How to Build Community and a Business When You're Far From Home | Dr. Analia Gomez Vidal

If you're building a business while managing family responsibilities, whether they're across town or across the world, this may be a common feeling for you. The constant guilt or a thought of, man, I'm not there. And the fear that if you focus too much on your business, something will happen and you won't be able to show up when it matters most. Or maybe you've already experienced a family health emergency, a crisis, and you had to make an impossible choice between your business or your life here versus there and being present with the people you love. I've worked with so many first-generation entrepreneurs, eldest daughters, and immigrant women navigating this exact issue, and I knew I needed to have today's guest on the show because her story speaks directly to this tension and back and forth. That's why I wanted to have Dr. Anelia, who's a career coach who helps international professionals navigate career growth in the US and globally. She's built her business being thousands of miles away from her family in Argentina. So here's what we're covering in this episode. The hidden emotional and financial costs of building a business when your support system is far away., and what to consider before making any big life transitions. How to make decisions when your family needs you and your business needs you at the same time. Our guest shares the exact framework she used when facing multiple family health emergencies while running her business and living her life here. And the practical steps for building community from scratch, right? I don't even know what that could feel like because I've always had a built and community. And so we really tap into whether you've moved to a new place, a new city, or disappeared during flare-ups, what does it, what are some things you can put in place to kind of stop that feeling of constantly starting over? And we talk about several other topics in this conversation. So this conversation is for you if you've ever felt torn between your business, your life, and your responsibilities, and your family, that may be here or far away, if you're scared that slowing down means losing momentum or even that you need permission to build something more meaningful in the way that aligns with you, then you wanna stay tuned because this episode's gonna help give you a different perspective on a conversation that I don't think we hear of often enough. So stay tuned.

There is a quick story that my dad always loves to share about me, that he would take me to the playground when I was like 3 years old and my family did not have money to like buy me the like bucket or like the toys and all this stuff. So they would take me there and my dad would turn around and within like 5 minutes I was already playing with other kids and their toys and we were all playing together and he was like, how is this possible? And I feel like that's a story that really tells something about who I am. And community is always at the heart of everything that I do.

Welcome to Business with Chronic Illness, the globally ranked podcast for women living with chronic illness who want to start and grow a business online. I'm your host, Nikita Williams, and I went from living a normal life to all of a sudden being in constant pain with no answers to being diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses and trying to make a livable income. I faced the challenge of adapting traditional business advice to fit my unique circumstances with chronic illness, feeling frustrated and more burned out than I already was while managing my chronic illness to becoming an award-winning coach with a flexible, sustainable online coaching business. I found the surprisingly simple steps to starting and growing a profitable business without compromising my health or my peace. Since then, I've helped dozens of women just like you learn how to do the same. If you're ready to create a thriving business that aligns with your lifestyle and well-being, you're in the right place. Together, we're shifting the narrative of what's possible for women with chronic illness and how we make a living. This is Business with Chronic Illness. Oh my goodness, I am so excited to have Analia. Did I say that right or did I say it wrong? Perfectly. Okay. Uh, I'm like so nervous. Like, I'm like, I want to say it right so bad. And I think I connected you with another wonderful woman, Yvette, on this show. And I was like, when I was listening to your story and when we connected, I was like, oh my gosh, you guys are like so aligned in such a, such a really good way. But I'd love for you to share a bit about like how you would describe yourself, what you do, and we'll start from there. Okay.

So my name is Analia Gomez Vidal. I am a US-based, Argentine-born research and coaching professional. I moved to the US about 11 years ago now to pursue my PhD. And since then, I went through a host of professional experiences. And in parallel, I started my career as a career coach to support international students and professionals across the globe. Who seek to gain awareness that accelerates their growth toward their life and career vision. Throughout my journey, I have had countless experiences myself and supporting others in which we don't necessarily feel seen or supported or find the right type of resources that we need to really thrive in our lives and careers, especially when we're living abroad. And so I felt the calling to start a business, which is AGB Services, LLC, to really address that through a host of, you know, coaching and consulting and a little bit of advocacy to make that visible.

That's awesome. I am always fascinated by people who take a big leap to move from one place to another, especially continents or countries, right? To pursue something, whether it's a passion, whether it's education. I know I have a lot of friends who travel for like their spiritual life, missionary work, and things like that. We've only— we call it— we've traveled in communities in different ways here in the States. And it is a complete, like the culture shock of just being within a, within a community of different people, even though you're in the same community you've always been in, right. Is fascinating on how much things can shift and change and what you're doing. It's so like awesome because I do think, you know, you don't get a necessarily a pamphlet that says, okay, you're doing this. So here you go. We're going to walk you through every step of what this is going to look like, feel like, be like. So For you, what has been your journey personally, and in what way has health or taking care of others come into the picture?

Yeah, so it's interesting because I was doing the math, and at this point in my life, I've spent a little bit over half of my life connected to international education in some way. The first time that I traveled abroad by myself to practice English, was when I was 17. And I remember coming back off that trip, just like feeling like this was it. I even like wrote down on a like journal that I had at that time that I just knew that there was a seed here of what my life would be like, even if I didn't know exactly how it would work out. And I always go back to it because It really does reflect what my life has been so far, but also what I felt my mission was in facilitating that for others as well. And yet, you know, when I think about where I was there and everything that unfolded after, and even, you know, like making the decision of moving to the US to pursue my PhD and then continue living here and now building my business here. I did not know what I was getting myself into. Yeah. And I'm a first-generation college grad in Argentina, let alone everything else that has continued since, right? And so when I made that decision of pursuing my PhD, I was definitely driven by this idea of like, I want a global career. At one point, you know, I fantasized with being a diplomat. I grew up learning languages. And so like, I really wanted that for myself. Eventually I decided that, you know, I was a lot better at learning. And so I went into the academic route without really knowing exactly how that would lead into the next steps. And so I think what happened there was that it was the realization that slowly but steadily I was building a life that was a lot more long-term. Long term. And one of the things that has always played out in the back of my mind is the opportunity cost that comes associated with this. And I, I feel it's pretty universal when I talk to other clients and people that I mentor who are also international students and workers. There is this sense of betraying the clan in some ways of being away. And so on one hand, there is this like pull towards doing it because like you feel like this is aligned with who you are and what you want for yourself.

Right.

But it's not costless. And so you always have that pressure or this sense of like guilt or owing like something to your family of origin, to your friends, to your communities back home.

Yeah.

And so that's a thing that has always been top of mind for me. And it played out very interestingly in the past few years because there's always that fear of like, I hope nothing happens to them while I'm away. But also you are away longer.

Yes, right. You're not down the street. You're in a different country.

Right, right.

Exactly.

And so, you know, like there's always that fear and then you start going through experiences where you have loved ones that are either in the hospital and you don't know if they're going to make it. And then you have to make quick decisions on whether you have— you can afford to travel right away or not, or if you're going to be there in presence or if it's easier for you to be from here. And that has played out a couple of times already in the past few years.

So do you mean— I'm sorry, do you— I just want to clarify. So do you mean that in your quest for education and learning and providing for yourself and for your family, the challenge has been in the space of there is a cost to the emotional and sounds like physiological, financial shift. I don't want to say burden because I don't think it's necessarily a burden from what I'm hearing you say. It's like this choice, this privilege that I have comes with this other side of it. My mom used to say all the time— my mom still says this— but, you know, there's good and bad consequences with every decision, even if it's a good decision, right, in the world that we live in. And so it sounds like that's what you're sharing here is like having to navigate big life decisions while living your life and taking care of family at home.

Yeah. And I will say, you know, like my full disclaimer is that there are like several privileges in my experience, right? I am not the primary caregiver for my family or provider for them. I am actually the only one who decided to move away. Everybody else in my core family are all together. And until very recently, they all lived together. So there is also, you know, like that conversation about what that looks like and what that feels like. But there is definitely that sense that a lot of people do not necessarily know of or acknowledge when they talk about someone who has decided to migrate. Yes. That it's like, you absolutely live with this sense of having to make a daily choice to continue going down your path, knowing that it's your path, but that you're missing out, missing out on being there, missing out on, you know, like being the person that they call right away.

Right.

And so there is that. Delayed information or like the wanting to protect. And on the flip side, something very interesting for them as well, which is they also have their own experience of, I hope that nothing happens to you, Analia, because what do we do if something happens to you? Right?

Yeah.

And so those are the type of things that when you're first starting to think about the decision or like you go into the program or you take that job offer, and you get excited and you're like, yes, this is it for me. These are the kind of things that a little bit down the road you start kind of like pondering about and weighing in at each step.

Yes. So I am really curious for you to expand or just share with us, especially if someone's listening right now who is— this is a loaded question right now in 2025. Like, I'm like, I'm really I'm not trying to get into that, but, um, I think it's, it's an interesting thing to think about because our audience is made of lots of folks doing two different things. I think they're living with chronic illness or they're supporting someone with chronic illness, and they're also dreaming and living the life that they want to live. So some of that might be a business. Some of that might be being a creative. Some of them may be learning a trade or a skill or something like that that requires them to sacrifice or to make decisions around— like, we're kind of going back to that same premise of, like, what is the good and the bad of me taking this decision or making these big moves in my life? What are some things that you kind of, like, didn't think about or didn't know about that you feel like it's something to consider to put on the table if you haven't?

When you decide to live abroad.

Yes.

I would say the top of mind thing is that you will absolutely have to become a lot more comfortable with the uncertainty of it all. Because it is very true what they often say, that you're not from here nor from there. And so I have over the years really appreciated The experience of having people who go pick me up at the airport when I go there and who welcome me home when I come here, that to me feels like a tremendous gift.

Yeah.

And it's not a gift that happens overnight.

Yeah.

So there is that element of, in some ways, rebuilding a community of your own. In a place that is very different, sometimes, like in my case, in a different language, and you find yourself holding the space for, you know, crying when you leave and crying when you arrive.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And if you can hold that space and you can, you know, live with it, then absolutely go for it.

Yeah.

But if not, then you might have to face some tough choices.

Yeah. That's a really interesting point, I think, to what you're sharing. It's like, oh, that sounds like a lot of work. Like, when I hear you say that, that's a lot of work. I think for myself personally living with chronic illness, there is a vulnerability that comes into play when you're trying to create relationships around the fact that your life looks different. And I would imagine that if you're from a different country and you're moving to another country and there are uncertainties, I call them the certain uncertainties. Like we know they're going, there's going to be stuff that we don't know, but we know they're going to happen. Right.

Absolutely.

And being in the space of being open for help or asking for help or really getting out of your comfort zone, it sounds like that's a huge aspect of transitioning and being home here and being home there, right, that I hear you sharing. How have you navigated that for yourself personally on top of, you know, deciding to build a business with that? How's that look like for you?

Well, so it started early on, I will say, because I moved here without necessarily knowing people around for the most part, that there were some you know, new friends that I connected with before coming here. But, you know, I kind of like started like from scratch. And what happened was very interesting. It's like the first like year and a half or so of my time here, I realized that my life was very imbalanced. Like it was all work because everyone that I knew was in grad school. I spent all of my time on campus. And I didn't necessarily have any outlets or any other spaces that I could go to, to unplug. And so like leisure for me was going to the bar with my classmates and vent about, you know, where we were at in our program.

Yeah.

And so it got to a point where I actually like hit a wall and I remember I was so distressed and I remember visiting back home and my mom was even like, And I'm like, I'm concerned, like, why you keep crying? Like, what's happening? And it dawned on me that I was like, wait a minute, I'm not having a balance that can make this sustainable. And so during those weeks that I was there, I had this like, like New Year resolution that I was going to start a hobby that allowed for me to make friends and to go into the city. I live in the DC area, and so I studied at UMD, so I was in College Park, and I needed something that took me to DC more often and kind of changed the air. And so I signed up for an improv class.

That's awesome.

And that's how I started improv as a hobby. And then over the years, that became not just like a massive source of joy for me, but also a big part of my community building because like some of the friends that I made there have become like long-term friends. Friends. Yeah. Regardless of whether we continue playing or not.

Yeah.

And I have been very fortunate that over the years I do not have a hard time making friends.

OK.

There is a quick story that my dad always loves to share about me, that he would take me to the playground when I was like 3 years old. And my family did not have money to like buy me the like bucket or like the toys and all this stuff. So they would take me there and my dad would turn around and within like 5 minutes I was already playing with other kids and their toys and we were all playing together and she was like, how is this possible?

Yes.

And I feel like that's a story that really tells something about who I am.

Yes.

And community is always at the heart of everything that I do. Yeah. So when it came the time to kind of like figure out my next steps career-wise, I had already gone through a couple different jobs that I felt had taught me a lot, but were not exactly what I wanted. And what I wanted was to serve my community. I wanted to serve the early and mid-career professionals, especially grad students, especially international students and workers. And I knew that I could because of all the experiences that I have had that are very unique to find in just one person, right? And then on top of that, being a coach so that I could hold that space for them and really support them. Yeah, in taking those steps the way that I wish I had been supported.

Yeah.

And that was combined with a couple of years of having different family emergencies that forced me to decide, you know, do I go there quickly and in a week just try to fly there? Or just like, quite frankly, started to question whether I should stay in the job that I was in and think about ways of continue building my life in a way that I can integrate more the sides of me, both like living here, but also living there in Norway.

Yeah.

And that's how this all like unfolded in the past, like 6 to 8 months. And I decided to take the leap and really just go for it and launch this business.

Well, that, you know, it's really, really nice to hear that you took the leap. It sounds like you took the leap. You also— I use this terminology a lot just from my spiritual background of like counting the cost. There's a verse in the Bible that says count basically talking about how to count the cost of doing things before you start. And I think there's greatness in doing that. Like there's always a solid foundation on doing that. But I think sometimes we stay in that too long. Like we stay in the planning and we don't take the leap. And it's interesting that you said there's been a lot of like health emergencies that happen with your family. That made you question whether or not that this plan that you had thought up, created, wanted to do may have shifted. Do you mind sharing a little bit more about like, what do you mean by family emergencies? Was it like a blip? Was it a chronic situation? Like what? Because I imagine too, living abroad now, you're also thinking about how am I going to financially take care of myself, right? How am I going to take care of my health needs and things like that on top of maybe potentially sending money back home. There's so many different aspects of that, but I am curious to know, like, what did that look like for you and your family?

Yeah, so in my case, the first one that happened a couple years ago was over Thanksgiving break that year that I got a few messages from my family that someone really dear and near to my heart was hospitalized and they didn't know if this person was going to make it. And so I remember the weekend of Thanksgiving, just like hopping on a FaceTime call to make sure that I was able to, at the very least, like see them and talk to them in case that I couldn't.

Yeah.

Again, and in that moment, I had already planned on traveling to visit my family, but on that moment I was like, I cannot just stay here. And I remember my family, especially my mom saying, you might not even make it in time. And I was like, I don't care because at the very least I will be there to hold space for everybody as we grieve. And so I just like changed all the plans and within a week I just made sure that I travel. And luckily, you know, like this relative actually like just had an amazing recovery.

Oh, that's so good to hear.

Yes. And I was very glad that I was able to be there because the truth is like for a couple of months, we still didn't know if they were going to make it. And then what happened was 2024 was a very pivotal year for me in a lot of fronts. But when it came to my family health, there were a couple of different emergencies where two of my relatives were going through biopsies. And one of them in particular was like tremendously high risk. And so I found myself at this point where, you know, I just like had this conversation with my family. It's like, whatever needs to happen, I'll just, I'll be there and I'll make it happen. And I remember calling my former employer, just making sure like, okay, what's the like family leave policy I need to figure out? Am I have to leave within a week and just like be there? And things unfolded in a way that ultimately they went through the biopsies in ways that were staggered. So like it was not multiple people that we needed to take care of at the same time and everything went well. And luckily they are both healthy now.

Yeah.

But for one of them in particular, to me it was a non-negotiable to be there and to be there not just for them, but for the rest of my family. And so when the time came to decide what I wanted to do, I was in peril trying to figure out the immigration details of whether I could, you know, do anything about this, right? And luckily everything aligned in a way that I was able to sponsor my work visa, which is the one that I like hold now for working for my business. And so that's when I decided that I was quitting my job, making sure that I had the gap time that I needed to be there, to be with my family, to go through this process, and then come back and launch my business and become a full-time entrepreneur.

Hmm.

Yeah. I mean, it sounds like you were in this place of your values are your filter, right? And I say this all the time to my clients and just to people all the time. I think when your values are your filter, they help you make decisions a whole lot easier. And the harder the decision, they make it the easier, right? It makes it a bit more easy to make those decisions. So how has your value shaped how you're building your business? You're just getting started in a way, even though you've been doing the work for a decade. When we talked, I'm like, you've been doing this. There's so many amazing high achieving people who are like, oh, I just started my business, but I've actually been doing this like basically my whole life. And I'm like, okay. Tell me about how your lived experiences and your values are shaping the way that you're showing up for your clients and building your business.

Yeah, I will say that I do want to caveat this with, you know, also highlighting again, there's a lot of like planning and privileges that allowed for me to move the way that I have.

So do you want to tell us a little bit about that, like more specifically? Because you're right. I mean, everybody has a most of us have privileges even though we feel like we don't. So please share with us.

Yeah, absolutely. So first of all, the— since I graduated in 2020, I was able to accrue the type of informational, legal, and financial resources that allowed for me to give myself the options that I have had. I was able to sponsor my current visa. Because I had consistently been saving enough capital for me to afford that. I had also saved the capital that allowed for me to bootstrap this business as I'm just getting started.

How did you do this?

Well, I will say I think like the pandemic has allowed for me to save a lot more than in a, you know, different circumstance.

Yes.

And I also come from a family where like I'm the eldest of a family that was doing okay, but when I was growing up, we were building ourselves financially.

Got you.

And so I am kind of like used to the frugality.

Got you.

Of making sure that the future is as secured as possible.

Got you.

Which is also a very interesting mindset to confront. Absolutely.

I'm listening to this and I'm like, this is a mindset jungle all the way. But okay, I hear it. I love it.

You can, you can imagine what the past like months of just taking this leap has been like for me. Yes. And then also just making sure that I was getting the type of experience, exposure, and evidence that I needed to build my legal case so that then I could even qualify for the type of visa that I have now. And so a lot of the work that I do now has to do with finding ways of facilitating that awareness, like resource accrual and experiences for my clients as well. Because not everyone's going to have the same path, but the important thing is like if you're intentional early and often, then you're able to give yourself more options that you might be aware of early on.

Yes.

So that's what I, I'm talking about in terms of the top of mind privileges, right? That a lot of people might hear and be like, you know, oh, she just like snapped her fingers and that happened. It's like, no, it took a lot of work, but that work was also facilitated by a lot of other experiences, support, and resources. And so that's, that's what I, I always, you know, want to highlight so that people don't get the wrong impression.

No, I get it.

It's possible.

I get it. I tell people all the time, I'm like, I mean, a lot of my clients It's a, it's a, it's a mix, but most of them are single or the other half are married. And there is a big difference in building a business when you have a spouse, one that's in a way supportive and a spouse that is also financially helping the household, like carrying the household. So it's very different than if you're the main gal, you're the main person doing the thing. It looks very different in the strategy or the way you approach making decisions looks very different. And. Even that is kind of a privilege in a way when you're on your own and that's all you have to think about. So it's really important. And I appreciate you bringing that out. Like, hey, I don't want you sitting here listening to me like, oh yeah, I just moved abroad and I did it like this and I'm great. And you know, and it's like, oh no, there were things that I did. And I think we do need to bring more of those type of parts of the conversation into all of these stories about change and transition and success and failures that, you know, even within all of that, there are privileges that we all have. That some of us don't and will never have. Right. And so it's like really important to kind of bring that into the context. So I appreciate you sharing that. In what you're doing for clients specifically, like in your, in your work, do you find that those who are, and this is an interesting question, do you find that those who are navigating education here in the States or just abroad, maybe they left here and went to Europe? I don't know. Maybe they went somewhere else.

Right.

And they are, navigating not only the health, like, not only their education, but also taking care of themselves within a community that's completely different. What has been some things or tools you would share with someone that they need to lean into more or take advantage of?

Yeah, I mean, my, my answer is always community, but It is also, you know, with the acknowledgement that it is hard. And so there are multiple layers to it. There is the local community, the finding people that you can connect with that can help you foster that sense of belonging to where you are at in that space and what you are building. There is also community from the perspective of people who understand and see you for what you're going through. Right? This has been something that I see present throughout my conversations and sessions with my clients, where like they truly highlight, you know, how much they appreciate to feel seen as we're talking about their career development. Because in most cases, many coaches do not know what plays in the background as you're thinking about the situations and the decisions. And that also happened to me. I had great coaches. Who truly have had like a massive impact in my journey. And some of them, I hung up the phone after conversations and sessions and I felt like they just didn't get what I was going through.

Yeah, I, I, yeah, I can relate.

And so, and that to me was also a big motivation of I want to make sure that I'm able to hold that space and provide that space for people to really think about what's possible and what's possible for them from a perspective that really celebrates who they are. Because what happens a lot of the time is that you, you kind of like, you get started in that new place and you go into survival mode.

Yes.

You immediately are like, okay, like, how do I open a bank account? How do I get a phone? How do I get a credential? How do I like meet all the requirements? All of these different things, like kind of like going through the mechanics, moving and settling in a, in a space, right? But what about emotional elements?

Yes, absolutely.

Right. And all these inner conversations about, you know, did I make the right decision? Is this going to be long-term? Is this going to work out? Am I going to have to face the fear of failure? And what does failure look like for me? And all of these questions are not necessarily defined when you're first getting started, but they are always playing a role in what you think is possible, how you move through all of these decisions, and, you know, and the way that Things unfold for you. And so I always talk about community because I don't think that I could have gotten to where I am today without the people around me.

Yeah.

Whether they are like long-term friends or they're just like mentors for a year, right? They truly have shaped everything about my life today in some way or another. Yeah. And so I do. Feel that it's like tremendously important for people to really lean into those opportunities to connect with one another. And sometimes people are mentors, sometimes people are mirrors. And to be able to really come from a perspective of curiosity, of openness, yes, which a lot of people who are already, you know, like moving abroad kind of like display and showcase those strengths. And so to lean into that as a way of really starting to build your community in the new place. Yeah, I think that is important. The other thing that I really want to make sure that I say out loud is like the importance of grace and compassion for yourself as you're going through it, because there is so much that goes into it. Like, oh yeah, like small and big, right? But like To give you an example, I often get teased by my family when I go back home because I have some of like the mannerisms or ways of speaking from living here. And so instead of in Spanish, you would say like, eh, when you're thinking, and I go like, uh, so my family makes fun of me for it. But that is a true shift that happens because like at this point, Yeah, I am bilingual and I speak to myself in English, but my language, my native language is Spanish.

Yes.

And so those are like very small but fundamental ways that end up transforming who you are over time. So to give yourself the compassion and the grace of really meeting yourself at each step.

I love that.

Yeah, it's fundamental.

Yeah, I really appreciate that point about meeting yourself where you are along the way. That's a huge piece. I think coming back kind of full circle to when you were talking about finding your community and getting your people started with you first connecting in with like doing things that brought you joy and that were exciting, like the improv, and that led to this kind of ripple effect. And I think that brings you to where you are right now. It helps you reconnect, reengage with yourself, and then also you reengaging with yourself helps you to engage with other people around you. And instead of being so focused on the one lane, I think I have a couple people in my world and myself included, eldest daughters, you know, come from families that are all or in part from other parts of the world. And the idea that we kind of have to wear masks and strip, you know, strip a part of ourselves away in order to fit in. There's a podcast show called Anything for Selena. I love that show. If you've never heard of this podcast episode, you have to— I mean, it's a whole series, a podcast episode. It's Anything for Selena. And I am a diehard Selena fan. People think I'm crazy. But there is an episode where she is talking about— the host is talking about how you kind of create a new identity here that you almost have to walk yourself back into who you actually are. And I'm wondering, how has that looked like for you in this journey? For yourself, like helping others but also being in that space?

It's interesting because I think in some ways me moving here has opened up the space for me to connect with a part of me that feels a lot more authentic. Okay. And this goes back to, you know, like talking about the privileges. So all 4 of my grandparents were immigrants in Argentina. Then my parents are first-generation Argentine, and then here I am deciding to move abroad. And the experiences of like the being raised by immigrants and first-generation were very much of what you were just saying about, you know, wear the mask, keep your head down, be grateful for what you get, do not ask for more, do not take up space. Like, you work hard no matter what they pay you, how they pay you, whatever. You just like keep at it. And then I move here and I'm an immigrant like they were, but like I'm a highly educated immigrant with a lot more privileges than my grandma who moved to Argentina at age 15 to be the maid in her uncle's house. And I am required to also think about my experience in a different way if I want to grow in the direction that I want to grow. And so that has led to a lot of battles, internal, but also, you know, even like when having discussions with my family or like them not really understanding or seeing why I'm doing what I'm doing and just like disagreeing.

Yeah, they don't understand, right?

And even to, you know, launching this business, there was a lot of you know, conversations and sometimes like just like cold shoulder about it. I was like, nope, I'm determined. I'm doing this. And I know why I'm doing this, but it definitely did take a lot of courage and building that courage over time of being able to set that boundary, to understand why I'm doing what I'm doing, to understand why my mindset needs to be different from the one that I grew up with and I was educated in. And even, you know, like it's like smaller things like improv, right? Like that's something that I wouldn't have necessarily done when I was back in Argentina. There were also a lot of other sacrifices that I had to do to get here. Like I commuted 5 hours per day every day while I was in college. And so like I had no time for leisure whatsoever.

Wow.

And so I came here and then starting improv is something that I actually feel a lot more comfortable doing because I'm away. My family doesn't necessarily see it all the time, so they don't get to judge it. And I'm doing it in English for the most part, though I do some, you know, like telenovela-inspired improv in Spanish in the DC area, which I'm very proud of. But I know that my family does not approve of, and yet that really resonates with how I connect with myself and just like the joy that I feel for myself and that I want to, you know, like connect others with.

Yeah, I love that. That's, that's really interesting. I can relate. I didn't move another state, but I did move to another, another country, but I did move to another state. And there is something about not being in the space of your family where you find just like your true things, like who you are things you like. There's not that much— like, you're far away. You can't come over here. Like, you're not coming over here to do— you know, I don't know what it is. I think it's like flying the coop in a way. It doesn't matter how old or young you are, that experience of like leaving maybe a space where you have— you were you, but you weren't like always necessarily feel— I don't know what the word I'm looking for. You didn't feel as comfortable exploring those other aspects of yourself because of their lived experiences, and now you get to live your lived experiences, and they don't understand, and you're like, it's okay, you don't have to. Absolutely. So I, I love that you share that aspect of things. So let's kind of put this in a pretty boat. What is something that you thought was true when you were making these decisions to kind of be an entrepreneur against family's ideas, doing improv that you thought was true about yourself, about your family, that you no longer believe is true?

That you have to have everything figured out. And I wrestle with this often, especially now in this, you know, early stages of building a business and really getting comfortable with the beginner's mindset of things are gonna look not polished and it's okay because that's how I learn. I believe that for a lot of us, we want to kind of like spoil the end of the movie right away. Yes.

Uh-huh.

And it has been like a lot of hard inner work and identifying, you know, like the practices and spaces and rituals that allow for me to ground myself. In the present and to be able to come at every situation with a lot more acceptance so that I can both be grateful for what it is and also figure out how I want to use that in the best possible way to really like continue moving forward in the direction that I feel pulled towards. So yeah, I think that that's the biggest thing. And I think that that in some ways counters a lot of the fears that I was raised with. And so I mean, I'm in the messy middle of it all.

We all are. Like, you know, I've talked to women on this show who are— who have sold businesses, who have scaled and grown. And I see it with my clients who are just starting, pivoting, whatever. And it's all messy. It's all, you know, we want we want it to look a very specific way. We have a desire for it to look a specific way. And then you get in it and you're like, well, I mean, especially for those of us living with chronic illness, there's an extra messiness to it, in my opinion, that we— we're just— you just accept that that's what it's going to look like. And honestly, that's life. You know, everything we've grown up with in life, even when we were kids, was kind of messy. You know, that's like how we learned and experienced the world. It was messy and then we figured it out. And so I really appreciate that you sharing that, especially for my eldest daughters. That's the thing. We don't like messy because we're the ones who figure it out and plan and do the things. Yes. Right. And not go against the grain. And when we do, it feels like the world is on fire, literally, and we're falling and like free falling or something. It feels so weird. So I appreciate you sharing that. And I'm sure so many can relate to that experience. So tell us how you work with clients and how they can connect with you and how we can find you.

Yeah. So anyone can find me on social media. I'm on LinkedIn, Analia Gomez Vidal. You can also find my business on Instagram, AGB Services LLC, and my website, agbservicesllc.com. Usually the way that I work with clients is I have one-on-one coaching options, and I also have a membership that I recently launched, which is called AGB Lab for Career Explorers, and it's geared towards early and mid-career professionals who are seeking to gain clarity and action items on how to get started on their next career moves while also building community with one another.

Love that.

So you can go to agbserviceslc.com. You can learn more about those options. And I do have a host of free resources available if you are in that stage where you are not necessarily sure about where to go next, or you need a refresher on just like the sheer value of everything that you have done in your Your So Far, you can find a few different resources to help you get started there, and that connects you with me on my newsletter.

Awesome. Well, we'll have everything in the show notes, and I'm sure you will help so many people really just make that transition in career and in education, you know, with these lived experiences that we don't always have rooms for, we don't always have space for, and I think bringing it back to something you said earlier in the chat, which is like finding someone who gets you. It's not that the strategies necessarily change that much. You know, this is something I have found working with my clients is like, I'm not telling you much, like a lot different, too much from what maybe someone who doesn't have a chronic illness has, but I am seeing you differently. And therefore I'm giving you maybe a different nuance than another person who's not actually acknowledging that that is a part of your lived experience. And I definitely think that's becoming more important, especially in the world of AI, of having community who understands your lived experiences, because we are not a robot. We are not all just doing the same thing and experiencing life the same. And so I think that's really important to find your people, find your community, especially when it comes to making a living and, you know, living your life in, in the context of making a living. So thank you so much for what you're doing. And we look forward to hearing more of how you grow.

Thank you so much. And thank you so much for having me. I absolutely love this conversation.

Yay. Well, you guys check us out on the show notes and let us know if you have any questions too, and be sure to leave them either in my DMs or you can reach out to Analia and do the same thing. And we can't wait to chat with you. That's a wrap for this episode of Business with Chronic Illness. If you would like to start and grow an online coaching business with me, head to the show notes to click a link to book a sales call and learn how to make money with chronic illness. You can also check out our website at www.craftedtothrive.com for this episode's show notes and join our email list to get exclusive content where I coach you on how to chronically grow a profitable business while living with chronic illness. Until next time, remember, yes, you are crafted to thrive.