Leaving Corporate America for France
Why we stopped waiting for the perfect moment
I’m excited to share that after living in the United States for the last ten years, I have relocated to France!
When my wife first seriously suggested moving to France about two years ago, I said, “I’m not sure that I’m done with Corporate America,” a sentence that we’ve laughed and laughed about ever since.
Growing up in a small town in the south-west of England, the idea that I would go on to work in marketing in New York City, on Madison Avenue no less, was quite something—and I wasn’t ready to give it up.
Despite my initial skepticism, Corporate America did much of the convincing for me. The more time I spent rising through the “ranks” of my company—helped largely by regular layoffs every 3-4 months—the more I came to resent it. The more time I spent looking at spreadsheets and budgets instead of actually doing the work, the more I wanted to get out.
By that point, I had gained both my US and Irish citizenships (thanks Brexit), making a move to Europe not only possible but, most importantly, reversible should we need it to be.
So, I started applying to jobs in Europe. But I soon realized that I didn’t actually want one.
Prior to my corporate job, I had worked freelance. That’s what I wanted to get back to, but I knew that getting a CDI (permanent employment contract) in France would make our lives significantly easier when looking to rent an apartment, open a traditional bank account, and apply for my wife’s residence permit, so that’s what I pushed for.
Leaning into our uncomfort zone
Toward the end of last year, my wife and I sat down and decided what we were going to do about France.
Looking for a job in Europe while still living in New York wasn’t working. On top of that, it wasn’t even what I wanted to do—I wanted to work for myself. We feared the very real possibility that we would end up giving up on what by then had become our shared dream because it was difficult.
So we decided to just set a date and go, CDI be damned.
A few months later, I was laid off from my corporate job the day after deciding on my new company’s name. I had been planning on leaving the job a few months later to align with our move, so the timing was serendipitous. After a short but delightful stint in Philadelphia, we arrived in the south of France, dog and all, in early September.
Taking on new consulting clients
As we embrace our new life in France (more on that in a future newsletter), I am taking on new clients!
I work across countries and time zones, with a focus on the US, UK, and EU. If you own/work for a company in sustainability and you’re looking to grow through education-driven content and strategic lead generation, visit my website to learn more and get in touch.
I don’t have any book quotes this week, but now that things have mostly calmed down, I plan to bring this newsletter back to its regular schedule. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to returning to your inbox in two weeks!
This is amazing, Ben!