Episode 36: The Expat Tookit: Expat Business in a Bag: Mangla's Guide to Thriving Abroad
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[00:00:00] 

Paula: Welcome to the Truly Expat Podcast where Rachel and myself Paula explore the diverse experiences of expat life in Singapore. Today's episode features an inspiring guest whose journey perfectly embodies the expat experience.

Paula: We're excited to introduce Mangla, a third culture kid who is now raising her own TCKs. Mangla has not only navigated the unique challenges of being an expat, but has also become a successful entrepreneur in Singapore. She co founded a t shirt printing company with an expat friend, and she's the visionary behind Expat Business in a Bag.

Paula: This innovative platform helps expats monetize their skills as they move, ensuring that they don't have to start a business from scratch, join us as we delve into Mangler's journey, her entrepreneurial ventures and her insights on managing it all.

Paula: This is an episode packed with valuable advice and inspiration for any Anyone navigating the expat life. Welcome, Mangala. Thank you so much for coming today.

Mangla: Aw, thank you for having me. I've met you both [00:01:00] separately, so it's nice to be here together. Yeah, yeah, yeah,

Rachel: Can I ask you to explain your expat story?

Paula: Okay,

Mangla: so my expat story. I was born in Malaysia. Um, I've lived in London most of my life. I've also lived in Melbourne, Australia. Back to London, um, got married, then I moved up to north of England because my husband's a doctor and he wanted to experience different hospitals around the country.

Mangla: Then up to Scotland, different part of Scotland again, and then back to London, and then now Singapore.

Paula: And is he from here?

Mangla: He is, he's Singaporean. Yeah. So we're back here. Um, you know, like the normal story coming for two, three years just to check it out. And I've been here 13 years now. Oh, it's a story only an fellow expert would understand.

Paula: know, exactly. 

Paula: I remember, um, we were going for six months. I promise you, mom and dad, we're going for It's been almost 18 years,[00:02:00] 

Mangla: Oh my, oh, you beat me.

Paula: but Rachel has a similar story. You know, like you say, you're going just for the, Yeah,

Rachel: Yeah, just a couple of, a couple of months you'll be home and like seven years later, you're still not home.

Rachel: 20 years later, you're still not home. 30 years later, you're still not home.

Mangla: later, still not home.

Rachel: So, uh, anyway, but, um, yeah, that's always an interesting story. So

Paula: tell us, where did all the inspiration come from for Expat Business In a Bag 

Mangla: kay, so it's a bit of a story. Um, I was on the PTA board, my children's school, and we had lots of fun.

Mangla: It was on it, uh, six years, lots of laughs. It was just brilliant. And part of the role, um, was to order t shirts. For fundraising events and drama productions. And so my BFF here, when I met through school, we w we would do this, you know, all the time, but we were really fed up of bad [00:03:00] customer service. Like one day you'd order and everything would be perfect.

Mangla: And the next month you order the same thing and the quality is different and the size is all wrong. So after six years of doing it, one day we were sitting at Queensway shopping center, rushing an order because. Nothing had shown up. And we looked at each other and thought, We could do this. We've had enough experience.

Mangla: We know the quality we want for our kids. We should just do this. And so we've registered the business. And then seven days later, the world lockdown. But there is a happy ending. Very quickly. We had so many orders. We sold, I think about 700 t shirts. For lecture schools. We did graduation t shirts, teacher, sort of teacher gifts.

Mangla: We quickly offered masks. So we had an order for 4, 000 masks. And then Meta heard about our Two moms starting a business during COVID, they supported us with an order.

Paula: Oh, [00:04:00] wow.

Mangla: Then somebody introduced us to the U. S. embassy. And so two different departments. supported us with their orders as well. So it grew very, very quickly and it was amazing.

Mangla: Um, but then I thought I had a plan of going back to 2023. Yeah. Thinking, you know, it just fits perfectly well with the schools and the ages the kids were. And I thought, I'm never going to be able to replicate this, back in London. This was years and years of volunteering and relationships and just knowing suppliers.

Mangla: How would I ever do this again there? And because we had a business, we started networking a lot, attending lots of events. And I realized that there's so many people exactly like me. We start something here, but we'll have to start from scratch all over again, wherever we move to next. And so that's where expat business in a bag came about because I'm my own ideal client.

Paula: Yeah. What an interesting concept. Because I remember when I had my own business in Hong Kong and had to sell it for that price. That reason [00:05:00] you move on and, but your, so you, so what do you do? So if I came to you with a, with saying, you know what, I've just arrived to lost my business. I've had to sell it there. What can you do for me? 

Mangla: Well, I would ask you what you were doing before. Is that still a passion? We would figure out if there is a market here. Yeah, and Build that audience. The first thing we do is build that audience. Yeah So I see lots of people who come in wanting to do something completely different from what they were doing and their job and their degrees.

Mangla: And I think they've, you know, sort of accumulated all this experience and new hobbies and passion that they want to start something so different from what they were doing before. So I think it's a lot of soul searching and a lot of the times a conversation start with, so what do you want to do? 

Paula: Yeah.

Mangla: Can I tell you something interesting? Nine out of 10 times, [00:06:00] there's a mindset issue that it starts with. Cause some of them will come and say, I've never had a business. I don't know. I don't even know where to start. And others will be like, all right, okay. I know what I want to do, but I just want to start really small.

Mangla: I don't want people to know what I'm doing. yeah, and I say, well, okay, people, where is it all over the internet? And so they laugh and say no. So, okay, in your head, think of a couple of names. Who do you not want to know that you're doing? This is what you're doing. And they usually do that and they can name them.

Mangla: And sometimes it's an old boss. Sometimes it's a parent, a sibling or a friend. And it's just like a fear of failure. Yeah. And so they kind of stay at that point thinking, Oh, I want to do a little bit, but I don't want it to grow so big. And so a lot of the times it's just mindset. We go through all of that mindset, get over that.

Mangla: And then the ambition comes out. 

Paula: So it's almost like imposter [00:07:00] syndrome right? 

Paula: Everyone somehow some day deals with it on some sort of level. Um, so how, I mean, how, what are some what are some strategies that come into play while you are talking to them? 

Mangla: I think the first thing is to name that person in your head. Who is that person? And why does that have such a hold on you? I think there are ways you can block certain people. You can, you know, ensure they don't follow you on social media and don't find out what you do if it really gets to that. Um, and I'm a huge fan of journaling. of prompts and all that you just get to work through.

Mangla: And then when they get over it, oh my gosh, they are so ready to soar. 

Mangla: They 

Mangla: They get so excited thinking, oh my God, I can't believe this has held me back for so long. I like, this doesn't matter at all anymore.

Paula: how, how, what an enjoyment for you as well? You get something out of it as well right? 

Mangla: You To see the transformation is [00:08:00] fantastic.

Paula: And how long did you say you've 

Mangla: Just over a year.

Paula: Oh, wow. Because I, when I speak to people around in Singapore, your name always comes up. 

Mangla: Really? Yeah. 

Paula: that's, I mean, that's why we had to have you on, right?

Rachel: absolutely. Yeah,

Mangla: Oh, wow. So you're

Paula: obviously doing something there in the

Rachel: community. So, so how, how, so do you help them with business planning or how, how do you sort of

Mangla: So it's a variety. So one, one will come in. Some people come in absolutely no idea where they want to start. Others would be right. Okay. I've got a few clients, but, um, I'm just not making enough. So, you know, we'll talk about marketing and a bigger visibility strategy and others know that they are moving in a year or two, and so they just want to figure out, right, okay, what should I be doing?

Mangla: Should I be just looking ahead and figure out what am I going to do when I get there? How do I get the most out of it while I'm here? And so we talk about, those are my favorite, because I think I love planners and the people who come with a plan. Oh, my kind of [00:09:00] people.

Rachel: plan. Oh, my kind 

Mangla: Um, and so it's like, yes, let's do whatever we can here, build it all up here, get your testimonials, get your case studies, but also start networking with people around the world. Doesn't mean if you move somewhere, you can't still Keep in touch with people here and whether it's a product business or a service, I mean, everything's just so easy online right now. But I think networking is huge. If you already have a tribe to go and enter to, um, just makes it less scary.

Mangla: What if 

Paula: you're an introvert? 

Mangla: How do you network? 

Mangla: One of my favorite tips is reach out to the person who's running the event.

Mangla: And say, look, I'm brand new. Um, who do you suggest I speak to at first? Um, what should I do? Should I come in a bit earlier? Just ask them and they'll keep a look out for you.

Paula: I like that strategy.

Rachel: That's a great strategy.

Rachel: I need that. [00:10:00] So I can be very outgoing and friendly, but sometimes I can feel totally overwhelmed and like go, I just don't know who to talk to. I'm all right if I get a bit of Dutch courage, but then I don't want too much Dutch

Mangla: courage. Then people

Rachel: people know all the Dutch.

Paula: Dutch because

Rachel: And then I'll scare them off. So, yeah, no, I really love that.

Rachel: In fact, I'm better off to stay away from the Dutch courage. Another 

Mangla: Another

Mangla: thing, which I've done, which somebody did for me was I would say like, if it's, you know, it's a WhatsApp group, I'm going to be there. I'm going to be wearing a red dress or a blue dress. I'll wait outside if you don't want to come in alone. I'll be there. We'll walk in together.

Paula: Oh, 

Rachel: Oh, that's really sweet.

Mangla: But somebody did that for me.

Mangla: I was like, that's going to pay it back. 

Rachel: that's nice. And it's just 

Mangla: And it's just somebody who just wants to go in in a group, or just somebody, a friendly face. So, yeah, there's lots of ways. It shouldn't stop anybody from networking.

Paula: I know. I mean, I [00:11:00] I'm shamelessly ok when walking into a crowd and I don't, I don't have a problem. But if it's something completely new and I've never done it before, you do, you have those butterflies in your stomach and you, you go, you look around and you go, I don't know anyone. I'm exactly the

Mangla: exactly the same. I could do it here in Singapore. Yeah. But when I go back to London, um, it was a bit different cause there were like some, an event where it was like 350 people. Oh yeah. And then you think, Oh my gosh, I really don't know anybody here.

Rachel: I find also, living in London quite a few years myself, I find it's a little bit stiffer. You know, it can, it's not as, it depends on the event obviously, but it's not as sort of flowy as it is over here. You can really have a chat with somebody and, and somebody will sort of, you'll be able to have a chat, but in the UK you really have to have a reason to chat with them and they want to know, you know, what, who are you, where have you been, and that sort of thing, and sometimes you just [00:12:00] clog up, you know.

Rachel: I 

Mangla: I couldn't agree more. And I think the difference is that there it's all networking in the proper networking sense. Whereas here we start our conversations with, so how long have you been here?

Paula: Yeah,

Mangla: a great icebreaker.

Rachel: Yeah.

Paula: wouldn't say that in London if lived there all your

Rachel: your life.

Mangla: So we'll talk about everything else, holidays and everything. And after a short while then it'd be like, so what is it you do? Yeah. So it's, yeah. So I totally agree. It's so much easier here.

Paula: style of networking.

Paula: Um, and so what are some other, I really, I actually really like that one. I'm going to use that when people have been here.

Paula: Come here and yeah, I'm going to use

Mangla: to use that

Paula: But, um, what have come some other strategies or some other stories you can tell us about people you've met here that, um, might inspire someone who's thinking about doing it, but is sitting there going, Oh,

Paula: I

Paula: don't know.

Mangla: Oh, they're. There's so many stories we tell [00:13:00] Depends on our upbringing.

Mangla: For some people, um, I'll start here, actually. We all have a money story. We all have a money story. We all have a weight story for women. So, if I were to say to you, money is Every single person would have a different thing. It would be either, it grows in trees. Evil. Oh, it's easy to come by. It does good. It depends on our upbringing and also what our parents have told us.

Mangla: And so I think when you deal with your own money story, it helps you overcome some of those things. Cause some people will come to me and say, I love what I do. I want to help people, I can't charge for this. 

Rachel: Hmm. 

Mangla: I can't charge for that. 

Rachel: Yeah. Yeah.

Rachel: That's sort of another imposter syndrome. I'm not worth it.

Rachel: I'm not worth this money, but they are worth everything, and they deserve it for free, 

Mangla: free. Yes, exactly. And so then that's not a business. 

Mangla: a business. 

Mangla: So it is a lot of breaking down those money barriers. [00:14:00] And the three things, I'm happy to share it here, what we do, and you know, where listeners could just think the answers to themselves.

Mangla: So money is, would be one. Um, the other one is money makes.

Mangla: And the third one is if

Mangla: I were to make lots of money very quickly, I'd become. 

Paula: popular.

Mangla: stop. And then 

Rachel: I've heard

Mangla: heard people say arrogant.

Rachel: arrogant. 

Mangla: Some

Mangla: people would say arrogant, a miserable person to be around. So it's like, cause we only know our one story.

Mangla: So it's always interesting to hear other people's take on it. 

Paula: Yeah. Wow. 

Rachel: take on it. Sure,

Paula: Yeah, it is very. It's, um, and so that person out there that's wanting to come, do you, do you do one-on-ones or do you do group 

Mangla: I do one, I do one to one so far. I'm starting a group [00:15:00] setting, um, at the end of September, but the one to ones are so Oh my

Paula: Do you think also one-on-one, it makes you feel a bit braver by coming to you. Do you know what I mean? Like instead of going to a group in initially, especially if you are insecure about your decision.

Paula: Yeah. Or, or not quite sure about your decision. Uh, one-on-one would be, you know, I'll hold your hand through the process. 

Mangla: Completely

Mangla: And they open up so

Mangla: So it's so interesting. Somebody would come in starting to say, well, I was in HR before, so I'm just going to figure out how I can do that here. And then after talking to them and we go through a few questions and things like, no, I never want to do that again.

Mangla: Yeah. I know that feeling.

Paula: was in HR.

Paula: I 

Mangla: Yeah, it seems to be the one nobody wants to touch again.

Mangla: wants again. I can 

Mangla: I can vouch for that. 

Paula: Does it just have to be an expat that comes to you? Like if I was here, if I was, if I was living here, but I [00:16:00] wanted to start up a business, but I am maybe future, I might move or

Paula: Can I have something online that might work? Can someone that's local come to you as well?

Mangla: Completely. I work with a lot of women in the UK who plan and moving.

Paula: Oh, really?

Mangla: They was like, we don't want to live here forever. Um, they want to retire in Spain, Portugal. And so they're starting the journey right now.

Rachel: That's awesome.

Mangla: Yeah. A lot of people are leaving.

Rachel: hustle while they're working.

Rachel: Yeah. And then they're like, and

Mangla: And have a plan. Like I said, plan is my kind of people.

Paula: I'm a, I like 

Mangla: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So I work with locals. I work with people. Yeah. Hong Kong, Australia. There's somebody in Australia I work with and no plans are moving. She just goes, I find it interesting. I read a post you said about niches. So I work with you because I think, you know, you have a different take and it's show me how to stand out [00:17:00] here.

Mangla: It's busy in Uh, I just want to stand 

Paula: I like that because you're right. When you, when you think of a coach, generally speaking, it's someone that um, puts you through.

Paula: It doesn't have to be, it's not a niche, right? Like it's something you can live anywhere in the world and keep going with whatever it is. 

Mangla: Absolutely. And I think after COVID we've all realized that we can't work from anywhere. We can't work from home. I mean, the number of people moving to Bali right now, you know, it's crazy. Yeah.

Mangla: Gosh, it's going to be so crowded, but yeah, but I just can't wait to see what's happening there. I don't

Rachel: understand why everybody wants to move to Bali. You can't even move, there's just so much traffic, you know. I mean, it's a beautiful place, I have nothing against it, but to go there, the whole thing sends me into some kind of stress storm.

Rachel: I'm like going, traffic, I

Mangla: I

Rachel: can't do it, I can't do it. I just want my zen. 

Paula: And surprisingly you get that from Singapore, even though it's a

Mangla: Yes. Yeah, Especially, 

Paula: so how do you think expat [00:18:00] business in a bag impacted the community of women and entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs you've worked with in Singapore?

Mangla: I. I love to follow this where if I can help one person every day that's a life well lived.

Rachel: that's a lovely motto to be honest.

Mangla: That's it. So if I've helped somebody to just say, Hey, come along, let's do this together or conversation and just open up their minds thinking, Oh, they can do this. Do you know what? I have the confidence now.

Mangla: I can do this.

Mangla: Just want to go back to the impact for just one second. I had the most beautiful card given to me, posted to me about a year ago. And this woman who I've only met twice. And she wrote to me saying, thank you so much. For speaking with me at a networking event that morning and the next day, sending me a WhatsApp message to say, Hey, come along to this other thing, which I think you'd love.

Mangla: And I could say, well, we probably spoke for about [00:19:00] half an hour and that's it. And she said in the other event, I met my BFF.

Mangla: there.

Mangla: I just got out of my shell. I decided that I was just going to go after my dreams and now I'm moving, but I've had the best experience in Singapore just because somebody invited me and she said, I'm now going to move to a new country and I'm going to do it for somebody else.

Paula: Oh,

Rachel: That is a finding your tribe moment,

Mangla: Isn't that incredible that we have no idea of the impact. 

Rachel: of the impact. You have on 

Mangla: of us do just a smile. You're there. I like invitation to come out and do this. I have no idea what could open up.

Paula: I think that's such a beautiful story. 

Rachel: It is a

Rachel: lovely story.

Rachel: Actually, it's quite fitting for today's interviews, because we were talking about it this morning, like, and I've been thinking about that as well, like, coming into today was like, like, you do want to [00:20:00] meet as many people as possible to be able to maneuver in, in the, in life, basically. But if you can give back, that's even better, you know, it's such a big reward.

Rachel: And if somebody recognizes you and says, wow, you just did this for me for half an hour in my life. Like,

Mangla: and she's going to go and do it to other for other people and that ripple effect

Paula: It's

Rachel: It's just total love.

Mangla: Oh, it's, it's just so nice.

Mangla: I think we don't realize the impact we make, but just the fact that we want to give back and we're in such a, we're such a privileged position living in Singapore. We're so privileged and the fact that we could still be grateful for that and not be entitled all the time. It's yeah, I think it's just, it's amazing.

Mangla: It's absolutely amazing.

Rachel: sure. 

Mangla: It's a great feeling.

Rachel: I just feel calm sitting next to you. You have this whole aura of calm and [00:21:00] I love it. It's really nice. 

Mangla: Oh, I should pretend it's this. No,

Rachel: no, it's obviously you as a person. It's just very, very calm person.

Mangla: Oh,

Rachel: Can I ask you sort of what sort of background pushed you to, to be able

Rachel: think of this idea, you know, like, are you

Rachel: coaching background or, or what, what is it that, that you started, did in your previous life?

Paula: Yeah, previous

Mangla: life. Okay. Um, so I was a bit of an entitled teenager.

Mangla: I didn't know what I wanted to do at university. So I was living in London, just finished school. And my dad goes, go and travel. You know, figure something out. And so I actually have family here. My mom has cousins here and I thought I'll start here. My, my nan was living here at that time. I'll start here.

Mangla: And so I came to Singapore. [00:22:00] And I brought these little gifts, which I brought from like a shop in London. I can't remember the name of the shop. It's like these little boxes, but they were just really beautiful Italian gifts. And I started giving that to people, family. And somebody said, Oh my gosh, I absolutely love these.

Mangla: I've never seen these here. Um, my cousin's getting married. Would you, would I be able to get 300 pieces?

Mangla: the

Mangla: entrepreneur was in you already. Absolutely. I left everything here and I went back, got those pieces, came back, made 3, 000 in one day

Mangla: as a 17

Mangla: year old.

Rachel: Oh,

Mangla: then I thought, okay, now I know what I want to do.

Mangla: And so I think I've just been doing that in every phase of my life, wherever I moved, it'd be, I got into freelance writing and I thought I'm writing to these editors that time asking for guidelines. Um, all of these guidelines I'm receiving, other people could benefit from it. So I started a paid newsletter,

Mangla: started selling that.

Mangla: [00:23:00] Um, and that became very popular. Then when the kids were born, I was, I used to love crafts. I absolutely love crafts and used to buy these things like in wholesale bulk. And I was like, around the school, do other people like this, I can prepare a little box for you guys too. That became something I did. So at different times, which sort of suited the phase I was in, I just started different things and thankfully, um, every single one did well.

Mangla: awesome.

Rachel: Yeah, that's so cool. So you're just a natural entrepreneur. You have this kind of sixth sense on like what to do in those sort of times.

Mangla: I think my favorite part of it is looking at niches that are untapped. Like there's so many stay at home dads here. So many trailing spouses which are men.

Mangla: There needs to be more stuff for them to do.

Paula: Yeah.

Mangla: you know 

Paula: venture know 

Mangla: The amount of ideas I have, they're not enough hours in a day.

Paula: hours in [00:24:00] the day.

Rachel: That is awesome. And I actually do think that, I said when we first started we, there, we have to open this up, definitely, for men, and generally we've just had women, but if you come across any problems, people who want to come on,

Mangla: So 

Paula: If you want to

Paula: hear more about starting your own business in Singapore, you should listen to episode 3,

Paula: where we'll link it in the show notes 

Paula: can

Paula: you share any lessons you've learnt as an entrepreneur that you believe are crucial for other women to know?

Mangla: Work on your mindset and your money story first. It's so important because that's going to hold you back at every step because they'll stop you from going after

Mangla: bigger dreams and bigger accounts.

Mangla: Because if you come with that, cause you can't earn more because that's what You know, my parents used to earn and how would that feel or I can't be that visible because what would [00:25:00] other people think of And I also think for women here And I can imagine for men as well when we go back home We listen to people we knew we grew up with they've become VPs working at.

Mangla: They've bought, you know, multiple properties. They've, you know, maybe started amazing businesses. Everybody's grown because they've stayed in that spot. And as a spouse here who isn't working, you go back. It's well, when you, whenever we do go back or wherever we move to next, always asking ourselves what's next for us.

Rachel: Mm. 

Mangla: We've left amazing lives. Yeah. Amazing lives

Rachel: was, and now.

Rachel: What am I? Yeah. And it's hard. It's really hard.

Mangla: It's really

Rachel: Reinventing yourself. Yeah. Everywhere you go. 

Mangla: And

Mangla: the thing is, we're getting older, so, you know, before we were busy with the kids, after a while the kids don't need us, and then it does come back to, again, who am I?

Mangla: What, what [00:26:00] do I enjoy? What do I want? And that's got to be one of the hardest questions for people to answer when you ask them, so what do you want? Yeah. A lot of people can't answer that.

Paula: It's also believing in yourself. You're 

Paula: You are capable like, there's one thing to dream? Can I

Paula: do this? Yeah. You can. Anyone can give it a go, but not everyone has the confidence feel that way. 

Mangla: No, and it depends whether you have like a really supportive spouse, people around you are supportive, um, that makes a huge difference. Because somebody will say like, well what do you know about that's it.

Mangla: You just need that little comment like that. Yeah. Or just break it all down and you think, yeah, you're absolutely right. I don't, I should, yeah. Should just, you know,

Rachel: Stay in my lane.

Mangla: That's it. Exactly. Exactly.

Mangla: I mean, 

Paula: hard, you're right with mindset. I mean, I think the first time I ever YouTube 

Mangla: Really? Like, I felt

Paula: like an idiot. I felt like an imposter and I felt like I should be 20 year old, not a 40 year old. [00:27:00] And it, it took me a good believe that it's okay if people laugh at me.

Paula: It's a journey, right? No one's good at anything at the beginning. You've just got to put yourself So to have someone like you to help to

Paula: even get to that

Paula: Yeah, to believe in you as well, because sometimes believing in 

Mangla: Yeah. No. You need, yeah. You need outside validation. You need cheerleaders.

Rachel: your, your family or your support network generally see you as one thing, but they don't see you as another thing or perhaps they just don't know how to give the right sort of encouragement to make you feel

Mangla: you can do it,

Rachel: the validation that you need

Rachel: to

Rachel: get to the next level.

Rachel: Yeah, for sure.

Mangla: and I think we've all grown so much when you travel you can't help but grow. you've changed we've changed We're not the same people who left home all those years ago We've had such amazing experiences.

Mangla: We've learned so many things. [00:28:00] We've been exposed to cultures that were adopting certain things into our own families because I like that. I like the way they do that. We should do that too. So we've changed so much. So the people who are telling us we can't do it, no, the old version of us. 

Paula: I like 

Rachel: that.

Rachel: Yeah. 

Mangla: But we need more people to say, to talk about the experience that you had, that at 40 you felt, what am I doing? Because we see these beautiful curated videos online and thinking, oh gosh, everybody can do it. I'm not that confident, but we need more people to say, you know what? Yeah. Even though it looks beautiful, but inside I was like shaking.

Mangla: Yeah. You know,

Paula: anything you start new 

Mangla: scary.

Mangla: Yeah. 

Rachel: Yeah. Authenticity is so underrated, isn't it? Like you look at these shiny things and there's not like a dimple inside or like, um, you know, like a, a shaky or a stuttering or like, you know, an accident inside.

Rachel: And you're like, we need more of [00:29:00] that authenticity. And I think that social media is kind of swinging towards that. People actually want to see something that is,

Paula: Bit more raw.

Mangla: Yeah. And to say that it's you know, I, well, I'm doing this right now, but at the beginning it was like, Oh my gosh, what in the world am I doing?

Paula: go back and look

Mangla: channel.

Mangla: I'm going to put

Paula: out there

Mangla: disclaimer out there. You're

Rachel: I'm like, this is good, right?

Mangla: the taxi out of there, that's what I'm going to be searching. So, so

Paula: so how do I get in touch with you? How, how does one listen to this and go, that's me. I need to speak to 

Mangla: Instagram is the best place. I'm on expat business in a bag. Just send me a DM.

Mangla: Funny thing is, I think I was the last person in our age group to get on Instagram, couldn't stand social media, didn't know how to do it at all. And now I'm loving it.

Rachel: That's

Mangla: I learned something new. hated [00:30:00] tech, absolutely hated tech. And I thought, you know what? I've put off getting my website done in so long.

Mangla: I'm actually going to learn how to do it. You're going to slay that dragon and I did it. So you need to have those little challenges for yourself to make it a bit fun. So you just got to figure out, so what's the next dragon I'm going to slay.

Mangla: Yeah. 

Paula: But we will put all the show notes uh,

Rachel: We'll put all the information in the show

Mangla: notes. Sorry people. Uh,

Paula: people.

Mangla: we

Paula: Uh, but we will also tag you on all our social media. Um, so if anyone is out there that wants to follow us on TikTok, LinkedIn, um, Instagram

Rachel: And also fine mangler, business in a bag.

Mangla: Oh, I guess. Yeah. I'm happy to have a conversation with anyone, even if it's just that little bit of, um, ambition you need a little.

Mangla: And some people come to me saying, you know what, I need a kick up the bum. I want you to push me and others say, I can't stand pressure. Do [00:31:00] not push So we'll work with what works for your personality.

Mangla: And one question, one thing I would say to everyone is when you want to start a business and you want to aim for an income level, figure out what you want to do with that because of money.

Mangla: It's, it's nice. But if you have this shared goal or a strong why, Oh, that makes all the difference with ambition. So whether it's paying off a mortgage, um, you know, um, Um, planning a retirement home in this beautiful place, like my why, which I'd love to share is my husband works incredibly hard for all of us and he supports his brother who has Parkinson's as well.

Mangla: I would love to give him a year off, to finish a book that's

Rachel: in his hand. That's 

Mangla: And that's a huge why for me. And that makes all the difference. And so then you don't have to worry about keeping motivated and all of that stuff because the why is just so 

Rachel: Yeah, for sure. Yeah.

Paula: That is nice. So you need to have that [00:32:00] 

Mangla: to be able Yeah. And then it's easy to stay motivated. Do 

Paula: Do you have anything more to add?

Mangla: I think we have had, um, Amazing experiences here. We have so much to share with people, the younger generation, even people older than us. I just don't think it's right. We keep all of that inside of us. So what we're saying is that we have amazing knowledge inside all of us.

Mangla: We've had experiences that other people might only dream about. So I think we should share it. I, I think we should leave this world, life, country, better than when we got here. And so we should share everything. Share our knowledge, share our experiences, and share our lessons. So there's, there's an idea in everybody.

Rachel: Yeah, I

Rachel: like that too. It's really, really nice.

Rachel: Yeah. 

Paula: Thank you so much

Paula: for [00:33:00] was sucan interesting conversation and we really appreciate the time and effort it to come here with all these other things that are going on in your life.

Paula: So, 

Rachel: life, me. 

Mangla: was so relaxing and so nice.

Rachel: I know, I feel, I feel so calmed by your presence. It's been really, really great. I really love it, yeah. It's good,