For many diplomatic and expat partners, four simple words can feel surprisingly difficult to answer: "What do you do?" Whether you're working, taking a career break, raising children, volunteering, studying, or still figuring out your next chapter, this question can leave you questioning your identity, confidence, and sense of purpose.

In this episode, we unpack why this question feels so loaded and share practical coaching tools to help you answer it with confidence, no matter what season of life you're in.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why we often tie our identity and self-worth to our job title
• Practical ways to answer "What do you do?" with confidence and authenticity, whether you're working or not

This episode is a reminder that your worth isn't determined by your job title or productivity. You are so much more than your career, and your story deserves to be told with confidence. We hope you'll leave this conversation feeling empowered to answer one of the most common questions in diplomatic life with authenticity and pride.

🌱 Want to go deeper?

If today's episode resonated with you and you're ready to rediscover your confidence, identity, and purpose overseas, Emma would love to support you.

Find out more about Roots & Wings:

https://tinyurl.com/zestieRootsWings

Or explore The Portable You:

https://tinyurl.com/Zestieportableyou

If you'd like to find out more about Anna's coaching sessions, send her a DM on Instagram @Notjustaspouse

ASK your questions on our anonymous link: https://tally.so/r/nP7zO5

🎧 Connect with your hosts:

Anna – Instagram: @notjustaspouse | notjustaspouse.com | anna@notjustaspouse.com

Emma – Instagram: @thezestielife | emma@zestie.org | zestie.carrd.co

Moving overseas can leave you questioning who you are. When your career, routines, friendships, and sense of familiarity are left behind, it's easy to believe you've lost part of yourself. Many diplomatic and expat partners feel the pressure to "reinvent" themselves with every new posting—but is that really what's needed?

In this episode, we challenge the idea that every move requires you to become someone new. Instead, we explore how overseas life can be an opportunity to rediscover the strengths, values, and qualities that have been with you all along.

In this episode, we explore:

- The difference between reinventing yourself and rediscovering who you've always been

- How our roles, careers, and routines can become intertwined with our sense of self

- Reflective ways to reconnect with yourself

Every posting adds to who you are rather than taking away from it. Sometimes, finding yourself overseas isn't about reinventing your life, it's about rediscovering the person who has been there all along.

ASK your questions on our anonymous link: https://tally.so/r/nP7zO5

🎧 Connect with your hosts:

Anna – Instagram: @notjustaspouse | notjustaspouse.com | anna@notjustaspouse.com

Emma – Instagram: @thezestielife | emma@zestie.org | zestie.carrd.co

Confidence can feel elusive in diplomatic life. Every move asks you to start again, rebuild your routines, redefine your identity, and step into unfamiliar environments. It's no wonder so many diplomatic partners question themselves along the way.

In this episode, we unpack where confidence really comes from and why it isn't something you're born with, but something you build through experience, self-trust, and taking small courageous steps.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why confidence often takes a hit when you move overseas
• The myth that confident people never experience self-doubt
• Why confidence grows through action, not before it
• Ways to rebuild confidence, from celebrating small wins to learning to embrace being a beginner
• How self-compassion can help you navigate uncertainty and quiet your inner critic
• A simple reflection exercise to help you recognise just how much you've already overcome

This episode is a reminder that confidence is about trusting yourself to navigate whatever comes next. Every posting, every challenge, and every new beginning is another opportunity to strengthen your confidence and become the person you're growing into.

ASK your questions on our anonymous link: https://tally.so/r/nP7zO5

🎧 Connect with your hosts:

Anna – Instagram: @notjustaspouse | notjustaspouse.com | anna@notjustaspouse.com

Emma – Instagram: @thezestielife | emma@zestie.org | zestie.carrd.co

We're celebrating one year of the UNPACKED podcast. What started as honest conversations about the realities of diplomatic life has become a space for connection, reflection, and community for partners navigating this unique lifestyle around the world.

In this special anniversary episode, we have a massive catch up and reflect on what has happened in the last few months and where we find ourselves midway through this one.

In this episode, we explore:

Emma's reflections on the first 13 weeks of motherhood since welcoming her new baby

Anna's update on life since her evacuation from Lebanon and where she and her children are now

The challenges, surprises, and moments of joy that have defined this transition in our lives

The intentions we are setting as we move into the next chapter of the year and the next year of UNPACKED

Whether you've been listening since episode one or have recently found our podcast, thank you for being part of this incredible community and for unpacking diplomatic life with us.

ASK your questions on our anonymous link: https://tally.so/r/nP7zO5

🎧 Connect with your hosts:

Anna – Instagram: @notjustaspouse | notjustaspouse.com | anna@notjustaspouse.com

Emma – Instagram: @thezestielife | emma@zestie.org | zestie.carrd.co

As we close our parenting series, we turn to the experiences that are often less visible but just as important to acknowledge within diplomatic life. Not all parenting or personal responsibilities can be seen at post.

In this episode, we explore the often overlooked experiences of those who are childfree, parenting from a distance, or supporting adult children while living overseas.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why inclusion matters when social life at post often centres around families and children
• What it means to parent from afar when children are at boarding school or university
• The emotional and practical load of supporting children across time zones, even when they are not physically at post
• How adult children may still rely on parents

This episode brings our parenting series to a close with a reflection on the many different ways care, responsibility, and family show up in diplomatic life, and a reminder that every experience deserves to be seen, valued, and supported.

ASK your questions on our anonymous link: https://tally.so/r/nP7zO5

🎧 Connect with your hosts:

Anna – Instagram: @notjustaspouse | notjustaspouse.com | anna@notjustaspouse.com

Emma – Instagram: @thezestielife | emma@zestie.org | zestie.carrd.co

In this special episode, we are joined by Elina, Anna’s daughter, who shares her perspective of growing up in a globally mobile diplomatic life. Through her experiences of moving between countries, schools, and communities, she offers an honest and thoughtful insight into what this lifestyle really feels like from a young person’s point of view.

This conversation gives space to both the beauty and the challenges of growing up across cultures and constant change.

In this episode, we explore:

• What it feels like to grow up moving between countries and starting over in new environments
• The best parts of a globally mobile life and the opportunities it brings
• The harder moments including goodbyes, change, and navigating uncertainty
• How this lifestyle has shaped Elina’s perspective, identity, and outlook on the world
• The realities of building and maintaining friendships across countries
• Practical things Elina does to support herself through transitions and new beginnings

ASK your questions on our anonymous link: https://tally.so/r/nP7zO5

🎧 Connect with your hosts:

Anna – Instagram: @notjustaspouse | notjustaspouse.com | anna@notjustaspouse.com

Emma – Instagram: @thezestielife | emma@zestie.org | zestie.carrd.co

Raising teenagers comes with its own complexities wherever you are in the world. Doing so overseas adds another layer as young people navigate identity, friendships, education, and belonging across cultures and constant change.

In this episode, we explore what it means to support teenagers through the diplomatic lifestyle and how to balance their growing independence with the realities of a globally mobile life.

Anna shares her personal experiences of raising teenagers overseas and reflects on the challenges, decisions, and emotional that shape this stage of parenting.

In this episode, we explore:

-How much to involve teenagers in decisions about moves and postings

-The impact of relocation on identity, friendships, and sense of belonging

-How diplomatic life can shape a teenager’s worldview in both positive and challenging ways

-Supporting teenagers emotionally through transitions, loss, and change

-Navigating education choices, continuity, and long-term planning

-Ways to create stability, trust, and open communication during this stage of life

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ASK your questions on our anonymous link: https://tally.so/r/nP7zO5

🎧 Connect with your hosts:

Anna – Instagram: @notjustaspouse | notjustaspouse.com | anna@notjustaspouse.com

Emma – Instagram: @thezestielife | emma@zestie.org | zestie.carrd.co

In this special episode we are joined by Shaden, who has experienced diplomatic life from three unique perspectives. She grew up as a diplomat child, later became a diplomat spouse, and is now raising her own children within this globally mobile life.

Drawing on her personal journey across countries, cultures, and life stages, Shaden shares how those experiences eventually inspired her to write a children’s book, Adam the Tiny Diplomat, a story created to help children understand movement, belonging, and what it means to call many places home.

In this episode we talk about:

• How Shaden turned her family’s lived experience into a story that could support other children navigating diplomatic life
• The courage it takes to reinvent yourself creatively and step into authorship

If you would like to get in touch with Shaden her instagram is @Shaden_Kraishan

ASK your questions on our anonymous link: https://tally.so/r/nP7zO5

🎧 Connect with your hosts:

Anna – Instagram: @notjustaspouse | notjustaspouse.com | anna@notjustaspouse.com

Emma – Instagram: @thezestielife | emma@zestie.org | zestie.carrd.co