Turning expat partners’ dual career challenges into successful portable businesses
Relocating abroad as an expat spouse or expat partner often means sacrificing a career, professional identity, and financial independence. This loss can leave them feeling isolated, frustrated, and vulnerable, impacting their confidence and well-being.
These challenges can also have significant consequences for organizations. When spouses or partners of international assignees struggle to adjust, it affects the employee’s productivity and commitment to staying abroad. Supporting expat partners is not just a benefit—it’s a strategic investment in successful international assignments.
In fact, research highlights that spousal dissatisfaction is a significant factor in expatriate failure, with rates varying from 25% to 50%, depending on the destination and support provided. When spouses face difficulties adjusting or encounter career challenges, the result often includes early repatriation or unmet objectives, leading to high financial and organizational costs.
With the right support, these challenges can be turned into great opportunities!
Hi! I am Amel Derragui
After a successful corporate career in marketing and advertising, I made the difficult decision to leave everything I had built behind to follow my husband abroad. It was one of the most challenging yet transformative decisions of my life.
Searching for a new job after each relocation wasn’t a sustainable solution. I realized I had to take matters into my own hands to maintain both professional fulfillment and financial independence.
In 2011 I launched my first business, offering consulting services focused on helping global organizations develop impactful marketing and corporate strategies. However, starting a business wasn’t enough—it needed to be location-independent and sustainable through every move. This realization fueled my passion for researching and developing systems and strategies to create a portable business model. A business that could move with me and generate consistent income no matter where I lived. These strategies became the foundation of what I would later teach others.
As I navigated this journey, I saw countless other expat partners feeling stuck, convinced their career paths had ended the moment they left their home countries. But I knew it didn’t have to be this way. This inspired me to launch Tandem Nomads in 2015—a podcast and online platform dedicated to helping expat spouses turn dual-career challenges into thriving, portable businesses.
Edgi Delossantos
Before enrolling in Tandem Nomads programs, I was applying for jobs hoping to continue my career on the move. Thanks to the Portable Business Accelerator program, Amel empowered me to pursue my dream of creating my own portable business and aligning it with my family’s needs. I stopped doubting myself and I successfully launched my business as an independent financial consultant.
Hildegarde Van de Voorde - Family Officer
Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Kingdom of Belgium
We were very happy to work with Tandem Nomads for two years in a row. Amel adapted her training and coaching programs to the needs of the spouses of our employees. It has been very successful in inspiring them but also guiding them in an effective way to find innovative ways of launching their portable businesses. I look forward to new projects with Amel in the near future. She is very professional and very dedicated to the projects she leads.
Emily Rogers
Thanks to Tandem Nomads programs I went from zero to hero! I went from not knowing what to do with my career on the move to finding my business idea. Since then, I launched my portable business and I am making an impact for my clients while living on the move!
Marloes Huijsmans
I hired Amel because I wanted to transform my visual thinking skills into a business but did not know where to start. Thanks to her step-by-step program and guidance, I got the clarity and confidence that allowed me to attract my first clients! Having that accountability was key to keeping me in motion and not giving up when life got too hectic. After each session, I was filled with so much energy.
The global shift
Long before remote work and online businesses became mainstream, I began teaching and coaching expat spouses how to turn their expertise into portable business models with marketing strategies that attract clients, no matter where they live. At the time these ideas were groundbreaking, paving the way for a new approach to work.
Today, these concepts have become more common as the post-pandemic world has opened more doors for expat partners through the rise of remote work, making portable careers more accessible than ever.
However, these opportunities often come with constraints. Many expat spouses still face inflexible schedules and struggle to balance remote work with the demands of raising a family while living on the move. That’s why Tandem Nomads focuses on more than just building portable businesses—it’s about creating businesses that align with their needs, values, and lifestyle. I teach and coach expat partners how to build sustainable businesses that generate consistent revenue and growth, without sacrificing their well-being and quality time with their loved ones.
The podcast has been ranked since 2019 as the #1 expat podcast and is in the top 2% worldwide with over 300 episodes.
The Podcast Evolution
With this global shift, Tandem Nomads’ audience has expanded beyond expat spouses to include globally-minded entrepreneurs and leaders from diverse backgrounds who seek to build businesses that provide greater freedom and flexibility.
This broader reach, combined with my passion for women’s empowerment and social impact through entrepreneurship, inspired the 2023 rebrand of the podcast from Tandem Nomads to The Time Is Now.
However, under the Tandem Nomads brand, I continue to offer online programs specifically dedicated to expat partners.
The continuous mission
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of helping hundreds of expat partners build thriving portable businesses that generate both revenue and impact while living on the move. It’s been an honor to have my work featured on leading platforms, such as Forbes, and to partner with major international organizations like the World Food Program and the Belgian Foreign Ministry to inspire and empower expat spouses globally.
This isn’t just about creating businesses—it’s about rewriting the narrative for expat partners.
It’s about proving that mobility doesn’t have to limit potential, and that every expat spouse has the power to create something meaningful, impactful, and entirely their own. My mission is to show that you don’t have to give up—with solid foundations for your portable business, you can build a life and career that moves with you.
I am also committed to helping international organizations improve their employer branding. By providing the right support and guidance for their employees’ partners, organizations can retain top talent by ensuring that their spouses have the opportunity to thrive professionally while living on the move.
As Seen At
Define which of these four situations you are in and take action to turn challenges into opportunities!
Find a business idea
Do you want to grow your own source of revenue and impact while living on the move, but have no idea or just vague thoughts on what it could be?
Take this free online course to uncover the 3Ps that will help you define your unique “zone of genius” and brainstorm business ideas that align with your true talents, interests, and who you truly are.
Build solid foundations
Do you have a business idea but don’t know where to start or how to market it to get regular clients? Are you also wondering how to make your business location-independent so you don’t have to start from scratch every time you move to a new country?
Download your free guidebook to learn how to implement the 3Cs to build a portable business that generates consistent revenue and impact.
Take it to the next level
Do you have a business that generates revenue and are now ready to scale, but aren’t sure what your next steps should be? Do you have a specific challenge you want to solve, or are you planning to launch a new product?
Take the free quiz to evaluate which entrepreneurial path you’re on and receive guidance on the next steps to take based on what you want to achieve.
Empower your community or employees
Are you a community leader, event manager, program designer, family officer, or HR manager?
Schedule a call to learn how I can support your mission with engaging keynotes, workshops, or training sessions that deliver your organization’s promise, showcase your brand’s values, and help your community reach its full potential through entrepreneurship.
Build solid foundations
Do you have a business idea but don’t know where to start or how to market it to get regular clients? Are you also wondering how to make your business location-independent so you don’t have to start from scratch every time you move to a new country?
Download your free guidebook to learn how to implement the 3Cs to build a portable business that generates consistent revenue and impact.
Take it to the next level
Do you have a business that generates revenue and are now ready to scale, but aren’t sure what your next steps should be? Do you have a specific challenge you want to solve, or are you planning to launch a new product?
Take the free quiz to evaluate which entrepreneurial path you’re on and receive guidance on the next steps to take based on what you want to achieve.
Empower your community or employees
Are you a community leader, event manager, program designer, family officer, or HR manager?
Schedule a call to learn how I can support your mission with engaging keynotes, workshops, or training sessions that deliver your organization’s promise, showcase your brand’s values, and help your community reach its full potential through entrepreneurship.
