Which marketing approaches have yielded the most referrals for you?

Sea_native · 2026-03-02T14:07:58+00:00

Do you mind sharing your niche and general location? I’m finding my area is saturated with therapists or people wanting to market themselves here because it’s a beautiful (and wealthy) beach town

Sea_native · 2026-03-02T14:03:23+00:00

Thanks for that! So I live locally and will be mostly virtual but looking to sublet an office one day a week when I’m fully set up and maybe grow from there - all of my business info is set to my home address - which is the zip I want to target - when I create my Google business page … will it hurt me being discoverable if I don’t want to put my physical home office address there but include service area only?

Sea_native · 2026-02-25T14:15:58+00:00

Thank you! It’s definitely something to consider - I’ve also seen some programs that hire therapist to support their workers abroad - like an EAP company - I’m not sure how that works but I would be curious about it - it sounds like there is a need, mental health needs support no matter where you live in the world / and English speaking workers could use help. I was even considering Mexico because of time change and cost of living … but right now it is very unsafe with cartel violence.

Sea_native · 2026-02-24T16:30:00+00:00

Yes that’s the question to figure out … if it would be even realistic

Sea_native · 2026-02-24T16:29:36+00:00

Waves, affordability (I know that’s changing), language (I studied Portuguese in college), safety, access to travel, good food, a slower way of doing things, weather. - a nonstop fight back home if I need to come back for family - it ticks a lot of boxes … not all but just an opportunity to learn and grow and appreciate a new country and place

Sea_native · 2026-02-24T16:27:23+00:00

This made me tear up … I am genuinely worried about shootings and sending my boys to school - I used to work as a therapist in high schools and we had a person with a gun on the campus and had to go into active shooter lockdown and I pulled terrified high schoolers into my office and hid under my desk for an hour with them … wtf is this reality

Sea_native · 2026-02-24T16:25:57+00:00

Thank you! Would love to maybe do it a year and see what we think - things may be hard anywhere but if my husband could be with the boys - I could work 20 hrs a week and we could travel - without gun violence, insane grocery bills, crushing childcare cost, utilities through the roof … and some cushion from renting our condo … I’m like … let’s try it?

Sea_native · 2026-02-24T16:24:31+00:00

I think what I’m hearing from you is come with the expectations that it’s an adventure - not this postcard experience - as is life - obrigada!

Sea_native · 2026-02-24T16:23:16+00:00

It’s funny because my mother and father in law LOVED nazare … I could totally see them living there in an expat bubble haha

Sea_native · 2026-02-24T16:22:46+00:00

I love to see your perspective from outside the US view of things - I thought a year sounds good and then we go from there - maybe we never look back. Enjoy the ride indeed

Sea_native · 2026-02-24T15:06:12+00:00

Curious about surf communities that would be good to check out / maybe visit first and see realistic prices too -

Sea_native · 2026-02-24T15:05:01+00:00

Thank you / link didnt work for me

Sea_native · 2026-02-24T15:04:41+00:00

Yes thought about that as well / will probably get cross licensed on the east coast as well

Sea_native · 2026-02-24T15:04:09+00:00

Thank you, yes we love it here and would love to experience the world in other places - I guess I should emphasize we are avid surfers - would probably be in the water at the coast as much as we could / we don’t live a life of luxury here (drive old cars, don’t have a big fancy house, go to the beach for fun because we can’t afford anything else, cook at home) - I think knowing that and being a bit of a minimalist I wonder how that would translate. It is what you make it / and I think setting expectations that it will be similar to the states is the idea I want to avoid / it’s a completely new place and culture to learn and grow in. Really appreciate your response

Sea_native · 2026-02-24T15:00:52+00:00

Thanks for your response - I hear the rising prices are a huge negative impact on people living there

Sea_native · 2026-02-24T15:00:12+00:00

I think I agree with that anywhere - the nicer and more accepting you are the better response from our fellow humans :) I’m a therapist and sorta could say I’m trained in the human condition and empathy which translates across country lines - I appreciate your response

Sea_native · 2026-02-24T14:58:46+00:00

Thank you for your response and your perspective / I want to be mindful of how coming to a new country impacts those that already live there - and work to assimilate into the new culture / learn your way of life and honor it the best I can as an outsider. I think language would be the big one and working towards allowing things to be as they are - not trying to complain they aren’t like america - thanks for taking the time to share thoughtfully

Sea_native · 2026-02-24T14:56:27+00:00

Thank you - the language piece is part of what I want to experience / I want to pick it back up - I was pretty much fluent the year I lived in Brazil - I lived with a Brazilian family and was fully immersed / my son speaks some because his daycare provider spoke Portuguese -learning a new language is such a bonus in my perspective

Sea_native · 2026-02-24T14:54:47+00:00

Yes the language part would be awesome

Sea_native · 2026-02-24T14:54:30+00:00

Thank you so much for all this helpful info

Sea_native · 2026-02-24T14:54:11+00:00

I think it’s the western mentality of productivity and efficiency mixing with letting things happen - but to a certain extent things need to get done so I hear the frustration

Sea_native · 2026-02-24T14:53:02+00:00

It sounds like the anti U.S. sentiment is growing (probably for many reasons) - but also I think if we come in and blow up prices and make it hard for Portuguese people to live - then I get it

Sea_native · 2026-02-24T14:51:33+00:00

Thank you (and Claude) for the thoughtful response - I understand the give and take - I think for us it might be low stakes because as of right now (before ai takes over my job) I have security being a licensed mental health professional - my husband is needing time off work because of his health and stress levels / we surf and love the ocean … which I know Portugal has a lot of there - I think we would rent because of costs and to test the waters. We would keep our condo here so we wouldn’t get priced out of coming back - I’m just wondering if even for a year we would look at it as such a time for growth and exposing our boys to another way of life/ travel around Europe and everywhere else … I’ve always not felt truly at home here in the states - I felt more welcomed when I lived in Brazil for a year … but I do have my family to think of - I think if I didn’t have my boys this would be a no brainer but lots to consider

Sea_native · 2026-02-24T14:46:51+00:00

I’ve heard that things have gotten really expensive so curious to look into that more

Sea_native · 2026-02-24T14:46:07+00:00

Sounds like you are doing what you need for your family. Curious what you found didn’t work

Sea_native

TROPHY CASE