You can get to whatever you want to get, but you get to choose how you want to get there.

And if you want to get there burned out with your nervous system all fried up, having missed all the precious milestones, bitter, resentful, with all the wrinkles and all the white hairs and all the things, and feeling like, oh my God, I finally made it, but at what expense?

Even at the expense of your health, okay?

Or you can get there in the easy breezy, you know, maybe she's born with it.

You remember those ads?

And it's a little bit like that.

It's like we can also do it effortless.

It doesn't mean that it doesn't require effort.

It doesn't mean that you have to put in the work, but it becomes so aligned and effortless that we are achieving those milestones.

You're like, I enjoyed the journey as well.

We are moms, we are bosses, and we're living abroad.

And in this brand new season of this exciting podcast, we are boosting the woman to woman connection through deep, intimate conversations to pause, reflect, and go beyond the skin deep.

And we are here to celebrate your unique journey.

No matter how old your business or your babies, or where you are in the world, you are not alone.

It's time to go deeper, understand better, and lean into more harmony and fun along the way.

We are Desiree and Iva, and this is Mom Bosses Abroad.

Hi, and welcome to a new episode of the Mom Bosses Abroad podcast.

I am Iva Perez, and I am here with my beautiful co-host Desiree Gonzalez.

And today we want to talk about the part that no one puts on Instagram, which is pretty much the whole ethos of our lives when it comes to parenting abroad without a built-in village.

And this can definitely feel for a lot of us moms, like juggling all the balls in the air while breastfeeding on three hours of sleep.

But what about if the very things that make this life so intense, you know, the naps, the time zones, the constant moves, could actually work for you as in your favor?

And in this episode, we are pulling back the curtain on why traditional business models collapse for moms abroad, how time zones, naps, and motherhood can still work in your favor, and how you can build wealth with a business model that actually loves you back and doesn't demand your soul in the process.

So in other words, no village, no problem.

Hi, Des, and welcome.

Hi, Iva.

I love today's topic.

It's so like, it seems almost too familiar because that's exactly the space we're finding ourselves in, right, and the space that we're navigating through.

So that I'm so glad that we're putting this on the table because it is our everyday life.

It's good to actually analyze it and be like, why is it working so well for us?

And why can it absolutely work in our favor when many people indeed think it cannot?

That there's too many hurdles for being abroad.

There's too many hurdles for being a mom of younger kids.

There's too many hurdles of all the kind of the new phases that that expat life brings with it, right?

And I love that we found our ways to just really naturally and organically look past all of those and build something really meaningful despite not having the village and not having the support, not having the traditional tools on hand that other people may have.

So yeah, I can't wait to dive in.

Yeah.

And talking about the village part, first and foremost, I think that's the biggest hurdle or obstacle that we will be facing no matter where we go, because the moment that you land somewhere new is a bit of a reset.

Like you're starting pretty much from zero, unless you're a veteran at moving abroad quite a few times.

And then it's almost like you have already a network where someone knows someone that knows someone that is going to be at the place that you're moving.

And then it might make it a little bit easier because then you already have at least one contact, one person that can help you with the land.

And so I feel that there's two sides of the coin.

I think that you can absolutely see it as I need to start from scratch and I need to navigate this from knowing no one and then making that first conversation with someone at the bus stop, right?

Waiting for your kids to go to school, which is exactly what happened to me when I moved to Hong Kong the first time.

I was waiting for a bus to take me downtown and there was a school bus pulling up and this mom is like bringing her two little chicken nuggets into the bus and off it goes into school.

And they were about my kids' ages and I just looked at her and said, wow, I still feel so protective of my kids.

I want to take them to school and I want to pick them up and I'm still not ready to just put them in a bus and let them go like that.

And so I started a conversation with her and asked her, in general, like, how old are your kids?

Where are they going?

All of the things.

And to this day, we have now gone on holidays together.

We have spent Christmases together.

You know, her husband, my husband are really great friends.

And so all of that blossom from just that one initial conversation.

But on the other hand, the other side of the coin is that, is that your network in this globalized world definitely has that six degrees of separation.

Like definitely there is someone that knows someone, that knows someone, that knows someone, that is a place where you're planning to move and they make the connection.

And I also feel that as human beings, we always want to come from a place of service.

And whoever you tap into and say, hey, I'm planning on moving there.

What is life like?

Can we get on a call?

Can I just quickly get the good, the bad and the ugly?

What should I expect or provision for?

People are very to do that.

What do you think?

What has been your experience with the village part?

Yeah.

Oh, the village.

Like you said, yes, I am a true third culture kid.

I've been moving around since I'm 11.

And it is, yes, it's definitely hit me in those ways that there's always someone I will know in the next destination.

And it also definitely helps that we are from the hotel industry, which is also like a small industry with everyone naturally moving.

And so it's either we'll know someone in the new place or someone that knows someone, like you said.

And yes, I mean, as a mom, that is a little bit our blessing and the superpower too, that we are quick to make connections, even just waiting at the school drop off or the pick up zone.

And we have already that one thing in common.

We have kids of similar ages that we're waiting to pick up.

So there's play dates.

Often the kids also are the ones that create relationships for us because they're asking for play dates, and then we are accompanying and getting to know the parents that way.

I think what's really nice and what I really thought about a lot over the years as well is that there are definitely friends I've made and that have been such a support network on many levels, where I'm asking, if I were at home, would I be friends with them?

You know, like, would we be getting along?

Because once you're abroad, you have that commonality, right?

You are both abroad.

That's already something that connects you, and that immediately forms some sort of unspoken bond.

And I feel through that, we have formed such beautiful friendships and such diverse friendships.

And yes, there is then when kids are involved, like we need much more of a support network, where we're like, oh my God, I need to go to the dentist.

They can only see me at 5 p.m., but how when the kid's at home, right?

And then you're like, well, there is that wonderful neighbor or that friend, and they've kindly offered to take care of the kids while I'm at that appointment.

And you're like, thank you.

And yes, it'd be more convenient if you have the grandparents down the street, or they can come for a bit.

But why not?

Because that exposes us and the children to new cultures, new customs, new homes, new ways of being.

And I feel being in control of and in the power of creating that village for yourself is beautiful.

And it's exciting because you never know when you're gonna meet your new best friend somewhere.

It's amazing.

You said that for you, it was at the bus stop.

Yes.

That's awesome.

Yeah, that is that beautiful element of, you come in and life can surprise you in the most incredible ways.

And that is part of what makes being someone that's living abroad and a mom boss abroad, it makes it for like, oh, I wonder what I will find here, almost like a treasure hunt.

But then there's that other side where you do want to feel a little bit in control within the not knowing what to expect part.

And that's where the work or the job situation, it really starts to show its true colors in that scenario.

And what I mean by that is that with traditional business models and with traditional jobs, there's a lot that is out of your control.

There's a lot of red tape, there's a lot of bureaucracy, there's a lot of permits and visas and this and that, that you have to take care of to make sure that everything that you're doing is within the scope of what's legal and allowed.

And that can take a while to sort out.

And in the meantime, time is running, in the meantime, opportunities are passing you by because you feel like I'm not able to get my docs in a row because I'm waiting for the signature, I'm waiting for this document, I'm waiting for this and that and that and that.

And so that is the part where we want to offer today in this episode that some traditional business models, meaning the brick and mortar, right?

Like getting a retail space and where and how you're still getting to understand where you're in and what neighborhood this is, let alone like what's a good traffic area to put your storefront in or physical products, you know, handling inventory and where you're going to keep them.

And I mean, I'm here in a base right now in Bali, in Indonesia.

And one of the things that I had no idea until my husband very gently gave me an example is forget about things being delivered the way that they are delivered elsewhere via Amazon.

And I'm like, what?

And he's like, yeah, forget about all of that.

So there are things that just really collapse for us.

And this is where we have to think differently.

This is where something that can be packed alongside the diaper bag that can be put in the backpack and taken with us, and we just pretty much open up and start running with it, is so invaluable and comes in so handy to make that, okay, I'm in charge and I'm in control part, really jellied.

Hey, Mama, if you've been looking for a way to make an impact on health, create long-term wealth for your family, and design a freedom lifestyle, all while being part of an amazing supportive community, then listen up.

We found a business model that's not just about making money, but about doing soulful work that's truly aligned with who you are.

No more burnout, no more trading time for money, just a powerful proven way to create real change for yourself and others.

If this speaks to you, head over to mombossesabroad.com and watch a quick 30-minute video that could completely shift your perspective on what's possible for your future.

Because, Mama, you deserve freedom, abundance, and purpose.

Let's create it together.

And it's definitely always the thing, what you make of it, right?

You can always put yourself in a, like, victim role.

Everything is so hard, and I'm so lonely, and everything.

Or you can really take that as a driver to really build something really special.

And yeah, like, the village is so important because motherhood can be lonely, as we all know with once we've had that have had newborns and we're at home, and we're navigating this whole completely new phase of our life, often on our own during the day.

And we, it can be a very lonely journey, especially if you are at the moment, the only one with that, a kid that age.

Then tie in entrepreneurship.

And that can be an extremely lonely journey too.

If you are, you know, there's so many forms of entrepreneurship and businesses that you do.

But I, that's a personal experience of mine.

I used to feel even though I had tons of friends, I have a loving husband who was home every day.

Like, I mean, at night he does go to work, but like at night and like, you know what I mean?

Like I didn't have no reason to be lonely, but I, you feel lonely in the moment, in that phase of your life.

But now with this business model that we'll speak more into and that obviously we are speaking about Enagic as well and what we've come into with the community, there has not been a single day where I have felt that loneliness.

Because of that online support, that online village, and it has been such a constant driver in what we do.

Like there's a lot of ups and downs in our expat lives, right?

And then there may be moves ahead.

Like we never know, they may be move ahead next year.

How do we know, right?

But knowing that we have this village that's online, that's going to be our constant.

And that's there, and that's not going to change.

I think that alone is so beautiful.

I don't even know the word, right?

Like valuable, beautiful, powerful, helpful, supportive.

It's just all the things.

Yeah, there are categories, as you say, there's a spectrum of doing something that is flexible and online, and that is great.

And as you say, there's different personalities and tastes for everything.

However, us being in the community of other women that are entrepreneurs and building businesses abroad or creating that wealth and impact for themselves abroad, those common themes are, it seems like it's pretty much the norm throughout.

It's that sense of already the space that I'm in is a bit lonely, it's a bit isolated.

And doing something on my own without going into an office or without having teams that get together at the end of the day for drinks or whatever is not fully there.

So there's this element of, yeah, I don't think that there's someone that can get me as in get me.

And it's not a judgment on our spouses or friends because we do feel their love and support.

But it's just different.

It's just different when they cannot dimension what you go through on a day-to-day basis.

And that is where this business model for us with Enagic is so incredible because that community is part of the pillars.

That community is part of the pillars that make you instantly feel seen and heard.

And for women, that's a game changer.

The moment that you feel that there's other women that get you, that understand you, that are going through the same things, that can hold up that inspiration or that mirror for you and say, hey, I was there just a few months ago.

Trust me, it's gonna work out fine or trust me, you are in the right path.

It's priceless.

And also, it feeds off already the chaos that we feel going through motherhood in and of itself.

And so, this is the other part where a more traditional role or more traditional business settings would not be so, how can I say, they would be tolerant in a one-off type of situation, but not as a, is this going to happen every single day?

And what I mean by that is that the chaos of motherhood is someone is interrupting you, someone is coming in on the screen and wants to see what you're doing.

Someone is doing something.

And the fact that you can do that in a community of people that get it, and they're like, yeah, go ahead, you know, not a problem.

Like, we're all doing the same pretty much.

Or I did that just the other week as well, or that happened to me.

It's not something that you're going to find in the other traditional settings because they're going to raise an eyebrow because it's sort of like, oh, you're not, you don't have your act together.

Like, you're not organized or whatever, but they don't really see the behind the scenes that this chaos is actually our superpower.

Because you are not having to manage anything on top of what you're already managing as a mom, dinner, you know, playdates, school runs, whatever.

You're actually partnering with a proven system that runs when you can and when you can't.

Like, it's just running.

It's just there.

Like, once the setup is there, you're like, yeah, I can live this in the background and not be like me, who I, that's why I'm super dangerous.

Because if I put water to boil, be it for pasta, be it for eggs, and I go to my office and I get distracted, I'm about to burn out the house.

Like, I forget that thing is on.

Like, I catch myself and I'm like, Iva, let's use a reminder on the phone.

But this is not that.

It's not that situation, like Iva leaving the water and forgetting that it's there.

This is like, you can leave it and it's working for you, and it's going to do great things in the background.

I love what you said earlier that flexibility is baked into our system.

And it's so true, and that's why it works so well in motherhood.

And I have to just mention the productivity piece.

I genuinely, hand on my heart, believe that I am more productive in this business as a mother than if I wouldn't have kids at all.

And that is because, I don't know, being a mom living abroad, we had literally have to manage all the things.

There's different layers of it, whether you have maybe a helper, something you wouldn't have at home, or someone like some sort of support at home, or you don't have anything either, and you are literally, you're cooking, you're doing all the pickups, you're managing all the kids' activities, because the kids' lives is more, they have a bigger social life sometimes than I do, or activity life than I do.

But it's like, you know, we're managing all of that, and in the pocket of the time that we have, which is now that both kids are in school, yay, which gives us a few hours of, you know, us time and being able to build this business.

But I am able to do so much in that time, because I know I have to be super focused.

I don't have more time than that in a day, because after that, we're the present parents as well.

We're then present with the kids.

Plus, then we've got all the things to do at home, right?

Then comes the other side of the role for us.

And I've always worked really well under pressure, under time constraint, but also the fact that, yes, I will stop working when I go pick up the kids, but my business doesn't, you know?

I have sales calls being conducted by other people on behalf of me while I'm like sitting on the bike in the middle of Tokyo trying to get to school and things like that.

So it's like, I love, yeah, just that productivity piece in our very limited time that we have to build.

Yeah, that is absolutely key and vital.

As you say, it's about the systems.

And you are definitely the system queen.

And you, I mean, this podcast wouldn't be possible if Desiree wouldn't have stepped in and really created this whole system from start to end, so that it's very seamless.

And systems are so important.

And this is what we value about this model for ourselves, is that there's a plug and play.

There's, if we're almost everything, there's tools that are just plug and play.

And as you say, I don't have time to be on a one-hour call with someone, but someone can, someone else can on our batch.

And those are the things that you say, wow, I don't need to be wearing all the hats at all time and burn myself out in the process.

Here's, I guess, where it lands for us, and hopefully for you, dear mama.

You can get to whatever you want to get, but you get to choose how you want to get there.

And if you want to get there burned out with your nervous system all fried up, having missed all the precious milestones, bitter, resentful, with all the wrinkles and all the white hairs and all the things, and feeling like, oh my god, I finally made it, but at what expense?

Even at the expense of your health.

Okay?

Or you can get there in the easy breezy.

Maybe she's born with it.

You remember those ads.

And it's a little bit like that.

It's like we can also do it effortless.

It doesn't mean that it doesn't require effort.

It doesn't mean that you have to put in the work, but it becomes so aligned and effortless that we are achieving those milestones.

You're like, I enjoyed the journey as well.

So this is why this business flows with your rhythms, because it's not only about the end goal, it's the enjoyment of getting to the end goal as well.

Like that is also part of life.

That is such an important point.

That is so important.

I really, it just brings me back to the time prior to this when I was in another network marketing company.

As everyone knows, you guys have been listening to this podcast for a long time.

But it really, I will never forget that one day.

And it happened to be on a weekend.

I think it was even a Saturday or something.

It was the end of the month.

And I had like a goal I wanted to achieve or something, but I needed to make a certain amount of sales and numbers in order to get my commission check at that percentage, whatever.

And I remember that I sent, this is before my daughter was born, I sent my husband and my son out on a day of their own because I felt I couldn't go because I needed to do things to make this happen.

I mean, how sad is that?

I literally missed out on a beautiful day.

And then it hurtfully reminded me months later when we were in this beautiful, gorgeous place, somewhere close to Kyoto.

And I was like, oh my god, it's so gorgeous.

Like, yeah.

And then even my son said, yeah, mama, we've been here before.

And it's like, well, I haven't.

And I was like, oh my god, I missed out on a perfectly beautiful day because I was in hustle mode.

And I vouched for myself in that moment that I stood there and I was like, I will not do that again.

I do not want to do.

And was it worth it?

Were that that amount of money I received for that month?

Was that worth missing a whole day with my husband and my son?

No, it was not.

And this is what I love with this.

The systems, the processes, the automation that we have, which are extremely personalized, extremely personal, right?

However, it's also like the amount of money we make just from one person is like, you know, months, months worth of work for me and my previous business.

So yes, if there is a moment that maybe I have to say, I'll catch up with you guys, give me like half an hour to finish this call, for example.

Oh, yes, the thousands and the four figures, five figures that roll in from that call will have been worth it.

You know, so it's always putting a little bit into harmony, like your input, your output.

And then you soulfully enjoy what you're doing without frustrations, without disappointments and without like that feeling of loneliness.

And then the whole celebration point is another thing.

I used to celebrate quietly on my own in my bedroom for the little pocket money I earned that month.

Oh my god, how sad.

And now it's different.

We help each other celebrate all these wins so beautifully, which brings us back to that we are not alone in this.

It's not a lonesome journey.

Yes, yes, you're not, you're never ever building something solo.

And that is part of the things that make this so sustainable.

Because when you start to see like, you know, I am not having that support, or I'm not having that inspiration, motivation.

I'm not having someone that can be showing like the signposts and the goalposts for what's to come next and what to look towards in to the future.

Then yeah, you start to say, is this really worth it?

Do I really want to keep on doing it?

Right?

But it's akin to when you have a accountability partner and you say, hey, let's go work out at X time tomorrow.

And even if you don't want to, even if you had a sleepless night, even if you went to bed late, like you know someone is waiting for you the next day.

You show up, you show up and you're like, yeah, because there's a little bit of that.

And here, it's not that you have the pressure of people saying, this is what you have to be doing, yes or yes.

But it's more that sense of a friend that is waiting for you the next day to go and work out because you both said, it's important and we want to do it and it's for health.

And so you know that they are there with all the intention of having fun and doing it alongside you.

And that's the vibe, that's the feeling when you are doing this with this beautiful community.

So the emotional toll of having or feeling that you have to do it all alone gets replaced by a community accountability that is dialed in.

It's really, really dialed in.

There's always a WhatsApp chat, there's always a Zoom call, there's always something happening in this online sisterhood.

And you can be in all of them, one of them, none of them that week.

And no one is going to look down on you, no one is going to pull you apart and say, hey, what's going on?

It's you get to decide the level of engagement and the level of what that online village looks like for you, which is the good thing.

Absolutely.

And I think one thing that just really dropped in for me in this moment is also with the village that we're creating, which is different than a traditional village, as we've mentioned.

I have no need because I'm also observing this in my husband who's still very much in a corporate role.

I'm seeing that when he comes home from work, he says, I don't want to talk about it.

I want to make a clear cut.

This is home time.

I want to relax.

I don't want to talk about work.

I don't want to bring that energy home.

Right?

Or when we were on holidays and there were actually, in fact, some people from his work also in the same area we were, and someone had suggested we all meet up.

And he said, no, I do not want to be with people from work.

This is family time.

It's time for friends, family, us.

It's just, I don't want to go.

And I'm like, I found that so interesting because that would never happen to us because literally the people, the village we have formed is not only a village in business, it becomes a village in life.

Your support system, it's like, you know, my mentor, Steph Stone, like my kids see her online, they're like, hi Auntie Steph.

You know, it's like, it's like they become almost apart.

And I find it beautiful that we don't have to separate anymore.

Yes, there comes a time when we're like, I mean, we were together in Bali now for a couple of weeks, right?

And we were like, I guess it came without saying it's like, now we don't talk about the business, because now it's like friends and family time.

But even if we did, there was nothing like, it's just organically part of what we do and who we are, and what we've created.

So it's, I think that's another really beautiful aspect of the type of village we've created for ourselves.

Indeed, indeed.

There's so many pros to this that I feel are so worthwhile to highlight within this context of today's topic.

You don't feel like you have a village in the traditional sense, no problem.

Because that is a bit obsolete, I feel, thinking about, oh, you know, it has to be traditional, it has to be the mom, the grandparents, right?

The cousins, the siblings.

Today, we get to choose that village in a more intentional way.

Today, we get to partner and link arms with other moms who are coming together in different spaces, you know?

It's exactly what you said at the beginning.

There are people that you meet in certain circumstances that bring you together because of the circumstances, and then you say, had this organically evolved, had I been based back home?

And sometimes the answer is no, it's pure circumstantial.

But there are definitely those links where you say, wow, it's not only on the friendship, it's also in the business, it's also in the values that they share.

It's also in the way that they're raising their children.

It's also, it's also, it's also, it's also, it's also.

So there's so many layers that make it a bulletproof village, if you know, it's almost like we move countries and it doesn't matter.

Like they are still going to be in our world.

We're still going to make things happen.

We're still going to meet up.

We're still going to be connected somehow, someway, because the bond is beyond the circumstances.

It's aligned to everything that makes you, you.

And this is what we want to bring to the table.

First of all, no village, no problem, because you can really lean in into your village in an intentional way, in an aligned way that takes all the boxes and be.

So that's one.

The second one is that the chaos of where you are in your motherhood journey or in the in-between moves or settling in or whatever it is, is your superpower with this business.

Because this business, as Desiree said, the flexibility is baked in.

It's supposed to be working with your rhythms and not the other way around.

So that leaves burnout out of the equation immediately.

You can continue, you can pack your bags, move to the next location, and pick up where you left off.

It's not, now I need to figure out all the permits, all the licenses, I need the warehouse, I need this, I need that.

You automatically have access to distribution licenses in over 85 countries in the world.

Like that's how global this is.

Imagine if you had to go and franchise, think about something, I don't want to say names, but a fast food chain, or a store that has franchises everywhere, and you wanted to franchise that, you would need to jump through hoops on fire to make that happen, plus the investment.

And so, when you're making moves, you're also looking into costs and expenses, right?

So this also leaves that out of the equation.

And so we feel that today, really what we wanted to bring home is that, is that you get to create income, you get to create systems, and you get to create a sisterhood on your terms.

And therefore, being a mom boss abroad with a business that is fully aligned with you hasn't been as easy as it is now.

If you want to have a look at what it is that we're doing or dive deeper into the opportunity at hand here and how you can work so, so fully in line and be part of this village that we keep talking about, then go to mombossesabroad.com and Iva and I have put together a 30-minute masterclass to guide you through of what life abroad could look like and the village you could be a part of.

If you found value, inspiration, or a nugget of wisdom in any part of our conversation, we would be so grateful if you could take a moment to show your support.

Leave a rating and review and share this podcast with another mom.

Remember, your feedback fuels our passion to continue delivering meaningful content that uplifts and empowers mom bosses around the globe.

Until next time, keep being the amazing mom that you are.

Important Links:

Momergy Essentials - Home | Momergy Essentials

Iva Perez - The Momergy Movement
Desiree Gonzalez - Life Essentials

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Hey, Mama! 🌟 If you’ve been looking for a way to make an impact in health, create long-term wealth for your family, and design a freedom lifestyle—while being part of an amazing, supportive community—then listen up!

We’ve found a business model that’s not just about making money, but about doing soulful work that’s truly aligned with who you are. No more burnout, no more trading time for money—just a powerful, proven way to create real change for yourself and others.

If this speaks to you, head over to https://www.oilyessentialsfamily.com/mombossesabroad-webinar and watch a quick 30-minute video that could completely shift your perspective on what’s possible for your future.

Because, Mama, you deserve freedom, abundance, and purpose—let’s create it together! https://www.oilyessentialsfamily.com/mombossesabroad-webinar