What are you?

Here in Chile, that’s the first question I get. ¿Qué eres? Expected answers: engineer, journalist, lawyer, or some other locally-credentialed professional. My story is a bit more complicated.

A short answer: I’m an American, living in Chile by way of China. I teach. I collaborate with local entrepreneurs. I create resources for global citizens considering a similar path. My writing has been featured in Forbes, Brazen Careerist, Business Insider, The Daily Muse, and other publications.

But I think the more important question might be:

Why do I do what I do?

I do what I do because I believe we have more options than we can see.

I do what I do because building a global life is scary and confusing and exhilarating and fulfilling, all at the same time.

Living entrepreneurially – and connecting people and places and professions all at once – is what I do.

I write this blog to share what I’m seeing and learning, but more than that, I want to explore and inspire and connect.

Whether you’re a student thinking of working abroad, or a teacher looking for something new, or a traveler daydreaming of your next adventure, or a global citizen looking to connect with like-minded people (in China or Chile or wherever else your curiosity beckons you), I want this site to be a home for you.

And welcome! I’m glad you’re here.

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You can also find me in these places.

I look forward to hearing from you!

Maybe you’re asking, “Leslie, where did you go to college? What do you actually do for a living? I was expecting to read all that on this page….” Yes. Read on.

…

After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Latin American Studies, I took the most obvious step: I moved to China to teach English at a university near Shanghai.

For four of the next five years, I gained experience in many industries, including advertising, consulting, corporate social responsibility, and education — all while learning Chinese.

I consulted for well-known brands — including Anglo-American, Bayer, Lenovo, and Suzlon Energy — and worked alongside entrepreneurs exploring China’s vast but challenging market.

In mid-2011, I was ready to pursue my interest in Latin America again, and a great opportunity arose: an invitation to join a solar energy startup that was selected for Start-Up Chile, a government-sponsored entrepreneurship program.

Though I grew up in the heart of Silicon Valley, I’d never been directly involved with the startup scene. Start-Up Chile gave me the opportunity to share my experiences and ideas at events all over the country, including at the Viña del Mar Meetup, World Entrepreneurship Day Iquique, INACAP La Serena, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, and more.

Over the course of these events, I re-discovered my enthusiasm for the classroom, and signed up for a postgraduate course, Diplomado en Creatividad e Innovación in the design school of Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. At the same time, I designed and delivered a Social Entrepreneurship course at Universidad del Desarrollo.

These days, my work falls into three broad categories:

1) University Teaching.

I teach Social Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship & Leadership, and Business English at two universities here in Santiago, Chile.

2) Projects with Entrepreneurs in Chile.

I’ve collaborated with a handful of local companies on assignments such as:

• Translation / Interpretation / Copyediting. Living in between languages (English, Spanish, and Chinese) has given me a deep appreciation for the power of the right words. This might mean translating a technical report from Spanish to English. Or serving as a Spanish-English interpreter for a meeting. Or transforming your best ideas into persuasive stories your audience can believe in.
• Online Marketing. I’ve installed WordPress-powered websites and created social media strategies for companies whose core businesses are offline.

These projects have spanned several industries (education, energy, mining, and more) and all have come out of discussions with friends and colleagues. I am enthusiastic about a wide range of topics and eager to help people find the resources they need. If you have a question about Chile’s renewable energy industry, startup ecosystem, trade with China, or anything else you think I might be able to help with, go ahead and email me and I’ll see what I can do.

3) Creating Resources for Global Citizens.

I’m so grateful to all of the people who have provided guidance, mentoring, and reassurance throughout the years I’ve been living and working far from home, and I’m creating a series of resources to help global citizens considering a similar path. So far I’ve created a free email course called How to Create Your International Career (which is under construction and will relaunch soon). I’m also in the early stages of writing a book on this topic.

So yes, I’ve been all over the the map — in more ways than one. Thanks for reading. I look forward to learning more about you and how we might be able to collaborate.

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I also can be found in these places.

Saludos!