Edge and Back Interview with Luca Firanescu from XPatGirls.com

Last year, we’ve discovered a great website, XPatGirls.com and probably by now you have read our stories published there (Ioana and Miriam). We wanted to find out more about the founder of this beautiful community and Luca Firanescu shared her experience of  being an entrepreneur and creating an online haven for women from all over the world who share their stories and experiences.

1. Do you consider yourself an entrepreneur? If yes, in what sense?

I didn’t consider myself an entrepreneur till people started asking me about it. I’ve never seen myself as one but I think I fit the description.

I guess the environment and the country that I live in (Israel is know for its entrepreneurial and innovative spirit) influenced me to take this path. One thing is for sure, I do admire this kind of people: passionate, determined, excited, willing to take chances, hard workers.

1. You read and heard many touching stories from expats. Is there any in particular which stayed with you or impressed you?

Yes, I read many touching stories and it’s very difficult to choose a specific one. I think all of them impressed me because all our “special guests” (girls who write once or for a couple of time, but they are not part of the core team) are heroines in my opinion. All of them had the courage to leave their home, their comfort zone and started from zero in places completely different from their hometown. From exotic locations like Ghana, India or China or the western places like the ones in Europe, our expats always surprised us with their stories.

1. Did you ever consider becoming a motivational speaker and helping those who have a hard time adjusting to foreign countries and places?

I thought about it a few times but I wish I had the courage and the determination to do it. I’m actually obsessed with TED Talks so participating at one of their events is one of my dreams. I considered myself a rather shy person but maybe one day I will do it and I will beat my fears. I’ve been recently asked to go to a school and to talk about my modeling experience to expat kids from a poor neighborhood in south of Tel Aviv. I will keep you posted.

1. What made you create the website xpatgirls? What’s the story behind it?

The idea of creating the blog came to me after both my sister, two of my best friends and my sister-in-law moved abroad at the same time. Being an expat myself, I realized that moving to a different country is one of the crucial moments in somebody’s life. Without even noticing it, you “redefine” yourself and things that before seemed trivial to you, now they become extraordinary stories.

1. Can you tell us a story related to the success of this website?

I don’t have a story per say, but rather indicators that suggest we have touched the hearts and minds of our readers. One clear example is when people write to us saying they have enjoyed the read or discovered a interesting and new aspect of a country. And another would be when expat girls approach us, willing to share their story through our website.

1. What are the ups and downs managing a website like xpatgirls?

One the ups of managing the website is my satisfaction when I receive emails from our readers thanking us for inspiring stories or from other expats wanting to contribute.

The main down of managing such a website is definitely the time zone. Our team is spread of over the world so we have to wait each other to finish the work (till the other wakes up) – the web designer lives in NYC, the editor in Amsterdam, another team member in Beijing, I’m in Tel Aviv and the other two girls in Madrid and London. So it’s not so easy. Our virtual meetings and our brainstorming happen on Skype, on Facetime or on Whatsapp.

photos by Luca Firanescu