Am I ?

How often have I heard this recently and it made me reflect on my own journey of how I actually ended up here in Corfu - was it luck ?

What do you think? …here is my story

I was reading Castaway as we came in to land in Corfu in 1981 - I was a 17 year old on holiday with my family for the first time abroad .

As we flew over the Ionian Sea I combined the magic of the book with the stunning turquoise waters I could see below…

I had fallen in love before I’d even landed on the island ... unlike Shirley Valentine.

The holiday was in one of the biggest hotels on the island and it was a very happy holiday - and the last one we had as a whole family as we were now teenagers doing our own thing.

I was entered into the Miss Messonghi competition - a weekly ritual in the hotel - and something I laugh about with my friends from that village now . There’s another story wrapped up in this as well - but that is for another day !

That holiday shaped my future more than I would ever know at that time .

I met an English “brummie” and her Greek partner Christos who ran the water sports centre in Messonghi . A hive of activity with the Ringo’s, parascending and windsurfing - oh and water-skiing , (a Bridget Jones moment ).

We chatted and I asked how it would be possible to work in Corfu .. at this point I was already thinking of after my A levels the following year .

In the 80’s it wasn’t possible for Brits to work in Corfu ,( how we have come full circle !).

I wrote to Karen during the year and she encouraged me to finish my studies and get in contact the following summer . ( I still have this letter ).

Fast forward to the following summer …

I had persuaded a school friend to join me in a two week holiday here … what I didn’t realise at the time was that I would end up staying here the whole summer .

And that was it …

The start of my vision to live here …

After many annual trips to Corfu I thought the attraction would wear off but it never did … it only got stronger. I was the one on the plane crying as we took off from Corfu Airport . I did that right through to my late 40’s !

Life got in the way of these dreams and with a marriage and two children, as well as a business, it kept me in the UK for many years .

And then technology started to take off around the world - Wi-Fi - mobiles - laptops and the internet .. sounds pretty basic now but in the 80’s none of that existed and certainly not here in Corfu . I remember queuing up to use the public phone to get “a line” to dial home .

As the boys grew older and I was able to work remotely during the summer holidays my hopes of a life out here started to become a reality .

My life circumstances changed and in 2019 I moved with my partner to Corfu having got Greek Residency - an absolute necessity after Brexit .

I worked remotely with my UK clients and although an early adopter of new ways of working this really hadn’t taken off at this point

And then the pandemic happened in March 2020 and the whole world now is on zoom (and other well known platforms ).

This was a gift to anyone wanting to create or run a remote business .

Overnight I pivoted my business to be more online and my client base went from UK centric to worldwide .

Living and working in Corfu in a role that I love is a reality now.

However the journey was long and winding …

• I have had a business for 28 years - and I have had many highs and lows but I have worked very hard and reinvested my profits back into the business to create growth
• I have been a single parent for the majority of my sons lives - over 20 years and this was at times extremely difficult but also a key motivator for success
• I have pushed the boundaries of learning new technologies and ways of working to find what works best and creates flexibility

So as you can probably see luck played no part in my life here in Corfu …

Often we underestimate the commitment and dedication people make to creating their success .. we see the tip of the iceberg and I am more conscious now not to use the phrase “you’re lucky" because it’s really not an accurate description for someone’s current circumstances. There’s usually a backstory of positive habits , difficult choices and hard work. So I invite you to consider how you use this phrase and become more mindful of it, especially when you're talking to a fellow entrepreneur who is often exhausted !

Never lose sight of your dreams though - they can and will come true if you want them enough .

The hardest part of being in Corfu ?

Saying goodbye to my two sons when I get on the plane in the UK to come back from visiting them ..

"Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity".?Oprah Winfrey

If you have a dream to live somewhere special in the world and you are considering consulting as a way of making this happen then I would love to hear from you - if I can make this happen so can you!