I Started My Own Business Abroad; Here Are Tips

“What’s something you’ve always wanted to do but never said out loud?” It was 2017, and that one question, casually asked by a friend, completely changed the direction of my life and work.

We’re constantly told to follow a certain script: graduate from college, land a good-paying job, wait for promotions, get married, have kids, work harder, and somehow, happiness will follow.

And in my 20s, I spent years climbing this so-called ladder to success and happiness. But my friend’s question made me realize I wasn’t even on my own ladder. I had been chasing someone else’s version of success.

I started to wonder: what if instead of climbing a ladder built by others, we created one that truly reflects who we are and what we value?

For years, I had journaled about living in Paris and starting a business to help others realize and actualize their potential. But I never imagined I would need to discover my own potential first.

Six months after that pivotal question, I boarded a one-way flight to Paris, with only enough savings to last six months. I didn’t have a real plan or a set goal outside of knowing that I was ready to risk it all to find one. I was tired of living the same year on repeat and calling it a life.

I decided that six months would give me enough time to see if living in Paris lived up to my prior visits as a tourist, and if it did, to figure out a way to make money through consulting or find a job in Paris. I didn’t know anyone in Paris, my high school French lessons were long forgotten, and I quit the job with a six-figure salary I’d grown to rely on. Leaving behind all that was familiar was terrifying, but deep down, I knew it was the right move.

In between too many croissants and café strolls, I discovered the concept of “ikigai,” a Japanese philosophy that combines the words “iki” (meaning life) and “gai” (meaning value or worth). It refers to finding fulfillment and purpose in life by aligning what you love, what you’re good at, what the world needs, and what you can get paid for. It’s about finding purpose and meaning in life. In Paris, I was living this philosophy without realizing it.

As I shared my journey of self-discovery and ikigai on Instagram, I was surprised by how many others felt the same pull. My story struck a chord with people who, like me, were questioning traditional ideas of success and craving a more meaningful path. What began as a personal exploration grew into a community of people searching for a life that defied societal expectations.

But how would I turn this passion into a career? I considered becoming a blogger, but that didn’t feel like I could truly connect with people in the way that I wanted to. I love to travel and used to daydream of hosting events around the world, speaking on conference stages, and having a global community filled with people who are on this same path of creating a life of fulfillment and purpose. I could see different versions of the end vision, but the steps to get there felt blurry at best. I had a lot of ideas but lacked the clarity needed to confidently create a business.

In hindsight, I can see the path to clarity so easily now. I built my business, The Bravo Life, to support entrepreneurs in finding clarity in their vision and transforming their experiences into purpose-driven companies that serve others. Through retreats, courses, and 1:1 coaching, I help my clients turn their ideas into thriving businesses that reflect their purpose.

Here are the key steps I ultimately followed to align my passion with a successful business:

Step 1: Discover What the World Needs

One of the first steps to building a successful business is identifying market demand. As my following grew, so did the messages from people who resonated with my journey. They were successful on paper but longed for something more. Every day, I woke up to messages from followers seeking advice as they created their own paths. It wasn’t a paid venture yet, but I knew I was onto something meaningful.

Step 2: Discover What You Can Be Paid For

With my savings dwindling three months after arriving in Paris, I turned to my brand marketing background and began consulting for European brands by day, while working on my business at night. My corporate experience gave me skills I could immediately monetize, allowing me to fund my life in Paris while figuring out how to grow my new venture.

Step 3: Discover What You Are Good at

I took a few entrepreneurship courses that taught strategies for creating and growing an online business. I learned about e-mail marketing, paid advertising, offer development, pricing, legal, accounting, and so much more that helped me understand what it looks like to not just build a brand, but a sustainable business.

Before creating any paid services, I focused on growing my online community. The more I honed my message and grew my platforms, the more people asked, “Can you help me do this?” Transitioning from corporate marketing to personal coaching was intimidating — I couldn’t hide behind a brand or a job anymore. This time, people wanted me. This is one of the most challenging aspects of building a business that is rooted in a personal brand. When you are the face of the business, it’s easy to take a potential client’s “no” as a personal rejection. It also keeps a lot of aspiring entrepreneurs stuck in perfectionism because the fear of judgment, rejection, and failure can feel paralyzing.

It was important for me to create some mental separation between me and the business. I focused on leaning into data, instead of my emotions, to make decisions. Creating key performance indicators based on industry averages for the business at each stage is critical. Knowing that I had a goal of a 50 percent conversion rate on sales calls as a new coach helped me understand that I may hear five “no’s” out of 10 calls, and that’s okay. This also helped me not give up after the first, or second, no.

Step 4: Discover What You Love

I started small, hosting online workshops about discovering passions and purpose. I became a certified coach, taking on 1:1 clients and developing courses on brand marketing. I used what I learned from the online courses I’d taken along with doing competitive market research — researching other coaches in my niche and industry — to understand how to package my offers and set my rates. Seeing clients transform an idea into reality, and get paid for it, was incredibly fulfilling. One of my first clients was able to leave her job and work from home to be with her kids. That’s when I knew I was doing what I was meant to do.

Step 5: Fully Realize Your Own Ikigai

Social media can glamorize entrepreneurship, but the reality is far less shiny. It took me years of trial and error, sleepless nights, risky financial investments, and most of all, getting out of my own way.

Entrepreneurship pushes you to grow beyond your comfort zone, expose yourself to risk, and learn how to fail — and try again the next day. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but also the most rewarding. The most challenging aspects for me have been the self-discipline required to show up every day, not having a consistent paycheck to rely on during slow periods, and working extremely hard for months on a new offer only for it to fall flat. Thankfully, the rewards outweigh those moments — like when my business generated more income in one month than my prior yearly salary as an employee, or being able to take my 3-year-old son to France, Italy, and Thailand for two months because I work for myself.

Seven years and over 1,000 clients later, I’ve built a business on my own terms. I’ve climbed a ladder that I designed, one that allows me to live life the way I always dreamed. The first step is always the scariest, but trusting that each step will appear, even when you can’t see the top, is worth the journey.

So, what’s something you’ve always wanted to do but never said out loud?

Natanya Bravo, (she/her), founder of The Bravo Life, now a global community of over 30,000 women. Through digital education, coaching, and events, Natanya provides the tools, resources, and strategies for purpose-driven leaders to create and grow thriving businesses that serve others. As a transformational business and mindset coach, she inspires women to realize and actualize their full potential. Natanya is a PS Council member.