TRANSCRIPT
Reinvention Is Welcomed | Building Multi-Stream Wealth as a Mom Abroad
I can build my business in my way, in my tempo basically.
But I think if you never take the leap and you never take the chance, then you'll never know, right?
We are moms, we are bosses, and we're living abroad.
And in this brand new season of this exciting podcast, we are boosting the woman-to-woman connection through deep, intimate conversations to pause, reflect, and go beyond the skein deep.
And we are here to celebrate your unique journey.
No matter how old your business or your babies, or where you are in the world, you are not alone.
It's time to go deeper, understand better, and lean into more harmony and fun along the way.
We are Desiree and Iva, and this is Mom Bosses Abroad.
Hi, and welcome to a new episode of the Mom Bosses Abroad podcast.
We are here today with a very inspiring guest, someone that we have had the pleasure of having in previous seasons in our podcast.
And we are so excited to have her here because she is really the embodiment of that mom who's navigating the motherhood chaos living abroad, and also leading out that intrepreneurial, multi-passionate spirit while running different businesses at the same time.
So we can't wait to ask her all about it.
And I'm here with my beautiful business bestie and podcast co-host, Desiree Gonzalez, and we want to welcome Lin to our podcast.
Hi, Lin, and welcome.
Good morning.
Thank you.
Lin, it's so good to have you back.
Yeah, you were with us in season two.
So it's been a couple of years, actually.
So I would love to just introduce you again to everyone.
So yeah, Lin has been living internationally for nearly two decades as a mom of three.
Plus now they've added a furry friend to their family as well.
And she definitely wears many hats.
She's a supporting spouse, an affiliate marketer, a wellness advocate, a photographer and a travel advisor as well, fueled by countless adventures.
And that's true.
I think you guys really travel all the time.
Yeah.
The last time you were still based in Kyoto, but now you are in vibrant Bangkok and you're really passionate about health, plant-based eating, saving the planet and empowering women to build strong futures.
With a heart for female entrepreneurship, Lin started an online business with high-ticket affiliate marketing to create general wealth.
And she's always there as well to always coach and cheerlead other women toward these same dreams.
It's a real pleasure.
Thank you.
Thank you for having me.
I remember when we did the previous podcast, I was still sitting in my Japanese tatami room in Kyoto, in my wooden house in Kyoto.
And now I've been here in Bangkok almost three years already.
Yeah.
Time passes by super fast, doesn't it?
And I think one really, really exciting change since then, besides you living in a different country, is that we are actually now all business partners as well.
And that is something definitely that's crystallized over, especially over the past year.
Lin, it'd be really great if you would tell us a little bit about how the online space came to be for you, why you chose high ticket affiliate marketing.
And then also later on, I do want to touch on like all the other amazing things you do, but your main thing definitely the high-ticket affiliate marketing space, what made you decide to go in there?
Yeah, it was actually, I didn't know a lot about it, and it was really kind of like by accident reconnecting with a friend who was in the high-ticket affiliate space.
I reconnected with her at a time in my life where I had more time because my third one had also gone to school full-time, and I was kind of reassessing what am I going to do with my time.
I had a few hobbies where I made some money with, but it wasn't really substantial.
It was really more that like passion businesses.
I wrote some books, I did photography already, but they didn't really give me a solid income.
And then when I reconnected with this friend who is now, well, she's still my friend, but also my mentor and business partner, she explained this affiliate marketing to me and what the difference was between high ticket and low ticket and everything about the company.
And I just jumped in from there because I thought it's perfect for someone who lives the life I live where you actually don't know when you have to pack up and move again.
So you can't really set up a traditional business.
So in that way, the online space is really perfect for it.
And now that I'm thinking back to again, to the last time we did the podcast, we were actually talking about me being in Kyoto and we'll stay here probably another year, but you never know.
And actually I think we did it in September and then in December I moved, which I didn't know.
Yeah, I remember.
Yes, so it's really with our lifestyle, with my husband being in the hospitality business.
Sometimes you just, you get the call and you just need to pack up and leave.
And the perfect thing about the high ticket affiliate marketing is also that you can still, because you're building a team and you're all building together.
So even when you take some time out, because you're, you know, moving to a different country, you can still have the income coming in as well.
And then once you're settled, you can just pick it back up.
I remember, Lin, our first conversations in the previous seasons were one of the things that was really a big catalyst for you to consider being a mom boss abroad, even though you have a husband that is working, you know, that through him, you're getting relocated and you get to travel.
And it seems to be quite steady in the sense that, okay, it's not predictable location wise, but it's predictable that he gets assigned different, you know, hotels and projects and so forth every so often.
But I remember that one of the things that you mentioned was this sense of, I also want to do something for myself.
Like, it's that sense of, if anything were to happen, I have also a fallback plan where I feel empowered and not feel adrift in a scenario like that.
So, I think that is such an incredible place to come from, because I know that a lot of women who have grown up being independent, who have lived on their own before meeting their spouses, and now they find themselves having children and perhaps a little bit more subjected to the husband leading the way in where they go, how they live, etc., all those details.
There's still the sense of what about me?
What is it that I am building or creating, that I can call mine, and that I can also build a little bit on the side as a nest egg?
Do you feel that that is still very much present in the way that you're showing up in handling or your businesses?
Has that changed?
Like what comes up for you in terms of that inner drive and motivation for doing all the things?
I think initially, that was a very big drive for me.
Like what if something happens to him?
Because a lot of our lifestyle kind of like hangs on his job.
And at that time, I had a few friends that were unexpectedly like left by their husbands.
They had to move back home and start completely over.
So at the time, that was like a big fear for us.
Not necessarily that he would leave me, but that someone, something maybe could happen.
I think over the years now, because I've been with Enagic, I think for almost four years now.
So that's really how it started and why I thought this is good to start building this.
But it changed a little bit into, you know, like a 10 year plan where my husband and I sat down and looked at when is our little one going to finish school, which is like in 10 years time.
And how can I build my businesses to hopefully retire him by that time or not totally like he doesn't want to quit working, but he wants to do something different and not have the burden of that that financial burden of the family on his shoulders.
So yeah, now it's changed a little bit from kind of like operating from fear and needing to have this financial independence to operating in abundance and looking forward to building this, building this, so that in 10 years time, when the little one, you know, leaves home and goes to university, maybe, hopefully, it's, it feels like a long time away, but I know how quickly it goes with the kids.
Who knows if universities will still exist, right?
Who knows if universities are still relevant in 10 years at the pace we're going?
Exactly.
She'll just have like ChatGPT and YouTube, and that's it.
I'm a doctor.
But anyway, so it's-
Exactly.
So, but it changed into this, yeah, this story of abundance and how can I build these businesses to in 10 years time for him to be able to quit working for an employer and also take the leap to start working for himself, but obviously not give in to the quality of the life that we're living.
Exactly.
Exactly.
And that's why I identified so much with your vision because we are definitely in similar boats and now both our husbands are in the hotel industry.
And a big thing also came with, you know, one day we will, they do, they don't want to stay in there forever.
And they do want to do their own thing.
But we also do not want to give up that lifestyle we're living because we have a good lifestyle now.
We have been abroad for so long that it's like, imagine we go back and like all the things and things we can afford to do, you know, living in really this quiet, like, spacious lifestyle, right?
Like, we don't want to give that up either.
So as our dreams evolve, as our visions evolve, it's really beautiful as well to add this type of opportunity and income stream into our life.
And that's why you did inspire me and which is why we definitely linked arms and are doing that now.
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But tell us, you are, that is not the only thing that you're building right now, or at least not the only thing that you're focusing on.
What else are you currently doing?
So this last year, I've really been focused on building my personal brand on three different pillars, like three different income streams.
So I have the Healthy Living by Lin, which is mainly to do with the Japanese wellness company that we affiliate with.
And then I also certified as a travel agent, and I'm working with a platform called Fora, Fora Travel.
So I started to do, yeah, just holiday planning basically, and hotel booking for my clients.
And then thirdly, I still have my photography business as well, where I do family photography, and then also a lot of, I mean, like an entrepreneurs community, female entrepreneurs community here in Bangkok.
And I have like a special package for, to basically help like do some sort of giving back and supporting the community here in Bangkok by doing like brand photography for their social media websites and so on.
So for me, it's really the photography is really still kind of like a passion business.
I don't do it very often, maybe like twice a month or so.
And then I thought with the travel agent work, because I mean, we literally like travel a lot.
So I have a lot of, and I've lived in so many different countries.
So I have a lot of knowledge already.
So it's something that's easy for me to do.
And I also enjoy the trip planning for other people.
And I thought that could give me kind of like a more steady income, like a steady monthly income.
And then with the high ticket affiliate marketing, I really work on the legacy wealth, because at some point within the company, if you reach a certain rank with so many sales, you get to the legacy status and you'll have a monthly income like for life.
So that's the long-term plan that I have.
So in that way, it's like three multiple, three different income streams with three different purposes, so to speak.
Yeah.
Did you discover that this was a little bit how each business was going to fit into each box?
Or was it more like an organic discovery for you to say like, well, actually, I don't have to do my photography all the time, as long as I have a few times during the month where I can have that outlet, I'm happy enough.
And then building the legacy part, of course, is important because that also is a little bit like an insurance of sorts, right?
Like something that I have that I can tap into in a way that allows me to free up that worry about what the future would hold in case of anything.
Tell us a little bit how you came about to make it a little bit in that sense, what purpose goes behind each business adventure that you're on.
Well, I think the photography, what I said is like a passion, but it's also in a way, I don't know, it gets a bit boring sometimes when you need to do all the editing and the coloring of photos.
So I really want to keep it as a passion and not for it to become a chore, basically.
So that's why that's good to be in that passion corner and I don't do it too often.
And then with the travel agent work, it was actually my husband who suggested it to me because as a hotel manager, he said like, my God, I'm paying so much commission to these travel agents.
And I think you should start doing that because, you know, you have a lot of friends and people that you know that travel a lot.
So, you know, it's kind of like an easy thing.
And then it was quite easy to earn the diploma.
And it was quite easy to, you know, become affiliated with Fora Travel.
And so I think that's something that I really enjoy, but that's also, yeah, in a way, it's like an easy way for me to set up a business.
But I still think the affiliate marketing is like my main thing.
And not just because of the business model and the products that they have, but I think also the whole community behind it, the community that we have, called the Wildly Empowered Collective, I get so much joy out of that.
And so I really want to focus on that as my main thing.
And the other two is, yeah, they're quite easy for me and they're fun for me to do.
But for me, the main thing is really the affiliate marketing space and what we build all together.
Do you ever feel that it gets a bit too much?
Do you ever feel like you are unable to focus on one entirely?
Because I know you are actually building all three at the same time.
Or like, well, the photography is there.
But I know the travel agent certification was quite recent.
So I know you're building these two alongside each other.
How do you do that and be able to focus on them?
This is a good question because I'm not a very organized person, actually.
So the last couple of months, I've been really focusing on trying to get these three things aligned and streamed.
And I've redone my website and I've like connected all the Facebook pages with the Instagram.
And I'm trying to find routine in posting everywhere and having content calendars and so on.
I also did like a course in organizing your business, just because I know I need help with that.
But unfortunately, there's also this thing that's called life and how life is always lifing.
So I feel that I still need to concentrate on that a bit more.
So that's going to be one of my goals for the first quarter of 2025 to really set it up as that people just know that's my brand, Lin de Leeuwerk, that I'm just these three different things and that they can find me for these three different things.
So yeah, that's still a work in progress, definitely.
Especially also because the travel and photography, they're kind of like freelance, right?
So sometimes there's a lot, sometimes there's less.
So it's really, yeah, it's a journey to discover what works for me and in what way I need to set myself up.
And I feel that you have given a lot of our listeners permission to say, I don't have it all figured out, but that doesn't prevent me from moving forward.
Because one of the things that I also remember very well, which I sometimes share with other people, and this is the real attribution, because it came from you, it was that you have always said, I asked the universe to meet me halfway.
And so it's so incredibly inspiring to, through your sharing of saying, look, I am not misorganization by any means, but I am making inroads into that direction.
And I know I don't have it all together, but I don't need to have it all together to move forward and to start making things happen.
So that's a little bit that part where you say, meet me halfway, because I'm going to do a little bit what I need to do, taking into account that yes, life is life, that you have three children to look after as well.
And that we also value the role of mothers that we have going on.
So within that whole landscape, just even a little tiny baby step is, it's a nod to the universe to say, hey, I'm doing something.
I'm not just saying, I don't have time or it's too much or I cannot even.
You're saying, look, this is the little bit that I can do, but it's one inch forward.
So meet me halfway.
And I think that there's incredible magic when we look at it from that point of view, instead of saying, oh, here's Lin who has it all figured out and good for her type of story.
But rather, it's the, no, Lin is just doing Lin every day through all the different things that are on her plate and still moving a little bit forward each and every day and having those little wins little by little.
I also think, I think it's really important also to just start things because you can, I'm a very good planner.
Like I'm great in like writing down all the things I want to do and, you know, but then you also have to action them.
And I think I've really changed my mindset to like just do it.
I mean, maybe I've always changed this, had this mindset because I've done like quite impulsive things in the past when I was young and so on.
But I think if you never start, like you never know, right?
And maybe I'll, maybe I'll fail.
Like maybe, you know, maybe something doesn't work out or, you know, within our collective, there are some of the women, they're so powerful and they're so strong and they're really progressing very fast and they're having massive success.
And I'm more of a slow runner, I guess.
Like I'm just, I'm still doing it and I'm doing it every day, but I'm just not like them.
And that's also fine.
Like I can build my business in my way, in my tempo basically.
But I think if you never like take the leap and you never take the chance, then you'll never know, right?
Like I had them for this year, for 2024, I had a list of 24 goals that I wanted to reach.
And so some of them I've worked on harder and some of them, they're also, some of them are kind of like silly goals, right?
I want to be able to do 10 push ups, you know, and I wanted to run a race.
And so some are like fitness oriented and they're different goals.
And I haven't still haven't achieved some of them.
And I don't think I'll achieve all 24 of them by the end of the year, but at the same time, it's good to just have them and like try to get them.
And I'm not beating myself up for not reaching all the goals.
But I think it's good to have something and start it and just keep working on it.
I think that what you're highlighting is the idea that there will never be perfect timing to do things.
There will never be a perfect time to have kids.
You just have them and then you start to be a mom, right?
With no manual whatsoever.
And the same applies to so many other things in our lives.
So if we just wait around for all the stars and the planets to align, we're going to be waiting for a long, long time.
And I think that it's going to pass you by.
So I think that if you are a mom who is feeling the calling of saying, there's so many things that I want to try out, and a lot of people say, oh, you should just stick to one thing.
I think that listening to you, Lin, is a good story and inspiration to say, oh, I can wear many hats, and I can give myself permission to...
I don't have to do them all at the same intensity, speed, and amount, and quantity of time all at the same time.
But what I can do is just allow myself to explore different spaces as I go along in my life.
And I guess that is also...
I mean, I don't want to put words in your mouth, but would you say that this also allows you to show up differently as a mom?
Being able to do a little bit of all the things that you're passionate and that you like, and that excite you?
Well, I think, like my kids, they're very, always very interested in what I do.
And my son, who was like almost 13, he's already like planning to buy into Enagic when he's 18.
He's already like planning to get his Ionizer.
And like my girls, they're setting up a jewelry business at the moment.
And because I set up an official business entity now in Hong Kong, they're like, yeah, we can just also put it under your business.
I love that.
And so they're always very interested in what I do and how I do it.
And I think that's a really good lesson for them as well, to also see me try new things at my age, you know?
Not that I'm very old, but...
You're not.
No, but also that they can see that you don't have to stay stuck, you know, like, oh, now you're a mom.
Like, okay, that's just it.
No, you can still grow and learn new things and do new things.
And also do things that scare you, maybe, because, for example, in February, we came back to Japan and we went skiing.
And usually it's my husband and the kids skiing, and I'm just drinking coffee, basically.
But this time I said, no, I'm really, I'm going to try skiing for the first time in my life.
I'm 42.
Let me try this new thing.
And they were really, it was very scary for me.
And they saw me, like, crying there on my ski sometimes because they took me down, like, a very steep hill.
Anyway, on the second day.
And they saw me also crying and struggling, but then still persevering.
And I skied the whole week.
And I think it's really good for your kids to, of course, you're like their hero, right?
As their mom or dad.
But I think it's also important for them to just see that you're a human and you are struggling to grow, but you're still doing it and you're persevering and you're doing new things.
And I think it's just, yeah, it's good for them to see that.
Yeah, I absolutely love that.
And it's true, we are their role models and they mirror us in so many ways.
And one thing I also love about the fact that you are doing multiple things is whether you realize it or not, you're actually expanding your network at a much higher speed than others may be doing because you're tapping into different networks.
You have different bases of people that you're talking to.
You are a member of these female entrepreneurs, right?
There you go, you have your whole network there.
But also in the photography business, you are speaking to families, families who obviously is important to them to capture moments in their lives.
So these are also the types of families that we want, right?
In our realm.
And with the travel agency business, you're attracting your types of people, the people who love to travel, the people who love to go on adventures.
And it's really widening that network and widening your reach.
So I think that's definitely also a really powerful hack, or a powerful tool to have with growing what you defined as your main thing, right?
Growing your enagic business.
So I think it's amazing what you're doing.
We think it's extremely inspiring, which is why we've all linked arms together.
And yeah, I think every mom out there wondering, what should I do?
I have a beautiful list.
Shall I take action or not?
They need to go listen to this episode.
They need to listen to your stories of just don't be afraid.
Do it, take your time with it.
And also have the power of choosing what you feel passionate about, choosing how much you want to, how much time you want to invest in each one to really find your own personal groove because it will look different for every single mom out there.
And that at the end of the day, the common thread of all this business is you.
As you said, it's your personal brand because it's revolving around you.
So that's the most powerful asset that you have is how do you expand your skill sets, that you get to expand on your comfort zone.
So that that trying new things always gives us that sense of, okay, if I was able to ski and not die trying, then I'm able to do something else the next time and the next time, right?
And so I think that what people tend to, I guess, forget a little bit is that they think, oh, you know, now I'm doing high ticket affiliate marketing.
It's this product and I have to sell people on the product and I have to know everything about the product and so forth.
But rather is building a brand that is around you, how you are enjoying life, how you are growing, what are the health benefits that you're getting from it.
I mean, you're creating already like a whole set of little entrepreneurs at home that just want to go down that route and isn't it fantastic that they are being inspired by you.
So it's not only the product itself, but it's everything that comes together when you are living your own life and saying, hey, this is the way that it's showing up for me and you're sharing from that space.
So I think it's also like a great way to help other moms who feel like, oh, I want to do something that it's uniquely me.
I want to reinvent the wheel, so to speak.
And it's rather saying, hey, take something that is already working, that it has a track record.
Like a successful track record.
That it's affiliated with a company that has a good reputation, that they are longstanding, all the things.
I mean, yes, do your due diligence, but at the end of the day, you are the one who's really showcasing yourself, your life, your experiences, and bringing others along because they are inspired, or they are curious, or they are just like, I think Lin is so cool, because she's trying all this things, and I want to be like Lin, and they want to come into your world.
Exactly.
Yeah, I'm so cool.
Join my team.
Exactly.
No, thank you so much for being the inspiring mom and the inspiring friend that you are.
And we can't wait.
We're so excited about all the magic we're still going to be creating together.
And we also can't wait to continue watching your journey and how this all evolves for you.
And yeah, so thank you so much for being here again with us, sharing your story.
So thank you.
Thank you so much, Lin.
We are always so pumped up when we talk to you, because then we're ready to conquer the world pretty much.
Exactly.
And if you want to connect with Lin, you can find her on her Instagram at Healthy Living by Lin.
Also, she has her Facebook page and her own website at Lin de Leeuwerk.
I don't know if I said that right, but just check out the link with all the details in the show notes.
And we'll catch you next time.
If you found value, inspiration, or a nugget of wisdom in any part of our conversation, we would be so grateful if you could take a moment to show your support.
Leave a rating and review and share this podcast with another mom.
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Until next time, keep being the amazing mom that you are.
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Guest Bio
Living internationally for nearly two decades as a mom of three (plus a furry friend), Lin wears many hats: supporting spouse, affiliate marketeer, wellness advocate, photographer and travel advisor fueled by countless adventures. Based in vibrant Bangkok, she’s passionate about health, plant-based eating, saving the planet and empowering women to build strong futures. With a heart for female entrepreneurship, she started an online biz with high-ticket affiliate marketing to create generational wealth and coach and cheerlead other women toward these same dreams.
If you want to connect with Lin you can find her on Instagram @healthylivingbylin, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/Q7dAcXg5QFx8xXYP/?mibextid=LQQJ4dW, and website www.lindeleeuwerk.com.
Resources
Hey, Mama! 🌟 If you’ve been looking for a way to make an impact in health, create long-term wealth for your family, and design a freedom lifestyle—while being part of an amazing, supportive community—then listen up!
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