I would like to thank LIVING INTERNATIONAL magazine for featuring an article about my journey as a coach in their “Income Overseas” column. Special thanks to Jason Holland author of this piece. Please enjoy this re-print:
Life Coach Creates Her Ideal Caribbean Career – by Jason Holland
Susy Giddy has always had a knack for coaching … helping people overcome what is preventing them from achieving a goal. In her native Halifax, Canada, Susy was a tennis coach. In her new home of Cabarete—a lively beach town on the Dominican Republic’s north coast—she works in a different type of coaching that’s even more rewarding.
She’s a certified life coach who helps people “be the best version of themselves.” She has had her practice, Cabarete Life Coaching (see: Facebook.com/cabaretelifecoaching), since 2009, the same year she and her husband, Martin, moved to the Caribbean island.
“A life coach helps people follow their dreams, improve their relationships and friendships, and reduce anxiety and stress,” says Susy. “I have clients all over the world who I work with through Skype. I like to work with someone for a minimum of three months, because that’s the amount of time it takes to form a new habit. I also have clients here in Cabarete for things like crisis management for break-ups. I try to be supportive… loving. Just like I was when I was a tennis coach. What I enjoy most about coaching is hard to describe. You see somebody who’s stuck just…get it. That’s what I love. That’s why I coach.”
When Susy and Martin, a retired architect, moved to Cabarete, it was quite a process. That’s because Susy wasn’t just a tennis coach; they also owned an indoor tennis club. That had to be sold. Plus, like many would-be expats, the couple had a “lifetime of stuff.”
They sought the services of a coach to help them plan and execute their move within four months of deciding to leave Canada. That’s when Susy was first exposed to this industry. And it inspired her to pursue her new career. Her new work and life on the beach are a far cry from a harried existence back home.
“One reason we left Canada is that we were always thinking of the next thing we had to do. We were never really paying attention to the present. Here, we have more time to sit down and have a conversation…you can be present,” says Susy. “I remember one time we went skiing in Canada and I had my cellphone to my ear the whole time. I was taking business calls non-stop. I was never able to unplug.”
Her new business, for which she draws on her past experience as a business owner and tennis coach, gives her a very flexible schedule.
“I do my work when I want to work. It’s perfect for me and gives me a great life,” says Susy
“I have clients all over the world.”
The couple bought their first condo in 2004, in a gated complex just outside town. These days, they rent that one out and live in a second condo they later bought in the same development. This provides them monthly income. And, notes Susy, their condos are now worth three to four times what they were when they bought them.
Susy and Martin definitely stay active. You can often find them taking long walks on the beach with their locally adopted dog, Rufus. They’re avid runners and salsa dancers. The couple is active in the community too, including volunteer work at the local spay and neuter clinic. In her role as a life coach, Susy is also an integral part of the local community of health and wellness practitioners, which includes healers of all kinds.
It’s a diverse population in Cabarete.
“There are young retirees in their 50s and retirees all the way up to their 80s,” says Susy. “A lot of people here are in their 30s and 40s, raising their families. They work online or have businesses. It’s a very active and healthy community, with a lot of yoga and fitness activities. There are people from all over the world, speaking English, French, and, of course, Spanish.”
Cabarete has found fame as one of the world’s top windsurfing and kiteboarding locales, drawing enthusiasts from around the globe. Still, there is plenty to do even when you’re not on the water.
The beach is lined with restaurants and bars right on the sand. There is live music seemingly every night of the week, as well as craft fairs and other special events. And it doesn’t break the bank to enjoy yourself.
“In Halifax, a dinner, like a couple of burgers and two glasses of wine, was $75. It’s way cheaper to eat out here. The exact same meal in Cabarete costs one-third of that,” says Susy.
The Dominican Republic is a Spanishspeaking country. But in an area like Cabarete, which is frequented by expats and tourists, speaking the language isn’t a necessity. Still, it’s important to learn what you can if you want to have a richer experience.
“I took Spanish classes when we first came down here. I struggled with all the irregular verbs. Now I just try to communicate,” says Susy.
The couple has seen a lot of changes in their community.
“When we came in 2002 we had to pack everything but the kitchen sink. Now we can get everything we need here. There are three different places to get organic veggies and eggs. There are gluten-free aisles. You can get quinoa. It’s very convenient,” notes Susy.