Turning disaster into a new career

Mar 28 | 2023

Steve Jordan interviews Marta Galano from the Voerman Group about her tale of trauma and persistence that changed her and her career forever.

Marta Galano It was while attending the ReloAdvisor meeting in Amsterdam in February that Marta Galano from Eurohome Relocation Services, part of the Voerman Group, said she had an interesting story to tell.  As regular readers will know I am a sucker for a good tale, so I agreed to a chat.  Marta, it turned out, was right.

Of course, mixed in with the personal story was a strong sales message. That’s OK, I appreciate subtlety.  I was happy to do both, at least up to a point. 

Marta, it turned out, is from Argentina.  Back in December 2018, while travelling in Europe, she met someone from The Netherlands. After a few months, she followed him across the Atlantic to make a home together in Europe.  The relationship lasted less than 2 years, but the experience of moving half-way around the world left an impression on her that was to change the direction of her career fundamentally.

“It was a traumatic experience for me,” she explained. “Everything went wrong.”  She had come from more than 32°C and, in the Netherlands, it was -5°C and snowing. That didn’t help.  She had friends but didn’t know anyone professionally, she didn’t know the language, had no job and for the shipment of her personal goods she had taken advice from friends of friends who, though well-meaning, were not helpful.  The shipping cost her dearly and she was without her things, including suitable clothing, for two months ...

Photo: Marta Galano.

Click here to read the full story in The Mover magazine.

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