Foundations and Early Influences

Coming from a low-middle-class French background, I didn’t start with much, but I had a solid foundation thanks to a richly diverse family environment. My mother—a vibrant, extroverted marketer, writer, poet and globe-trotter—instilled in me a love for creativity, expression and travels. My father, an electro-mechanic, was the quiet yet steadfast presence who valued efficiency, grounded thinking, and problem-solving.

Entering the Workforce and Building Skills

Leaving school at 16 without a diploma due to a traumatic event, I initially took up multiple jobs to make ends meet, juggling everything from retail work to cleaning shifts, in France and England.

But, 6 years later my determination led me to a managerial position overseeing resources for a large, soon-to-be international company, France Telecom (now Orange). I even earned a state-recognized Business Management diploma through distance learning. By then, I could have settled into a stable, predictable and profitable career.

The Entrepreneurial Start

Life took an unexpected turn... I met and married a baker with a dream: to own a traditional wood-fired bakery. So, with my modest savings, I jumped into entrepreneurship, ready to build something from the ground up. We took over a bakery that had no established clientele, which meant everything needed to be created from scratch, our way.

It was exhilarating — and exhausting. Running a bakery involved up to 90-hour work weeks, which made me reconsider the balance of passion, life, and work... every morning after the first year.

In just three years, we had transformed the business into a profitable venture, supported by B2B contracts. But, life took another unexpected turn, and after my husband passed away, I no longer had the drive to continue in such a demanding business. I made the difficult decision to sell and, ready for a fresh start, set out for a tiny city in the spanish countryside.

Exploring Digital Solutions

In a small town of 35,000 residents, tucked away in Castilla y León, I found the perfect outlet for my passion for coding and the web. I started working with a friend’s computer hardware store, creating a web department to serve local businesses.

My love for coding actually began years before, thanks to an inspiring primary school teacher who introduced me to programming. He taught us to retype code that would create a simple Pac-Man-style game — and I was definitively hooked, in the 80s!

By the mid-90s, I was self-taught, using open-source programs and coding forums to learn everything I could. In fact, I created my very first entrepreneurial venture at this time: a website selling web design elements created in Photoshop, with customers making payments through... phone codes!

It was early days for e-commerce, but it clearly sparked my love for creating digital solutions.

Adapting to Economic Shifts

Back to Spain, it's 2008, just as the economic crisis hit Europe. Everything ground to a halt; the economy practically took a holiday, and nobody wants to buy a new website.

But if there’s one thing that never stops in Spain, it’s socializing. From the 11 a.m. almuerzo to lunch, to evening tapas and Saturday night dinners, people kept gathering and connecting. So, I made what I think was the best business decision of my life. With some savings, I bought a closed-down bar and, with the help of friends, we turned it into a 40-seat restaurant, simple french cuisine with some typical spanish dishes for the Almuerzo.

I loved cooking for and serving my customers, and I was thrilled watching the rapid growth in sales. I was proud, and I’m not shy about saying it. But as much as I loved this exciting business, it was incredibly demanding, and I realized it would be a long time before I could step back and manage from a distance, especially in the current economic climate. I also couldn’t see a way to scale it without significant investments.

So, after three years, I sold the business and set my sights on a bigger city with new opportunities… Off to Barcelona.

Redefining My Purpose in Business

In 2012, after nearly 20 years in the workforce and some savings set aside, I’ll be honest — I took a break in Barcelona, I wasn’t looking to work hard. But when opportunities arose, I accepted contracts with corporate giants like Toshiba B2B and AXA.

These roles reconnected me with the corporate world, but they also revealed something new about myself: beyond managing and training teams, I found that what I enjoyed most was motivating others. I wanted to help my team members progress, not just by hitting targets but by finding ways to enjoy their work, using methods that suited them, and finding real meaning in their efforts.

I also launched an Airbnb management service as a freelancer — a trendy choice at the time but not as profitable as I’d hoped. I wanted to provide a high-end, full-service experience and ended up taking on everything myself without delegating. In the end, I’d boxed myself into yet another demanding role.

The Remote Work Experiment

Recognizing the need for more freedom, in 2018 I launched my first fully online, fully remote business, 'Assistante de Talents,' where I focused on helping web entrepreneurs, especially ebook authors, launch or stabilize their online businesses. My responsibilities ranged from pure project management to creating web pages and marketing visuals. It didn’t make me a fortune, but it was enough to fund a new kind of adventure: exploring the islands of the Europe while working remotely — the perfect balance for my well-being.

My first stop was Madeira, more or less in Europe...and I quickly fell in love with the island. Being a slow traveler with no set departure date, I ended up staying for nine months. When I was ready to move on, I decided to zoom out on the map, aiming for somewhere more remote. That’s when I set my sights on the South Pacific — Polynesia, Tahiti, Bora Bora… venturing off to the middle of nowhere to fully immerse myself in a new adventure.

I spent the first four months in Polynesia adapting easily to the relaxed pace of life, balancing just enough online work to cover my needs while enjoying a new sense of freedom. But I’d badly underestimated the cost of living here; what was sufficient in Europe quickly fell short.

My savings began to quietly drain away, and then disaster struck: my laptop’s motherboard died. The closest authorized repair center for my brand new high-end device was 18,000 km away, and local stores offered no affordable replacements I could afford at this point. It felt like a crisis.

In just two months, my freelance business collapsed. The ‘freedom’ I thought I had was an illusion; without daily access to my computer to find clients, respond, and complete work, I had no real safety net for emergencies. It was a sharp reminder of how quickly things can unravel — just like any unexpected accident or illness that might keep us away from work for two or three months, the fragile balance can easily crumble.

Embracing the Next Chapter

I found a short-term job in emergency as a hostess in a real estate agency on a three-month contract, thinking it would be the perfect way to bide my time while waiting for my computer to be returned by a friend traveling back from Europe. But I quickly got caught up in the work. From hostess, I soon moved into a commercial assistant role. Within six months, I was offered a position as an administrative manager at the main office in Tahiti.Three months later, this evolved into the role of Director of Operations and Marketing for the French Polynesia Sotheby’s Realty agency.

This rapid rise wasn’t due to an extensive background in the field or university degrees, but rather to the unique combination of skills I’d developed over time, making me a true ‘Swiss Army knife’ in the business world. In a very short period, I was able to demonstrate to an open-minded boss that I could handle everything from financial control and recruitment to training, resource management, web coding, copywriting, and even marketing visuals… though I made terrible coffee. Not only did I save the company money through my expertise and strategic decision-making, but I also contributed to a 160% growth in business over five years, positioning the structure for future expansion.

When 2020 and its restrictions hit us hard, I had the opportunity to demonstrate my ability to work fully remotely, even in a role with significant responsibilities and remote team management. As things returned to normal, I continued working from home, saving time on daily commutes and enjoying lunch breaks on the beach with my dog.

In many ways, it was a dream come true. I had a nice job, a beautiful rental home by the idyllic lagoon, and a boss who balanced old-school principles with a progressive outlook.

Reevaluating at the Threshold of 50

What could possibly make me leave this life? The glass ceiling, for one. I had reached the highest position available to me, and without replacing my boss, there was no room left for advancement. While I’ve never been one to chase titles, I thrive on new challenges, and I was running out of them.

The same applied to my income. Sure, I could hope for regular raises and some bonuses, but since I wasn’t directly in sales, there was no chance of making a ‘big win’ by selling a luxury villa and building up real capital. After five years as second-in-command at a prestigious real estate agency, I found myself limited by the incredibly high cost of living in French Polynesia. I wasn’t in a position to invest in rental properties for extra income or even to buy a small plot of land to secure my future.

At 48, with 15 to 20 years of work still ahead of me, my motivation began to fade, and the call to return to entrepreneurship grew stronger. The drive that had fueled me for years was slipping away, and it was time to set out for a new adventure once again.

All the energy I had poured into that company — it was time to redirect it toward building my own.

Back on my own

I launched two studios: one focused on data analysis and optimization, and the other dedicated to WordPress development and SEO services.

I’ve gathered a team of trusted freelancers, and I take on the roles of Agile Project Manager and full-stack developer as needed.

While I don’t have formal degrees in these fields, I’m committed to validating my skills and expanding my expertise. To that end, I’ve earned IBM certifications through online courses, continually broadening my capabilities.

Empowering Entrepreneurs

But here’s the twist… A friend I’d known for years — someone I’d brainstormed with countless times, just for the fun of exploring ideas — gave me a lightbulb moment. He called me one day with a request: after nearly three years of running his business solo, he felt drained and needed regular, structured business sessions with me, not just our usual friendly meetups. He admitted he’d lost some passion for his work but told me, ‘Every time we meet, I leave recharged, clear-headed, and ready to take on the world.’ So, he wanted to formalize our talks — compensating me for my expertise.

That’s when I realized: supporting and energizing entrepreneurs is more than just something I enjoy — it’s a true calling. And so, this journey has led me here, to create a Business Coaching program and a hub for driven entrepreneurs who need clarity, guidance, and a renewed vision.

Through each phase of my journey — from launching multiple businesses to managing high-level operations — I’ve discovered that my greatest passion lies in helping others find clarity, confidence, and purpose in their work. My friend’s request for structured support was a pivotal moment, revealing just how impactful and fulfilling this path could be. Each conversation we had brought renewed energy, clear direction, and the motivation he needed to keep building his business, and this experience sparked something profound in me.

Today, I bring that same focus and dedication to every client commited to my Business Coaching program. I understand the real-life challenges of entrepreneurship, from the grind of daily operations to the strategic vision needed for long-term success. My goal is to provide not only the insights and tools necessary for growth but also the supportive, human connection that makes a genuine difference. Let’s build a business that reflects your passion and purpose, and let’s do it with clarity and confidence.