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2010-06-24
Three years ago, in June 2007, I launched INSPIRED with a strong desire to support the community of expatriate spouses here in Beijing.

The "INSPIRED Business Story" has been the greatest learning & rewarding experience in my life. And I am very grateful to all of you who made this journey possible and encouraged me along the way.

Maybe I did
 

2010-03-01
Whenever my husband and I interact with fellow expatriates, invariably somebody will ask: "So, how long are you guys staying in China?"
The question might be coming from a person I just met five minutes ago or from a best friend simply inquiring about the latest update.

Nobody actually expects a clear answer.
Instead, there are general thoughts and remarks of something along the lines of "I'm
 

2010-02-02
CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT YOUR TOP 5 STRENGTHS ARE?
If you cannot articulate - right now - what your greatest strengths are, you might simply be jeopardizing your success.
Not convinced? Is this another right-brain talk of Jasmine, the dreamer? Read further!

I attended last week a brilliant event organized by a few European Chambers of Commerce.

The guest speaker was Dominic Johnson-Hill, Founder
 

2009-12-03
For this month's conversation, we speak with Jennifer Schwerin, Independent Filmmaker and NIA Instructor.

INSPIRED: When, from where, and why did you move to Beijing?

Jen: I've actually been in Beijing for two periods. I first came in 1986. My husband, who was my boyfriend at the time, was/is the China hand in the family, having studied Chinese in

 

2009-11-02
This month, we hear from Mary Peng, Co-Founder, International Center for Veterinary Services; Communications Coordinator and Member of the Board, International Newcomers’ Network (INN)

INSPIRED: "When, from where, and why did you move to Beijing?"

Mary: I first came in China in 1980, right after it became possible for Americans to obtain visas to visit the PRC. I moved to China in 1991 from
 

2009-10-30
On the 24th of October 2009, I was invited as a speaker at the China Transition Institute conference.
Here is an article that captures the biggest findings of this event.

Almost half of new expatriates leave China early because they have difficulty adjusting to the lifestyle, a consultancy firm said.

China Transition Institute (CTI) president David Israel-Rosen said most foreigners are unprepared for what life will
 

2009-10-15
Article originally published in BeijingKids - October 2009.

When some women leave their jobs to have and raise children, they may say goodbye to their careers and never look back. But if you’re a mother who is searching for another outlet and itching to get back to a vocation, or if your children are suddenly spending full days at school, or if the recession calls
 

2009-10-09
This month, we chat with Camille Pipkin, an expat who has reshaped her career to use her passions to help people- and animals- feel their best!

Erin: When, from where and why did you move to Beijing?

Camille: I am from Washington State, USA but moved to China from Arizona. My fiance Ruben was already planning to move to China when
 

2009-09-10
This month, we hear more about the inspiring journey of Erin Mackie - the new Events and Marketing Manager at INSPIRED

Jasmine: "When, from where and why did you move to Beijing?"
Erin: "My husband and I were living and working in Toronto, Canada. He works in the film industry and had been back and forth to China a few times, on shoots
 

2009-08-01
Published in BeijingKids - August 2009 edition.

When you move to a new country with a family, the number of things to do is vast – find the perfect apartment, search out the school that suits your children’s needs, become acclimatized to your surroundings, and more. At times, it’s easy to forget about your own social needs. But for expat families to thrive, they need
 

2009-05-20
1. Lack of Focus

The problem:
You believe that all companies in Beijing represent potential employers.
You believe that you can be an asset to anyone who hires you so you don't focus on a specific employment target.

The solution:
Start by assessing your transferable skills, your personal strengths, your centers of interest and your career drivers. List all your handicaps.

Then
 

2009-05-10
Expat women are a special breed… adventurous, resilient, open to new experiences, and just down right sassy. They also happen to make great entrepreneurs. Here’s why…

Expat Women are Risk-Takers
Whether you’re an accompanying spouse or you went to live abroad on your own, as an expat woman you’re a risk-taker. You left the comforts of home and ventured out into the
 

2009-05-04
Jasmine: "When, from where and why did you move to Beijing a few years ago?"
Carmen: "My husband, two cats and I moved to Beijing from the quaint and beautiful city of Cape Town in the summer of 2006. My husband moved here to head his company’s office. Given my keen and long-standing interest in China and the region, I was very happy to experience
 

2009-04-15
We all know about the challenges of living abroad, but what about the challenges of going back home - of “repatriating”?

In addition to the logistical challenges of setting up a new home and settling children into new schools, repatriation often comes with a pot full of mixed emotions - especially if it was not your choice to return home.

According to studies, 20%
 

2009-04-05
This month, we hear more about the inspiring journey of Shakira Miracle, Magic Hospital China Director.

Jasmine: "Shakira, tell us a bit more about your transition to life in Beijing?"
Shakira: "I am from California and my husband is from Vancouver, Canada. Since we had already lived in China before and both studied abroad here in years past, we knew what to expect. However,
 

2009-04-01
Professional career-life coach and Inspired Beijing consultant Sherri Lassila helps us see hope and opportunity beyond the headlines of economic woe.

Article originally featured in City WE - April edition.

The newspapers are full of doom and gloom these days. Is there a silver lining to the grey clouds? Yes. Times like these can help us get off autopilot and examine what’s most important in our
 

2009-03-11
Many of you have expressed interest in our Mompreneurs group.

We are a small group of mothers who are running our own businesses or projects in Beijing. We are committed to furthering each others' professional aims; brainstorming ideas, holding each other accountable for our goals and providing support as we seek to balance professional growth with the demands and delights of family life.

I was
 

2009-03-10
One of my friend, Zanine WOLF works for Asia Pacific Access (APA) - a relocation company in China.
She interviewed last year accompanying spouses currently living in China.
The results of her interviews and her conclusions can be found in the latest MOBILITY Magazine, March 2009.

"Wolf interviews accompanying spouses currently living in China who share their stories of what it was like to leave their
 

2009-03-02
This month, we hear more about the inspiring journey of Miranda Allen - Founder and Managing Director of Secrets from Africa. Secrets from Africa is a homeware store and speciality coffee bar selling quality imported products and serving organic fairtrade coffee with a selection on sandwiches, cakes, muffins and soups.

Jasmine: "Miranda, tell us a bit more about yourself. Where are you from and
 

2009-02-08
This month, we hear about the inspiring journey of Mary Kate Brown, "Tai Tai" owner.

"We are now 3 years into our second posting to Beijing. We arrived in the mid-nineties with a brand new infant & left to Bangkok in 2002 with two busy mandarin-speaking girls who were utterly dismayed at the thought of abandoning their home, their wonderful school, their friends & most
 

2009-02-08
Are you looking for a job in China?
Have a look at the following tips - all based on our clients' experiences:

1. Learn the language or a least some basic Mandarin
2. Before you start looking for a job, remember to do your homework. Who are you? What are your skills, your personal strengths, your centres of interest, your values and other criteria for career satisfaction.
 

2009-01-22
Permits Foundation's recent global survey examined the views of 3300 expatriate spouses and partners of 122 nationalities, currently accompanying international employees working in 117 host countries for over 200 employers in both the private and public sector.
It provides evidence that a lack of spouse or partner employment opportunities adversely affects global mobility of highly skilled
international employees.
A few focused and simple improvements on the
 

2009-01-05
This month, we hear more about the inspiring journey of Elisabeth Koch - hat-maker - in Beijing.

"I had never been to China before I landed in Beijing in August 2007 – just my husband and me from Holland.

Before the big move of course there is a lot of planning and organization, including the end of my career in the financial sector in Amsterdam
 

2008-12-18
Michael Page - recruitment consultancy - has just released its "Salary and Employment Forecast" reports for China and HK, giving detailed salary information for the following sectors: Finance / Engineering / Retail & Sourcing / Property & Construction.

To download the full reports, go to:
http://www.michaelpage.com.cn/ContentArticle/page/7231/title/Salary-Surveys-Industry-Insight.html

My conclusion: don't undersell yourself!
 

2008-12-01
Don't you think that the best source of inspiration comes from the people who we can relate to and who have done a "big leap"?

This month, we hear more about the inspiring journey of Tania Mc Cartney, writer, in Beijing.

"There has never been a more exciting time to live in Beijing, both on a deeply personal level and on a professional level. When our
 

2008-11-27
I recently came across the results of the fifth annual European Chamber Business Confidence Survey and could not help sharing the results with you.

Yes, the financial crisis will definitely impact China growth.
BUT if there is a place to be at the moment, it definitely seems to be Asia and China.
On this note, more and more small and medium foreign companies are willing to
 

2008-10-28
Read below an article that was published in the October 2008 Beijingkids.

"It's a challenge for anyone to up and move to a new country, but the transition is especially tough for spouses with families. Kids attend school and make friends, while the employed spouse has a business card and a job - and therefore an instant identity and social network. For expat spouses, adjustment
 

2008-10-07
Last month was fantastic. I gave 3 talks to expat spouses - in expat compounds and schools - and a corporate talk at the Rotary Club. This left me very excited and really positive about what INSPIRED is all about.
Today is Tuesday, I feel exhausted from having visitors during the October break and I am getting a cold. On top of that, I
 

2008-09-01
While preparing for August discussion group "How to Build Your Support Network", I found a great article written by Andrea Martins, www.expatwomen.com co-founder.

I agree so much on what Andrea says:

"Everybody needs to be 'somebody'.

If you arrive in a country and you do not have a job to go to and a box of business cards waiting for you,
 

2008-08-15
Most experts agree that setting a vision for your life in Beijing will significantly help you transition.

A vision gives you a framework, purpose and direction. It encourages and empowers you to move past the obstacles in your way, because you can see the big picture.

So, how do you define your vision? Here are some fun ways of getting closer to it:

>
 

2008-08-01
Have you ever wondered why some of your friends say "I have a great time in Beijing." and others say "I hate China!" ?

Of course, we all have different personalities, but I am convinced that it is the magical combination of some successful ingredients that are going to make the difference.

1. Language training
I know you have all heard it before: "Learn the
 

2008-06-01
You might be in the situation where you will soon be returning "home" and need to update your CV.

Scared of how to integrate your Beijing experience in a formal CV?

Focus on your accomplishments in Beijing.
Take into account paid and unpaid activities
Consider work at home and work for your community.

In a previous posting, I explained the concept of Career
 

2008-05-19
As Jo Parfitt - Portable Career guru - puts it so nicely together, a Portable Career is a "Portfolio of personal successes, professional achievements and life skills".
Forget about linear career paths and rather think of transferable skills and career porfolios.

Jo Parfitt suggests 3 simple steps to effectively build a portable career:

1. Look inside yourself
2. Look outside yourself
3. Make it happen

1. Look inside yourself

Discover what you
 

2008-05-01
INSPIRED organised a few weeks ago its first panel event dedicated to Women Entrepreneurship. Four successful women shared their trials and tribulations, disappointments and triumphs of business based in Beijing.

For those who missed this event, I wanted to share some of the important points they raised. You might find them particularly useful if you are thinking of starting your own business.

Challenges
 

2008-04-07
I belong to Mumtrepreneurs, a small group of mothers who are running our own businesses or projects in Beijing. We meet once a month and we are committed to furthering each others' professional aims; brainstorming ideas, holding each other accountable for our goals and providing support as we seek to balance professional growth with the demands and delights of family life.

If you are interested
 

2008-03-20
When I conducted a survey in June 2006 among expat spouses in Beijing, I realised with amazement that 67% of the respondents were interested in starting their own business.
You can call it being self-employed, being an independent contractor, or freelancing.

I would therefore like to share with you a few business ideas that – in my opinion - could work quite well in
 

2008-03-09
As we know, volunteering is usually very rewarding as it enables us to be involved in associations / NGOs / charities and participate in some positive activities.

Volunteering should also be an option to consider if one cannot find employment in a foreign country. It is an effective way to maintain a professional identity and maintain and even gain some new skills.

I was forwarded the
 

2008-02-25
I first heard about the term "informational interviewing" when Sarah Cooper, Professional and Life Coach, used it a few months ago at one previous INSPIRED workshop.

I seriously wonder how I had managed all this time in my life without "informational interviewing"!
Looking for a rewarding volunteering opportunity? Thinking of starting your own business? Interested in studying but not quite sure about what program to
 

2008-02-09
Do you network in Beijing? And if yes, why do you network?

I spent the first 8 months of my time in Beijing ignoring most of the social and networking opportunities that exist in this big city. And to be honest with you, it did not seem to matter so much: I was doing just fine.
BUT recently I met new friends, business partners, inspiring models
 

2008-01-26
As some of you might know, I am an expat spouse who reinvented myself after moving to Beijing with my husband and my two children.
I used to be working as a chartered management accountant and I am now involved in a venture that requires a range of very different skills: entrepreneurial skills, sales and marketing skills, event management skills.
Assuming that we will ever leave
 

2008-01-06
First of all, Happy New Year to all of you, INSPIRED friends, members, guests, partners and sponsors!!
I wish you all a Fulfilling 2008 Year, personally and professionally.

I have had during my holiday in sunny South Africa lots of time to read articles and books related to international assignements, expat spouses, career moves and personal development .. all of those being currently my favorite

 

2007-12-04
Susan Grant – President of the International Newcomers Network (INN) – www.innbeijing.org
Sue, as the President of INN, you meet everyday families who have relocated to Beijing and particularly the mothers of those families. What would be your Top 5 Tips for expat mums of families who have just moved to Beijing?
1. Initially join in as many organisations as you can
 

2007-10-01
This is a Community note that was published in the October 2007 That's Beijing magazine:

For richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, at home or halfway across the world ... That’s all fine and good, but the expat accompanying spouse can get the bad end of the bargain. Too often, accompanying spouses find that their options in Beijing are limited – if they’re
 

2007-09-15
How exciting and scary! I have now launched INSPIRED and can’t believe the project has come to fruition. If you want to hear more about why I started INSPIRED, I invite you to continue reading.

One evening in April 2006, my husband suddenly asked me, “Do you feel like moving from Zurich to Beijing, China? I got offered a job there.”

My