What inspired you to work for Horizons CZ?
I put this program together to weave in all of the elements of a successful relocation. Financially, we find that you work with one of our amazing school partners.
Socially, we let you know of various places, groups, and events to help you feel more at home.
Legally: We have helped thousands of people with their visas.
All of this is under one program, which I feel is the most encompassing program in the Czech Republic to date!
Why do you do what you do?
A love for the community here in Prague, a love for being able to provide for my family, and the knowledge that other people are getting a lot of the same experiences that helped me become who I am today. I love being able to speak to so many different people and hear about their journeys and how (for this small time) we get to step into their world and help them achieve something unique and wonderful!
York, England
What is your favorite part of your job?
Without a doubt, the people I meet. Over the last 10 years, I have met so many cool people with such a wide background. Everything from rock stars, professional athletes, film personalities, young people on their first adventure away from home, and retirees on a post-work adventure. I sponge so much energy from these encounters, I could do this every day of my life!
How do you use your education and international background in your current role?
Simply put, it is a matter of having accomplished something big and holding the door for others to do the same while mainlining the process. There are a few things in this process that I also have not gone through first-hand, so we know how to navigate these processes to lessen the frustrations and put more of a focus on the growth and enjoyment of the client.
What challenges do you often face, and how do you overcome them?
Our biggest challenge is making sure we can cater to the personal experience of the individual. A retiree versus a 20-year-old has two VERY different expectations from our program. We make sure that we spend as much personal time talking to each and every client as we can afford. Our offering is super personalized, and we treat each and every colleague as a friend whom we are helping on a grand journey!
What are some current projects you are working on?
Too many to name! We have our Visa Agency, our TEFL school, an expat finance project, a staffing and logistics program, and a few other projects in the works. We love to stay busy and are always expanding our network. A lot of our partners that we work with are usually involved in some sort of growth and networking project. Keeps us young.
Lisbon, Portugal
What advice would you give your pre-travel self?
Take a deep breath and enjoy every moment. Even the trying ones, because once you find success and level off. The needle doesn't really move one way or the other too dramatically. Part of building your success is the adventure that goes along with it and all of the experiences that encompass it. The people we meet and the places we see are priceless, and where we wind up may not even be remotely close to what we had in mind (it certainly wasn't for me). However, that is the gift of moving abroad. You find a version of yourself that could never exist staying in your original ecosystem.
What makes Horizons CZ special?
We are simply one of a kind! Everything that we do has been done for years. However, there is not a single program we have found that handles everything under one umbrella. When we first speak with you, you are simply looking at photos of a beautiful faraway city. Once we are finished with our promise, you are living, working, interacting, speaking, and growing within this city. Also, it is owned, managed, and kept by fellow expats who have done the exact same thing. We are the proof of concept!
Inside and at the TOP of the Passion Tower in Sagrada Familia
Why should someone choose Horizons CZ over competitors?
Honestly, I don't even know who our competitors are. There are people and groups that offer similar services. However, our offering encompasses about 4-5 separate industries where no one else in this ecosystem combines. Our full price is more affordable than stand-alone TEFL courses in the city, which require you to apply and pay for a visa afterwards. We eliminate all of that and keep it as one singular process.
What is your organization's mission, and how do you continue to work toward it?
Our goal is to keep mainlining the TEFL to the visa process and make sure that we stay as personable as possible. I would love to find more services to provide to our wonderful colleagues! We want to help people start a new career and find a new adventure in a new country full of wonder and experiences to be had.
What do you hope participants take away from your programs?
We would love for them to seize this opportunity and use it as a springboard into a brand new life full of adventure, growth, discipline, and revitalization. This program provides a foundation to grow in many different directions as it creates a safe base with a visa, job, and vibrant social life. Once that has been taken care of, networking and taking chances become much more a part of your culture, which can lead to immeasurable successes and countless experiences. We love hearing about a colleague opening a restaurant, starting their own business, or getting into a very passionate industry. We live for those moments!
Why is it important for people to travel abroad and experience new cultures?
It gives you first-hand tools to be able to contextualize the world around you. You gain a perspective that cannot be replicated by staying in one place your entire life. You will experience a very healthy dose of culture clash, which (in turn) will elevate you beyond a rationale that is controlled by one culture or living situation. We believe it is almost a disability to deny yourself that gift.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
The same thing it meant the first time I stepped off a plane in a new country. It is a gift to be able to sponge up these locations, cultures, and customs. It's one thing to walk through a capital city with a camera (Which should not be denounced). However, it is very different to go on a fishing trip with locals, pick plums from the tree at your cottage to share with the neighbors, and have them bake plum sweets for you as a "Thank You". There are so many dimensions of travel that the more immersive you can make it, the more you will get back from it.