The Embassy Wealth Podcast

Turning a Natural Talent into a Small Business with Marcelle Yeager

When Marcelle Yeager left behind a career she loved and found herself in Uzbekistan struggling to find work, she began reviewing the resumes of her friends and family and coaching them on job transitions. She found a niche in helping talented people transition into the job they wanted, not just the job that was the logical next step to a promotion in their current field. Seeing how much talent was in the Foreign Service EFM community overseas, she started Career Valet in 2012, with the idea of matching talented people to their ideal jobs. 

 

In this interview, Marcelle shares: 

 

• How she went from giving free advice on resumes to turning it into a stream of income
• Starting a business overseas in a pre-Zoom world
• How to reflect on skills you’ve obtained from your current job to determine what you may be interested in pursuing for your next career

 

…and so much more! 

 

You can check out Career Valet here: https://www.careervalet.com/

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

Normalizing Money Talk & Starting Financial Literacy Groups around the World with Malene Carr

Talking about money has always been somewhat taboo in today’s society, so when Malene Carr’s father sat her down to discuss her Thrift Savings Plan when she first started at the State Department, she appreciated how open her father was to discussing financial matters.  Now Malene is starting financial literacy groups at every embassy or consulate where she serves, with the goal of promoting open and frank discussions on investments, financial health, and debt management. She also encourages others to start their own groups with the goal of building wealth, together.

 

In this interview, Malene shares: 

 

• How you can start your own financial literacy group
• The importance of being flexible with your spending and investments and financial mentorship
• Getting your family into investing (even at a young age!)

 

…and so much more! 

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

Starting a Small Business for the Diplomatic Community with Christine Lusk

Time with family and friends is something you can never get enough of, but it is something Foreign Service employees struggle to find even during R&R.  Shopping, organizing, and handling the pack out for your consumables shipment is time consuming, draining, and not a favorable way to be spending your time in between PCSes.  The frustration Christine Lusk felt when she was spending time shopping and packing instead of seeing her family when she arrived in Falls Church led to the creation of DiploDash, a business specializing in PCS services for Foreign Service employees that provides consumables shipment and pack out assistance and care package delivery. 

 

In this interview, Christine shares: 

 

• starting a small business despite doubts from your peers
• how you can use the community you’re in to test demand for your business services
• how starting a small business can shine a light on areas of personal growth and development
• how to handle criticism as a business owner

 

…and so much more! 

 

You can see all the services that DiploDash offers on their website: https://www.diplodash.com/

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

Part II: Investing in Self Storage Facilities with Courtney & Matt Glass

Courtney and Matt Glass have discovered not one but two niches of the real estate investing world for themselves. After joining the Foreign Service and becoming accidental landlords, Courtney and Matt learned about the FIRE (financial independence retire early) movement and promptly began investing in short-term rentals in 2019. Since then, they have expanded their real estate portfolio and begun investing in self-storage facilities. These investments have allowed Matt, as an eligible family member, to have a continuous income stream managing their real estate portfolio as they move from post to post.

 

In this interview, Courtney and Matt share: 

 

• How to find and finance self-storage facilities
• How to evaluate a self-storage property
• Managing a facility from a distance

 

…and so much more! 

 

This is part two of a two-part interview with Courtney and Matt. In part one, they discuss their experience in investing in short-term rentals. 

 

Courtney and Matt would love to hear from you! You can reach them through their website: www.crossover-wealth.com

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

Part I: Finding & Managing Profitable Short-Term Rentals with Courtney & Matt Glass

Courtney and Matt Glass have discovered not one, but two niches of the real estate investing world for themselves. After joining the Foreign Service and becoming accidental landlords, Courtney and Matt learned about the FIRE (financial independence retire early) movement and promptly began investing in short term rentals in 2019. Since then, they have expanded their real estate portfolio and begun investing in self-storage facilities. These investments have allowed Matt, as an eligible family member, to have a continuous income stream managing their real estate portfolio as they move from post to post.

 

In this interview, Courtney and Matt share: 

 

• How to identify a short term rental market
• The value of reliable “boots-on-the-ground” vendor partners
• Cultivating good relationships with the neighbors next to your rentals
• Income differences between short-term rental and a home leave vacation home

 

…and so much more! 

 

This is part one of a two-part interview with Courtney and Matt. In part two, they discuss their experience in investing in self storage facilities. 

 

Courtney and Matt would love to hear from you! You can reach them through their website: www.crossover-wealth.com

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

European Citizenship through the Golden Visa Program with Dillon Banerjee

After several wonderful assignments in Europe, Dillon Banerjee wanted to see how he could continue living in Europe after retiring from the Foreign Service. A tourist passport only allows Americans up to a 90 day stay in the Schengen Area, and Dillon wanted to be able to enjoy retirement with his family without geographic limits. 

 

While researching options, he found another Foreign Service officer who had used the Golden Visa program to become a full-time resident of Portugal. This impactful conversation launched Dillon down a path that ultimately led him to applying for EU citizenship. 

 

In this episode, hear Dillon discuss: 

 

• How to navigate the bureaucratic process of the Golden Visa application
• The funds necessary for the investments
• In which countries the Golden Visa is a possibility
• How to find and vet law firms that specialize in this process and can assist you

 

…and so much more! 

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

Ethically Driven Investing in Regenerative Agriculture with Toby Wolf

During an overseas assignment in France, Toby Wolf and his wife discovered their appreciation and love for sustainably-raised local food. While his wife was in the process of writing a French cookbook, they toured local farms. Talking with farmers and seeing how their businesses worked inspired Toby to consider more directly supporting and investing in sustainable and regenerative agriculture. These investments are now part of his overall portfolio allocation, providing not only diversification, but an ethical component to his investments. 

 

Hear from Toby about: 

 

• How to invest in agricultural investments as a small, non-institutional investor
• Utilizing a self-directed IRA for unconventional investing
• How investing in regenerative agriculture can build up rural communities
• The ease of investing in sustainable projects through index funds

 

…and so much more! 

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

Building a Bigger Portfolio with Less Risk with Stephen Marquette

Vacation rentals, multi-family properties and house-hacking: Stephen Marquette has tried a variety of real estate investments over twenty years of overseas and domestic assignments. From purchasing his first condo to partnering up with a FS colleague and learning the power of a team, Stephen has gained a wealth of experience along his investing journey. Building a strong local network, leveraging partnerships, and continually educating himself and adjusting his strategy has helped him and his partners build a portfolio of 27 units in 3 states.

 

 

Learn from Stephen: 

 

• How to utilize your primary residence as an investment property through house hacking
• The benefit of partnerships to mitigate risks and grow your portfolio faster
• The importance of keeping accurate and clean records of your investments and expenses
• How real estate fits into his diverse investment strategy

 

…and so much more! 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

Leaving The Foreign Service and Starting a Beverage Company in South Africa

Ajani Husbands was a seasoned FSO when he went on leave without pay to attend law school and pursue a career in corporate law. During several grueling years in corporate law, during which he officially resigned from the FS, Ajani decided to launch a beverage brand based on his mothers signature rum punch recipe. He experimented with different flavor profiles and, after moving overseas with his FS spouse, he re-branded his punch in order to launch his new beverage brand in South Africa.

 

Hear Ajani explain:

 

• Leaving the Foreign Service and transitioning into corporate America and entrepreneurship
• How he turned a family rum punch recipe into a high end beverage that he launched on the South African market
• The importance of market research and partnering with experts in design, branding, and manufacturing to launch a product in a foreign country
• Determining product pricing and design and building brand awareness

 

…and so much more! 

 

You can learn more about Ajani’s signature rum punch at www.drink1966.com

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers

Building a Sizeable Real Estate Portfolio One Property At A Time with Mike Warder

Mike Warder fell into real estate investing in 2006, when he turned his Denver condo into a rental property. He self-managed that property for 10 years before he and his wife decided to buy a second property. Since then, they have been acquiring properties each year and now own properties in Maryland, Virginia, and South Carolina. Mike is a hands-on landlord with lots of great lessons and stories on how to self-manage your properties from a distance, even when you’re in a different time zone.

 

Hear Mike discuss:

 

• Why a strategy of owning a mix of appreciating and cash flowing properties helps balance risk
• How you can successfully self manage a property from a distance
• The benefits of networking with fellow investors

 

…and so much more!

 

Music: “Higher Up” by Shane Ivers