One of the absolute joys I get from having this podcast is  that I get to introduce you to some wonderful people. I like to think I have some pretty interesting guests who come on the show. As you know, I say that at the start of almost every episode. 

But closely related to that is,  I enjoy hearing the different nuances in these stories, especially from those I have known for a while. Amel Derragui certainly fits that category.

I met Amel years ago through the Families in Global Transitions (FIGT, for short) conference. We most likely had cross paths in earlier encounters as we have many shared friends and acquaintances in this expat space. But it was probably around 2018, I know that we definitively spoke to each other as Amel was part of a panel I was moderating at the conference while in the Hague. Since then, we have kept in touch and followed each other both on and offline. 

Amel is a business and marketing coach, speaker and podcast host. After a career in advertising, she quit her job to join her husband abroad and launched her first business consulting corporate companies while living on the move.  Years later, she saw a critical need to support other expat spouses and global nomads in finding their own source of fulfillment and financial independence, so she launched Tandem Nomads. Through her podcast show, online courses, workshops and coaching services she helps global entrepreneurs start or grow a successful portable business that is aligned with their lifestyle.  Her work on the topics of entrepreneurship and women empowerment has been featured in  various media such as Forbes Magazine and Global Living Magazine.

In this episode, Amel and I dive deep into her global backstory which starts as the child of an Algerian diplomat. She discusses the impact of those early experiences and how they have influenced her modern expat story. he gets personal about how marriage (and the accompanying change in life status) would lead to her career pivot that would ultimately encourage others living life on the move.

Amel is an empathetic, strategic thinker.  You’ll hear her talk about doing things that are viable, sustainable and profitable – as you will find, it doesn’t just apply to business, but life in general.