ExpatWomen: Fiona, twenty years ago you arrived in Bangkok, Thailand, as a Quantity Surveyor (Construction Cost Consultant) on an exciting two–month assignment. That assignment lasted two years, before you set up your own business in Bangkok to avoid being transferred elsewhere. Your business went well. You fell in love. You got married. You became pregnant. However, the expat rollercoaster highs became lows for a while: your marriage ended while you were pregnant; you juggled motherhood and business as a single parent; and you tried unsuccessfully trying to adopt a Thai baby to complement your little family.
But you didn't give up. You stayed in Bangkok, you kept running your business in the male–dominated arena of building and construction, and you gave birth to your beautiful "internet baby", thanks to a Scandinavian donor. Then disaster struck, as you battled aggressive, inflammatory breast cancer... all the while raising your daughters solo, teaching them to be bilingual (English and Thai), staying positive and keeping your business running... when other expats would have simply run home.
What is it about Bangkok, your business and/or your expat lifestyle that has given you the courage to stay in Bangkok for the last twenty years?
Fiona: Bangkok is home to me, after being here for twenty years it really is home and so running home is staying in Bangkok. There are many advantages of staying in Bangkok for me, being a single mum and working means that having a nanny and maid to help with looking after the children, cleaning, cooking, washing, ironing, etc means that I have more time to concentrate on what is important for me – which is spending quality time with my children, earning money to live and travelling. I could never have done what I have if I had stayed in Sydney, Australia. I just would not earn enough money to hire a nanny and maid and the cost of living in Sydney would mean that we could not eat out several times per week – or travel.
ExpatWomen: Starting a business anywhere is risky. What gave you the confidence to start your own entrepreneurial endeavour in Bangkok, many years ago?
Fiona: I was young with no financial commitments. I had a lump sum of money and it was the right time as I had just done the same thing for another company, so I knew the market and had some experience in Thailand. I discussed the decision at length with my father (an architect) and as he said "so if you try it and if you lose all the money you have then you have to go back to working as an employee like everyone else, but at least you will have tried it". That really summed it up for me, I had enough money to run my business for a year and I thought if I cannot make it work in a year then obviously I cannot do it and I would pack up and go home, or alternatively, get a job in Thailand. I was very lucky, I had worked in a small firm where I had gained a lot of experience in all areas of the business so I knew that with hard work, I could do it.
ExpatWomen:What mistakes did you make when you started your business and how would you do things differently if you started a new business in Bangkok today?
Fiona: Lots of mistakes. With everything, it is a learning process, you will make mistakes. Do not worry, learn from them and change the way you do things. I would have had a more formal business organisation structure with more clearly set out positions and responsibilities for staff, if I had my time again. Australians work in a very flat organisational structure, whereas Thai staff are used to a more formal business organisation with set out roles, responsibilities and so on. Now business has changed, and if I started out today, I would invest more in computer technology – as it can make a huge advantage to your business.
ExpatWomen:Your business boasts credibility and longevity. What do you think makes an expat business successful?
Fiona:Whether it is an expat business or not, you have to exceed client expectations and provide something different to your competition. My business has both Thai and foreign clients – so that's another lesion – do not cut yourself off from any opportunities. To remain profitable, you have to keep adjusting to the changing environment regardless of how successful you are.
ExpatWomen:Finally, what tips could you offer expat divorcees and/or single mothers abroad, who are debating whether to stay abroad or return home to the safety of family and familiarity?
Fiona:
1. Be careful at looking at "home" with a romantic view of things. I love Sydney, Australia, however realistically being a single mother there would have been very hard, especially before my children were going to school. Also, where else can you see elephants walking down the street while having dinner? Bangkok is an amazing place to bring up children – it is so stimulating.
2. There are a large number of single women in Bangkok, Thailand, so make a network with them as fast as you can – having good friends helps everything. Join your country's women's group, join a mother's group if you have children, join a working mothers' group if you have one – there are so many ways to get involved and make new friends.
3. You can have a fulfilling life abroad – it is a matter of balancing the various areas of your life.
4. Do not live a 100% expat life – that works if you are here short–term, but I do not think it works long– term. Make friends with local residents, learn to speak the local language (if applicable), go on a meditation retreat, take up a new hobby with a group of locals etc.
5. Enjoy life – it is too short. Do what you love, make each and every day special.
ExpatWomen: Fiona, thank you for sharing your inspiring story and we wish you and your daughters every success and happiness for the future.
Thanks go to Tracey Starr at Acclimate Magazine in Bangkok, Thailand, for connecting us to Fiona. If you are Bangkok–based, be sure to check out the fourth edition of this great magazine, which will be out later this month.
April 2009
Note of 26 April 2010: It is with much sadness that we report that Fiona sadly passed away last weekend. Sending love and best wishes to her daughters, Andrea.
