When I had Covid-19 the first time in 2020 I was one of the first cases in Switzerland and advice was hard to come by. I created a guideline for myself and others: Top Nine Tips to Deal With Viral Infections. it’s four years later, and many times I felt I had COVID again, but I did not test positive anymore. Maybe the first time was such a huge dose that I am now WonderWoman (a secret escape fantasy I had after I recovered as WW was always my childhood superhero role model, and the movie “WW 1984” was supposed to be out at the same time, so I listened to the music during recovery). What I have noticed though […]

Last week, I challenged you a little bit but nobody complained so you might not have noticed my little mistake in the editing process. Some of you might have wondered why Virginia was called “Robot” in between. We originally called her Virginia Robot but we never explained how she got the name, and when we met Tom Robot, the story idea slowly emerged.  In case you missed Part 1 of the story of the Virginia Stormtroopers, which started with ‘Why Developing Future Skills is Crucial for Global Mobility Professionals.‘ Here is Part 2: After establishing herself as a rising star in global mobility, Virginia Robot’s work caught the attention of leaders across the globe. Her success in turning interplanetary chaos […]

As I mentioned in this post during the early days of the pandemic my mother could not find yeast. Her village in Southern Germany had a yeast shortage. We don’t have a shortage of anything here in Zurich, neither toilet paper, nor yeast, even though demand for both was higher than in “normal” times. My mother likes to bake in normal times but I felt she needed to bake even more in these times.

If you’ve ever felt like you had to “just get on with it” after a significant life transition, traumatic event, or a series of micro-challenges—especially while living abroad—you’re not alone. Many lifestyle expats carry invisible emotional weight that builds over time: unresolved grief from losing their home culture, a tough repatriation, chronic uncertainty, or even high-stress corporate transitions. But here’s the good news: Coaching—when done well—can help you overcome the lasting impact of trauma, build sustainable resilience, and reconnect with your purpose. And no, this doesn’t mean diving into your childhood or treating mental health disorders—that’s the domain of therapy. Let’s get honest about what coaching can and cannot do—and how it might be the missing link in your expat […]

The hidden job market, particularly in Switzerland and Germany, consists of positions that are not publicly advertised. Research shows that up to 60-80% of roles are filled through personal networks and informal methods rather than open job listings. Many companies find it more efficient and cost-effective to rely on referrals or internal recommendations to fill roles, especially for niche or highly specialized positions. For example, industries like agriculture, education, and healthcare often use informal hiring channels more frequently than high-tech sectors, where roles are often advertised more widely. In Switzerland, studies by the University of Zurich’s Swiss Job Market Monitor reveal that while jobs in certain sectors remain hidden, about 80% of available positions are NOT publicly advertised on company […]