Meet Laura Lopez, an expat, a purpose coach, and a female founder!
Laura LB is a personal coach and CEO of Long Gone Laura, an established expat and traveler! Recently, we interviewed her about her expat experience.
1. How did you begin your expat lifestyle? As a student, entrepreneur, trailing
spouse, professional, retiree, etc? And tell us about that journey!
My journey started 12 years ago when I moved to England to learn English, thinking to
come back after a year...My mind, perception, self-belief and values expanded once I
was there and one opportunity after another made me stay abroad and I ended up living
in another three countries, Italy, the USA and Australia, my current country of residence.
2. Tell us about ‘Long Gone Laura’... And being a Purpose Coach...What does this
entail?
Long Gone Laura was born as a travel blog in 2018, my business sifted to a coaching
business two years after facing various unexpected challenges, including my mum’s
passing and the rejection of my visa in Australia making me lose my full-time job, house
and the life I had built. From that moment my deep healing journey began and it was my full-time job to work on myself, the more healing that occurred, the more mind shifts I had the clearer I could
see who I was/wanted to be and what I wanted to do in this world. That was the
beginning of my journey as a coach, I got certified and started my business journey in
2020. Now, I am also a Certified Neuro Transformational Therapist and I help other
expats in the exact position I was in years ago; lost, stuck, unfulfilled and with a burning
desire to make an impact and be an entrepreneur but not really knowing where to start.
My job entitles; accessing the subconscious mind of my clients to release their stored
negative emotions, and limiting beliefs to reprogram their minds.
Once their mindset is in the right place, I help them find their passion, skills, knowledge
and unique talents and link it to a mission they care about lastly give them clarity in their
purpose-driven business idea and how to start it.
3. What are the benefits and challenges that you've faced as a female expat?
Benefits: The empowerment I felt after starting from scratch in a new country, learning
new languages and building a new life in several countries. I think any expat is brave
and courageous to enter the discomfort and the unknown, and I have used it as fuel to
achieve anything I set my mind to. I do not fear failure or the unknown because I know I
can always fall and get up again.
Challenges: Mainly mental blocks that I set myself, as English is not my first language
when I moved abroad 12 years ago I built many insecurities around not being able to
speak the language and felt somehow less than locals. I limited myself in the
opportunities I went for because I thought I wasn’t going to get them. All of that is now
way behind me, and I wouldn’t be where I am if I didn't do all the inner and mindset work
to overcome it.
4. You have settled in Sydney? What do you love about Australia and where else have
you lived/traveled to that has left a lasting impression on you?
Yes, I live permanently in Sydney. I love nature, breathtaking beaches and wildlife, it is a
paradise for an outdoor and animal lover, which happens to be me! I lived in England,
Italy, USA, briefly New Zealand and now Australia. From all of those Australia got my
heart, I arrived here by chance and I never expected to love it so much.
5. How were you able to assimilate into your new home country? Were you able to
make friends, find community, and be comfortable/ deal with visa protocol?