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Expatpreneur Episode 4: Living the Passion (and Paradise) Driven Life

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expatpreneurs_laura cancun.jpg Laura Winfree Cancun Gringa bloggerThis month’s Expatpreneur profile is a follow your heart and it will all come together kind of story.  Laura has been living in stunning Cancún for the last 9 years, where she has spent a lot of time talking about beaches, and also running a successful blog that helps you see the locals side of life in the tourist-favorite Cancún and Mayan Riviera.  She’s full of insights into local language, culture, food(!!!) and how to have a good time in México.   Even more so, her stay positive and go for what you love perspective will inspire you to work hard to follow your dreams (and save up for a getaway to the beach!)

I was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, so I’m a southern girl at heart. I had never even considered moving to Mexico until I had a chance to do 2 months of missionary work abroad the summer after high school graduation, and I chose Acapulco. While I was there, I fell in love with the hotels and beaches and knew that tourism was my calling. I also dated a local guy who soon moved to Cancun. I followed him to Cancun and decided to major in tourism at a local university. The relationship didn’t last too long after that, but now I’m married to a local Cancun guy named Jorge and he is THE BEST. Thanks Mom and Dad for supporting me in all my crazy ideas!

So, you’re an entrepreneur – what’s your project?

I never know how to answer this question concisely! I wear many hats. In addition to my day jobs, I run my own blog about life in Cancun and do a ton of freelance work as a copywriter, blogger and translator. Right now Jorge and I are also working on starting up a new online business with Cancun / Riviera Maya travel tips.

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What does your project offer the world?

My personal blogging and business endeavors certainly aren’t going to change the world, but Cancun and travel are my passion. I know this area better than anyone (a big claim, but it’s true), and I love sharing the magic of Mexico with my followers. In the past few years, Mexico has been portrayed as a big, scary place by the US and Canadian media, and I suspect that’s to keep tourism dollars within their own countries. (Mexico is the most popular foreign vacation destination for Americans.) I hope to show the US and Canada that in reality, Mexico is a beautiful, vibrant and safe country with so much to offer. My blog readers can see that right away because I explore so much with no hassle or worry.

What’s been the hardest thing about being an expat? And do you see any connections to the trials and tribulations of being an entrepreneur?

Culture shock hit me like a ton of bricks my first year in Cancun. This was in 2005, before Facebook and online expat forums. I had all Mexican friends, who were great and so patient with me, but it’s hard to learn a new culture when nobody around you gets what you’re going through. At the one year mark, however, I realized that I couldn’t change the culture and that I myself had to change in order to adapt. Once that idea hit me, it was a breeze. Personally I have had zero trials and tribulations as an expat entrepreneur! On the contrary, I’ve found that my English writing skills and expat status have helped me get many, many opportunities here in Cancun, where the market is mostly American. But I will say that networking is a MUST. Going to a Cancun university for four years before hitting the job market really helped me form important connections that would help me later on. my mexico cancun gringa travel beach Being an expat can have its up and downs – what has been the best skill or personal tool that has helped you turn challenge into opportunity?

Learning Spanish. TWICE. I learned fluent Spanish in middle and high school, but when I got to Mexico I had to re-learn the Mexican version of Spanish, which is filled with slang, in order to thrive in Cancun and complete university. It was a huge challenge that took several years to master (just ask my university friends!), but thanks to all that effort I am now 100% bilingual. If you’re completely bilingual, you’ll never be out of a job. And many marketing and online jobs in Cancun now require fluent English and Spanish. how to speak like a mexican gringa cancun Do you have any favorite life hacks that have been helpful in your life or expat life?

My favorite entrepreneur hacks are my planner and Evernote. I have a day-to-day planner to help me juggle all of my jobs and projects. If I don’t write something down in the planner, I’ll never remember it! My dad introduced me to the Evernote app, which allows you to store documents and notes on the app then access them from any device. Since I work from a desktop, a laptop, an iPad and a smartphone, Evernote is very handy! Unfortunately I didn’t discover my top expat hack until a few years ago: expat forums. If you’re new to a country, try to find an expat Facebook group for your area. The expat community is so very helpful, and they’ll help guide you through anything, from which is the best supermarket to dealing with culture shock.

You’ve been in more than a few different language environments – whats something thats made you laugh?

Since I do a lot of translating, I have to laugh when I see horrible translations on signs or menus. One time in a Cancun restroom there was a sign on a stall divider: “Frágil no recargarse”. This could be translated two ways: “Fragile, no leaning” or “Brittle not recharged”. Guess which one they chose? Google Translate is not your friend!

Languages are fun – know any entertaining or just plain cool words or phrases from a language you are familiar with? Enlighten us!

In Mexico they love to use the word “huevo” (or different variations of that word) in slang. It technically means “egg”, but it can mean so, so many things… from testicles, to bravery, to hell yeah! Here’s my quick guide to appropriate use of the word “huevo” in Mexican culture.

There seems to be an abundance of resources, information and help out there – but as an expat has there been something that you wish you had more help with? 

Mexico immigration information. Their website says one thing, and every employee at the Cancun immigration office has their own way of doing their job. You can ask a straightforward question, but the answer will vary depending on who you ask, when you ask them, and what mood they’re in. It’s very difficult to know what documents they need from me. Also Target. I really miss shopping at Target.

Do you have any brutally honest insight into the challenges of being an expatpreneur?

My Mexican friends often tell me that Mexican culture is like a “cubeta de cangrejos” (bucket of crabs). When one crab reaches the top and is able to escape, the rest of the crabs pull him back in. In the same way, when one Mexican person is about to achieve success, others will bring them back down, even though it doesn’t help them in any way… they just don’t want others to be successful. Personally, I have never seen this happen in university or in the Mexican workplace, but many of my Mexican friends use the “cubeta de cangrejos” analogy, so there must be some truth to it. I try to be aware of the possibility, but so far Mexicans have only pushed me forward.

Whats the best advice you could give to other expatpreneurs out there?

So many expats form tight little communities with other expats. These communities are great for speaking candidly and getting through tough spots, but don’t isolate yourself from the local culture. Since I spent my first few years in Cancun with only Mexican friends, I have become more open-minded and patient. I’m a better and more well-rounded human being. Plus it helped my Spanish! You can follow Laura’s life and beachventures on any of the following:

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www.GringationCancun.com
 https://www.facebook.com/GringationCancun
Twitter: @CancunGringa
Instagram: @CancunGringa

 


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