I made the move to France in 1994, after deciding I wanted to give my two children (then five and nine) more of an old-fashioned upbringing.
I was working as an actress at the time, and also did some work in television in Minder and The Professionals and presenting.
However, the majority of my work was in voiceover roles where I had experienced a lot of success, fronting campaigns for Estée Lauder and the Daily Telegraph.
My husband, Maynard Williams, then 43, was also a successful actor and had been performing in the West End musical Starlight Express for a decade by that point.
We agreed it was a great time for a change of pace, and a brand new start for the family.
I studied languages and spoke French and Spanish well, so I felt sure we could make a great life on the Continent.
Read more: Our life aboard a barge near Bordeaux
Long commute
When we first moved to our property in Charente-Maritime, I continued my work in London, commuting back to the UK every week (which was almost unheard of at the time).
Voiceover work could be unpredictable, and you would often only get the job the night before.
I would stay with my mother – who was delighted to see me – and take on work if it came up. Sometimes I would be offered a contract, other times I got the chance to spend more time with Mum. It was the best of both worlds.
At the time, only British Airways ran flights to London from my local airport, and I was paying the same for a ticket as I have to now!
While I continued with my work in the UK, Maynard had a complete career change. He was exhausted after a decade on stage and wanted to do something different. He retrained in swimming pool installation and by around 2000 had set up his own company.
A rethink
In 2001, the actors’ union went on strike and I stopped work as a result.
It was a chance to reflect and I realised I did not want to continue my mammoth commute; it was time to call it a day on the voiceover work.
Maynard’s business was doing well, so I had the luxury of time to work out what I wanted to do. I spent some time breeding and showing dogs – something I have always done – and more quality time with the children. I also picked up a bit of translation work here and there.
Eventually, I found I wanted to get my teeth into a new challenge and, luckily, one came quite unexpectedly.
In 2007, an estate agency who wanted to open a branch in Charente-Maritime headhunted me, asking me if I would like to help set things up.
With my experience in presenting and fluent French, they felt I would make a great ambassador for their business. I agreed, not knowing whether or not I would enjoy the work but interested to find out. I absolutely loved it.
Unfortunately, I did not like the way the agency was run so, in 2007, I quit to have a rethink.
Read more: Career change in France: From financial advisor to botanical artist
New direction
After a few years, during which I was also caring for my sick mother, I looked for new opportunities. I connected with an old neighbour via a Facebook group and we got chatting.
He told me he was an agent with Beaux Villages Immobilier and relayed how much he enjoyed working for them.
‘Can you get me an interview?’ I asked.
That was in 2012 and by 2015 I was the number one agent for the company.
In 2018, I was promoted to Head of Sales Development, looking after their 20-plus agencies.
Finally, in 2020 I decided it was time to retire. However, I missed the buzz of working and asked Beaux Villages if I could come back as an independent agent.
There is something wonderful about finding houses for people. It is a magical job. It can be hard work, but it is so satisfying.
I help to train agents sometimes and always tell them you are not selling, you are listening so that you can find what a person is looking for.
I see myself as a property matchmaker.
In recent years, I have also started career coaching. I had some training via my agency in the past and found I was very good at it.
I ask people to tell me where they want to be in six months’ time and help them work out how to get there.
I tell people to concentrate on what makes them happy, not focus on what they have not got or what they think they need.
If you can find a career doing something that makes you happy, it is the most wonderful thing in the world.
