<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"><channel><title>Spark Coaching with Val: Blog</title><link>https://sparkcoachingwithval.com</link><description>Business coaching for international professionals and expats, online across Europe and worldwide, to turn 10+ years of experience into a business offer they can sell.</description><item><title>You moved abroad for freedom. Why are you holding on to a job that could let you go tomorrow?</title><link>https://sparkcoachingwithval.com/blog/layoffs-and-the-myth-of-job-security/</link><guid>https://sparkcoachingwithval.com/blog/layoffs-and-the-myth-of-job-security/</guid><pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2026 09:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description>Tech layoffs in 2026 have already passed all of 2025. If you moved abroad for freedom, here&#x27;s why corporate &#x27;safety&#x27; deserves a second look, and what to build instead.</description></item><item><title>Starting a business abroad: the first steps before your first client</title><link>https://sparkcoachingwithval.com/blog/starting-a-business-abroad/</link><guid>https://sparkcoachingwithval.com/blog/starting-a-business-abroad/</guid><pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description>Before the logo, the website or the perfect name, a few practical steps make starting a business in a country that isn&#x27;t your own much easier.</description></item><item><title>How people (and AI) find you when your business is new</title><link>https://sparkcoachingwithval.com/blog/found-by-google-and-ai/</link><guid>https://sparkcoachingwithval.com/blog/found-by-google-and-ai/</guid><pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description>More people now ask ChatGPT or Google&#x27;s AI for a recommendation before they search. A few simple habits make it much more likely that your name comes up.</description></item><item><title>The market often notices your expertise before you do</title><link>https://sparkcoachingwithval.com/blog/the-market-notices-first/</link><guid>https://sparkcoachingwithval.com/blog/the-market-notices-first/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 14 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description>When colleagues keep asking to &quot;pick your brain&quot;, that&#x27;s rarely a coincidence. It&#x27;s often the first sign of a business you haven&#x27;t named yet.</description></item><item><title>How to turn 10+ years of experience into your first offer</title><link>https://sparkcoachingwithval.com/blog/experience-into-first-offer/</link><guid>https://sparkcoachingwithval.com/blog/experience-into-first-offer/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 07 Oct 2026 09:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description>You don&#x27;t need a new skill to start a business. You need to decide which part of what you already know someone will pay for, and put it into words.</description></item><item><title>Experienced people rarely lack knowledge. They lack filters.</title><link>https://sparkcoachingwithval.com/blog/knowledge-and-filters/</link><guid>https://sparkcoachingwithval.com/blog/knowledge-and-filters/</guid><pubDate>Wed, 30 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description>Fifteen years of experience gives you a lot of options. Choosing one offer to test first is where most of the real work happens.</description></item><item><title>Moving countries taught me how to adapt. Running a business is teaching me when not to.</title><link>https://sparkcoachingwithval.com/blog/moving-countries/</link><guid>https://sparkcoachingwithval.com/blog/moving-countries/</guid><pubDate>Sat, 12 Sep 2026 09:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description>A decade in Copenhagen made me very good at fitting in. Building my own business asked for something else entirely.</description></item><item><title>Talk to five people before you build anything</title><link>https://sparkcoachingwithval.com/blog/talk-before-you-build/</link><guid>https://sparkcoachingwithval.com/blog/talk-before-you-build/</guid><pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2026 09:00:00 +0000</pubDate><description>Most experienced professionals research for months before they speak to a single potential client. A handful of honest conversations will tell you more.</description></item></channel></rss>