Episode 26: A conversation with Sumner Hargrove, a Texan who followed a Flight of Fancy to live her most authentic life in Paris as an interior decorator

Profiles in Franceformation

Welcome to Episode #26 of Profiles in Franceformation. This is your host, Allison Grant Lounes, and this week, our guest is Sumner Hargrove, a native Texan who left the financial sector on Wall Street to work in Paris at age 30, raised multi-lingual twins in Paris, and finally went back to school for a diplôme d'état to pursue her childhood dream of becoming an interior decorator. She created her interior decorating agency, Flights of Fancy in Paris in 2018.

Through our conversation, you’ll also learn:

• How an advertisement on a bus encouraged her to overcome the hurdle and challenging experience of learning French at the age of 30 years old, and what she did to increase her confidence while speaking French
• The steps she took to “reinvent” herself in order to work in France
• How €27,64 almost stood in the way of Sumner’s ability to gain French nationality
• The magic and power of the French words “je suis désolé de vous déranger"
• What Sumner has learned in creating and developing friendships in France, and how this differs from the same experience in the US
• The decision to raise her twins to be bilingual and what steps she took to ensure they successfully learned French and English
• The steps Sumner has taken to integrate herself into her community, whether that is in English or in French, and how she has stayed true to herself throughout it all
• In what ways Sumner feels French when she goes back to Texas, and in what ways she feels very American when interacting with the French
• What Sumner loves about living in France, and her suggested route to anyone wishing to explore Paris or for Americans with an interest in history or chateaux
• The part of Paris that inspires Sumner’s creativity and how it has been the source of some of her best ideas, including her business’ tagline
• What Sumner means when she says she’s in “the business of daring” and how she combined the skillsets of both her parents in her current job
• Her favorite French meals, which seem to pay a bit of an homage to her Texan roots

To learn more about Sumner’s company, Flights of Fancy: https://www.flights-of-fancy.paris

Be sure to check out her YouTube and social media pages as well!

• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYctsP-8Kef48-gZADxKdPg
• https://www.facebook.com/paris.interior.design/
• https://www.instagram.com/the.only.parisian.sumner/?hl=en

If you are considering moving to France like Sumner, Foolproof French Visas can help you navigate the path toward finding the right visa for you. It can be purchased here: https://www.yourfranceformation.com/books or in paperback on Amazon.

If you would like to pursue your own Franceformation, you can also request a free 30-minute clarity call with Allison to review your visa options and decide how to move toward creating your ideal life in France: https://www.yourfranceformation.com/free-call

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