Episode 7
From Global Celebrity to Global Real Estate - My 4 Country Journey
🌍 Welcome to The Passport Jane Podcast!
At 18, Nathalie became a reality TV star in Madagascar, competing against 1,000+ contestants on "Pazzapa." But fame felt like a prison. So at 19, she left everything behind and moved to France with just her suitcases.
Working multiple jobs while studying (mall sales, law firm receptionist), she continued her music career across Europe, eventually earning French citizenship and moving to London. Then love changed everything - she met Chris Dave, a Grammy-winning musician who's worked with Adele, Justin Bieber, and Ed Sheeran.
During COVID, Nathalie took the ultimate leap of faith: moving to Houston (via Turkey due to travel bans) - a city she'd never even visited. The culture shock was real, but after some postpartum struggles and a disastrous 2-week corporate job, she found her calling in international real estate.
What you'll discover:
* Growing up in Madagascar and dealing with early fame
* The challenges of being a student immigrant in France
* Working three jobs while pursuing music and studies
* Cultural differences between Europe and Texas
* Meeting and marrying a Grammy-winning musician
* Moving to Houston during the pandemic
* Overcoming imposter syndrome in real estate
* How Houston surprised her as a diverse, global city
* Building generational wealth through real estate
Follow Nathalie:
📸 Her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathaliedave_re/
🌐 Her Website: www.ndre.global
🎤 Her last show as a singer: https://youtu.be/OURaMwtzaXU
Follow me
📸 Instagram: @passportjane
👤 Facebook: @jane.byrd.154819
for behind-the-scenes, updates, and guest highlights!
🎧 Listen This Episode on Your Favorite Platform
https://passport-jane-podcast.captivate.fm/listen
(Rate & review — it helps other women find these stories!)
Subscribe for weekly episodes that will inspire you to live courageously on your own international journey!
#ExpatLife #WomenAbroad #InternationalLiving #TravelPodcast #ExpatWomen #Immigration #RealEstate #Madagascar #Houston #ExpatLife #CareerChange #MusicIndustry
Transcript
Welcome to the Passport Jane podcast. I get asked all the time,
Speaker:how did I end up with the Passport Jane podcast? And it's easy. I started traveling,
Speaker:looking at real estate, starting to explore other countries, meeting other real estate agents. But
Speaker:what I found is I met amazing people. I met amazing, especially women who were on a journey,
Speaker:women who had made the leap of faith to move overseas. And what I was so impressed with their
Speaker:story, not only did they take the leap to move overseas, but when they got settled,
Speaker:they did amazing things. They started businesses. They started second careers. They wrote books.
Speaker:They became artists. They became photojournalists. They became war correspondents.
Speaker:They started living their most amazing lives. And not only did they do that,
Speaker:they did that in another country. I found their stories so interesting that I wanted to share
Speaker:those. So it's a little bit of the journey that I want to share with you. The stories of amazing
Speaker:women who have made the leap of faith and are living amazing, adventurous lives. Sometimes it's
Speaker:their second act in life and they're doing it in another country. Natalie, I am so thrilled to have
Speaker:you here on the Passport Jane podcast. I got to know you a little bit when we hosted a dinner
Speaker:on France and we both have loved France and you actually have lived in France. So that was so
Speaker:interesting to get to know you. And I'm so excited today for you to share in your story, which is an
Speaker:inspiring story of a woman on a journey. So I guess if you could give us a little background
Speaker:on your childhood in Madagascar and then how you ended up and you've lived in several countries
Speaker:and then now you're in Houston. So I would love to hear about that journey.
Speaker:Well, thank you for having me first. So I was born and raised in Madagascar, which is a big island.
Speaker:People think of a small island in the Indian Ocean, but it's a big island, bigger than France
Speaker:and Luxembourg and Belgium all together. I was raised by a mother and a father, married people
Speaker:with five children. So I grew up in a household with four brothers and I was the youngest and
Speaker:the only girl in that family. I come from a family of entertainment. So my father was a famous musician
Speaker:back then. That's how he met my mother. And, you know, when they decided to get married and have
Speaker:a family, he decided to have a more stable job. So he decided to work in oil and gas and then
Speaker:they had the children. Most of the children. Yes. So Natalie, you mentioned that you grew up in an
Speaker:entertainment family. So what kind of musician was your father? And then I guess, can you tell me a
Speaker:little bit more about the rest of your family as well? And then you are a musician as well.
Speaker:I'm a musician as well. So my father was one of those artists in the 60s, you know, having a
Speaker:Yeye band, as we say in French. So he was singing songs more like the Beatles. So he was famous for
Speaker:that. He was a singer, songwriter, playing the guitar. He had a few records out and then he had
Speaker:his family. And then my brothers, they were more into rock music. But if you would talk about my
Speaker:family over there, we would be more like, you know, they would be like the Jacksons, you know,
Speaker:and I would be Janet, the little sister. That would be more like that. I rose to fame because
Speaker:I went on to a TV show, the first reality TV show there for music called Pazapa. And I was a finalist
Speaker:over a thousand contestants. Wow. Yes. And then after that, I decided to pursue a music career.
Speaker:But my parents were more, oh, you know, all of your brothers have a degree in something. And,
Speaker:you know, coming from a third world country, you have to have some sort of stability. So
Speaker:music, yes. But you will have to have at least something in case music doesn't work and you
Speaker:have something to fall on. Right. So I started studying actually sociology, anthropology,
Speaker:because I'm very passionate about people. But my mom said, well, what type of job do you think
Speaker:you'll get with that? I turned into law, actually, I did two years of law. And then I realized that
Speaker:I'm too passionate about fairness, that it would be hard for me to defend people that I wouldn't
Speaker:believe in. And, you know, there's a gray area when it comes to law. So after that, I was like,
Speaker:well, I'll study finance. So I decided to go overseas and study finance. So did you abandon
Speaker:your musical career altogether? Or did you keep? No, you're a singer, right? Yes. And what kind
Speaker:of music were you pursuing? And you were? Yes. So I was singing pop music more in Madagascar.
Speaker:And then when I moved overseas, I continued but more into pop soul music. So I'm a singer,
Speaker:songwriter. I produce song as well. I continued music while I was doing my studies. So I put out
Speaker:records, EPs, as we say, a few songs here and there. I even went on tour, I performed with other
Speaker:musicians, I went on tour in Europe. I also became a DJ, so also performed as a DJ. And it was
Speaker:really exciting, you know, to just to continue that. And once I had, you know, my degree,
Speaker:I didn't want to work in finance. I worked for companies that we called CAC 40s in France,
Speaker:which is the equivalent of 14, a fortune 500 here. It was really interesting. So I had kind
Speaker:of like a triple career. So musician, working in marketing, and you know, working for those
Speaker:companies. I was doing well in music, you know, I even sang for the African Olympic Games, which is
Speaker:like the African Games, not too long ago, six years ago, representing my birth country, Madagascar
Speaker:for the closing ceremony. So I had the chance also to sing for the President of Madagascar and the King
Speaker:of Morocco. So, you know, I loved my musical career. And I believe it's still not over. It's
Speaker:just on pause as of now. Because, you know, as you know, I moved here, I moved to London, I was
Speaker:recording my album actually there. I was living in Maydeville, which is very close to the studio
Speaker:where the Beatles recorded their songs, you know, that famous album where they're crossing the
Speaker:street. Then I moved here marrying my Grammy winning musician. And then, you know, we moved
Speaker:here to Houston. And after having my baby, I was just wondering what I would do now next. But, you
Speaker:know, I don't know if you have experienced that, but as a mother had a succession, and my muscle
Speaker:never really recovered from that, I'm still working on it. So it just feels like I'm still pregnant.
Speaker:So it kind of prevented me to go back to singing in full force the way I was. I kind of changed,
Speaker:my body changed, you know, on top of the identity shift and all of those things. So I kind of had to
Speaker:step back a little bit of like, what do I want to do now? I love eating, right? That's one thing.
Speaker:I mean, living in France, you know, becoming a French citizen, you've embraced the culture,
Speaker:loving food. I wanted to always live by my passions. So one of my passions is also pastries.
Speaker:So I started, you know, opening a business in pastry, but then I realized like, no, this is not
Speaker:sustainable for me. And that's not really, I love it. But, you know, it was really,
Speaker:I know, but I want to go back track just a little bit. So where did you go to the university?
Speaker:Did you did you stay in Madagascar to go to school? Or did you?
Speaker:So I started university once I finished high school, I started university there
Speaker:two years where I did both law and anthropology. And then when I realized that, you know,
Speaker:probably I wouldn't be doing that. I went to France. The first year I went to
Speaker:Rouen in Normandy, first year there, loved it there, actually. Despite all the challenges of
Speaker:being a young girl, I was 19 when I moved there by myself.
Speaker:And why did you pick France? What was the draw with France?
Speaker:France because Madagascar is a former colony of France. So I believe that would have been
Speaker:more easier for me. At first, I really wanted to go to Canada. My mom said that's too far from here.
Speaker:Then the second choice was South Africa. But the degrees because I was always in
Speaker:the French system since I was a kid. So I had a French high school degree,
Speaker:and it wouldn't match with the system in South Africa. So it just was just convenient.
Speaker:So more convenient.
Speaker:And that's because of the system I grew up with.
Speaker:So tell me a little bit about that process. Because I know you went to live in France,
Speaker:you did apply for citizenship. How long did that take you? And then what were the challenges? And
Speaker:then what were the wonderful parts about that?
Speaker:Oh, wow.
Speaker:You know, I love France. And my first two podcasts, we are three, we recorded live in Paris.
Speaker:Yes.
Speaker:And so I know you have a love for France.
Speaker:Yes. It wasn't always a love for France. That's the funny part of it. Because when you come from
Speaker:a third world country, and you move into a whole new world, I've never put my feet in France when I
Speaker:moved there. So I would say was 85% of excitement, but 15% of fear, because you're moving by yourself
Speaker:without my parents, without my family, just by myself with 30 kilos in my suitcases. That's my
Speaker:whole life right there. And to adapt to new thing, new food, new weather. I come from a country
Speaker:where it's like here in Houston, always sunny. And then all of a sudden, 10 months out of 12,
Speaker:it's the winter time. It's pretty depressing. So add to that the challenges of renewing your
Speaker:paperwork. So you have a visa as a student that you have to renew every year, the conditions is to
Speaker:succeed in your studies, because it's conditional, and to sustain yourself without asking additional
Speaker:help from the government. So you have to sustain yourself. Even if my parents were doing okay over
Speaker:there, the currency, when you change the currency, it was not sufficient for me to leave to pay for
Speaker:my food, my tuitions, everything. So I had to have a job.
Speaker:So did you work?
Speaker:Yes, I did. So what kind of work did you do?
Speaker:Well, I started working as a salesperson in a shop in a mall, very famous mall, Châtelet-Les Halles.
Speaker:It lasted one summer. Then at the end of the summer, I went doing les vendanges, which is in
Speaker:Reims, basically cutting the vines for Champagne.
Speaker:Oh, yeah. So interesting.
Speaker:And then after that, I realized that, you know, standing up all day was something that I wasn't
Speaker:comfortable with. So I looked for a job where I could sit. So I applied for a receptionist at
Speaker:the front desk of a law firm. So I stayed there for three years. And then my second job after that
Speaker:was receptionist at an architect firm, actually. So I did that, you know, throughout my whole
Speaker:studies there.
Speaker:That's so interesting. Although a lot of students don't have to work during their studies. And then
Speaker:when you live in a foreign country, sometimes it's hard to get that visa to where you can work as
Speaker:well. So that is really, it's very inspiring that you were able to do that as well. And you were
Speaker:still pursuing music as well.
Speaker:Yes, all of that. And I was allowed to work only 20 hours, 20 hours, 22 hours per week. So part
Speaker:time, because you have to study. That's why your visa is a student visa. But yeah, I did any types
Speaker:of jobs when, you know, I also did babysitting. Like I said, working in shops. One summer I
Speaker:remember, because during summer, you're allowed to have to do more than 20 hours. So that's where
Speaker:you would, you know, work maximum. So I had three jobs. In the morning, I would do go babysitting.
Speaker:From two to seven, I would do the receptionist job. And then during the weekend, I would work
Speaker:at the clothing shop. So three jobs, you know, just working and hustling and, you know, just
Speaker:trying to make it out there.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:You know. So after you acclimated, what was, what's your favorite thing about French culture
Speaker:and living? And I know you, you moved to Paris eventually. So what, tell me about that experience.
Speaker:I fell in love with Paris during the summer. So just the way, you know, French people are living
Speaker:in the sun and just enjoying life. You know, you don't have to be rich. You can just buy a baguette,
Speaker:a bottle of wine of $6, I mean, six euros and go sit in a park. They have so, the city in itself
Speaker:is so rich in architecture, the beauty of the city. So you don't need extra additional things to do.
Speaker:You can just be outside and enjoying the view, the architecture and being with your friends and
Speaker:eating some charcuterie and that. And the music and just the slow living. They don't,
Speaker:they don't work. They don't live to work. They work just to live. And that lifestyle was just,
Speaker:for me, just so appealing. So I really loved that.
Speaker:I know. When I go to France, I now, because I've been to the tourist things, but when I go,
Speaker:I just enjoy living, going to cafes, having my coffee, the same thing, walking around,
Speaker:looking at the shops. And of course, you know, I love home and design and architecture and all that.
Speaker:So I, I really love looking at textiles and bathroom showrooms. And so it is, it's such a
Speaker:beautiful city that you can just enjoy the visual aspect and then, yes. And yes. And the food,
Speaker:of course. The first time I went to France, it didn't even cross my mind about the food being
Speaker:good. I think I was so excited to see the tourist attractions, like in my head, I didn't plan out
Speaker:and think about food. And then I stopped and had, you know, just some street food and crepes. And,
Speaker:and I was, I was so, I was like, well, how did I not know? I mean, I didn't even think about
Speaker:how amazing the food is and the freshness and the fruit. And I mean, of course, the bread
Speaker:and cheese and wine. Yeah. It's just a continuing of everything.
Speaker:I think anybody that would, that is not even a foodie, just kind of become automatically a
Speaker:foodie person because of like, oh, just simple it is, but just the quality of the produce there.
Speaker:And then just how they season it with not maximum than three ingredients and that's it,
Speaker:much more and just enjoy the flavor of things. And even walking and looking at the little grocery
Speaker:stores and shops, the food is displayed. So you walk by and you see all of the fresh fruits out,
Speaker:and then you have the meats and you have the seafood stores and shops and it's visually,
Speaker:and the cheese it's, and then the bakeries. And so you're like you said, if you're not a foodie,
Speaker:you can become a foodie very fast because it's just displayed. And even just a supermarket,
Speaker:just a simple supermarket is just enjoyable to go to because the food it's small, but it's so fresh.
Speaker:Yes. I've literally talked about that with my husband yesterday,
Speaker:you know, we went to H-E-B and there's this organic section. And then I said,
Speaker:well, you know, in Europe, it's funny because it's the opposite. Everything is literally organic.
Speaker:Like you have shops, you know, that you enter there, you don't even have to question yourself
Speaker:if it's organic or not. It's the opposite where you would see like, oh, there's an organic section.
Speaker:It was just, it's just that in it.
Speaker:Yes. I know. I, that's one of the reasons when I get really overwhelmed and really stressed,
Speaker:or if life is just kind of crazy here, I sometimes say I have to go take it like a
Speaker:mental health and I have to go there to kind of recenter because when I get there, I slow down.
Speaker:I enjoy the food. I enjoy just being with myself and being just, you know, sitting and enjoying
Speaker:the thing. So, and part of that is food, but the effort of that.
Speaker:And then, you know, they have to do that because, you know, healthcare is free over there, right? So
Speaker:the government is paying when you're sick, so they don't want you to be sick. So that's why
Speaker:the system is organized in a way that, okay, we're going to give you whatever you need to
Speaker:not get sick. So we will have to pay for your sickness. What a novel concept. You know, we,
Speaker:here we fight, there's so many things that we're fighting, everything from, you know,
Speaker:medicines and pharmaceutical and the food industry and things like that. But I think getting back to
Speaker:that, I grew up on a farm where we grew our own fruits and vegetables and my grandmother,
Speaker:we talked about my grandmother lived to be over a hundred and my grandmother was over 105. So
Speaker:there's definitely something to be said about growing organic produce and, you know,
Speaker:not eating out and, and really having the better quality. So yes. All right. I know there's so much
Speaker:we could talk about and we can talk about Paris because we did, we actually hosted a dinner and
Speaker:we talked about Paris probably for two hours and we could have kept going. So, but I do want to
Speaker:move forward. And then, so you're in Paris, you also went to London and worked. So, and tell me
Speaker:how you ended up in London. Well, you know, like I said, I, I started my studies in Paris, then I
Speaker:finished and I decided to work there, but you know, at some point I kind of hit all the boxes,
Speaker:the check boxes, right? My mum always said to me, once you have your first job, the first thing you
Speaker:need to do is buy something for yourself in real estate and blah, blah, blah, and all of those
Speaker:things. So it was just that thing where like, okay, I wanted to become a French citizen because
Speaker:I just felt like I embraced so much the culture. And remember, you know, I started at a very young
Speaker:age at three years old in the French system. So just being in that, it just made sense for me to
Speaker:become a French citizen and then purchased, you know, my first home. And yeah, it was, it was also
Speaker:one of those seasons in life where like, well, I'm not married and what am I looking for? Kind of
Speaker:searching for yourself. I was just kind of tired of what happened in Paris. Okay. I did all those
Speaker:things, great things. And I was continuing music. I just needed a refresh and it was a reset thing
Speaker:for me. Okay. Let me just move to London. Can you believe that I moved there? I became a renter again,
Speaker:lived in a tiny bedroom, you know, in Maydeville, well in Ardennilles first and then in Maydeville,
Speaker:having, working for a startup, you know, actually financial startup there and marketing, all of the
Speaker:things. And it was really interesting, but it wasn't as challenging as moving to France. Really?
Speaker:Yes. It was before Brexit. So me being a French citizen, I didn't have any issues of paperwork or
Speaker:anything like that. It was just so smooth landing. And I think that's why I really loved my experience
Speaker:in the UK because I didn't have to deal with the paperwork administration. It's just like,
Speaker:oh, moving from another area to this area. And I've, I was already accomplished per se in my life
Speaker:that I didn't really have that, oh, I have to make it because I already kind of made it. I just needed
Speaker:a reset, new life, new scenery, new dreams, maybe. So what did you love about living in the UK and
Speaker:London? What was, what are your highlights from living there? It's so different from France.
Speaker:So it's funny because French people love going to London or to the UK. British people don't care
Speaker:about going to France and they do not like France. They find it odd. I think because I, again, I come
Speaker:from a family of entertainment, but also entrepreneurship. All my brothers, you know,
Speaker:one of my brothers has a restaurant, you know, which I think is art as well. So being an all
Speaker:independent entrepreneur, I think my mindset was more of that. How to say that, you know,
Speaker:slightly different. I think in France, the mold is more, you know, get your degree and become a good
Speaker:employee and climb the ladder, you know, where I think in the Anglo-Saxon world, it's more about
Speaker:you're an achiever, you can achieve anything, just be yourself, start a business. And I think that
Speaker:was more aligned to what I was doing. Also, I was singing in English, always, since Madagascar.
Speaker:So for me, if I wanted to pursue both career, music and everything, it just felt more aligned to,
Speaker:okay, French people, they like my music, but I've always had the criticism of like,
Speaker:but you live in France. Why are you not singing in French? It's just that French is such a beautiful
Speaker:language and it's so hard to write beautiful songs. You have titans, you know, in music who wrote
Speaker:amazing songs for lifetimes, right? And for me, and I'm not saying English is easy either, you know,
Speaker:but I just felt like it was more aligned to who I was at that time to move there and for my dreams.
Speaker:So you were singing then, again, in the UK as well. So you're doing your marketing job and then
Speaker:you're singing. And so what kind of places did you sing? Give me a look at your book a week.
Speaker:Tiny venues. Well, I went out a lot there. How old were you? Old already.
Speaker:30, 32. That's not old. Yes, 32, 33. But grown up, I would say, versus when I'm moving to France,
Speaker:I was a young girl, 19 years old, you know, different dreams, you know, going out,
Speaker:just enjoying the scene there. And I love that, you know, the British people just know
Speaker:they have this different lifestyle too, you know, at three, they're at the pub.
Speaker:They go work early, they work hard. But at three, we're all at the pub. And I just love music,
Speaker:you know, I mean, think of the Beatles, Adele, all of those amazing Robbie Williams, all of those
Speaker:British artists. And I thought that it was instead of moving straight to the US and trying to make it
Speaker:in the music industry, I thought that that was a middle ground of like, okay, maybe the British
Speaker:scene would understand me better in my music, you know, so I would just do that.
Speaker:So interesting. I worked for a company that was a British company, and they were a subsidiary of
Speaker:British Airways. And it was 100 year old company. And so I flew to London to go to work, and I had
Speaker:my two huge suitcases. And then I thought I was gonna be very adventurous and take the subway.
Speaker:But I didn't realize the subways were 70 stories deep. And I also did not realize that there was
Speaker:escalators. Yeah. And so here I am with these huge suitcases, because I was going to be in
Speaker:London for two weeks. And then I was going to India for another week. So I had, you know,
Speaker:winter clothes, and I had my whole winter. And then I had this whole other suitcase that was,
Speaker:you know, really warm weather stuff. And so I get down, I keep going. And then I would ask people,
Speaker:like, where am I going? And they would look at me like, lady, you can't, what are you doing?
Speaker:And my company had even told me they would pay for me a car. I mean, they told me just,
Speaker:you know, take a car or taxi. And I was like, No, I'm, I can take the transit. Little did I know.
Speaker:So here I was dragging this around and people would help me like people would feel sorry for
Speaker:me and help me. So but when I got to the office, when I got settled, I got to the office and
Speaker:nobody was there. I got there like at eight and no one was there. And then my boss told me he said,
Speaker:Yes, the train's not running today or something happened or there's a strike. And I was like,
Speaker:don't they still have to come to work. And so it was so interesting. And then when we
Speaker:then some of my co workers got there, they were let's go get coffee. And we went to a coffee shop.
Speaker:And we sat down and I was used to going and grabbing like a Starbucks and leaving or a
Speaker:coffee shop and leaving and going back to the office or not even leaving the office for coffee,
Speaker:going to the break room and getting coffee. And so then we sit down and we have our mugs.
Speaker:And I was like, Oh my gosh, this is amazing. Like, I feel like we're just having this, you know,
Speaker:we talked and community. And then three o'clock, it was like, Okay, which pub we're going to. And
Speaker:I was like, What? We're going to the pub. It's three. Yeah. So they taught me the first two
Speaker:weeks I spent with a company. They were like, Why are you trying to like, what are you doing?
Speaker:And I was like, I don't know. I've worked for us companies for 20 years. I have no idea.
Speaker:So at that time, I was probably only 15 years of working in the corporate world.
Speaker:But I got a crash course in living, living instead of just working. And we still got our
Speaker:work done. And we still, you know, we had our projects, we had our teams. And but I was so glad
Speaker:because I got a reset on my life as well. Because I was in this rat race in such as fast paced life,
Speaker:to where everything was so important and deadlines. And then they taught me to slow down.
Speaker:And so working for a European company really changed my life as well. But I had forgot about
Speaker:the 3pm pub. And then you know, when we got there, it was like, Are you gonna pint or with
Speaker:the one that's bigger? Yeah. So yeah, yes, they're wasted by every day. And I was like,
Speaker:but it was great. But it was great for me coming from the US to slow down and realize that
Speaker:relationships were more important than, like, maybe like a deadline or a progress. And then
Speaker:I had co workers that were in Singapore or that were in Asia. And they were like, well, three,
Speaker:we go to karaoke. And and so it just taught me that globally, that doing business that you could
Speaker:still do business, but build more meaningful relationships with community. Yes. So absolutely.
Speaker:Yeah, it's interesting, because, you know, when I had my daughter, you know, you have this sort of
Speaker:identity crisis of, you know, oh, wow, I'm a mother now. And I had a very bad postpartum
Speaker:depression, I would say that way. So I had a lot of anxieties that came out when I had my daughter.
Speaker:So after even I couldn't even enjoy the first month, because I was like, what's next? What I
Speaker:need to do? What do I need to do? And all those things. So after three months, I had the great
Speaker:idea. And I don't even really understand. And I think that's just part of the postpartum.
Speaker:I, I decided, mind you, so you used to work for yourself and all of those things. And I decided
Speaker:to go in corporate America. So I actually took a job of the director of communication in an oil
Speaker:and gas company lasted two weeks. So it was, yes, the culture and, and, and, and the funny part of
Speaker:it is that it was, it is American company, but had had its roots in in Germany. So I thought,
Speaker:okay, this might still be manageable, because still European roots, you know, and all those things.
Speaker:Two weeks, the culture didn't really match to what I was used to. And it just didn't work.
Speaker:Really. And then, you know, now I can see like, what was that even thinking coming from what I
Speaker:came? But yeah, you know, it was just anxiety of postpartum. But I think it's interesting, though,
Speaker:to when you work in different companies and in global business. And that was something I loved
Speaker:about international business was getting to learn the culture of that country or that city and kind
Speaker:of adapting into the way they worked. And of course, I had to learn. You know, I didn't know
Speaker:how I was working until I went to see how other people were working. And then they would call me
Speaker:out on it and say, Why do you do this? Why are you running? Why are you not taking off? I they
Speaker:called me out on not work. They were like, why don't you take a vacation? And I was like, but
Speaker:I haven't taken a vacation in a year at my other company. And they're like, Well, what are you
Speaker:hiding? Yeah. And I'm like, What do you mean? What am I hiding? They're like, Oh, no, people
Speaker:hide stuff if they don't want to leave because they don't want other people to do their work.
Speaker:And I was like, that it didn't even make sense to me that they felt like that no one would not take
Speaker:the vacation that there was. And and so I learned then that, no, you have to take time, you have to
Speaker:be creative, you have to rest, you have to. And then just to adapt into that and to adapt into
Speaker:the culture you're working in. It's so hard. So, yes, I know, as us, I think we sometimes get
Speaker:we're so conditioned to succeed, do more, buy more. And when you go overseas, a lot of places,
Speaker:it's more about lifestyle and family. And so I think that's why I love, you know, working in
Speaker:Europe. And I like working globally is because when I go, I can where I still work, but I'm,
Speaker:I'm enjoying things slow down a little bit. Yeah. So, yeah. So you met, when did you meet
Speaker:your husband? Because I want to get to your journey to the U.S. and to Houston, because you
Speaker:now reside in Houston. And so you've made another leap from, you know, you went from
Speaker:Madagascar to Paris to London. Yes. And to Houston. Yes. So how, where did you meet your husband and
Speaker:how old were you? And kind of tell us that story. I met my husband in 2012. So, wow, 13 years ago,
Speaker:we met in Paris the first time, but I still had a boyfriend. He still had a girlfriend back then.
Speaker:So we just remained friends. Is your husband, he's American, right? He's American. He's actually
Speaker:a native Houstonian, but he's all over America. So he was born and raised here in Houston. And
Speaker:then he studied at Harvard University. Then he moved to Minnesota. And then for a minute, he
Speaker:lived in New York and then a bit in Chicago for a bit of time and then Los Angeles. And then from
Speaker:LA back to Houston. Okay. Yes. So you had told me something earlier, we were just chatting offline
Speaker:and you had told me that you, when you left Madagascar, you were quite famous and you were
Speaker:trying to get away from that fame in a way. And the musician, and even though you were still
Speaker:performing, you kind of wanted to go somewhere a little more low key and focus on your career,
Speaker:but also, you know, you were in this entertainment family and you're, you've got to, your brothers
Speaker:are in music as well and acting and the rest. And so then you meet your husband and what is your
Speaker:husband? This is to me, the funny thing is that you, you can't get away from this. Yes. Obviously
Speaker:it looks like not. My husband is the Grammy winning musician. So he's been touring and
Speaker:performing and recording with all those, you know, big artists, Adele, Justin Bieber,
Speaker:D'Angelo, Maxwell, all of these great people, Angus and Julia Stone. Yeah. So Ed Sheeran,
Speaker:he worked on his album as well. What kind of musician is your husband? So he's a drummer.
Speaker:Okay. Yeah. So he started with learning music at church, playing as a gospel drummer. Then
Speaker:he continued with jazz. And then when he was at Howard University, he was parted by Jimmy Jam
Speaker:and Terry Lewis. They were producing Janet Jackson. And then he worked a bit with Prince.
Speaker:So that's why he moved to Minneapolis. Oh, okay. And, and then he just kept continuing. He was in
Speaker:a band, Mint Condition, you know, and then he was touring, mostly in jazz gigs and R&B solo,
Speaker:I would say that way. And then, you know, as he grew older, he, he plays with, see, he does pop
Speaker:music, Ed Sheeran, Adele, two or three records of Adele, he performed on it. Yeah. So that's what
Speaker:he does. So he was performing in Paris. Yeah. Is that right? Were you involved in the music
Speaker:at that time? Or were you just attending a concert? What were you, how did you, what kind of
Speaker:venue or how did you? Okay, so he performed at Le Nuit Mornin, which is a venue I've already
Speaker:performed before. When we met, I had a blog, you know, that was the thing before podcast. So I had
Speaker:a music blog. And I was the editor in chief of that, of that blog. And obviously, I knew a lot
Speaker:of people in the industry there. And I was invited to shows and things like that. So he hit me up,
Speaker:he said, Hey, do you want to come to my show? And I was like, I'm already going to your show.
Speaker:He was like, Do you want me to put you on the list? I'm already a VIP. So it was just funny
Speaker:like that. But yeah, to go back to what you were saying, you know, I got famous, because I was on
Speaker:the TV, two months in a row, 24 hours. So when you're being scrutinized like that, at a young age,
Speaker:at 18, by the age of 18, everybody knows about your house, your mom, your dog, you know, you're on TV
Speaker:reality show, right? So it kind of suffocated me at some point, all I really wanted was to do music,
Speaker:I didn't understand that being on TV would bring some other troubles with fame. So I just wanted to
Speaker:sing and to be a musician. So when I moved to France, that that was the thing that I kind of
Speaker:was trying to look at, like, I just want to do music, I don't really want to be famous like that,
Speaker:be scrutinized each move, it came to the point where I would go to a park, I couldn't even speak,
Speaker:because people would listen to my conversation. So it just felt like a prison at some point. And
Speaker:when I moved there, I just wanted to do music, which is great, because not all France knew about
Speaker:me, it was just, you know, the diaspora, and you know, people in the music industry in Paris and
Speaker:things like that. So I grew up my network in the music industry and everything there. And I met my
Speaker:husband, the first time he was touring with D'Angelo in 2012. And then the second time we really
Speaker:reconnected was with his own band touring Europe, Chris Dave and the Drumheads. And then, you know,
Speaker:we kind of became friends really closely back then. And then we developed a relationship. But
Speaker:you know, he's a touring musician. And I had my life in France. So it came with all the challenges
Speaker:of a long distance relationship, the ups and downs. So was he still living in the US?
Speaker:Okay, yeah. So we came with all the challenges of living with a musician and overseas. So
Speaker:when he would be in Europe, I would go to everywhere we'd go, I would pick a train on
Speaker:the weekends, go where he would be, if we have day offs, he would come to Paris and stay with me,
Speaker:and vice versa, when I would have, you know, some time off, I would come here to the US,
Speaker:if he's rehearsing for a tour somewhere, I would be there, you know, but on and off like that. So it
Speaker:was a bit of a challenge. So at some point, it was just no longer sustainable. So we just paused,
Speaker:you know, around 2018. And then COVID hit. That's where we reconnected. Actually, I think,
Speaker:you know, COVID was, I know, for some people was a very challenging time. But for us, I think it
Speaker:was a good time, because it kind of removed all the distractions and all the noise and to really
Speaker:focus on what truly matters, right? What truly matters, what do we really want in life. And we
Speaker:kind of reconnected during that time. And that's where he was like, where do we go from here? We
Speaker:need to make this official now. We've been playing this game of, you know, for a long time.
Speaker:Was he in Houston during COVID?
Speaker:No, he was in Los Angeles. He was in LA. So for him, moving to the UK was a bit of a challenge
Speaker:because of the industry, the music industry for him was mostly in LA or New York. New York was the
Speaker:epicenter of the COVID at that time. So yes, you couldn't be in New York. No LA for me. I don't
Speaker:really like it. Sorry. No offense. If you go from Los Angeles, I think it's a good city. But yeah,
Speaker:I couldn't see raising a daughter there, you know, a family there. And he's from Houston. So he was
Speaker:like, What about Houston? I was like, Okay, that sounds like a good deal. So I moved in the middle
Speaker:of a pandemic. Wow. Yes. I took a flight to Turkey for two weeks, because there was the travel ban
Speaker:back then. You know, people coming from Europe not being able to go somewhere. So I stayed two
Speaker:weeks in Turkey. And then from there, I flew to my one way ticket to the United States.
Speaker:That's yes. So had you been to Houston before?
Speaker:Never. I've been to America. Obviously, I've been back and forth to many other cities, Los Angeles,
Speaker:New York, everywhere, Miami, everywhere else, but never to Houston. So it again,
Speaker:a leap of faith, like I moved 20 years before from Madagascar, never been to Paris, it was that leap
Speaker:of faith to like, Okay, I don't know what I'm going to do. But I just moved there. Because at that time,
Speaker:what truly mattered for me was to have a family. Well, when we had our conversation before you,
Speaker:we talked about the challenges of moving to Houston. So I mean, there's challenges no matter
Speaker:where you live that, you know, you have to adapt. But so tell us some of the challenges and move to
Speaker:Houston. And then we also talked about the things that you love about Houston, the convenience and
Speaker:just so much that you love about Houston. So tell us first about those challenges, because
Speaker:coming from, you know, Madagascar coming from Europe, yes, moving to Houston is definitely
Speaker:got its challenges. So the first three months, it was really, you know, honeymoon phase, like we say,
Speaker:right? Because remember, I come from the UK at this point, where in August, we were already wearing
Speaker:sweatshirt. I mean, you know, it was already kind of freezing. So I moved in October. So
Speaker:I remember my brother in law, the first week is like, How are you feeling? Are you adapting? I was
Speaker:like, What? I love it. I loved it. The weather and being here in Houston, October, sunny weather,
Speaker:everything was so nice. But I think after three months, that's where things really started kicking
Speaker:in for me. Because I'm an outdoorsy person. I like to walk, I like to ride a bike. I remember I
Speaker:told my husband, well, maybe we could ride a bike to go from here to here. He was like, that's so
Speaker:European of you. Yes. And I was like, What do you mean? I said, Well, if there's no, you don't have
Speaker:those bikes, because in Europe, you know, you have those public bikes, right? And he was like, No,
Speaker:there's no such things here. So how do you do is like, oh, people just take the car, and that's it.
Speaker:And I said, Let's go walk around. And then the walk around was just in a subdivision. It's not
Speaker:like you go from point A to B. Yes, he's like, No, you have to take the car. So those things started
Speaker:sinking in for me. And just simple things like, you know, going at the grocery stores and the
Speaker:plastic bags, you know, for me, it was like, I was so shocked. Wait, they're doing this. Okay. And you
Speaker:know, people serving you and I love it, you know, because it's convenient, right? Doing out of being
Speaker:nice and being just the sense of service. In Europe, it's so much more like help yourself and,
Speaker:you know, be mindful of, you know, the environment and this and that. Yeah, such a shock for me.
Speaker:But you know, you just grow love and things because you just adapt, you just have to put
Speaker:your mind into this is just different. At first, you know, I kind of rejected Oh, my God, you know,
Speaker:the architecture does not as much as history and all of the things so wrong. There's so many things
Speaker:to learn about. Just Houston by itself and Texas. Can you imagine that Texas has its own embassy
Speaker:in Paris, which I didn't know. We talked about that. Yes, yes. So all those a lot of routes,
Speaker:you just have to, you know, remove that thing of like the way things used to be and just say like,
Speaker:Okay, I just leave that let that go and just diving now and and learn and there's so many things and
Speaker:it's funny because you know, I'm very involved with the French community here. I'm part of the
Speaker:editorial team of you know, their, their newspaper. And we were talking with the new editor and she
Speaker:was like, you know, I want to do this new edition. I wanted to be more towards your culture and,
Speaker:you know, history and everything. And the other people laughed at me I said because they don't
Speaker:know about it. And there's still that expat mindset where like, I'm just here for a couple
Speaker:of years. But if you really remove that veil and deep diving, there's so much culture here.
Speaker:And I had actually the opportunity to be part of an amazing program and I would recommend anybody
Speaker:to be part of it. It's called the Center for Houston's Future. And they're having, you know,
Speaker:a cohort every spring and fall. And you get to, you know, learn about the history of Houston,
Speaker:the, the role that Galveston played and so many things that I had the chance to go and visit the
Speaker:Federal Reserve here. Yeah, everything I learned that, you know, Houston, one person out of four
Speaker:are not from Houston. That's one of the statistics that I love to talk about is that we are such a
Speaker:global city and the diversity in the city. But that number of being one and four being born
Speaker:outside of the country. Correct. That is that's, that's not just about diversity. That is really
Speaker:like our roots in the end. It's so inspiring to see so many people making it and building their
Speaker:lives and home. And it brings so much knowledge and wealth and then culture to the city as well.
Speaker:So when you were talking about the tours and getting into the city, I did with Women's
Speaker:Council of Realtors, we did a Mr. McKinney's bus tour. Have you ever heard of this? No,
Speaker:he is a historian and I highly recommend as well for anyone coming to Houston or if you have an
Speaker:organization or group. And he does these bus tours in certain areas of Houston. And we did
Speaker:one on downtown. And it was about women developers who made the city women who had built buildings.
Speaker:And it was so inspiring to see the history of the city and how there was an influence of women
Speaker:developers. And then he also has one on the Hispanic culture and Mexico and the influence
Speaker:of Mexico. And then he does different ones in different regions. And so but it's so interesting
Speaker:when you talk to the French community, and then they talk about the roots in Houston. So I mean,
Speaker:we are a very diverse city. And it's not just now. It's, it's been forever. Yes, from the
Speaker:beginning. And Houston was actually built by a woman, but that she had to hide during that time
Speaker:behind her brother's name. But she was really the lady who started it. Yeah. So she saw the
Speaker:vision for Houston, right? Because it was a bayou. It was just a yes, it was a bayou and businesswoman
Speaker:and, you know, Center for Houston Future is actually the sister organization from the Greater Houston
Speaker:Partnership. So we had access to all the data's all the videos and, you know, to learn that Houston
Speaker:is the center, the heart of the medical research in the world. I mean, the medical center here,
Speaker:so many things. And, you know, you just grow in love with Houston. And I couldn't even see
Speaker:myself going back to Europe now and there. And it's amazing. Yes, yes. I know. I talked to so
Speaker:many expats that are here in Houston. And they love it. And of course, for me, I'm always trying
Speaker:to go to Europe, because I'm like, I want to slow down. But all the friends I have, and people that
Speaker:I've met from all over the world, they love it. And you know, they love the opportunity, but they
Speaker:also love the culture as well. So it's probably coming from a stage of life too, I believe,
Speaker:because now I'm a mother, I'm a wife, having a family, you know, it's safe. I like, I know,
Speaker:people would laugh about like, Houston safe. But it really, for me, it's like, we live in the
Speaker:suburbs, we have this, you know, simple life when we love it like that. And, you know, in Europe,
Speaker:it's more like New York City, you know, tiny spaces and hustle and bustle and loud, you know,
Speaker:a month ago in New York, my daughter was like, Mommy, it's so loud here.
Speaker:I know. We don't have that in Houston. I will say that it's a quiet city overall,
Speaker:compared to other cities. So but of course, I like the hustle and bustle that I don't know how,
Speaker:because I grew up on a farm in the middle of nowhere. And I have no idea why, but I love
Speaker:big city noise. I love the sound of honking horns and different accents and voices. One of my
Speaker:favorite things to do is sit in New York City at Bryant Park. And especially at night to listen
Speaker:because the sound is just this, you can hear so many different people's accents and languages
Speaker:and the horns. And it's just a sound that it's almost like music to me. But I love that sound.
Speaker:Of course, I'm sure that might get old at night. You know, you're trying to sleep, but that's very
Speaker:you're paying lots to do that sitting on a bench and just looking at people going back and forth
Speaker:and just, you know, philosophizing about life. Houston is a peaceful city. And there's so many
Speaker:parks and there's so much to do. The symphony, we went to the symphony last weekend to go see the
Speaker:Steven Spielberg and John Williams. It was basically I think 20 some 29 movies over
Speaker:I don't know how many years. And the symphony was the Houston Symphony is just incredible.
Speaker:And this weekend I went to the Bayou Park downtown and there was so many people riding bikes,
Speaker:rollerblading, walking, walking their dogs, the dog park, the dogs were in the water.
Speaker:And, you know, you see downtown view. It's just, it was such a beautiful, not only was it beautiful
Speaker:to see downtown, but our city just is filled with so many amazing things that I don't think people
Speaker:really know. I mean, people know we have an incredible food scene because we, yes, I know we
Speaker:have the Michelin star restaurants that have come to Houston. And but we we have an incredible food
Speaker:scene, but I don't think people know the culture, how much culture is here. Yes, I think Houston is
Speaker:very underestimated, which is good because, you know, it's the sort of hidden gem jewel, you know,
Speaker:and people in Houston say, don't come here. We're full. Right. But yes, I love it. And my friends,
Speaker:when I tell them, you know, I live in Texas for them, it's just like, wow, Texas, why Texas? Why
Speaker:Houston? And then they they're following now my adventures, you know, in real estate and they're
Speaker:like, oh, my God, I want to go there. It sounds really appealing. You know, it's interesting. And
Speaker:for them just to see that too, coming from a world of being in the music industry and, you know,
Speaker:moving to real estate, which is not really that big of a big move for me because my family was also
Speaker:in real estate. And I mean, I was born, we already had a few homes and nuns and things like that. So
Speaker:it for me, it's not really a big jump, per se, because, you know, it was instilled in me at a
Speaker:very young age. What where my fear was more being taken seriously, you know, it was so funny, because
Speaker:before having this podcast, you called me and you said, I haven't read much thing about you on
Speaker:on because everything of my past is under my maiden name. My husband's name is Chris Dave.
Speaker:So obviously, I took his name. So yeah, you know, in real estate, people know me as Natalie Dave.
Speaker:But if you go back to my maiden name, if you tap in Google, Natalie Andrea, then you'll see
Speaker:everything about you. Yes, because her bio was it was really hard to find. And so yeah, that's
Speaker:interesting. So you've now reinvented yourself again, which I love. And that's the whole purpose
Speaker:of this podcast is to share these stories. Because I think that sometimes we see someone in a certain
Speaker:light, you know, people see me maybe as a real estate, or they see me as this or whatever that
Speaker:chapter of my life. And when I sit down, and I get to know these amazing women, and then we talk
Speaker:about and we're like, here, you know, for you, you know, you came from Madagascar, you came from a
Speaker:third world country, then you went to Paris, then you went to London, and then you were in the music
Speaker:world. And you had this whole different side. And then I know you for a global really, you know,
Speaker:I met you in international real estate. And so tell me how you in ended up in this next chapter.
Speaker:And then tell me kind of what you're doing. And yeah, absolutely. Well, you know, I moved here,
Speaker:I was still in the marketing and, you know, music industry and everything. And then again,
Speaker:after the crisis, you know, I've been my daughter, I was like, Okay, what can I do after this?
Speaker:I tried the, you know, corporate America. This is not for me. Great. Finding yourself again,
Speaker:right. I think you also have to one thing that I like to share to people always is like,
Speaker:I'm 40 years now. And one thing that people need to also be comfortable with is to
Speaker:readjust their dreams. I think people are so afraid of reinventing their dreams and adjusting
Speaker:their dreams. I mean, you can't really have the same dreams that you have at 20 years, you know,
Speaker:you have to be embrace who you became and be where you want to be now. So one of my things was,
Speaker:I think I've always been a vehicle, my whole life, you know, through music, I feel like I was
Speaker:healing people through music, I feel like I've inspired people through music, whatever they were
Speaker:doing. And in marketing, it was the same thing, you know, helping people to achieve their goals,
Speaker:whatever it is. So I've always used myself as being or see myself as being a vehicle. And then having
Speaker:a daughter now I've been a mother and seeing my husband is African American, you know, and his
Speaker:family and his whole community and seeing all those hard working people and not really being familiar
Speaker:with real estate, what really astonished me, because again, I grew up with a family where
Speaker:real estate is just part of life. It's not even a question. It's like, do you have food today? Of
Speaker:course, I have food in my pantry. So real estate is just like that, like, yeah, we have lands,
Speaker:we have homes, it's just natural for me. And then when I realized they had nothing, most of them,
Speaker:it's sad. And they could be, you know, very, very talented, also musicians and everything,
Speaker:not many of them really still have that, you know, safety of having real estate.
Speaker:And it comes from a space where they're conditioned of like, not even dreaming of
Speaker:that being accessible. So we start from there. So you have one shot and one shot only for them to
Speaker:explain them. No, it's totally doable. Well, we don't know that we don't know this is some sort
Speaker:of gatekeeping, you know, with real estate. So I kind of felt and I don't know, had in this mission
Speaker:invested of like, maybe that's my path, maybe, maybe I should help people, those people in
Speaker:entertainment, but not only, you know, and, you know, and just helping people because I've done
Speaker:it, you know, I've done it. And, and it wasn't easy either, you know, to get there in Europe,
Speaker:it was the same thing for me, you know, you're an immigrant, you don't know the system. So learning
Speaker:about real estate there, you know, I remember it was one of my best friend who was already your
Speaker:owner, no, you can do it, you don't need all of those things, we're 20% down and this and that. So
Speaker:I just felt like, yeah, maybe this is probably my mission just to help people building that
Speaker:generational wealth, because you are a hardworking person, hardworking families, community while
Speaker:you're not getting there. And I'm so happy because now, you know, being in, I think international
Speaker:real estate was just making sense for me because my background, I speak four languages, and I'm
Speaker:surrounded by different people from different backgrounds, sports, entertainment, European,
Speaker:Mexican, everything. And my clients are very diverse as well, you know, I have young people
Speaker:from, you know, the Navy, I'm so proud to serve people serving this country as well. So it was just
Speaker:natural to be in the international division of real estate and being able to sell overseas, but
Speaker:also sell locally here. But you know, I had that type of like imposter syndrome, because when you
Speaker:look at the bios of people here in real estate, it's all yeah, native Houstonian, I've been here,
Speaker:this and that. So another thing that's so funny is like, I tried to have that American accent so bad
Speaker:at first when I moved here. And then I said, You know what, let me just embrace myself another
Speaker:accent. That's okay, too, you know, so it's funny. And, and for me, it was like, let me hide my past.
Speaker:And now I'm not even hiding my past anymore. I was a singer. And it's so funny, because my clients
Speaker:are really, really digging who I am, they ended up, they end up knowing that, oh, you used to be
Speaker:a singer before. It's so funny, because now they write my name with my artist's name. And I embrace
Speaker:it. But I had that huge complex of imposter syndrome, like, No, I'm just a real estate
Speaker:person having this polished lifestyle and everything. When I realized No, that's my
Speaker:richness. And that's what makes me authentic, too. Yeah, people want to work with someone that
Speaker:they identify and they can understand they don't want to work with the pretend. And I think a lot
Speaker:of times on our social media for in real estate, you you're probably there's a polished and you
Speaker:have these little videos and they're made to look perfect. And you know, this TV series like selling
Speaker:sunset, you know, everybody has to look a certain way or dress a certain way or drive a fancy car
Speaker:or whatever. Your clients don't want that your clients want off the authentic people. They want
Speaker:people that are good at what their craft is that they care that they're trying to help you. They're
Speaker:knowledgeable. And they really want to know you as a real person. And so I think that but it is
Speaker:interesting, though, I think we are conditioned even when you I think all real estate agents,
Speaker:when they first start into real estate, they are conditioned to think I need to look a certain way,
Speaker:dress a certain way, act a certain way. And that people expect that. But I think that we need to
Speaker:change that perception. I really think that being our real selves and, you know, sometimes the
Speaker:videos and stuff we make like people, I don't think they care about that. I don't think they
Speaker:care about that. I think that image, that Instagram image, what they want to see is an interesting
Speaker:person that they connect with. Yes. Who they can relate with. And that's, I guess, where are my
Speaker:strengths, because if you're a European person moving here, then I can relate to you because
Speaker:you're relocating from overseas. If you're an immigrant, I've been an immigrant three times in
Speaker:my life. So I can relate to all your challenges. You know, I have families moving here and all
Speaker:those challenges of like and worrying about, you know, the paperwork and all of those things. And
Speaker:I can relate to that. If you're a musician, I can relate to that world and how you're making your
Speaker:lifestyle. If you're in the sports industry, that's kind of the same thing, too. I have many
Speaker:friends in the sports industry. And that's what makes me authentic. If you're a person of color,
Speaker:I can understand that. I know, you know, in real estate, we can't, with the code of ethics,
Speaker:we can't discuss about the things. But still, it is very there. People want to work with people that
Speaker:can relate to, that they feel like you can't understand what I'm going through. And I've been
Speaker:through all of that. And I'm a woman and I'm a business owner. I'm a woman business. You know,
Speaker:so yes, a lot of things where I believe that actually, those are my strength, and I should
Speaker:just lean on them. Yes, absolutely. Well, I have so enjoyed getting to know you better. And
Speaker:learning about your, you know, your beginning the root your roots to now, and I can't wait to see
Speaker:where the next chapters take you. So what are you enjoying right now? Tell me about a favorite place
Speaker:that you want to go or where's your next trip? And is there anything in your next chapter that
Speaker:or in on that vision of where you're headed? Right, right now, I'm growing my team in the back
Speaker:not I want to remain an individual agent as of now, because I like that part, you know, being just
Speaker:my own brand, like that. In terms of growth, I don't really know what it will look like,
Speaker:to be honest with you. I mean, look at my life. I know, like a like a cat that eyes. I believe
Speaker:I would always be a vehicle for people to help them to get where they need to be. I don't know
Speaker:what it would look like. But I believe in that very strongly. Next step, I very definitely looking
Speaker:forward to go to South Africa with my whole family. Yeah, because it's close to Madagascar.
Speaker:So we're planning vacation there, South Africa, and then there. And, you know, I love so many things.
Speaker:I love, you know, food, like I told you, I hope that one day I have a brand of wine, who knows,
Speaker:you know, but real estate will be there, just like music will be there. I grew up in that real
Speaker:estate and music and entertainment. So that will be there always in the background. Now,
Speaker:the form of that real estate, will it be going back to just owning real estate and managing
Speaker:those things are still helping people? I don't know. But I'll always be a vehicle for sure.
Speaker:Would it be in terms of coaching people? I don't know. I really don't know. As of now,
Speaker:I'm enjoying serving my clients. I fight tooth and nails for my clients. And I think they
Speaker:appreciate that, too. So yes. Well, now, thank you so much for sharing your journey with me.
Speaker:And I can't wait for the listeners of Passport Jane to hear your inspiring story, and for us
Speaker:to hang out more. So I know I'm so glad our paths crossed and that we actually can enjoy this
Speaker:journey together. Absolutely. And thank you for giving me the space to tell who I am truly and
Speaker:without filters. And I truly appreciate that. And thank you. And I think you're doing an amazing job
Speaker:and good luck with this project. It's amazing. Thank you.
