TN142: Turning loneliness into an opportunity to make an impact – With Phil McAuliffe
It is very rare that expat couples manage to alternate who gets to take a position for an assignment abroad, Phil McAuliffe shares how he and his wife managed to do so.
Also, you will get to hear his inspiring story of how he used his time “off” to invest in himself, start his business and turn the loneliness he experienced as a diplomat into an opportunity to make an impact.
“The problem was not to put myself out there, the problem was to put my authentic-self out there.”
Phil McAuliffe comes from Australia and is currently on his fourth diplomatic posting. He had two postings as the posted diplomat (Ho Chi Minh City and Seoul), and two as an accompanying spouse (Caracas and, currently, Wellington). Following a major mid-life crisis while posted in Seoul, Phil started searching for answers around the challenges he experienced in his diplomatic career and his personal journey on the move, but he found nothing. That has inspired him to launch the podcast The Lonely Diplomate where he shares stories of diplomates around the world and helps diplomats reconnect with themselves and the world around them.
Phil is also the author of the book “The Lonely Diplomat– Reconnecting with yourself and the world around you”.
What you will learn
- What are the challenges that Phil experienced as a working diplomat.
- How did he manage to alternate roles with his spouse and how did he experience being the accompanying spouse.
- What did he do in order to overcome his fears, find fulfillment and start his new business venture.
Find Phil online
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