Hi, I’m Janel.
Expat & Founder of the Expat Women’s Collective!
I understand the complexities of expat life, having moved internationally four times across three countries at completely different life stages. My first move was as an 11yo child with my parents to Australia. Later, in my early 30s to Detroit, USA as a DINK (dual income, no kids—yay!) with my soon-to-be husband, Ben, for our careers. Then in our mid-40s, relocating to Singapore with our son Ethan, which lead onto our most recent move to Florida, USA.
Each move brought me its own lessons, emotional challenges and identity shifts. I’ve felt the excitement and adventure, the fear of the unknown, grief of what’s left behind, and ultimately the joy of discovering new cultures, people and experiences.
The Expat Women’s Collective is your Global Support Network.
Designed to help women confidently navigate the emotional challenges of expat life. Whether you’re adjusting to a new culture, rebuilding your identity after a career pause, or facing the loneliness of starting over abroad – this space was created for you!
CONNECTION
Feeling connected as a new expat is essential to enjoying the experience! It’s what transforms a place from feeling foreign into a “sense of home”. Grounding you emotionally and helping you thrive in this chapter.
RESOURCES
Often the best support comes from someone who’s already walked the path before you! EWC’s resources are here to be your guide, sharing real and authentic insight, lived experience, and practical coaching tools.
COMMUNITY
You may be feeling alone in your new expat journey, but you’re not — this is a space to connect with women who truly understand what you’re going through.
**COMING SOON** Virtual Coffee Meet-Ups
In My Professional Life:
As a Mindset & Confidence Coach, I’ve seen firsthand how relocating abroad can:
- Shake a woman’s sense of identity, confidence, and fulfillment
- Trigger self-doubt, emotional overwhelm, and anxiety
- Challenge even the most resilient women during those first 6–12 months!
But I also know that expat life can be a catalyst for powerful personal transformation.
Since 2018, I’ve been mentoring women all over the world to navigate major life transitions, overcome self-doubt and anxiety, rebuild their confidence, and ultimately rediscover their authentic sense of self after big life changes have shaken their foundations.
Through my own expat journey and in countless conversations with other women, I realized what was missing for so many of us was a safe, supportive space where we could feel seen, heard, and guided through the messy middle of this life-changing transition.
Janel Briggs is a certified Practitioner and Clinical Coach of NLP and TimeLine Therapy® (American Board of NLP since 2018)
That’s why the Expat Women’s Collective exists – to remind you, you’re not alone.
You can lose your job title, your routine, and even your sense of belonging—but you don’t have to lose yourself.
My Story.
On my first expat experience in the US as a working “Trailing Spouse” back in 2007, I struggled with a whirlwind of emotions I never saw coming...
While I fully supported moving abroad for my partner’s career, I experienced A HUGE amount of RESENTMENT and FRUSTRATION…
Towards him, our situation, my boredom and lack of fulfillment. I even resented the bloody weather! While he dove into an exciting new promotion, made friends easily and loved our new life… I felt lost and disconnected. It was hard to find “my people” and rebuild my own career. Every day I seemed to be losing another part of my self-esteem.
What about me? Where do I fit? Are my goals and dreams just unimportant now?
The homesickness, sadness and guilt hit hard…
I watched from afar as friends back home in Australia (over 12,000kms away) got married, had babies, bought houses, and built lives that felt so distant. Yes, social media made it easier to stay connected – but the more I watched from the side-lines, the more I felt like I was falling behind and missing out on important milestones.
At the time I didn’t know these feelings are super common for new expats. I didn’t have the tools or knowledge to help myself work through these very normal emotions.
Instead, I bottled up my emotions – not realizing how many emotions were bubbling beneath the surface.
As the saying goes, resentment is like drinking poison—and it slowly began to eat away at me, my confidence and happiness, and sadly our relationship. For me it was a blessing when at the end of 2009 we were called back to Australia, a year earlier than planned, due to the global financial crisis.
It wasn’t until I worked with a Mindset & Relationship Coach years later that I came to a powerful realization:
- I had unknowingly placed all my happiness into his hands
- I personally felt like I’d given up so much for our move, and in doing so – expected HIM to make it ALL worthwhile for me!
- I was relying on him to make ME 100% happy in the experience.
All of this realistically is an impossible task and insane amount of pressure.
We are 100% in charge of our own happiness; You are the master of changing your experience.
When the next international opportunity arose for our family to move to Singapore, I approached it differently.
Armed with everything I had learned from our first expat assignment – I now had the emotional insight, a decade of personal growth and professional development behind me (a coach myself since 2018), and applied it to my next expat experience. This time, it was completely different! I had the tools, mindset, and self-awareness to navigate the transition with more confidence and clarity. I didn’t just adapt to life in Singapore — I absolutely thrived!
I found purpose, meaningful connections, continued to build an incredible international coaching business, and truly embraced this new chapter of life on my terms.
“I created EWC as a support network – a place where you can find connection, feel understood, be empowered, and inspired to build a life in your new country that’s not only fulfilling, but aligned with what you truly want. – Janel xo
What Expat Women are Saying About Janel’s Mentoring:
Jen, UK
“I have been so impressed by the breadth of the discussions and how this has impacted my approach to life in multiple ways. Janel’s ability to tap into any area of expat life whether it be work, relationships, homesickness for family & friends, or social anxiety around meeting new people and much more is incredible.”
Sera, US
“I cannot speak highly enough of Janel. I feel as though Janel’s guidance has given me the full RESET – a new perspective on life, my career and business. I now feel like I have control over my life in a way I haven’t ever felt.”
Monika, Aus
“I am feeling less pressured and less stressed overall about expat life and the future. Our conversations were often a ‘dialogue’, an exchange of experiences, rather than just me talking. I found Janel’s personal/professional values and resentment excersises for creating change in viewpoint were impactful.”
Expat Women's Collective 