LIVING THE DREAM: FRENCH RIVIERA
INTERVIEWS
Life on the French Riviera is often seen as the ultimate dream. But behind the sunshine and glamour lies the challenge of building a sustainable life. The Living the Dream podcast, hosted by Cecile Liconnet, shares the bold and authentic stories of women who have made the move, navigating work, reinvention, and cultural shifts while creating new lives by the sea and sun.
Recorded and hosted by Cecile Liconnet.
In this episode of Living the Dream: French Riviera, host Cecile Liconnet chats with Rachael, an osteopath who arrived on the French Riviera just days after the medical practice became legal in France in 2002.
Rachael shares how meticulous planning, foresight, and sheer determination were key aspects in helping her relocate and also opens up about the early months of emotional autopilot and the challenge of forging a professional identity from the ground up.
You can find additional episodes of Living the Dream: French Riviera on the show’s dedicated feed, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more platforms.
Recorded and hosted by Cecile Liconnet.
In this episode of Living the Dream: French Riviera, host Cecile Liconnet welcomes Valentina, an independent educational consultant, who first moved to the South of France in her mid-forties, moved back home, before coming back to France later in her life.
This conversation between Cecile and Valentina explores the topics of disappointment and resilience, and the courage it takes to try again. It speaks honestly about failed relocations, rebuilding confidence, finding legitimacy in a new country, and creating a professional life that finally feels sustainable.
You can find additional episodes of Living the Dream: French Riviera on the show’s dedicated feed, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more platforms.
Recorded and hosted by Cecile Liconnet.
In this episode of Living the Dream: French Riviera, host Cecile Liconnet catches up with Suzanne, a former air stewardess who ended up creating her own bespoke cake business, Les Gâteaux Sucrés.
Suzanne shares insights into working in France as a foreigner, navigating administration, adapting to the French palate, dealing with seasonality, and why effort and integration matter when settling into a local community.
You can find additional episodes of Living the Dream: French Riviera on the show’s dedicated feed, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more platforms.
Recorded and hosted by Cecile Liconnet.
In this episode of Living the Dream: French Riviera, host Cecile Liconnet speaks with Patricia, a Riviera-based French teacher who works through immersion, real situations, and cultural context rather than classroom methods.
The conversation between Cecile and Patricia opens up on how people in France can access support when they want to change direction professionally, and the structures that exist to make that change possible.
You can find additional episodes of Living the Dream: French Riviera on the show’s dedicated feed, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more platforms.
Recorded and hosted by Cecile Liconnet.
In this episode of Living the Dream: French Riviera, host Cecile Liconnet talks to Roberta, a Brazilian entrepreneur who rebuilt her professional life from scratch after leaving the yachting industry and settling in the South of France
Roberta shares some of the hardships she faced as a non-EU national trying to settle in the country: low local salaries, language barriers, long commutes, seasonality, and the pressure of securing legal residency.
You can find additional episodes of Living the Dream: French Riviera on the show’s dedicated feed, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more platforms.
Recorded and hosted by Cecile Liconnet.
In this episode of Living the Dream: French Riviera, host Cecile Liconnet speaks with Catherine, a former UK nurse who rebuilt her professional life in France and went on to co-found a global communications and technology business headquartered in Cannes.
Catherine shares how necessity, adaptability, and a solutions-driven mindset led to unexpected opportunities: from serving individual expats to working with major international companies across Europe, North America, Asia and beyond.
You can find additional episodes of Living the Dream: French Riviera on the show’s dedicated feed, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more platforms.
Recorded and hosted by Cecile Liconnet.
In this episode of Living the Dream: French Riviera, host Cecile Liconnet is joined by Christine Kjeldberg, a wellness expert who has built a thriving career in Pilates, barre, and nutrition since relocating from Denmark nearly 20 years ago.
Christine shares how she turned a lifetime of movement, holistic health, and personal resilience into a meaningful profession on the French Riviera; beginning with teaching pilates to her elderly neighbours and growing into a respected international wellness practitioner.
You can find additional episodes of Living the Dream: French Riviera on the show’s dedicated feed, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and more platforms.
Recorded and hosted by Cecile Liconnet.
In this episode of Living the Dream: French Riviera, host Cecile Liconnet is joined by Luus, a former an engineer who went through extensive professional retraining to become a therapist and coach.
Luus offers a rare, expert perspective: she has watched many of women arrive in France, struggle with language and confidence, lose their professional identity and eventually find a path that fits. She shares insight on psychology, identity and the role of community.
Recorded and hosted by Cecile Liconnet.
In this episode of Living the Dream: French Riviera, host Cecile Liconnet is joined by Ariana, a French Canadian woman who left the corporate world for entrepreneurship.
Ariana shares how an unexpected conversation at a local market pushed her to explore a completely different path, one that led from colourful hummus to the artisanal granola business she runs today.
Recorded and hosted by Cecile Liconnet.
In this episode of Living the Dream: French Riviera, host Cecile Liconnet is joined by Melanie Morcom, a corporate event planner from London turned owner of a health and wellness coaching studio in the South of France.
Mel tells Cecile about the situations that led to her move to France, the difficulties that came with establishing her studio in a foreign country and a moment that marked her relocating journey.
Recorded and hosted by Cecile Liconnet.
In this episode of Living the Dream: French Riviera, host Cecile Liconnet is joined by Catherine, who went from freelancing as an English teacher to founding her own training centre, helping hundreds of professionals in France gain confidence in speaking English.
Catherine tells Cecile about how she navigated the complexities of French administration, tackled various challenges to earn a QUALIOPI certification, and how she finally managed to open and grow her business.
Recorded and hosted by Cecile Liconnet.
In this episode of Living the Dream: French Riviera, host Cecile Liconnet is joined by Lizzy Parks, a jazz vocalist who once toured internationally as a sound artist in London and now lives on the French Riviera.
Lizzy tells Cecile about her move to the South of France and what triggered that large change in her life, but also how she managed to rebuild a dynamic and creative life here.
Recorded and hosted by Cecile Liconnet.
In this first episode of Living the Dream: French Riviera, host Cecile Liconnet is joined by Jo, the very first person she met when she moved to the French Riviera.
Jo is a real estate agent, hailing from North East England, who knows what it means to go all in, even babysitting for her clients. From surfing dreams to surprise winters, Jo shares what Living the Dream really looks like.