As we continue our new collection of conversations with inspiring people from within our community, we’re hearing from people who are showing us the many different ways it’s possible to build a fulfilling life and career around a diplomatic and globally mobile life.

In this episode, we’re joined by Heather Butler, a social entrepreneur and management consultant and the founder of Zaliwa.

After moving to Kenya in 2021 for her husband’s diplomatic posting, Heather came across a beautiful bag made entirely from sweet wrappers. Struck by the waste crisis and lack of job opportunities she was seeing around her, this unexpected discovery sparked an idea that would eventually become Zaliwa.

Meaning “to be born” in Swahili, Zaliwa is about the art of rebirth. Heather brings unique, handcrafted goods made from recycled materials to the global market, building a product-based business across three different countries.

In this episode, we explore:

• Moving to Kenya with the intention of working remotely, only to discover that remote work wasn’t feasible in the way she had expected
• How Heather created her own sense of purpose when she no longer had a paid job role
• How one bag made from sweet wrappers sparked the idea for Zaliwa
• The realities of building a product-based business across borders
• How Heather has navigated sourcing, production and selling physical products while living a globally mobile life

Heather’s story is a brilliant reminder that sometimes the opportunities we create for ourselves come from simply paying attention to what is happening around us.

What started with a move to Kenya, a bag made from sweet wrappers and a growing awareness of the challenges around waste and employment has evolved into a business that Heather is building across borders and taking with her through her globally mobile life.

We hope these conversations inspire you to see your own possibilities differently and remind you that there isn’t one right way to build a career, create opportunities or make this globally mobile life work for you.

Zaliwa – Instagram & TikTok: @zaliwa.co Website: zaliwa.co.uk

Anna – Instagram: @notjustaspouse | notjustaspouse.com | anna@notjustaspouse.com

Emma – Instagram: @thezestielife | emma@zestie.org | zestie.carrd.co

https://tally.so/r/nP7zO5

As we continue our collection of conversations with inspiring people from within our community, we’re hearing from people who are showing us the many different ways it’s possible to build a fulfilling career and life around a diplomatic and globally mobile life.

In this episode, we’re joined by Laura, a Speech and Language Therapist who specialises in working with adults with aphasia. Laura is currently living in Chile with her husband and two sons, and her journey is a brilliant example of what can happen when determination, perseverance and creativity meet the challenges of a globally mobile career.

In this episode, we explore:

• The challenges of navigating bilateral agreements as a professional living overseas
• What it meant for Laura’s professional licence
• The determination and perseverance it took to keep pursuing her career
• Why sometimes you have to find your own route when the traditional career path doesn’t fit your life

Laura’s story is a wonderful reminder that sometimes making this globally mobile life work for you means finding a different route to where you want to go. It’s about being willing to persevere, get creative and take that next confident step, even when the path isn’t straightforward.

We hope these conversations inspire you to see your own possibilities differently and remind you that there isn’t one right way to build a career, create opportunities or make this globally mobile life work for you.

The Aphasia Space – www.aphasia.space | Instagram: @aphasia.space

Anna – Instagram: @notjustaspouse | notjustaspouse.com | anna@notjustaspouse.com

Emma – Instagram: @thezestielife | emma@zestie.org | zestie.carrd.co

https://tally.so/r/nP7zO5

As we move on from our confidence series, we’re starting a new collection of conversations with inspiring people from within our community who are showing us the many different ways it’s possible to build a fulfilling life around a diplomatic and globally mobile life.

We’ll be hearing real stories of confidence, career, identity, reinvention and the choices people have made to create opportunities for themselves, wherever in the world they find themselves.

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Aoife Kenny, a New Zealander born to Irish parents and a self-described citizen of the world. Through her own career and her husband’s UN postings, Aoife has lived in nine different countries and has continually evolved her career alongside an incredibly mobile life.

In this episode, we explore:

• The realities of UN diplomatic life and how it differs from embassy life
• How Aoife has used her medical degree to create different opportunities across different countries
• Finding ways to build a career that can evolve and move with you
• How her experiences in medicine, international public health, humanitarian aid and yoga have shaped what she does today
• Aoife’s current work supporting women through perimenopause and menopause
• How she is building a global women’s health offering from Bhutan

Aoife’s story is a wonderful example of what can happen when you stop trying to fit your life into one fixed definition of success and instead remain curious about what is possible.

We hope these conversations will inspire you to see your own possibilities differently and remind you that there isn’t one right way to make this globally mobile life work for you.

Instagram: @draoifekenny Website: www.aoifekenny.com LinkedIn: Aoife Kenny

Substack: https://substack.com/@draoife

ASK your questions on our anonymous link:

https://tally.so/r/nP7zO5

Anna – Instagram: @notjustaspouse | notjustaspouse.com | anna@notjustaspouse.com

Emma – Instagram: @thezestielife | emma@zestie.org | zestie.carrd.co