Best Allison Grant Lounes Podcasts (2024)

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Episode 74 - Sophie Hargreaves on finding adventure and alpaca farming in Sanzay, Deux-Sèvres 37:26

7M ago37:26

37:26

In episode 74 of Profiles in Franceformation, my guest is Sophie Hargreaves, owner of La Petite Ferme d'Alpaga - a small alpaca farm in Sanzay, located in the Deux Sèvres in the western French countryside. Sophie, along with her husband Will, moved to France to start their alpaca farm in the period between COVID and Brexit. They are now the proud p…

1
Episode 73: Lacey Bertrand-Reilly talks about joining the Your Franceformation Team, and the ebbs and flows of life in France. 44:37

8M ago44:37

44:37

In episode 73 of Profiles in Franceformation my guest is Lacey Bertrand-Reilly, the new Franceformation Team Member. In this episode, we discuss how Lacey ended up living in France, and why they have opted for Countryside living over the Big City Lifestyle. You will also hear: 💜 Why a courtesy robe or scarf is a top tip for people using the healthc…

1
Episode 72: Michael Yuille explains how to avoid financial mistakes during the relocation process that can cost you thousands. 47:30

8M ago47:30

47:30

In episode 72 of Profiles in Franceformation my guest is Michael Yuille, a British financial advisor living in the south of France near Toulouse. After deciding to move to France with his family, Michael became aware of the many challenges people face when trying to do retirement and financial planning while living abroad. British and American clie…

1
Episode 71: How Jacqueline Menoret and Maria Laura Ribadeneira are giving opportunity for different voices to express themselves in France. 41:46

9M ago41:46

41:46

In Episode 71 of Profiles in Franceformation. Allison is joined by Jacqueline Menoret and Maria Laura Ribadeneira. Jacqueline studied abroad in Montpellier and then at the London School of Economics before marrying her French husband and working in higher education in Paris. She founded the Immigrant Book Club in 2020, where she was soon joined as …

1
Episode 70: Spiritual forces and Admin Challenges - Author John Frederick recounts the trials and tribulations of moving to Paris 37:46

9M ago37:46

37:46

Welcome to Episode 70 of Profiles in Franceformation. I'm your host, Allison Grant Louness, and this week our guest is John Frederick. John worked in government and lived many lives in the U. S. before coming to France as a visitor to follow his dream of living in Paris. Since arriving, he's written multiple books, including Prosperity Now and Pari…

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Episode 69: Joanna from Happy Hugs Explains How To Navigate The Maternity System In France 1:02:22

9M ago1:02:22

1:02:22

Welcome to episode 69 of Profiles in Franceformation. I'm your host, Allison Grant Lounes, and this week my guest is Lounes, and this week my guest is Joanna of Happy Hugs. Joanna is originally from Romania, and she moved to the UK, where she trained as a doula, and then to France with her French husband. She now helps pregnant women navigate the F…

1
Episode 68: Fabricio Carminati On How To Buy Your Dream French Home With Ease 33:02

10M ago33:02

33:02

Welcome to episode 68 of Profiles in Franceformation. I'm your host, Allison Grant Lounes, and this week my guest is Fabricio Carminati, a real estate agent and creator of French Riviera House Hunting. His goal is to help English-speaking property hunters find the right property and navigate the process of buying their new home in France with ease.…

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Episode 67: FUSAC Founder Lisa Vanden Bos On Bridging The Culture Gap 42:27

10M ago42:27

42:27

Welcome to Episode 67 of Profiles in Franceformation. I’m your host Allison Grant Lounes, and this week, I’m back with Lisa Vanden Bos, who has been a pillar of the American community in France, since she arrived three decades ago. Lisa launched FUSAC in the 90's, a print magazine that was the go-to resource for English speakers in Paris to help th…

1
Episode 66: Expat Author Erin Zhurkin releases novel Plus-Size in Paris 45:58

1y ago45:58

45:58

Welcome to episode 66 of the Profiles in Franceformation podcast. I’m your host, Allison Grant Lounes, and today my guest is author Erin Zhurkin. Erin moved to Paris to follow her husband’s job and has lived in 6 different countries, including France, and she now lives in Seoul, South Korea, with her family. Her novel, Plus-Size in Paris, is out th…

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Episode 65: Organizing Life in Paris with Robynne Pendariès 46:05

1y ago46:05

46:05

Welcome to episode 65 of Profiles in Franceformation. This week’s guest is Robynne Pendariès, a professional organizer and ADHD coach who found her calling after joining Message, the Paris-based group for English-speaking parents in France. Robynne followed love to Paris after school and discovered her knack for organizing during the early years of…

1
Episode 64: Finding the Perfect French Home in 3 Days with Mark & Kim Jesperen 44:50

1y ago44:50

44:50

Welcome to episode 64 of Profiles in Franceformation. This week’s guests are Mark and Kim Jesperen, an author and artist from Maine who fell in love with their home and village in southern France and purchased their French house in 3 days when their trip was unexpectedly extended. Mark Jespersen - Author www.facebook.com/lapetitefantome www.mark-je…

1
Episode 63: Transferring Dreams and Transferring Currency with Fiona Warren of Currencies Direct France 45:57

1y ago45:57

45:57

Welcome to episode 63 of Profiles in Franceformation. This week’s guest is Fiona Warren, a currency transfer specialist with Currencies Direct who moved from the London suburbs to southwest France in 2009. In this episode, we talk about how transferring money has evolved significantly and become much easier and cheaper since the early days, and the…

1
Episode 62: Immigration by Trauma & by Choice: How Marta Hobbs's Move to Paris Prompted an Unraveling and a Spiritual Healing Journey 50:29

1+ y ago50:29

50:29

Welcome to Episode 62 of Profiles in Franceformation! This week, my guest is Marta Hobbs, author of Unraveling: A Woman's Search for Freedom and the Journey of Coming Home, a memoir about her spiritual healing journey. Marta has been an immigrant twice, in very different circumstances. The first time, she was a young girl fleeing communist Poland i…

1
Episode 61: Magic that Comes from Creating a Life in a Different Place, with Ally McDonald-Bull 1:07:02

1+ y ago1:07:02

1:07:02

By Allison Grant Lounes

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Episode 60: Sarah McGrath of Women for Women France Helps when the Dream Becomes a Nightmare 48:40

1+ y ago48:40

48:40

Welcome to Episode 60 of Profiles in Franceformation. I’m your host, Allison Grant Lounes, and this week, we’re celebrating International Women’s Day with an episode on a very important topic that can affect any woman moving to France. Sarah McGrath is an Australian woman who volunteered as a advocate for domestic violence survivors at home, before…

1
Episode 59: If You're Not Failing, You're Not Growing: How Charlotte King Keeps Finding New Opportunities in France 1:06:20

1+ y ago1:06:20

1:06:20

Welcome to Episode 59 of Profiles in Franceformation! I’m your host, Allison Grant Lounes, and this week, I’m speaking with Charlotte King, my friend, an art history and wine expert, and the co-owner of two companies in France. Bacchus and Clio offers customized tours of France focusing on wine, gastronomy, and French history and culture, while Kir…

1
Episode 58: Communication Consultant Amy Gruber regales us with Tales of Brittany 56:56

1+ y ago56:56

56:56

Introduction: Welcome to Episode 58 of Profiles in Franceformation. I’m your host, Allison Grant Lounes, and this week, my very special guest is Amy Gruber. Amy is a former educator turned communications consultant who made the decision to begin her Franceformation in January 2020 - right before covid closed the borders. She finally received her Pr…

1
Episode 57: Becoming a French Immigration Attorney with Daniel Tostado 48:00

1+ y ago48:00

48:00

Introduction: Welcome to episode 57 of the Profiles in Franceformation podcast! I’m your host, Allison Grant Lounes, and this week, I’m interviewing Daniel Tostado, an American attorney who was a teaching assistant with TAPIF in La Réunion, before attending law school in France and becoming an immigration attorney registered with the Paris bar. Dan…

1
Episode 56 Retiring in Montpellier with Maquita Guild-Schwarz 1:03:20

1+ y ago1:03:20

1:03:20

Welcome to episode 56 of the Profiles in Franceformation podcast! This week, I’m interviewing Maquita Guild-Schwarz, a retired pediatrician who moved to Montpellier, France, with her husband in 1998 after living in Nairobi, Kenya, and 5 other countries. Throughout her time in France, Maquita has joined several volunteer organizations, such as the A…

1
Episode 55: Learning the charms of the French countryside life with Kylie Lang, an English copywriter 53:52

1+ y ago53:52

53:52

Welcome to Episode #55 of Profiles in Franceformation, I'm your host, Allison Grant Lounes and in this episode, I'm speaking with Kylie Lang, a British copywriter, author, and amateur line dancer who lives in the Charente region, and who runs Life in Rural France on Facebook and Instagram. Kylie talks about… The reasoning behind her decision to mov…

1
Episode 54: Finally Finding Home in Strasbourg with Franceformation Client Ashley Sorci 46:05

1+ y ago46:05

46:05

Welcome to Episode #54 of Profiles in Franceformation, I’m your host, Allison Grant Lounes and in this episode, we speak with one of our Franceformation clients, Ashley Sorci, who pursued her dream of moving to France and who runs a student exchange program between France and the US. Ashley also tells us about… What initially inspired her to move t…

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Episode 53: Introducing Kim Mousseron, International Mobility Consultant with Your Franceformation 1:02:11

1+ y ago1:02:11

1:02:11

Today’s very special guest is Kim Mousseron, the very first full-time member of the Franceformation team, as she began her permanent role as an International Mobility Consultant on January 2nd. Kim has a Master’s from Middlebury College, and a rich and varied professional history of teaching, office and administrative work and most recently, as a h…

1
Episode 52: Moving 2 Paris and more with Laura McIntyre 46:09

1+ y ago46:09

46:09

Welcome to Episode #52 of Profiles in Franceformation! I’m your host, Allison Grant Lounes, and this week, I’m speaking with Laura McIntyre, an Arkansas native who left corporate America to follow her dream of moving to Paris. After deciding to stay, Laura changed from a visitor status to a profession libérale visa status and put her passion for he…

1
Episode 51: Getting into the swing of things in Paris with Brian Bailey 34:42

1+ y ago34:42

34:42

Welcome to Episode 51 of Profiles in Franceformation. I’m your host Allison Grant Lounes, and this week, I’m speaking with one of our Franceformation VIP clients, Brian Bailey, who moved to Paris for a year after covid to work as a professional swing dance teacher, before deciding to go even further and travel the world. And, just so you know, we'r…

1
Episode 50: The Psychology of Moving to Paris, with Dennis Roberts 54:29

1+ y ago54:29

54:29

This week, I’m interviewing Dennis Roberts, a psychologist with the Paris Psychology Center who moved to France in August 2021 from Chicago with his spouse and two big dogs. He’s certified in the UK and 5 US states, and in the process of working on his Profession Libérale visa application, he used Foolproof French Visas as a guide, and also went th…

1
Episode 49: Not in Kansas Anymore: How Abby Héraud Followed Love to France 54:33

1+ y ago54:33

54:33

Welcome to Episode 49 of Profiles in Franceformation. I’m your host, Allison Grant Lounes, and today, I’m speaking with Abby Héraud, who moved from Kansas to France in high school, and then came back after college to marry her French husband after their long-distance relationship. Throughout her time in France, she’s navigated working as a teacher,…

1
Episode 48: Living out a childhood dream with Vashti Joseph, an entrepreneur and small business owner 1:11:11

1+ y ago1:11:11

1:11:11

Welcome to Episode #48 of Profiles in Franceformation. I’m your host, Allison Grant Lounes, and this week, I’m speaking with one of our Franceformation clients, Vashti Joseph. Vashti grew up in Puerto Rico, lived in the DC area and the UK, and has had several C-suite positions in startup companies before deciding to launch her own business and fulf…

1
Episode 47: Finding Humor in the Bureaucrazy with the Only American in Paris, Sarah Donnelly 1:02:23

1+ y ago1:02:23

1:02:23

Welcome to Episode #47 of Profiles in Franceformation, I'm your host, Allison Grant Lounes, and this week, we're speaking with Sarah Donnelly, a standup comedian who moved to Paris in 2012 and who has been finding the humor in the bureaucracy ever since. Her current show, The Only American In Paris, is at Théâtre Bo, near République, and is hilario…

1
Episode 46: "There’s always a way": how Kate Plummer moved her yoga business online to relocate to France 44:23

1+ y ago44:23

44:23

Welcome to Episode #46 of Profiles in Franceformation, I’m your host Allison Grant Lounes and in this week’s episode, I’m speaking with Kate Plummer. Kate, and her husband Marc, are full time senior Yoga teachers who lived and worked in Cheltenham, England for ten years. They bought a house in France 5 years ago with a view to retiring there in 10-…

1
Episode 45: Embracing courage and following your reason “why” with coach Patricia Brooks 55:32

1+ y ago55:32

55:32

Welcome to Episode #45 of Profiles in Franceformation! This is your host, Allison Grant Lounes, and this week, I’m speaking with Patricia Brooks, who moved to France on a visitor visa in 2018 to learn French and write her book, before deciding to stay and launch her business as a life coach. In this episode, we talk about the courage it takes to le…

1
Episode 44: Conjuring Dream Lives and Dream France Vacations, with Mallory Nettleton, Creator of France of a Lifetime Tours 42:19

1+ y ago42:19

42:19

Welcome to Episode #44 of Profiles in Franceformation, I’m your host Allison Grant Lounes and today I’m speaking with Mallory Nettleton, who inexplicably fell in love with France as a child, before ever setting foot on its soil. This love was cemented when she and her husband, Ben first visited in 2010 and has continued to grow into a passion over …

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Episode 43: Allez, viens! And take a page from Language curriculum creator Cherie Mitschke’s French book 54:31

2y ago54:31

54:31

Welcome to Episode #43 of Profiles in Franceformation. I'm your host Allison Grant Lounes and today I'm speaking with Cherie Mitschke, a foreign language curriculum designer, and editor who moved to France in 2021 after working with Your Franceformation. She's the editor of Allison's very first French textbook Allez, Viens!, and currently works to …

1
Episode 42: Finding Hidden Gems and Dream Homes in Southern France with Jacqueline Reddin Williams of Beaux Villages 1:12:33

2y ago1:12:33

1:12:33

Welcome to Episode #42 of Profiles in Franceformation. I'm your host Allison Grant Lounes. And this week I'm speaking with Jacqueline Reddin-Williams, an English real estate agent in the south of France who moved with her family in the nineties to François Mitterand's childhood home. To find simplicity and quality of life while giving her children …

1
Episode 41: Dancing through Paris with Kate Matthews 36:25

2y ago36:25

36:25

Welcome to Episode #41 of Profiles in Franceformation. I'm your host, Allison Grant Lounes. And this week I'm speaking with Kate Matthews, originally from the UK, she moved to Paris 9 years ago to pursue her dream career as a professional dancer. She has worked at the Moulin Rouge, Cirque d’Hiver and the Lido de Paris and also gives yoga and dance …

1
Episode 40: Living abroad since age 19, Marie Grout keeps blooming where she’s planted 51:18

2y ago51:18

51:18

Welcome to Episode #40 of Profiles in Franceformation. I’m your host, Allison Grant Lounes, and this week, we’re speaking with Marie Grout, an American who has lived outside of the US since age 19, who raised three children in 8 different countries, and who is now retired with her French husband near Versailles, France. Since moving to France, she …

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Episode 39: Vence in a Lifetime with Steve Wilkison and Carole Richmond 1:04:25

2y ago1:04:25

1:04:25

Welcome to Episode #39 of Profiles in Franceformation. I’m your host Allison Grant Lounes and today I’m speaking with Steve Wilkison and his wife, Carole Richmond. Steve is a web designer, writer and photographer who lives in Vence, France, with his wife Carole and their dog Myla. Originally from southern California, he first became enchanted with …

1
Episode 38: Reinvention with Paul Herbert 50:01

2y ago50:01

50:01

Welcome to Episode 38 of Profiles in Franceformation. I’m your host, Allison Grant Lounes, and today I’m happy to introduce our first British guest on the podcast. Paul Herbert moved to the Dordogne region, in southern France, with his wife Julia and their three young children at the age of 40 after losing everything in the UK. In the 29 years sinc…

1
Episode 37: Learning how to wine and dine with Caroline Conner 48:40

2y ago48:40

48:40

Welcome to Episode 37 of Profiles in Franceformation, I’m your host Allison Grant Lounes, and in this episode, my guest is Caroline Connor, also known as Wine Dine Caroline, a Lyon-based British American wine expert, who went from winning the Oxford-Cambridge Blind Wine Tasting Competition when she was in school to starting a career in food and win…

1
Planning Your Franceformation: Before You Move to France 40:02

2y ago40:02

40:02

Welcome to this special episode in our miniseries on How-to Franceform, specializing in the administrative tasks you'll need to consider before moving to France. In this episode, Allison Grant Lounes identifies the main things you have to think about if you’re planning to move to France, from what you need to consider before making your final decis…

1
Planning Your Franceformation: Intro to Retirement in France 31:54

2y ago31:54

31:54

Welcome to this special episode in our miniseries on How-to Franceform, specializing in retirement, Allison Grant Lounes identifies the main things you have to think about if you’re planning to retire in France, from your visa type, to the yearly renewal, to topics like how health insurance and taxes work when you have a Long Stay Visitor Visa for …

1
How-to Franceform: 4 Paths to Self-Employment in France 39:12

2y ago39:12

39:12

Welcome to Profiles in Franceformation, I’m your host, Allison Grant Lounes. In this second episode of How-to Franceform, we continue to discuss working remotely in France, but more specifically how to be self employed in France. In this episode, we’re going to cover 4 self-employment visa types: Profession libérale Commerçant Profession artistique…

1
Planning Your Franceformation: Working Remotely in France 49:57

2y ago49:57

49:57

With the rise of “digital nomads” over the past ten years, the creation of fully-remote jobs requiring only a computer and an internet connection, and the pandemic accelerating the ability to work from home even indefinitely, many people have taken advantage and have been empowered to work from anywhere, including from other countries. While it may…

1
Episode 36: A conversation with Janet Skeslien Charles, author of the New York Times Bestseller, The Paris Library 48:43

2y ago48:43

48:43

Welcome to Episode #36 of Profiles in Franceformation. In this episode, we have a very special guest, Janet Skeslien Charles, the New York Times Best-Selling author of The Paris Library, an historical fiction novel about a young French woman, Odile Souchet, who lands her dream job working at the American Library in Paris just before the German occu…

1
Episode 35: From cookbook publishing to natural wine distilling, learn how Sunshine Erickson has embraced living in Montpellier, France 49:51

2+ y ago49:51

49:51

Welcome to Episode #35 of Profiles in Franceformation, I’m your host, Allison Grant Lounes, and today I'm speaking with Sunshine Erickson who moved to France from Boston at age 32, following her French husband. Once in France, she reinvented herself by enrolling in a licence professionnelle to enter the wine industry. Today she runs a natural wine …

1
Episode 34: From Part-time to Full-time, how author Lisa Anselmo is creating her new life in Paris 49:41

2+ y ago49:41

49:41

Welcome to Episode #34 of Profiles in Franceformation, I’m your host, Allison Grant Lounes, and this week I’m interviewing Lisa Anselmo, a New Yorker who has made Paris her part-time home. She’s a writer and author of a memoir entitled My Part-Time Paris Life about her experience building her relationship with Paris, and the growing amount of time …

1
Episode 33: How a summer trip throughout Europe influenced life coach Lindsay Poelman and her family to relocate to France 47:56

2+ y ago47:56

47:56

Welcome to Episode #33 of Profiles in Franceformation, I’m your host, Allison Grant Lounes and in today's episode, I speak with Lindsay Poelman, a life coach from Utah who moved to the Côte d'Azur with her husband and three children. She talks about how she first came on a visitor visa, then returned to the US to apply for a profession libérale vis…

1
Episode 32: From Brooklyn to Paris, learn how Terrance Gelenter, American author, journalist and Francophile, settled into his new home of Paris 59:13

2+ y ago59:13

59:13

Welcome to Episode #32 of Profiles in Franceformation. I'm your host, Allison Grant Lounes and this week I'm interviewing your American friend in Paris, Terrance Gelenter. Terrance was a native New Yorker who always felt like a European and was coming to France regularly and integrating himself into ex-pat life before making his move permanent in 2…

1
Episode 31: Meet Donnie Calloway, the Ferrari-driving mystery man of the Americans in France Facebook group 54:54

2+ y ago54:54

54:54

Welcome to Episode #31 of Profiles in Franceformation. I’m your host, Allison Grant Lounes, and this week, I’m interviewing Donnie Calloway, international Ferrari man of mystery and fancy Paris hotels. Donnie first began intriguing the Americans in France facebook group by sharing his pictures of Ferraris driving in traffic-free Paris in front of i…

1
Episode 30: “Say yes to all the opportunities that people give you” Kayla Carpenzano, an American teaching English in a private international school in the Loire Valley 53:29

2+ y ago53:29

53:29

Welcome to Episode #30 of Profiles in Franceformation. I’m your host, Allison Grant Lounes, and this week, I’m interviewing high school English teacher Kayla Carpenzano. Kayla originally came to France with the TAPIF English assistant program, and has returned several times, with different visas, to pursue her dream of living and teaching English i…

1
Episode 29: “It’s like an iceberg” Ivy Dai, a French-trained American pastry chef, on the importance of looking beneath the surface 49:06

2+ y ago49:06

49:06

Welcome to Episode #29 of Profiles in Franceformation, I’m your host Allison Grant Lounes. On today’s episode, I’m speaking with Ivy Dai, an American who came to France to study as a pastry chef. She opened her café in the south of France, and is now selling it post-Covid to pursue an ecommerce career in health and wellness products. We’ll also hea…

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