Available Worldwide

In this week's episode, Lauren and Natalie Kortum share a discussion about teleworking, taxes, and legal obligations while working remotely for domestic or international businesses when overseas. Natalie shares how she successfully negotiated teleworking with her employer, the importance of portraying confidence in teleworking negotiations and how to communicate in a way that reassures the corporate tax and HR offices. They cover the importance of post selection, internet availability, and impermanence.


Natalie Kortum is Chief Technology Strategist for Data Analytics and AI working to develop the next great solutions from Dell. She is renowned in the world of marketing analytics for skills in investment optimization having optimized Dell’s $1.2 B marketing spend for multiple years. She has worked for a multitude of companies from all different verticals including Humana, IBM, Home Depot, BP, Sabre, Charles Schwab with 20 years spent in the data science and analytics space as an AI/analytics consultant and evangelist. She holds two US patents tor innovative modeling approaches and leads training efforts for Dell's internal salesforces to get them up to speed on AI.

• Connect with Natalie at LinkedIn
• Or her Website
• Download the Sample Letter mentioned in this episode

More resources on Teleworking

• Official instructions from the GCLO
• Fall 2023 FAMER statistics

This episode is sponsored by Career Valet

EFMs have many different career paths – really too many to count: travel enthusiast, embassy
workhorse, dog mom, children organizer, remote work trailblazer…
But the one thing that we almost all have in common? Our paths aren’t straight or
straightforward. And often it takes someone else to help us tease out our strengths, skills, and
value.

That’s what they do at Career Valet, an EFM-owned and entirely EFM-staffed career
consultancy that works with you to tell your best narrative on paper and online, aligned with
target jobs. They’ve worked with EFMs, FSOs, members of Congress, Fortune 100 leaders,
nonprofit, and technology professionals, just to name a few.

Check out www.careervalet.com to read advice on their blog or subscribe to their newsletter.
You can also sign up for a free call and learn about their customized packages and interactive
resume building course launching in March.

It’s your story. They amplify it.

Find Career Valet at their Website or on LinkedIn

More than 40 people nominated Michelle for the Tragen Award in 2023. This huge number illustrates the impact of her volunteer advocacy work on the many EFMs serving as Domestic Employees Teleworking Overseas (DETOs).

As we learn about Michelle's fight for fair pay, she highlights the importance of research, building a team, and advocating for systemic change.

In discussing her career history, Michelle explains how government contracting helped her get her foot in the door, and how she later figured out how to create a job share arrangement to improve her work-life flexibility.

Michelle also shares how teleworking helped her slip back into a familiar role and feel connected to her "before" self when everything else was in flux as she first moved abroad for her spouse's job.

BIO

Michelle Neyland is a Civil Service Officer and Domestic Employee Teleworking Overseas (DETO) currently based with her family in Bucharest, Romania.

She started working at the State Department in 2009, spending 10 years as a digital communications officer at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and then a congressional advisor at the Bureau of International Organization Affairs.

In 2023, at a ceremony at the State Department, she received the Eleanor Dodson Tragen Award from the DACOR Bacon House Foundation for the advocacy she did to address a pay inequity and secure locality pay legislation for Civil Service DETOs across the entire U.S. federal government.

Read more about Michelle's DETO advocacy work in 2 Federal News Network articles:

• https://federalnewsnetwork.com/pay/2023/01/hundreds-of-federal-employees-teleworking-overseas-set-to-receive-pay-bump-under-ndaa/
• https://federalnewsnetwork.com/federal-report/2023/12/feds-teleworking-overseas-got-a-pay-raise-state-dept-honors-an-employee-who-made-it-happen/

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EPISODE SPONSOR

As a company owned by and employing EFMs, Krozel Capital understands the unique financial challenges faced by U.S. Foreign Service families serving at home and abroad.

Their team of tax professionals is well-versed in U.S. tax laws, multi-state and non-resident filings, and reporting income of working spouses while abroad.

Krozel Capital is a virtual firm with services tailored to accommodate your unique circumstances, offering online consultation hours and secure document exchange, no matter where you are posted.

They also offer fee-only financial planning services through their affiliated firm, Krozel Capital Management.

Don't let tax season and financial concerns rob you of time with your family and friends. Contact Krozel Capital today at www.krozelcapital.com to learn more about their services.

In this episode, artist Christy Kill and host Lauren Steed talk about: the joys of life with a puppy, turning discouragement into opportunity and using frequent moves as an inspiration for new creative pursuits.

Given the time and space to pursue something new, Christy found her professional identity in painting. She experiments with different mediums and materials, and and finds inspiration in nature and the environment, She honestly shares about her experiences as an artist, including both successes and failures, and how she believes in saying yes to opportunities that come her way. Like many EFMs, she finds her unexpected success by stepping out of her comfort zone.

Christy Kill is an award-winning abstract painter. She has exhibited in numerous locations in the DC area; and a pair of her paintings “On the Shores of Iceland” were featured in a slideshow during ArtBasel Miami in December 2017. They are now on permanent display at the Ocean Cluster in Reykjavík, Iceland. She has given proceeds and paintings to several NGO’s and charities serving children and the environment.

Christy creates custom statement pieces of art and is inspired by the people she meets, in the countries she has lived - Norway, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Iceland, and now Uruguay - and will always be influenced by her native roots of the Southern U.S. In 2023, Christy was awarded the U.S. Department of State’s Professional Development Fellowship, and is currently taking a masterclass for artists as well as online courses through the Smithsonian Institute.

You can find out more by visiting her website: www.christykill.com or following her on Instagram or Facebook @christykillart




This episode is sponsored by Fierce After 45, Rediscover your energy and vitality with the support of health coach and personal trainer Patricia Linderman! She managed her own recovery from a tendency to a sedentary lifestyle, overweight, shame and self-blame. An EFM for 31 years, she offers affordable coaching in any time zone, using the power of self-love and compassion to transform your habits. Say goodbye to discomfort and hello to a more vibrant you. Visit Fierce After 45 to schedule your free Zoom consultation today.
Find Patricia at
Website and blog: www.fierceafter45.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FierceAfter45
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fierceafter45/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-linderman-63a83213/

Adam Pearlman’s first post abroad as an accompanying partner was as the spouse of a DCM (deputy chief of mission). After years of government service, Adam is now navigating the wild ride of starting a law firm that leverages geography and where remote work is an integral part of the company culture.

Adam shares eye-opening moments from his first two tours as an EFM. And, we delve into a recent article he wrote for the Foreign Service Journal in which he addresses the unique challenges FS spouses face and advocates for better support for Foreign Service family members. Read his excellent article at https://afsa.org/quest-reasonable-civ-mil-parity
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BIO
Adam Pearlman [https://www.lexpatglobal.com/staff_trusted/adam-pearlman/] launched Lexpat Global Services with another EFM so they would have a portable platform to continue doing the work they loved.

Adam had spent most of his career as a lawyer and advisor in government service with the U.S. Departments of Justice, Defense, and State, in the White House, and with the federal judiciary.

A contraction between the Latin “lex” and “expatriate,” Lexpat’s name is emblematic of the business model Adam and his team deliver – skilled international lawyers, peace and security experts, rule of law practitioners, and security professionals, based globally, delivering premium service to clients to accomplish their missions and goals anywhere in the world.

Lexpat’s team and partners – which proudly feature several EFMs – boast particular expertise in security and development-related issues. For industry clients, they provide risk assessment and management services; strategic reviews, assessments, and planning; and investigations, litigation, and compliance expertise. Their services for public sector clients include program design and monitoring and evaluation, as well as providing subject matter expertise in various fields connected to peace and security, governance, and the rule of law.
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This episode is sponsored by US History for Expats whose mission is to provide top-quality history courses for the kids of Mission personnel living overseas.

What makes US History for Expats unique? Their middle school and high school classes are accredited and 100% reimbursable via the Supplementary Instructional Allowance.

Check out a new history course for middle school students starting Feb 5, 2024, covering early cultures through the Civil War. And don’t miss out on their new Elementary program with rolling admissions for less than $200! Enroll and start in fewer than 5 minutes at https://www.ushistoryforexpats.com/

Join your hosts—Lauren and Steph—as we reflect on our busiest year ever at Available Worldwide. We made people laugh, and we made people cry. We added a new member to our team, and we reached over 10,000 downloads. We hosted solopreneur Mastermind groups, and we organized a 4-day EFM/MOH Symposium.

And we've got even BIGGER plans for 2024!
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Stay up-to-date on all we're doing at Available Worldwide by signing up for our mailing list: https://availableworldwide.net/
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Like what we're doing? Buy us a coffee by donating at Kofi: https://ko-fi.com/availableworldwidepodcast

Emily Walker is the founder of Next Dinner Party Designs, a business dedicated to helping the foreign service community create beautiful spaces abroad.

Before the Foreign Service, she was a journalist covering healthcare in Washington, D.C., but her first tour move to Yemen sparked her interest in the unique experiences of Americans living in foreign countries and eventually led her to write a book set in the expat community there.

Living abroad led her to build on her love of transforming her own spaces and eventually transition to interior design. During a posting in Algeria she renovated a community center as a project manager and decided to make the switch full time.

You'll hear Emily describe her process of working remotely with clients, using 3D models and shared Pinterest boards to exchange design ideas. She highlights the importance of reflecting a client's personality in their space and shares examples of common mistakes people make when designing their homes abroad.

Emily also provides practical tips for improving living spaces abroad, such as replacing dingy drapes, anchoring rooms with large rugs, and considering paint colors to set the right mood.

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Emily Walker is the founder of Next Dinner Party Designs, a virtual interior design company aimed at helping Foreign Service folks create comfy, stylish, and vibrant spaces brimming with personality. Living in Yemen, Spain, Jerusalem, Morocco, and Algeria has helped her develop a colorful and patternful Global Eclectic style that seeks to spice up the often bland government digs diplomats move into abroad.

She's also an avid home cook, cocktail mixer, dinner party host, and writer. She's written about her overseas adventures, design projects, marriage, and cultural differences since 2012 on her blog, The Next Dinner Party. She's also written an (as yet unpublished) novel set in her first post, Yemen.

Podcast listeners can reference code "AvailableWorldwide2023" and receive 10% off a Next Dinner Party Designs Special. https://nextdinnerpartydesigns.com/services/

-Next Dinner Party Designs https://nextdinnerpartydesigns.com/

-The Next Dinner Party blog https://thenextdinnerparty.com/

-Instagram: @nextdinnerparty

Emily Cornell keeps a photo on her wall that reminds her of the moment she knew things had to change. After an ER visit due to severe burnout, a nearby terrorist attack during a work trip, and reconnecting with a college boyfriend who had just been posted to Brussels, Emily realized that she had to choose something bigger for her life.

During our conversation, Emily shares how she navigated many transitions over the next few years and ultimately made sense of her story through the power of coaching. She now coaches other women through transition and transformation.

Guest Bio
Emily Cornell, ACC is a storyteller, strategist, and coach. She helps Millennial and Gen X women tap into their courage and authenticity through transitions and transformations to feel more comfortable in their skin and bring their very best into the world.

She blends a co-creative and intuitive approach with the skills and knowledge gained from more than 15 years working in and for advertising/marketing agencies, startups, and nonprofits. She also has an interest in trauma-informed spaceholding and brings that lens to her work.

Emily is a third-tour EFM who thinks “home” is wherever her art is on the walls. You’ll find her in Delhi, India these days.

• Learn more about Emily’s coaching practice: emilycornell.com
• Connect with her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilycornell/
• Find her stories on her blog: unexpectedexpat.com

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This episode is sponsored by Crystaline Randazzo, LLC.
Crystaline is not just a storyteller, but a media creatrix who works magic with the science of storytelling. And like you, she's a Diplo spouse.

After years of collecting stories as a humanitarian storyteller and filmmaker, Crystaline started wondering why storytelling could be so empowering for some people but re-traumatizing for others. Ultimately, she left humanitarian storytelling and now envisions a safer way to tell stories. She's crafted a process that goes beyond just storytelling. It integrates safer stories through community practice, boundaries, and somatic movement.

Her eight-week course, "Transformational Storytelling, How to Tell Stories that Heal, Shift, and Transform," kicks off in February 2024. But Crystaline is also hosting a free training January 22nd-24th, "Find Your Voice, From Stuck to Storyteller: Empowering Changemaking Women to Uncover Their Story & Find Their Voice."

To sign up for the FREE training, visit: https://www.crystalinerandazzo.com/stuck-2-storyteller

To learn more about the 9 Week Live Group Cohort: Transformational Truthtelling: How To Tell Stories That Heal, Shift, and Transform (starting February 22, 2024),visit https://www.crystalinerandazzo.com/transformationtruthtelling-sales

Susan Shirley is the CEO of Global View Leadership, a cross-cultural leadership advisory firm. In this episode, we discuss Susan's experiences living in different countries, her not-so-romantic State Department proposal, and her expertise in cross-cultural coaching. Her career was built on 10 years of experience in Egypt reporting on results for USAID projects. Over time, she realized her passion for teaching and training others in project management, which eventually led her to focus on coaching and leadership training.She shares insights on finding a niche in the coaching industry, and compares what she does as a professional leadership and cross-cultural management coach to other coaching avenues that EFMs might be suited for. We also talk about the highs and lows of following popular advice on social media marketing and whether it's worth hiring help to build your client base.

About Susan

Susan Shirley is a cross-cultural leadership coach. She works to increase the effectiveness of multicultural teams both by supporting expatriates as they transition to positions abroad and working with staff hired by international organizations in their own countries as they adapt to a new organizational culture. By helping individuals improve their emotional and cultural intelligence, they become more effective leaders, create more cohesive teams, and deliver better results for their organizations.
Susan Shirley founded Global View Leadership to ensure that cultural differences are never what keeps someone from success. Delivering one-on-one and group coaching, team development workshops, and training, Global View supports organizations and individuals as they work to improve internal and external communication.

With an MBA in international business, Susan has lived and worked abroad for over 25 years, and has provided training and teambuilding workshops to support organizations in 22 countries. She began her career in project management in Egypt and focused on professional development when she learned that her passion was in training and supporting others.


Global View Leadership WebsiteLinkedIn: Susan Shirley

Sumali has been an accompanying partner of the US Foreign Service for 19 years. In this interview, she describes the challenges of returning to the US job market after so many years of living abroad.

Sumali highlights the need for EFMs to reflect (and even wallow), but most importantly, to give themselves space and grace during the transition "back home." And, she gives us advice on how to take advantage of job opportunities and resources available while abroad—such as non-competitive eligibility and clearances—which will help secure better jobs in the US.

Looking forward, Sumali wants to continue living her own purpose and sharing her wisdom and practices with other EFMs through her coaching to help them find opportunities that align with their purpose and bring them joy.
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BIO
Sumali Ray-Ross is Indian by birth, an American, and a citizen of the world. She is a Global Health and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) Expert, an Intercultural Coach and Speaker, Mother and Spouse.

Over the past 20 years, she has lived in 7 countries in Asia, Africa and the US. Her work has taken her to Central and Latin America, South and Southeast Asia, and Africa.

Sumali has navigated the highs and lows of constant transitions from one country to another, re-engineering herself, over and over again, while meeting the needs of her CCK/TCK/biracial children and family both home and abroad.

After returning back to the US right before COVID, Sumali went back to school to get certified as a Life and Leadership & Health and Wellness Coach. She is also a certified Holding Space and a Deep Coaching Intensive Practitioner and combines these coaching practices with meditation, mindfulness, tapping, and reiki to holistically support her clients.

Sumali’s coaching motto is ‘Meeting you where you are in your life & wellness journey.’ She has combined her professional and personal experiences to coach clients on life and leadership issues in the U.S. and overseas.

She helps women identify strategic volunteering or work opportunities, upgrade their skills/expertise to re-enter the workforce, and create a work/life balance that includes self-care practices. In doing so, they can meet the challenges of their ever-evolving lives with determination, grit, resiliency, and courage.
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Connect with Sumali on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sumalirayross/

Sarah Buckley is a food photographer and blogger who finds inspiration in crafting, art, and plants.

During our conversation, Sarah describes her career transition from nursing to food blogging, explaining the initial sense of loss and later fulfillment her move brought her.

Sarah admits that re-training took the time and effort equivalent to a bachelor's degree. But what she's learned along the way about keyword research, SEO, and writing for Google has paved the way to her success.

Sarah describes her superpower as the ability to persevere in her work even when success isn't immediately apparent. She credits her supportive EFM community with encouraging her to keep pursuing her dream in the face of challenges.

BIO
Sarah Buckley, a sleep researcher, made a career adjustment due to frequent relocations and growing family responsibilities. As a result, she decided to become a stay-at-home mother and use this time to explore her passions, including cooking, gardening, photography, and writing.

Her dedication led her to create Frolic & Fare, a successful blog that focuses on wild food, foraging, and edible flowers. This experience taught her that it's possible to create your own dream job, and she hopes to inspire others to follow their passions.

Keep up with Sarah's delicious recipes and beautiful photos on her website or follow her on Instagram.
Website: https://frolicandfare.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frolicandfare/

We have a huge announcement!

The first-ever Available Worldwide Symposium is taking place from November 1st to 4th.

This four-day online event will bring together EFM/MOH accompanying partners from around the world to address the theme "Moving the Needle: Finding Direction & Mapping Possibilities."

If you are passionate about EFM professional development and growth, we encourage you to get involved!

For those who are eager to take part in this transformative symposium, the booking calendar is now open for facilitators and presenters.

This is truly an incredible opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, gain valuable insights, and take meaningful steps in your professional journey. So mark your calendars for November 1st to 4th, and let's move the needle together!

Learn more at https://availableworldwide.net/symposium/

On this episode of Available Worldwide, Lauren chats with Mackenzie Carlson, our new social media manager and fellow plant lover. Mackenzie shares her family's unique journey into the Foreign Service, from an adventurous road trip to prepping for a Covid-era quarantine. We discuss the best National Parks, the challenges of resume gaps, and the support she found in the EFM community both at post and via Available Worldwide. Mackenzie's fresh perspectives have already made a positive impact on our team as we continue to provide valuable resources for EFMs worldwide.

McKenzie Lowe Carlson is a mother of two and a first-tour EFM in Guangzhou, China.
McKenzie graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. She taught third grade for one year and has since had the opportunity to stay home full-time with her kids, Bria and Tucker.
With her youngest starting school this year she was ready to venture back into the world of professionalism, but being at a post with no bilateral work agreement meant she couldn’t teach. She is currently volunteering as a social media manager for Available Worldwide. She enjoys indoor & outdoor gardening, reading, and organizing & decorating her home.

In this episode of the Available Worldwide podcast, we are joined by Lexi Boudreau, an EFM (Eligible Family Member) with a diverse career as a stay at home mom, volunteer and, working with various agencies and businesses. She and her husband joined the Foreign Service later in life and spent 14 and a half years abroad, falling in love with the lifestyle. She reflects on her personal growth since starting this lifestyle and discusses her experiences working in Uganda and Jordan. For Lexi, thriving in this lifestyle requires focusing on the positives and managing challenges without being overwhelmed. There will always be the difficulties of constantly moving but that's balanced by the the resilience she and her children have developed. Lexi advises incoming EFMs to prioritize their own careers and do what is best for their families.

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Lexy Boudreau is returning to the U.S. after her family's fifth overseas post. At Embassy Amman she did media and communications in USAID's Education and Youth Office and took the lead with the Embassy's interagency DEIA events. Previously, Lexy led the PEPFAR Small Grants office at Embassy Kampala. In addition to being a Girl Scout Leader since 2009, she held a variety of volunteer positions with her four kids' schools and within the embassy community. During her EFM "career" she fully adopted the FS "it depends" mantra having learned to be flexible and reinvent herself during two evacuations, seven moves, sending three kids to college from overseas and now starting her first unaccompanied tour.

Evacuating from Ukraine was a turning point for Jessica.
She'd been a Foreign Service accompanying partner for 20 years. She'd navigated single parenting during her husband's tour in Iraq and learned how community can help you thrive in the midst of chaos. She'd successfully sustained her law career during multiple foreign and domestic postings.

But leaving Ukraine in 2022 shifted Jessica's priorities and, ultimately, her career. Learn more about Jessica's journey and how she looks at challenges as opportunities.

Join us for an emotional conversation about the stresses and lessons learned navigating life abroad with dual careers and kids.

BIO
Jessica Hayden has been an EFM for the past 20 years. Her family has lived in Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Ukraine, and The Netherlands, while her husband also served in Iraq. She has worked as both a lawyer and a writer and is the mother to 3 awesome kids.

In January of 2022, she evacuated from Kyiv with her children while her husband stayed behind with the Embassy. That experience fundamentally changed her career and life trajectory. She is now focusing on refugee issues and working on several writing projects about parenting during times of crisis.

Connect with Jessica:

• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/diplo.momma/
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-hayden-1707884/

In this episode, we meet Kavanaugh Livingston who in her first year as an EFM making a difference in supporting EFM (Eligible Family Member) careers in her community. Like many EFMs, she had to pause her career while her spouse serves as an FSO with the State Department.Kavanaugh organized an event to educate other post EFMs about the benefits of in mission employment, including both current and long-term retirement benefits. We also talk about the possibilities of offering similar informational support sessions to EFMs at your post.

Some key takeaways from her careers workshop:

• If it helps, use the EFM employment notebook as a suggested way to organize an electronic repository of all of your employment-, HR-, and payroll-related documents;
• Download and keep copies of ALL of your employment-related documents from Employee Express and any other online employee portals (i.e. SF-50s and Leave and Earnings Statements);
• The attached notebook also contains contact information, resources, and guidance on how to understand key employment documents;
• To streamline the process of applying for or renewing your security clearance (a.k.a. the e-QIP form), keep track of all of your residences, contacts, and travel details from the past 10 years;
• When applicable, use a personal email address (and not a government email address) to register for any third-party employment, HR, and retirement portals. When you retire from or leave government service, you will lose access to your government email; and
• It is the employee's responsibility to track their earnings statements and creditable service. Check these documents frequently to ensure their accuracy so that your retirement benefits are calculated appropriately.

Materials related to her EFM careers event available here.



Kavanaugh Livingston is a first-tour EFM in Mexico and recently transitioned to a life as a stay-at-home mom.

Before moving to Mexico Kavanaugh was a management consultant for IBM, and led strategy, knowledge management, and change management projects for her clients. Before her time at IBM, Kavanaugh got her MBA and worked for the United Nations Foundation (UNF). During her time with UNF, she managed efforts to improve household energy access for a global initiative. Kavanaugh started her career in the legal field before her most recent employment experiences. She is currently working towards her 200-hour yoga teacher training certification.

Kavanaugh is also a certified project management professional and has applied her extensive project management experience to support other EFMs at her current post. Her experience demonstrates that anyone at post, even first-tour EFMs, can serve as leaders.

Paula, her husband, Jason, and their two sons just completed an around-the-world journey, which saw them taking a year of LWOP (leave without pay) to visit 19 countries, including Paula's home country of Colombia.

In this interview, Paula shares some of the valuable lessons they learned about communication, kindness and self-growth during their trip. She also talks about her own struggles with anxiety and depression, and the importance of seeking help and not judging others based on mental health stereotypes.

Paula discusses her previous EFM jobs and the support she received from management officers who believed in her professional potential. She encourages new EFMs to be proactive, show up, and engage with embassy staff, emphasizing the opportunities for professional development within the State Department.
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BIO
Paula Andrea Pantoja has been an EFM for 14 years. She and her family have served in Mexico, Mozambique, El Salvador, and Tajikistan, and they're just starting their fifth tour in Tunisia.

Paula says:
"I am originally from Popayan, Colombia, and my mom tells me that I used to talk about traveling around the world from an early age. I love reading fantasy and fiction, dancing, playing soccer, doing Qigong and yoga, and trying new things that look fun.

I met my husband when we were working in a special needs summer camp in the Poconos, Pennsylvania in 2003. We've been together ever since and became parents of two fantastic boys, lived in five different countries, and travelled in more than 40 countries together.

I am a trained Spanish, English, and French teacher; however, since we joined the Foreign Service, I've been a CLO, roving secretary, and HR assistant/EPAP in our last three tours. I love working in HR because I truly believe I can make a difference in somebody's day. I want to become an OMS once my husband retires from the Foreign Service and keep traveling."

This summer we're taking a break from interviews to bring you a series of themed episodes especially relevant to newly minted EFMs — spouses whose partners have just joined the Foreign Service or who are about to be posted abroad for the first time.

You'll hear from your hosts—Lauren Steed and Stephanie Anderson—as well as from a smattering of other accompanying partners who left voicemails to share their own advice.
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Summer Special #4: Pack-out Advice
The final episode of our summer advice column series: the dreaded pack-out!

Whether you cut the clutter, embrace the chaos, or procrastinate till the last moment, pack-out is always stressful.

Lauren and Steph provide valuable advice and reassurance for folks facing their first pack-out, offering a glimpse into this unique aspect of foreign service life.
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Visit our Facebook page to share your own pack-out wins, horror stories, and top tips for newbies!
https://www.facebook.com/availableworldwidepodcast

This summer we're taking a break from interviews to bring you a series of themed episodes especially relevant to newly minted EFMs — spouses whose partners have just joined the Foreign Service or who are about to be posted abroad for the first time.

You'll hear from your hosts—Lauren Steed and Stephanie Anderson—as well as from a smattering of other accompanying partners who left voicemails to share their own advice.
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Summer Special #3: PCS Planning
In this episode of our summer advice column series, Lauren and Steph delve into the topic of PCS (permanent change of station) moves in the Foreign Service lifestyle.

We discuss staying organized, researching activities, making connections, and the importance of community support. We reflect on our own experiences and offer advice on flexibility and embracing the adventure of PCSing.

And whether you're an "Excel monster" or a relaxed "wine mom," we want to remind you that it's okay to cry. 😥
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Good luck to all of you slogging your way through the summer transfer season!

This summer we're taking a break from interviews to bring you a series of themed episodes especially relevant to newly minted EFMs — spouses whose partners have just joined the Foreign Service or who are about to be posted abroad for the first time.

You'll hear from your hosts—Lauren Steed and Stephanie Anderson—as well as from a smattering of other accompanying partners who left voicemails to share their own advice.
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Summer Special #2: EFM Career Narratives

What do you do? What's your story?

In this episode, Lauren and Steph talk about making the most of your opportunities and redefining who you are in terms of your career.

As accompanying partners, a lot of where we're going to land in the future is out of our control. However, the story we tell when we get there can make all the difference.

How do we define ourselves and create a more cohesive narrative from a sometimes patchy work history?
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Past episodes mentioned:

• ep. 20 Maryanna Koehring | English for the Job
  https://www.spreaker.com/user/avail/maryanna-koehring
  
  
• ep. 38 Nermine Mansour | Chez Nermine
  https://www.spreaker.com/user/avail/nermine-mansour
  
  
• ep. 39 Heather Emerick | Diplobudgets
  https://www.spreaker.com/user/avail/heather-emerick
  
  
• ep. 47 Helene Lubatti | Employee Association Manager & Bagel Queen
  https://www.spreaker.com/user/avail/helenelubatti
  
  
• ep. 49 Tracy MacDonald | Writer & Consultant
  https://www.spreaker.com/user/avail/tracy-macdonald-interview

This summer we're taking a break from interviews to bring you a series of themed episodes especially relevant to newly minted EFMs -- spouses whose partners have just joined the Foreign Service or who are about to be posted abroad for the first time.

You'll hear from your hosts--Lauren Steed and Stephanie Anderson--as well as from a smattering of other accompanying partners who left voicemails to share their own advice.
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Summer Special #1: Realities of EFM Employment

We don't sugarcoat the facts. We want you to know the challenges and the opportunities that might lie ahead for you as a new EFM (eligible family member) or MOH (member of household).

In this episode we talk about the different types of family member employment, the pros and cons of each, and we share some resources we've found useful.

Resources

• Worldwide Family Member Employment Statistics https://www.state.gov/global-community-liaison-office/overseas-family-member-employment/family-member-employment-statistics/
  
  
• Global Employment Advisors https://www.state.gov/global-community-liaison-office/family-member-employment/global-employment-initiative-gei/
  
  
• EFM Business Owners Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/efmbusinessowners
  
  
• EFMs Helping Other EFMs Find Employment https://www.facebook.com/groups/efmshelpefmsfindemployment/
  
  
• Teletrailing EFMs https://www.facebook.com/groups/1997423240366074