The Corporate Expat™ Experience with Nicole Colwell: Recent Episodes

Nicole Colwell

The Corporate Expat™ Experience with Nicole Colwell provides you with a view into entrepreneur world - sharing with you the reality of leaving employee life, moving to entrepreneur world to build a business and a life on your terms. Each week, Nicole shares insights and information, including the steps for a successful transition, how to build a strong foundation for success and how to reach your next level of success. Looking for inspiration? Hear from professionals who have successfully transitioned from employee to entrepreneur - the highs, the lows, the challenges and the joys of running their own businesses. If you are ready to experience what it is like to move from employee to entrepreneur or to help reach your next level of entrepreneurial success - this is the podcast for you. On Instagram @corporate_expat, @nicolecolwellglobal For more info: corporate-expat.com

In our latest episode of The Corporate Expat Experience Podcast, we had the honor of hosting Michael Colwell, CEO/President of Colwell & Associates, Inc. With nearly 50 years of entrepreneurial experience under his belt, Michael shares invaluable insights and stories from his remarkable journey. Here are some highlights you won't want to miss:

Making the Leap: Learn how Michael transitioned from working in a public works office to founding his own successful consulting engineering firm.
The Entrepreneurial Rollercoaster: Discover the highs and lows of entrepreneurship, from the thrill of building something from scratch to navigating slow periods and overcoming challenges.
Keys to Success: Michael shares his thoughts on what it takes to succeed as an entrepreneur, offering practical advice and wisdom accumulated over decades in the business world.

Tune into this episode for a high-voltage adventure in entrepreneurship as Michael offers a candid and illuminating perspective on what it truly takes to thrive as an entrepreneur. For more on Colwell & Associates, Inc. Consulting Engineers visit www.colwellengineering.com

In this episode of The Corporate Expat Experience, we dive into the dynamic worlds of entrepreneurship and women's golf with Corporate Expat Daniella Rosa, the innovative mind behind AIEA Golf.

Join us as we explore how Daniella is reshaping the landscape of women's golf attire, blending style, technology, and community like never before. In this episode, Daniella delves into the unique challenges and opportunities she encountered from deciding to leave her corporate job to building AIEA Golf from the ground up, sharing insights into:

What it's like to be a new entrepreneur
How curiosity led to embracing technology to uplevel and distinguish her brand
Why building community is vital to your brand strategy today

Whether you're an avid golfer, a fashion enthusiast, or an aspiring entrepreneur, this episode offers inspiration and wisdom from one woman's quest to revolutionize womens golf by changing the game both on and off the course.

Learn more about AIEA Golf by visiting: https://www.aieagolf.com

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of entrepreneurship and fundraising with the dynamic Kat Weaver, CEO of Power to Pitch. Join us as Kat shares her inspiring journey as a two-time accidental entrepreneur, revealing how she stumbled into the world of grants and fundraising where she discovered the invaluable skill of mastering the "power to pitch."

Kat's entrepreneurial story is one of resilience, determination and a knack for turning unexpected challenges into opportunities. Tune in to hear how she navigated the complexities of raising capital for her ventures by strategically applying for (and winning!) grants. What's truly remarkable is that Kat didn't just dabble in the grant game – she emerged victorious, winning an astonishing 22 out of 23 grants in the process.

Discover the secrets behind Kat's success as she unveils the art of crafting a compelling pitch, a skill she aptly calls the "power to pitch." Learn how she harnessed this power to secure funding for her own ventures and how she now empowers other entrepreneurs to do the same. Kat has become a sought-after advisor, helping ambitious business owners raise capital, refine their messaging, and accelerate the funding process.

Kat Weaver, CEO of Power to Pitch is a multi-award winning, accidental 2-time entrepreneur who works with pre-seed to seed stage founders pitch and raise capital.

To learn more about Kat’s work: https://www.powertopitch.com.

Meet Corporate Expat Steven Urban - Steven was on the corporate track, working his way up the ladder reaching new heights until one day before a critical meeting it all came crashing down, with Steven literally finding himself on the hotel floor unable to move. That event set him on a new path, to find himself and a future that involved helping others to discover their strengths, rediscover themselves and define what success means to them.

In this episode, Steven shares his story that led him to entrepreneur-land and provides insights on

Defining Your Success - why and how it might look differently for you and me
Knowing Your Strengths - how to identify your strengths to help you become clear about who you are and how they help you to work more effectively with others
What’s Your Future - the questions you need to be asking yourself today that can help you break your rut and reach your next level of success

Steven Urban is Founder and CEO of Build Your Alliance, CliftonStrengths Certified Coach, EQi Certified Coach. Steven works with individuals and teams to unlock their potential through self-awareness, understanding their values and strengths. Learn more about Steven’s work by visiting www.buildyouralliance.com

Baiju Solanki, Performance Psychologist, Best-Selling Author and Coach had no idea what he was in for when he responded to a LinkedIn message that started off with a confession and an ask to connect - thankfully, Baiju responded kindly and here we are!

In this episode, Baiju and Nicole discuss the surprising chance meeting and the several lessons learned from it that can help all of us to “Change Your Game” - aligning with what Baiju shares and teaches in his work as a high performance coach.

Tune in to learn from Baiju:

The formula for an impactful introduction
His journey from the halls of academia to the corporate world to becoming his own boss by changing his game and living life on his own terms
The relationship between confidence and conviction and why this is so important to understand to achieve your next level of success
How taking inspired action can lead to amazing things (like this podcast episode!)

Baiju Solanki is an Award-winning businessman, TEDx speaker and CEO/Founder of EnSpirit Global: A platform that creates next generation Entrepreneurs & Business Leaders who are ready to grow personally, scale fast and build legacies. He is a best-selling author of “Change Your Game” and host of The EnSpirit Podcast. For more details visit: www.baijusolanki.com and www.changeyourgamebook.com/

Meet Leslee Cohen, the attorney who left Wall Street and a prominent law firm to launch her own firm - doing things her way, on her terms! Leslee’s love for law and for start-ups combined with her vision of a law firm that provides flexibility for employees with a commitment to client success culminated in a start-up of her own - ALLRise Legal Counsel.

In this episode, Leslee shares her journey from Wall Street to Entrepreneur and provides insights on the needs of start-up businesses - from a legal perspective and from an entrepreneur’s perspective with experience being in the trenches, running the business.

Leslee shares valuable start-up advice from a start-up founder’s viewpoint including:

What it takes to create a business that works for you, on YOUR terms
Getting your ducks in a row - why and when to engage an attorney for your business
Considerations in your business when it comes to cap tables, raising capital and taking on partners

Tune in to Episode 29 to learn more about those legal questions you didn’t see coming from the start-up attorney who’s been there and done that!

Leslee Cohen is a Start-up, M&A and Corporate Attorney who combines big firm experience and expertise with a small firm rates and an entrepreneurial mindset. Learn more about ALLRise Legal Counsel by visiting https://www.allriselawyers.com/

Corporate Expat Mara Smith is a former attorney, corporate strategist and stay-at-home mom who always knew she wanted a company of her own and that entrepreneur life was in her future. Her corporate expat experience started with leaving corporate to focus on family, while continuing to envision the future running her own company. That vision came to life in February of 2022 as she set out on her journey to reimagine tequila, creating Inspiro Tequila with a goal to create a clean, smooth and sippable 100% Blue Weber Agave tequila without any of the additives often found in other tequilas, and with every detail thoughtfully crafted.

Check out this episode to learn more about Mara’s journey to entrepreneur land, how she was inspired to bring “Inspiro” to life and why being a women-created, women-led tequila company is at the core of their vision for “tequila reimagined”. https://inspirotequila.com

Experiencing the best of both worlds: Becca and Justin Christiansen, founders of Portland Salt Co are maintaining dual residency living, working and thriving in the corporate world and in entrepreneur land! This power couple launched their business Portland Salt Co in December 2021 during the global pandemic and while maintaining their demanding jobs in the tech industry and balancing family life with the kids.

In this episode, learn about their journey, the challenges of launching a business and how it has become a family bonding experience with so many lessons learned along the way.

Visit https://portlandsaltco.com and listen to this episode for a special discount for the Corporate Expat Experience audience.

Corporate Expat Kim Walsh Phillips decided early in her career that corporate was not for her and created a plan to build her business while keeping that steady job and pay! Early mornings, lunch breaks and evenings were dedicated to building a business that would soon overtake her corporate pay and lead her to a the freedom she desired. Kim shares her journey, best lessons learned and how year 18 of her business resulted in “The Shift” she experienced taking her from 32 clients to over 11k in less than a year!

Kim is Founder & CEO of Powerful Professionals, a business coaching and education company and is the secret weapon for clients such as Kevin O’Leary, Harley Davidson, Hilton Hotels and has shared the stage with Tony Robbins, Barbara Cocoran and Gary Vee. Named “a must to read by those in business” by Forbes Magazine, Kim is the bestselling author of multiple books including, "The Shift: Scale Your Business and Multiply Your Wealth without Sacrificing You," with another must read on the way! Learn more at www.powerfulprofessionals.com

Check out “The Shift” https://www.shiftbookbonus.com

CX Raymond Harari, former banker found his way to his Corporate Expat experience by making an investment in the cannabis space which led him to discover his skills in advising and launching businesses. Ray founded Canalis Capital, a venture capital and innovation firm focused on strategic advisory, venture building, scaling and go-public structuring for pioneering companies in high growth industries.

In this episode, learn more about Ray’s journey from studying engineering to going into the world of finance to entering the family business to setting out on his own path. Ray also shares mistakes made along the way that proved to be invaluable lessons learned, the importance of defining your values in your business and using them to make decisions in your business, and how businesses change along the way.

Ray shares so many insights, great stories and business tips – this is a must listen episode no matter where you are at on your Corporate Expat journey.

Learn more about Ray and Canalis Capital by visiting https://www.canaliscapital.com

Marilynn Joyner is the Founder of Her Workplace, a newly launched career community platform for corporate women in junior to mid-level roles to exchange knowledge, share stories, and build relationships. Her passion to create Her Workplace came from her own lack of professional development, mentorship, and networking opportunities throughout her career.

Marilynn has spent over 10 years as a broker in commercial real estate representing and consulting for organizations on their office leasing initiatives throughout major global and national markets. Her clients throughout her career have ranged from Fortune 500 companies and law firms to start-ups and co-working operators.

In this episode, Marilyn shares how she decided that it was time to make a change from the commercial real estate world, the challenges she faced when seeking out mentorship and personal development opportunities, and how she curated a business that would combine her professional expertise and her desire face these challenges head on in an effort to better support women in the evolving workplace.

Learn more about Her Workplace: https://www.herworkplace.com

CX Jac White, found success in the corporate world working for brands like Armani Exchange and The New York Times before jumping into the world of start-ups working for soon to be big names like DailyCandy and Learnvest before becoming CEO of her own venture-backed company.

In this Episode, Jac discusses not only her background and transition from Corporate to Entrepreneur but also about the benefits of incorporating alliances and partnerships into your business and when raising VC money is right for you and your business. Ready for more from Jac? Check out her Business Development Bootcamp and use code “EXPAT” for a special discount. https://www.honeybeesgroup.co/buildbootcamp

When CX Vanessa Campos set out on her career path, she tried a few different avenues that ultimately led her to putting her love for a good read to proper use in helping others to share their stories. However, in her job she and her co-founder recognized a gap in the market – business books by and for women - and the need for doing things differently and to help bring more diverse voices to book publishing. From that realization and desire “Broad Book Group” was born, sharing the stories and insights from women thought leaders looking to make their mark and a positive impact in the world.

In this episode, Vanessa shares her journey to launching a publishing house, how writing your book can impact your brand – both company and personal and ways to get started on your writing journey.

Be sure to check out this episode and learn more about how you can bring your story to life: www.broadbookgroup.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessalcampos/

Women Entrepreneurs Month: Meet Dana Paskalis, a former biotech executive with a career spanning 30 years, Dana cultivated a passion for building strong client relationships and connecting teams on a meaningful level. As Founder/CEO of Life Reset Labs, Dana decided that she was ready to take the work she loved in the corporate world to the next level by starting her own company. Learn more in this episode about how you can do the same, how perceived setbacks can be leaps forward in your life and great advice from a Corporate Expat who now has the best of both world – her own business doing what she loves on her terms and also consulting for corporate clients that allows her to still tap into what she enjoyed living in the corporate world. Be sure to check out this episode to learn how to navigate a layoff, find your passion in your corporate work and take a new approach to the “choose your own adventure” stage of the Corporate Expat Experience!

To learn more about Dana and her work at Life Reset Labs visit: https://www.liferesetlabs.com/ LinkedIn: (21) Dana Paskalis | LinkedIn

Instagram and Facebook: liferesetlabs23 Twitter: @DanaPaskalis

For International Women’s Day we are featuring not only an incredible woman entrepreneur who has made history in so many ways, she is investing in the future with her social impact foundation WEDO – Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization, to support women around the world make history of their own through starting their own businesses providing financial security for themselves and their families. Wendy Diamond is CEO/Founder of LDP Ventures and and WEDO, Creator of Animal Fair Media, an impact investor, a best-selling author of multiple books and a television personality.

Be ready for some amazing stories, entrepreneurial advice and a few trademark “woo-hoos!!” along the way!

To learn more about WEDO and how you can support the cause:

https://www.womenseday.org

Looking Back & Ahead: 2022 & Now Season Two…Join me for a peek into the past year of my corporate expat experience, how one call can change your plotted course and a preview of what to expect in upcoming episodes.

Both traditional expat and Corporate Expat, Ryan Spence shares his journey from walking out of his career in big law to finding his path forward and creating his Triple C Method. In this episode, you will learn what to do when you feel like you are losing yourself to your job; the importance of recognizing your values and what it means to level up by focusing on the three C’s.

Be sure to check out Ryan’s new book “The Triple C Method” https://www.iamryanspence.com/triplec

IWD - While today is a day of celebrating and recognizing women, our lives, our contributions and our impact on the world – it’s also a day of inclusion. In this episode, learn how men are part of the conversation and how they can be part of IWD today and every day.

What does taking a pause and deciding that there has to be a better way have to do with this podcast and the Corporate Expat Experience? Tune in to this week’s episode to learn more about the power of pause, the first stage of corporate expatriation and where almost all change begins…

Corporate Expat Sarah Cooke loved her work in the corporate world but started to realize the impact of the fast-paced, high performance corporate lifestyle was having on her health. As a former athlete, Sarah knew that the way back to optimal health was by focusing on movement and nutrition to help her to deal with the stress, rigor and demands of her work along with implementing the much needed boundaries that are often compromised in this environment. And as an Entrepreneur, Sarah realized that the burnout did not just affect corporate professionals but entrepreneurs too. Sarah knew this was where she could make a huge impact - helping high performers optimize their health, wellness and their business.

In this episode you will learn:

The parallels of the expat experience to the corporate expat experience from Sarah who has experience both!
How a difficult pregnancy reignited a passion for health and wellness, sparking a departure from corporate to starting a new business
The challenges of being fully booked as an entrepreneur and the changes that Sarah made to her business to experience the freedom she desired as an entrepreneur

Be sure to check out https://sarahcookemarketing.com/ for free resources, how to work with Sarah and to listen to her podcast “The Healthy Business” for more business tips to help you have a healthy business and life.

Amazing things can happen when we allow ourselves to “try” – yet we have been so discouraged by movies, quotes, personal development “experts” to “do, not try” that the word has many of us stopping in our tracks!

In this episode you will learn:

why “try” is even more powerful that “just do”
how context makes the difference when determining whether to “try” or “do”
the questions you need to ask yourself to move you into inspired action

Corporate Expat Laura Fravel spent over 20 years traveling the world, uncovering and producing stories for media outlets, brands and causes. Turning seemingly ordinary people, into extraordinary stories – for National Geographic and Netflix, to Microsoft and The New York Times. Laura has seen first hand how one person’s story can make a difference and a change in the world.

Now Laura helps experts, leaders and entrepreneurs tell their story – to elevate their brand, to help make a difference for their clients and the world.

In this episode Laura shares:

The power of your story
When to start working on your personal brand
How corporate ladders translate in entrepreneur world

Be sure to connect with Laura and learn more about sharing your story to build your personal brand at www.laurafravel.com

Susannah Morgan, a successful art gallery director and art advisor became inspired by other Corporate Expats who started their own businesses, in other fields and started to realize that she could do the same in the business of art. That inspiration sparked the launch of SKM Art Advising, which coupled her background and experience in art, along with her passion for having a business of her own. And while her path looked a little different from her mentors – she has created a thriving business and life that she loves.

In this episode you will learn how:

learning from success stories in different industries can help you to see new opportunities in your field
how your business day one might not exactly be the same down the road
the importance of creating a supportive environment and community

Be sure to check out https://linktr.ee/SKMArtAdvising and connect on social @skmartadvising

Amarilis Correa Parga, Owner of Ace Travels Agency takes us on her Corporate Expat journey and without giving too much away – it has definitely been an adventure! Her love of adventures - traveling, experiencing new cultures, and connecting with people – has led her to so many places and to new opportunities.

In this episode you will learn:

How keeping an open mind helps you in your journeys & your career
Shifting gears in your career can help you change your perspective
How your corporate business experience will help you as an entrepreneur

Word of caution – you may develop a serious case of wanderlust after hearing Amarilis talk about the chapters of her career taking her around the globe and her work now helping her clients experience the true essence of the destination through custom designed cultural trips.

Ready for your next adventure? Travel inspiration? Or to learn more about the Travel Industry? Connect with Amarilis at www.acetravelsagency.com and find her on all social @ace_travels

Kat Ruiz worked on Wall Street managing billions in assets and living a fast paced lifestyle that while many envied, Kat realized was leading to burnout and quickly. She decided to make a change, to pursue her next degree and during her studies found something that would completely change her life and her next career move. Kat’s next move - to focus on helping those corporate professionals who were living life in the fast lane to slow down, focus on health and wellness in order to do more and be more.

On this episode you will learn:

How your Corporate Expat journey may take you down different routes before you find your path
Why continuous learning is so important and especially for experts
What to do before you make the leap from Employee to Entrepreneur

Learn more about Kat, her work and her Corporate Wellness program at www.katruizwellness.com

Stefanie Pinsley had it made – a bright future with a coveted role - being accepted to the super competitive Associate Product Marketing Manager program at Google, the world’s most popular domain.

She was enjoying the fast-paced environment and working on new initiatives, with one of her first roles as Leader for the Home Alone Campaign starring Macaulay Culkin. Then 2020 happened and things changed – working from home, a long-distance move and the stress of the pandemic led Stefanie to realize that she needed a break. While taking a formal leave of absence, Stefanie used the time away to be creative and have some fun on TikTok, sharing marketing tips and ideas – that’s when things changed. In a few short months, she built a following of over 60K! Stefanie knew she was on to something and decided to set out on her Corporate Expat journey.

In this Episode you will learn the benefits of taking a leave of absence, how stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to a new career direction and the importance of self-reflection and mindset work before jumping into the entrepreneur “super-highway”.

Learn more about Stefanie, her upcoming “Roadmap to Rise” program and how she built her TikTok following through her free masterclass: https://www.stefpinsley.com/webinar-download and on TikTok @stef.pinsley

Luke Smaul, led one of the largest Digital Transformation programs across GE and jointly launched a new vertical for the business leading him to discover a new passion – digital transformation. He saw the challenges and started to look at things differently. Luke saw a better way. He combined his domain expertise and business experience with his vision and passion to take the leap into entrepreneurship - building a successful consulting firm that transforms the approach to digital transformation.

In this episode you will learn how a vision for doing things differently can spark transformation for others and yourself; the importance of building a personal brand and when to start working on it; and how asking for help can be a power move.

To learn more about Luke, Digital Transformation and the power of seeing things differently – check out https://www.chakra.expert and on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-smaul

Learn more about Digital Transformation and how to “Cut through the hype” - Sign up for a Free Masterclass: https://www.decodedtransformation.com

Luisa Molano was thriving in her corporate career as a Leader in HR until her intrapreneurial spirit took her down a different corporate path that was not quite as she planned. In this episode, Luisa shares how being on put on a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan) helped to leave her corporate career on a high note and to propel her Corporate Expat journey. Taking her corporate leadership experience along with her passion for Human Design, Luisa launched a Leadership Coaching practice working with leaders to navigate challenges and to guide leaders to unlock their Unique Creative Flow Pattern™ to reach their next level of success. To learn more about working with Luisa, visit www.luisamolano.com

Vance Long, Managing Principal and Founder of The Skain Group started his Corporate Expat Experience by doing a favor for a friend, which opened the door to an entirely new world and line of business. From heading up operations at one of the most well-recognized international bar brands to heading up physical and digital security for some of the most famous global brands and events, Vance shares not only his transition experience, but also the importance of leading your business with your core values, incorporating these values in your business and how he has made his business decisions and creating new programs based on the defined core values. Vance also shares insights on why digital hygiene and security is no longer a nice to have – especially for entrepreneurs.

For more on how to protect all that you are working to build, visit www.theskaingroup.com

Stephanie Acker, Chief Experience Designer at Design the Experience was living a “magazine lifestyle” and enjoying a successful career living in APAC, working for a top financial institution. While loving her work and living in an exciting new world, Stephanie realized that the lifestyle she was living, while glamorous and exciting, was “about as thin as the magazine paper” it was printed on.

In this episode, Stephanie shares how the Boston Marathon and finding Diet Dr. Pepper in a random market weighed in on her decision to leave the expat life, to move back home and to eventually start a new business - becoming a “Corporate Expat”.

Stephanie also shares valuable marketing tips and insights from the corporate world in a simplified way that you can use in your business today.

Check out “The Marketing Mastered” membership that provides you with a unique, easy-to-digest “micro-learning” approach and ideas to grow your business today. https://www.designtheexperience.com

Sarah Aspinall, Founder of “Breaking Ballet” shares her Corporate Expat story sparked by two fateful nights that led her to leave a successful career in law, rediscover a passion and create a new movement in fitness. www.breakingballet.com @breakingballet

Did you know that there are two thoughts that will absolutely kill your dreams and your goals? Think about your response and then listen to this episode – this is for everyone who wants to grow and to reach next level success.

Mindset is not all positive talk and woo – learn why your mindset matters, understand exactly what it is and ways to help you move into a mindset that works for you.

What is a "Corporate Expat"? This week I will share more about being a corporate expat, the stages of corporate expatriation and my corporate to entrepreneur transition. Plus, I will share with you a powerful, yet simple exercise to help you figure out what you want and what you need to do start moving towards a life you desire.

Ready to make a change in your career? To start a new business and live life on your terms? Or have you already started your business and looking for some inspiration and fresh perspectives to help you reach your next level of success? The Corporate Expat Experience will provide you with all of that and more - providing you with the reality of what it takes to successfully transition from employee life to entrepreneur world and build a business and life on your terms.