Published on November 25, 2020
#6 Ruth Ann Lake - Forging your way as an expat woman
“I think that’s always a good way to start by networking and getting involved in different types of associations, maybe even doing volunteer work. I’ve done that too here on the French Riviera and it's helped me meet different people.”
How many of us can say that they are a US American with Welsh-Irish-Cuban origins, the big sister to four siblings and have spent over 40 years abroad in Latin America, Italy and France? Not many of us! Yet, Ruth Ann is not only an intense traveller with a passion for snorkelling, she has also over 30 years’ experience leading Management development workshops on topics such as Leadership & Change Management, Cross Cultural Teams, Leading Virtual Teams, Building your Influence and Credibility, and other areas.
During this podcast episode, Ruth is going to share with us how to be a fulfilled expat woman, hardworking and still letting herself to “Celebrate life” with friends and family!
We also talked about Women in leadership and some pitfalls women should pay attention to in order to be recognized as leaders. Ruth also explained the importance of a sponsor for your next career move - As always we talked good habits and lifestyle.
References :
- Ruth Ann website : https://www.ruthannlake.com
- Photo credit: Carmen Blike https://www.carmenblike.com
- Sylvia Ann Hewlett, founding president of Center for Talent Innovation, Welsh speaker on the importance of finding a sponsor:
- short version 3 min from Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/video/2226612760001/the-importance-of-sponsors
- 45 min YouTube video of Sylvia Hewlett speaking at Google about the difference between mentorship and sponsorship and why you need to find a sponsor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i83HLA3a0DQ
- Book: The Bonjour Effect: The Secret Codes of French Conservation by Julie Barlow
Websites:
- Compare the country/culture of where you are from with the county/culture of France: https://www.hofstede-insights.com/country-comparison/
- From Fons Trompenaars: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trompenaars%27s_model_of_national_culture_differences
- https://businessculture.org/western-europe/business-culture-in-france/business-etiquette-in-france/
- Ten tips on French business etiquette: https://www.thelocal.fr/20130304/top-ten---french-business-etiquette