📱 Instagram

📱TikTok

Credits:

Intro outro Ice tea, Not the king

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Meet Zach and Anna,

Serial expats and founders of StartAbroad, a relocation company built from real-life experience moving abroad, sometimes with support, sometimes completely on their own.

From the Dominican Republic to Kenya, Rwanda, an unexpected year stuck in the US during Covid, and finally settling in Costa Rica, Zach and Anna share the highs, lows, and emotional rollercoaster of expat life. We talk about culture shock, common expat mistakes, outdated information, scams, and why moving without the right support can quickly become overwhelming.

They also explain why they created StartAbroad, the kind of practical and emotional support expats really need, and what it means to truly adapt to a new culture, especially when raising a child abroad.

Costa Rica Recommendations

• Gingerbread (Nuevo Arenal) – their favourite local restaurant (pro tip: ask for the chef’s menu)

• Playa Conchal – white sand, crystal-clear water, and perfect beach days

• Marino Ballena National Park – home to the iconic Whale Tail beach on the South Pacific coast

Expat Song

• “Under the Sea” (salsa version) by Alejandro Sanz – the soundtrack of this chapter of their expat life

Considering a move abroad, book a free consultation call

Relocating to Costa Rica?

Follow for more expat stories:

📘 Meet the Expats Blog

📹 Youtube Channel

📱 Instagram

📱TikTok

Credits:

Intro outro Ice tea, Not the king

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.