Living the Dream: French Riviera

Cecile Liconnet

Relocating to the French Riviera sounds idyllic. But how do you actually build a professional life once you arrive? Hosted by Cecile Liconnet, Living the Dream: French Riviera explores women’s professional journeys after relocating to the South of France. Through candid, in-depth conversations, the podcast looks at what it really takes to work, earn a living, and create long-term stability abroad. Each episode shares first-hand experiences of career change, entrepreneurship, adaptation, and reinvention; from navigating visas and local job markets to managing finances, seasonality, and cultural differences. Authentic voices. Grounded stories. A clear look behind the postcard perfect image of life on the Riviera. For photos and extra content about our guests, visit our website: Living the Dream: French Riviera. Please follow, share, and consider supporting the podcast 😊 Merci beaucoup! 

  1. 6D AGO

    No Job, No French, No Investor: How a Collapsed Plan Led to Freedom on the French Riviera - Bogdana (Dana) Verbytska

    Dana relocated from London to the French Riviera with the promise of a position at a high-end fitness club that was still in development, where she would continue her successful career in wellness. Shortly after arriving, the investor pulled out. Suddenly, she was unemployed in France with no French language skills, no guaranteed income, and a family depending on her. In this episode, we explore what it really takes to build a sustainable yoga business after relocation. From navigating French bureaucracy and tax systems to finding an international clientele and creating retreats that actually sell, Dana shares how her background as a professional athlete shaped her resilience. She explains how she identified a niche for English-speaking clients on the Côte d’Azur, and why community is essential when building a career abroad. We also talk honestly about financial pressure, competition in the wellness industry, finding freedom, and redefining success beyond the glamour of the French Riviera. A candid conversation about women, relocation, career reinvention, and making a living in the South of France when the original plan falls apart. This is the full-length episode. If you would like to listen to a condensed 28-minute version, it is available on Living the Dream – Radio Edition. Living the Dream: French Riviera Podcast Women and their professional journey while relocating to the South of France. https://livingthedreampodcast.com

    37 min

  2. FEB 9

    Third Culture Child: Feeling Alien on Return, Language and Identity - Emilie Gauthronet

    Women, Work & Relocation on the French Riviera: Emilie grew up between France, the UK, and Belgium. A third culture childhood that shaped her language, identity, and sense of belonging long before she realised it. Returning to France as a young adult felt both familiar and unsettling: home, yet foreign. In this episode, we explore what it means to grow up internationally and come back to your country of birth feeling slightly out of place. Emilie reflects on studying and working in a language that once felt secondary, building confidence in French professional settings, and creating a career rooted in care, wellbeing, and human connection. We also talk about retraining later in life, navigating French systems, finding visibility as a self-employed practitioner, and why international environments can feel essential long after relocation ends. A thoughtful conversation about third culture identity, language, career reinvention, and what “home” really means for women who have lived between cultures. This is the full-length episode. If you would like to listen to a condensed 28-minute version, it is available on Living the Dream – Radio Edition. Living the Dream: French Riviera Podcast Women and their professional journey while relocating to the South of France. https://livingthedreampodcast.com

    30 min

  3. FEB 2

    Why Career Transitions Abroad Are Harder Than Expected and How to Navigate Them - Flavia Wahnfried

    Women, Work & Relocation on the French Riviera: Flavia has lived and worked across five countries, but what sets her apart is not the number of moves, it’s what she has learned by staying long enough to be changed by them. In this episode, host Cecile Liconnet speaks with Flavia Wahnfried, a career and transition strategist whose own journey from Brazil to New Zealand, the UK, Portugal and finally the French Riviera has shaped a deep understanding of what relocation really does to identity, ambition and professional direction. They explore why career transitions abroad are rarely just about jobs or skills, but about invisible rules, cultural adjustment, language, pace, and the quiet inner work of redefining who you are when familiar reference points disappear. Flavia shares how copying your old professional self into a new country often backfires, why learning how people relate to work matters as much as expertise, and how patience becomes a strategic skill. The conversation also touches on loss, resilience, and the unexpected support networks that can emerge far from home; experiences that led Flavia to create Terra8, a platform designed to connect people navigating life and work abroad. This episode is a thoughtful, grounded exploration of professional transitions, identity shifts, and what it really takes to build a meaningful life and career outside your country of origin. This is the full-length episode. If you would like to listen to a condensed 28-minute version, it is available on Living the Dream – Radio Edition. Living the Dream: French Riviera Podcast Women and their professional journey while relocating to the South of France. https://livingthedreampodcast.com

    44 min

  4. JAN 26

    Timing, Regulation and Strategy: A Move to France Planned to Perfection - Rachael Dickens

    Women, Work & Relocation on the French Riviera: Rachael Dickens arrived on the French Riviera just days after osteopathy became legal in France: a move that could have been risky, but she treated it like a masterclass in strategy. In this episode, hosted by Cecile Liconnet, Rachael shares how meticulous planning, foresight, and sheer determination allowed her to turn a bold relocation into a thriving, high-end practice serving an international clientele. From carefully orchestrating her move and navigating French bureaucracy, to finding her first clients through clever networking and free advertising, Rachael demonstrates how to build a career abroad with precision and creativity. She opens up about the early months of emotional autopilot, the challenge of forging a professional identity from the ground up, and the lessons learned managing collaborators, contracts, and high-stakes situations, all while staying true to her values. Beyond business, she explores the nuances of integration, friendship, and connection, sharing how charity work expanded her network and led to unexpected opportunities. Rachael also reflects on the Riviera life, blending hard work with glamour, light, and the freedom that drew her here in the first place. This episode is more than a story of relocation, it’s a step-by-step blueprint for turning courage into sustainable professional success, packed with insights that anyone looking to start over or elevate their career will find invaluable. This is the full-length episode. If you would like to listen to a condensed 28-minute version, it is available on Living the Dream – Radio Edition. Living the Dream: French Riviera Podcast Women and their professional journey while relocating to the South of France. https://livingthedreampodcast.com

    57 min

  5. JAN 19

    Not Love at First Sight: When Moving to France Doesn’t Work the First Time - Valentina Gargano

    Women, Work & Relocation on the French Riviera: Moving to France is often described as a dream. But what happens when it doesn’t feel like one? In this episode of Living the Dream: French Riviera, Cecile Liconnet speaks with Valentina Gargano, an independent educational consultant, who first moved to the South of France in her mid-forties full of hope, only to realise that life there was far more complex than expected. The excitement faded, professional stability was hard to find, and eventually, she made the difficult decision to leave and return home. Later, something pulled her back. This time, without illusions, but with experience, clarity, and a deeper understanding of what it really takes to live and work in France. What followed was not an overnight success story, but a slow, thoughtful professional shift. Drawing on years of teaching and personal experience, Valentina gradually built an independent practice helping families navigate university choices across Europe. A niche role shaped by trust, word of mouth, and real expertise. This conversation explores disappointment, resilience, and the courage it takes to try again. It speaks honestly about failed relocations, rebuilding confidence, finding legitimacy in a new country, and creating a professional life that finally feels sustainable. 🎧 This is the full-length episode. A condensed 28-minute radio edition is available on the Living the Dream – Radio Edition channel. Living the Dream: French Riviera Podcast Women and their professional journey while relocating to the South of France. https://livingthedreampodcast.com

    39 min

  6. JAN 12

    From Air Crew to Cake Maker: Reinvention Never Stops When Building a Life in France - Suzanne Shields

    Women, Work & Relocation on the French Riviera: Suzanne’s story is a powerful illustration that building a life abroad rarely follows a straight line. In this episode, Cecile Liconnet sits down with Suzanne Shields, who first arrived in the South of France in 2000 after a career as a British Airways stewardess. What followed were multiple relocations and a series of professional reinventions, from villa management to running a creative ceramic café in Biot, and eventually creating her own bespoke cake business, Les Gâteaux Sucrés. Together, they explore what it really takes to make relocation work long term: resilience, adaptability, strong work ethics, and the willingness to learn the language and adjust to local culture. Suzanne shares honest insights into working in France as a foreigner, navigating administration, adapting to the French palate, dealing with seasonality, and why effort and integration matter when settling into a local community. This episode also touches on the realities of entrepreneurship in France, the importance of evolving your offer, and how community, word of mouth, and consistency quietly build a sustainable business over time. A grounded, inspiring conversation about relocation, work, and finding your place in France without shortcuts. Living the Dream: French Riviera Podcast Women and their professional journey while relocating to the South of France. https://livingthedreampodcast.com

    34 min

  7. JAN 5

    Learning French as an Expat: Immersion, Culture, Confidence & Real Life in France - Patricia Pedditzi

    Women, Work & Relocation on the French Riviera: What does learning French really look like when you are living in France and trying to find your place there? In this episode, Cecile Liconnet speaks with Patricia Pedditzi a Riviera-based French teacher whose approach is built around immersion, everyday situations, and cultural understanding. Drawing on her own experience living abroad and years spent working with expats, she explains why real-life practice matters far more than textbook exercises. The conversation also touches on career transitions and the practical support available in France when you want to change direction professionally. From business incubators to guidance on starting something new, this episode offers a realistic look at how people build confidence, work, and stability over time on the French Riviera. A thoughtful conversation about language, integration, and finding a professional rhythm that fits real life in France. Living the Dream: French Riviera Podcast Women and their professional journey while relocating to the South of France.https://livingthedreampodcast.com

    34 min

  8. 12/29/2025

    France as a Non-EU Expat: Visas, Income Survival & Real Stability – Roberta Jubram

    Women, Work & Relocation on the French Riviera: What does it really take to build a business in France when you’re not European, don’t speak the language fluently, and have no safety net? In this episode of Living the Dream: French Riviera, Cecile speaks with a Brazilian entrepreneur who rebuilt her professional life from scratch after leaving the yachting industry and settling in the South of France. After years working at sea, she made the decision to step ashore, only to discover the realities many expats face: low local salaries, language barriers, long commutes, seasonality, and the pressure of securing legal residency as a non-EU national. Faced with limited options, she chose entrepreneurship as a way to survive and eventually build stability. This conversation offers grounded, first-hand insight into: Navigating visas and residency as a non-EU entrepreneur in France Why salaried work doesn’t always add up financially on the Riviera Launching a business without capital, a showroom, or connections Managing seasonal income and off-season stress Building clients through trust, word-of-mouth and reputation The unspoken social and emotional cost of relocation Why Riviera life is far less glamorous than it appears Honest, practical and deeply relatable, this episode cuts through the fantasy of expat life and focuses on what actually sustains a professional life abroad. Living the Dream: French Riviera Podcast Women and their professional journey while relocating to the South of France.https://livingthedreampodcast.com

    33 min
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About

Relocating to the French Riviera sounds idyllic. But how do you actually build a professional life once you arrive? Hosted by Cecile Liconnet, Living the Dream: French Riviera explores women’s professional journeys after relocating to the South of France. Through candid, in-depth conversations, the podcast looks at what it really takes to work, earn a living, and create long-term stability abroad. Each episode shares first-hand experiences of career change, entrepreneurship, adaptation, and reinvention; from navigating visas and local job markets to managing finances, seasonality, and cultural differences. Authentic voices. Grounded stories. A clear look behind the postcard perfect image of life on the Riviera. For photos and extra content about our guests, visit our website: Living the Dream: French Riviera. Please follow, share, and consider supporting the podcast 😊 Merci beaucoup! 

Information

  • Creator
    Cecile Liconnet
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 Cecile Liconnet All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Living the Dream: French Riviera