Being introduced to a coach, just after her expat journey began in 2016, had a hugely positive impact on expat partner Maria Arias’ life, first in Panama and then Argentina.
A new perspective
“Global Connection has been one of the largest contributors in supporting me throughout my expat life,” says Maria, a lawyer from Madrid, who relocated from Panama City to Buenos Aires in 2020. “First of all, after I had moved to Panama City, my consultant introduced me to a coach, Paula Braga. Meeting Paula was a huge moment for me. Her coaching really changed my point of view and mentality, not just as an expatriate, but also as a person.”
Visualising goals
“Speaking with a coach like Paula can help you in so many different ways in terms of your personal and professional goals. From talking to her, I was able to visualise what I wanted from my expat life and then identify the best opportunities available to me,” says Maria. “Looking back, I believe the most useful insights I got from Paula were related to self-awareness. She also helped me to develop the skills I needed to handle the challenges of life, family and work and improve my time management. I learned how to take care of myself, which meant I could take better care of my own family.”
Keeping in touch
“My work is a very important part of my life. As I followed my husband on this expat adventure, I knew that keeping in touch with my old network in Spain, and forming new networks, would be a key to success. So besides joining professional associations in my home country, I have connected with professional projects in Panama and now also in Buenos Aires. In doing so I have found opportunities that have helped me grow as a professional, in an international sense, and allowed me to become an expert not only in Spain but also in Latin America.”
Language skills
“The support I received from my husband’s employer, facilitated by Global Connection, also helped me to improve my English skills, which I greatly appreciate, too. Improving my English skills also created more opportunities for me – socially as well as professionally. Attending language classes is how I met one of my best friends in Panama. I was also able to get more involved at our kids’ international school, thanks to having a greater command of the language.”
Photo: Maria (centre, in red) with colleagues
All Global Connection’s corporate clients are leading multinationals. Due to some of their policies, we no longer use their name in public articles. However, expat partners signed in to our private Media & Network can see the multinational’s name.
