Elodie - Co-Founder of Boundless Life

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[00:00:47] Where I speak with other single moms, those still considering, and experts in relevant fields to give you a real sense of what the day-to-day experience of solo parenting looks and feels like. So wherever you are in the process, I hope this podcast provides some support, helpful info, and most importantly, humor. Thanks so much for listening. Now let's get to it.

[00:01:19] So we were just catching up a little bit prior to chatting. I want to reiterate to those listening now that we're officially recording how in love with this company concept I am and how excited I am to talk to you about it because I have been a little bit of an unofficial stalker of Boundless for a while. Before we get into the company and how amazing it is, and specifically I think such a great fit for single parents, I'd love for you to just introduce yourself.

[00:01:46] How did you get into starting Boundless and what brought you to this idea? Well, thanks a lot for the introduction already. It's a real pleasure to be here today. I'm Elodie. I'm originally from France. I've been a traveler my whole life. So my parents were educators and we were traveling every summer for a month. So that gave me really the travel bug from a very early age. Kind of knew that I wanted to have kids and I wanted to raise them around the world.

[00:02:15] So I traveled a lot, met my partner in crime who is Swedish, and we've been doing the traditional expat life for like about 10, 15 years, which was like traveling and settling down for three years and then moving on again. And we had some frustrations with this because we made really good friends and then we had to say goodbye, but it was a very like clear cut and we would never come back.

[00:02:41] So we always said like how amazing would it be if we could have several home bases and we could hop around every three, four months and then come back and meet those friends because it was so important for us to have the community aspect. But the challenge was always education when we did that. So I actually joined Boundless as a family first. So in February, I discovered Boundless through an old friend from Japan out of all places.

[00:03:09] It's just like there is this company starting this. It's in Portugal. I had the call February 13 and I signed up two days later and I was so excited. So April, we started. We were part of the second cohort. And that felt like just a really, really good fit for us because it had the education component, which was really important for me. So I have three daughters who are now five, eight and ten. So they were six and eight back then. And I wanted for them to have friends. Like that was my main focus.

[00:03:39] And I wanted them to have a solid education. And the Finnish system was right. My partner is Swedish, etc. So we hopped on and very quickly after I was at the time I was in transition and I was like, I just want to help Boundless. It just felt like such a good fit. And it was just the right time. So they were looking for someone to lead marketing and sales. And then I became a late co-founder shortly after. And yeah, here I am.

[00:04:06] We've been living that lifestyle for the past two years and a half with the girls just hopping around and living across many countries. We're launching more and more. So that helps us to discover more and more places as we go. Yeah. That's a little bit about the story. Oh my gosh, I love that. That's like the greatest way to become a founder I've ever heard. So for folks who are not familiar with Boundless and haven't talked to you guys like I have, the Boundless concept is one that I think is incredibly rare.

[00:04:34] And correct me if I get some of this wrong, but it is this unique concept for families to travel around the world. And I think you have eight locations right now. Portugal, Greece, Tuscany, Andalusia, Bali. Am I missing one? Montenegro. We have six at the moment, but we're heading towards eight next year. Yeah. Okay. So all places we would all die to live. But the magic of it is within the experience with Boundless, there is housing.

[00:05:03] There's kind of a part of your network for families of all sizes. There's childcare for children of all ages. There's a workspace. And then you are starting in a cohort of other families, which for me is that thing that was missing with all these other companies was built-in community and everything is planned and organized, busy families so that you're seeing the culture of the company, of the country. You're meeting other families. You've got folks to do stuff with during the day as adults.

[00:05:33] Your kids have other families to become friends with. And everything is just in this really convenient, easy layout within the city. The genius idea is basically the summary. Yeah, 100%. We wanted to basically create a simple solution for families to live and learn around the world. And that's why we created Boundless. There are several components like you mentioned, but the two core ones really are the education. Because for us, it's critical that there is the consistency of the curriculum wherever the kids go.

[00:06:03] So we welcome kids ages 1 to 14 at the moment. And then the second key component is the community. Because those are really the two bottlenecks for families when they're traveling. Parents just like are worried about their children's education. And they're also worried about meeting friends for their kids. They always think about their kids. But actually, like as a parent, you also need to connect. You need to exchange. You need that support when you're traveling.

[00:06:32] And that's something that is kind of built in. So we welcome about 25 families every cohort. And everyone starts and ends at the same time. I sometimes compare it to like an exchange program when we were a little bit younger. And everyone would be new, right? You would go into this new place, new university. Everyone would be new, no support system. And everyone would be super keen to get to know people.

[00:06:57] There was nothing really on the way, like no obligations and places to be. Like you were in the moment, in the present. And like 100% connecting with those people who were also here for the good times and also for the sad times. Like they would be really your new network system. And that's what we're really, we've tried to recreate. And we can see like the bonds and the relationship and the friendships you're creating over three months.

[00:07:24] Even four weeks for our shorter stays are incredible. And people are just like planning then their next day together. Because it's just like such a deeper relationship. You spend quite some time together. You talk about important topics like parenting and traveling and education. And it's just fun. It's a fun crowd. Because people who are challenging the status quo and really keen to connect with everyone in the community. I love that you said they're challenging the status quo.

[00:07:53] And that leads really well onto my next question, which is who is the boundless family? And is there this common thread? And maybe you just said it. What is the common thread that you're seeing with the families that are drawn to an experience like this? I think it's the mindset and the values. It's people who are looking for something different. People who are very aware that they want to expose their children to the world. Like when you talk to the parents, that will be the constant.

[00:08:22] Like I want my kids to learn from different cultures. I want them to be open-minded and discover other horizons. So that's really the key motivation. We have a lot of, obviously it's people who are remote working. So a lot of entrepreneurs and freelancers. Many different industries because nowadays like remote is spreading. We have single parents, solo parents, families joining the cohort. And they're coming from all around the world.

[00:08:51] We have about eight to nine nationalities every cohort. We do have a higher proportion at the moment of North American. Just simply because remote work is more developed as well as alternative schooling. But it makes it really like a vibrant, diverse community of people. And often you're like, oh, I'm glad I'm here. Those are deep connections that I might never have met otherwise. So those are some of the traits. But I wouldn't say like there is one mode.

[00:09:19] It's more of a motivation and values that drive the families joining foundness. Because you need to be, I think you need to be brave and get out there and, you know, make a big life decision for your family. And for yourself as a parent. So it's big. Yeah. I really like when I went on a site that you guys have options that don't feel too stressful. So there's that one month option and then there's a three month option. Correct me if I'm wrong or maybe if this is changing.

[00:09:48] What I'm seeing right now in terms of the options are those one months are usually early in the year or around the holidays. And then the three months are in the summer. Talk to me about is that, is it going to be more of like a year round? I'm also asking selfishly because I would love to come for three months in the winter. But talk to me about kind of why you guys offer what you offer when during the year. Yeah. No, for sure.

[00:10:14] So first of all, what is really and what is really core to Boundless is this notion that the families can design their lives. OK, so we're offering some package options, but there is no you have to commit for nine months with Boundless to do your school year. That's not our belief. Like we believe that families need to be free and that's why we're creating a Boundless life. So we let you pick and choose what feels right in terms of time of the year to travel and location.

[00:10:43] So we have two main types of packages. We have the three months cohorts and those ones are kind of the core offering. They're for families who are already remote. And it's kind of like a term. So we have the January to March one, the April to June and the September to November. And then we have the shorter stays. So you mentioned the holiday one. So that's the three weeks. It's in December. So it's from mid of December to early January.

[00:11:12] So you end the year and you start the next year in a different culture. It's really a kind of holiday that is a bit less focused on things and more focused on experiences, basically. So we're kind of pulling out the families from all those Christmas obligations and telling them, you know what, just enjoy time with the family. Like stop planning all those stuff. Just have fun. And then we have the summer ones.

[00:11:33] So one for July and one for August, which are really more of a, for many families, it's a holiday with a kind of summer camp for the kids or a workation. And it's kind of a taster for what a boundless life is, because for some families, it's a little bit scary to make that big step and to just like leave everything, your family and your home and the current school. So we're still very new. We're a toddler. We're two years and a half. There are already like 700 families who have joined us, but it's a big step.

[00:12:03] So many families start with also the shorter stays. And then last but not least, we're starting creating for the older kids. So the 10 plus programs that are for nine months in the sense that then we have an educator traveling with them. So it's a group of kids and one educator who are hopping around every three months because the older they get, fortunately or unfortunately, friends become more important, parents a bit less.

[00:12:31] So we're trying to recognize that dynamic as well and helping the kids to further build on relationships, basically. I saw that on your site. I think it's incredible. It's almost like we have a program here in the U.S. called Knowles. Are you familiar with Knowles? Yeah, the Outdoor Leadership, National Opera Leadership School. But it seems like that, but way more of like the education cultural focus than an outdoor leadership type of experience. But I love that concept. Gosh, if I were 14, I would have done that in a heartbeat.

[00:13:02] On the podcast, it's always really important to me to be really transparent about the costs of everything as it relates to single parenting. I was also really pleasantly surprised by the costs associated with boundless. When I first started reading on the website, I assumed it was going to be something that I could not afford. And it actually aligns pretty well to my current cost of life in a high cost of living city like Boulder, Colorado. But can you talk a little bit about the cost and everything that it entails?

[00:13:31] Yeah, for the three months cohorts, the cost will range between for a single parent and let's say one child will range from like 2.1 to 5, depending on whether you choose boundless accommodation or not. So there are basically three elements that you're paying for. The first one is the tuition for the education, which is 1.7. And then you have the access to the community.

[00:13:56] So all the activities organized for the parents and the co-working space and your airport transfer. So that's 450 per month. And then you have the cost of the accommodation. So you can choose between a one bedroom, two bedroom or three bedroom. And depending, we have seasonality then on the cost of the accommodation. So the accommodation will change depending on whether they're traveling off season, like January to March, or whether you're traveling during a more popular season like the spring. And for the summer, it's slightly higher.

[00:14:26] So we will go up to 3,000 for the tuition and the community access. And then you will need to add, like it depends on the accommodation you're choosing. But let's say between 3 and 5, 6K, depending on, yeah, the size of the apartment. So in the math that I was running, and tell me if I'm off here.

[00:14:52] Generally for like a single parent and a child, the numbers I was putting together were around like somewhere in the range of 8 to 11 a month, $1,000. I think it will be less because most of the single parents will choose a one bedroom accommodation, maybe a two. But for the three months cohort per month, it will be rather around 6K if you count the accommodation.

[00:15:20] And then your accommodation will be also furnished, utilities, Wi-Fi, weekly cleaning. So we're just trying to make it. Our objective is just really for the families to be able to focus on the experience and their children through the travel, rather than it's so complicated to travel. I was like, there are so many components. We're just trying to take care of as many as possible so that you can really focus on your child and yourself as well through the travel. Because we're growing so much.

[00:15:49] They are growing, but we're also growing. And we need a little bit of space to make the most out of the experience. Yeah, that's the thing that I think really stood out to me the most when I was introduced to the company. As a person who traveled a lot prior to having a baby, a person who absolutely wants to travel the world with my child, and as you said, can continue to show her and open up her worldview and have her experience other cultures,

[00:16:16] was that the idea of traveling solo with a child without childcare was intimidating for me. And it also felt lonely. Just managing a toddler and the logistics of, oh, we're going to try to go to that museum today. We're going to get on this train at what time and what tickets. And we're going to stay at this Airbnb and I don't know how to get there for months is exhausting just to think about the planning of that.

[00:16:39] And you guys have taken all of that away where you basically just had to get on a flight and show up. And here's your immediate community. Here's your house that's ready to go. Here are people stewarding you through that entire experience and handling some of those logistics or challenges with you. And then that little component I love the most is also the community get-togethers are already planned. I don't have to, you know, initiate that on my own.

[00:17:07] Some of those really important cultural experiences might already be planned in the schedule for that month. And so it really is just this incredibly seamless experience that it feels like just sign up and get on a plane and you guys will make it as easy as possible once you get there. Yeah, definitely. I think that's what I'm hearing the most from, like, I've been on multiple cohorts and every cohort will have, you know, I don't know, two, three single solo parents. They're a different model.

[00:17:35] We very often also have, like, a couple coming in and then one of the parents goes away for quite some time. And then, you know, the parent is by himself or herself. And the logistics are a big part, but, like, the community aspect of things and just knowing that if something happens, you can always have, like, people around you to support. Just, like, if you're sick, like, I remember in Cirrus in August we had one of the moms who was sick and had to, you know,

[00:18:05] take care of herself. And then you have already, like, three other families who are like, okay, I'm taking care of Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday and then bringing the soup. And, like, you just have this immediate support system. And that's priceless. And that's, like, irrelevant of the family setup. I think at the end of the day, like, the community is just here for each other, whether you're a single parent or a couple or it really doesn't matter.

[00:18:33] I was amazed at the beginning. Like, we didn't join for the community. And I was almost like, oh, my God, I'm going to have people around and maybe coming into my house. And how is it going to feed me? And I still remember that one time where my oldest just got her finger locked inside a door. And then suddenly I hear her screaming, go down, pick her up. She was eight. I was sitting down close to her, taking care of her in, like, two minutes.

[00:19:00] I had the neighbor upstairs coming down with a safety kit. The neighbor downstairs coming up with, like, food. And then I had another person who I had heard and coming in and reassuring her and talking to her. And I was just sitting and I was blown away. Because at the end of the day, I think what we realize is it takes a village. And co-parenting is sometimes a bit of a weird word. And people are like, I'm not sure I'm ready for that.

[00:19:26] But we do need, like, different influences and how also the children grow so much richer, right? Because they're learning from everyone in the community. I think that's really the biggest, like, one of the biggest values. A little bit back to maybe how life was, I don't know, 100 years ago when you were in a village. And just people were there close to each other. And they were present. They were available to support. Yeah.

[00:19:53] You've mentioned single parents a couple of times that I just want to kind of reiterate. You guys do see quite a bit of solo parents, whether they're kind of single parents by choice or divorce or whatever. Outside of folks whose partners may come and then leave for work or travel, etc. You do see a lot of single parents come into the program.

[00:20:14] Yeah, single parents, again, I would say in a cohort of 25, the average will be three, four single parents who are there. Moms or dads, they're both models. And that's for all the programs, whether it's the four weeks or the three months. We definitely see many coming. Usually the concerns are quite similar. It's like, oh, am I going to be different in that cohort? How am I going to integrate with the rest?

[00:20:44] But it really doesn't matter. We'll also organize a lot of activities for like the moms and the dads. So we kind of already tend to separate. So the moms also have their time, their quality time. So that just, it happens quite intuitively. And there is a mix of activities. So you were talking about things that are happening. Boundless organizes a programming of activities every month. So some of them are regular, like wellness, when the kids are at school.

[00:21:14] Or we have often soccer, where the whole family comes in. So the kids and the parents. And then we have cultural activities. Visits, cooking classes, pottery, whatever. But the real magic lies in what the families are bringing. Each parent comes in with their story and their skill sets. And they're super keen to exchange and share. So we have a lot of workshops that are organized spontaneously by the community. Birthdays, obviously, organized.

[00:21:45] And there everyone is welcome. The hub, which is kind of the co-working space. But during the weekend, it's the social space. It's where people gather and spend time together. And it's usually very spontaneous. So I think what I was missing living in big cities was this, like, I always had to plan. I would contact people. I would like, should we catch up? And they're like, yes, I'm available in three weeks. I'm just like, this is exhausting, right? Like, maybe I won't want to see you in three weeks. I don't know.

[00:22:15] So now it's just like much more spontaneous. When you're living the boundless life, people are just like, yeah, of course, I'm available. Let's do a play date together. Yeah. Which is, it feels good to be back into the now, into how you feel now. Oh, you're really speaking my language right now, Elodie. I read a lot of the blogs. And what you're saying is a lot of what I heard in the kind of first-person accounts of these experiences as well, which is my kids fell in love with all the other kids. I became best friends with everybody.

[00:22:43] We were all in the same building. And everyone just kind of would wander or share, pick each other's kids up from school. And I think as a single parent, having that support and reading that in those blog stories was really amazing to see. Are folks generally living really close by to one another? Or how do the accommodations work? That's a great question. So every location is different just because we're obviously respecting, you know, how the city is designed.

[00:23:11] We've realized, I think Tuscany was the first one really. In Tuscany, we have this incredible old palazzo with seven apartments and a common patio. And this became like, it's called the LSM. And it became like the iconic building. So everyone, when they're booking Tuscany, it's like, can I go into the community building? Just because the kids are going up and down and then you can help each other so much more easily. They do pizza tasting every week.

[00:23:41] They even discovered like a secret, you know, those wine windows? Have you heard of all those wine windows in Tuscany? Oh, yeah. Where you serve wine. So there is one in there. Like, it's just such a magical place. So now whenever we open a location, we try to have those community buildings. We just opened Couture in July. And there we went even further. So we have the education center at the bottom. And then we have two floors with eight units.

[00:24:09] So there are eight families staying there in apartments right on top of the education center. Just because community living is just such an incredible and unique experience that you wouldn't really do without boundless. So we're really trying to. But there are some locations where it's a little bit more challenging. Like, for instance, in Siros, where the buildings are much lower. So we can't have as many units into one.

[00:24:36] But there it's just so walkable that families are still always within five to ten minute walking distance from each other. So it's very easy for kids to hang out together. And also parents, yeah, potentially when the kids are sleeping or whatnot. Yeah. Just take the monitor and go down to the wine window. Right? That's like a dream. How do you guys pick your locations? Because it's a pretty incredible lineup. I mean, I would go to any of these locations happily.

[00:25:04] But they're also like a little bit off the regular path. They're not, right? We're not in like Rome, London, Paris, right? You're just a little bit off the beaten path. What is, what kind of constitutes a boundless destination? Yeah, that's right. They're all off the beaten path. We've been trying to find locations that are very family friendly in general.

[00:25:27] So we have a whole, we have a very big complex spreadsheet with so many criteria of what's important for families and remote workers. So we have different dimensions to it. But some of the key criteria are indeed like the ability to work remotely, the safety aspect of the location, because it's incredibly important for the families to feel like their kids can walk around. Healthcare is really important. So whenever we go, we make sure there is hospital and good, good facilities.

[00:25:57] And then we want places that have a little bit of magic as well. So when we do the spreadsheet, but then one of us goes there, one of the founders that just feels the place as well. So there's been, I remember when we did Greece, like we had different places and just none of them felt right. Just going there, they match the spreadsheet, but going there is like, no. And then someone told us about Citos.

[00:26:23] And Mauro went there with Suzanne, our head of academics, and they were just blown away. Because the place when you go there and you set a foot on the island, you just feel super welcome. People are warm. And we want also like the places to be vibrant, right? There's stuff to do. Like our families have been living in big cities. We're plugging them out and bringing them to smaller size cities. We still want to have like, you know, good food and things to do and explore. So that's also one of the key criteria.

[00:26:52] And then once we have a list of like 10, we now let the families, the existing families vote as well and tell us where they want to go. So we have a heavy component of the community also helping us to select where to go next in terms of new locations. So yeah, if you have any on your mind, let us know. Don't even, the list is so long. But I think that you can see those components in the way that you all talk about the experience online.

[00:27:21] And some of the things that I wouldn't have thought about, I mean, there's such a great explanation of safety and those family-friendly components. And that's also something that just, I feel like most parents, especially single parents, like I don't have time to look at all of that when I'm thinking about where we want to travel. I don't necessarily have the time or bandwidth to be like, okay, is our Airbnb close to a hospital? Is this a safe neighborhood? How do I even find out if it's a safe neighborhood?

[00:27:48] You know, there's so much that goes into that that you guys have just totally taken off the table. And with that comes so much peace of mind, I think. So you have eight locations on the website now. Can you tell me the two that are coming? Or are they secret? So we have six at the moment on the website. Six, yeah. We're heading to Latin America next year. That's what I can tell you. But I can't tell you where we're going because we haven't, we're about to announce in two weeks to our existing families.

[00:28:17] So there should be a lot more coming up around October, November, around the 2025 locations. But families have been asking to go to Latin America. It's been an interesting one to crack because of the safety. And Mauro, our CEO, is from Brazil. So for him, he has three daughters himself. So it's incredibly important to make sure that our core values are respected wherever we go. But yeah, new continent, it's going to be very exciting. Yeah.

[00:28:46] By the time this episode airs, those new destinations will most likely be online. So if you're listening, go to the Downless Life webpage and you can read about all the destinations. I'm sure they will be up. I have to ask you, I read this great interview that you did. I'm not sure if it was on the site or on Instagram where you were sharing some of the things that you've learned in the few years of being a part of the Boundless family. And a couple of them really resonated with me because they didn't seem obvious. The first was discovery.

[00:29:16] And the obvious one is the culture, the country. But what you said, which I thought was really beautiful, is also rediscovering your family because you're seeing each other in maybe moments of challenge. You're seeing each other in a new environment. And also kids are getting to see parents in a different environment too instead of the, oh, my mom makes me breakfast and then she drops me off at school and then she takes me to soccer and then we go to bed. And that joy that comes with kind of rediscovering different sides of each other I thought was really beautiful.

[00:29:46] Yeah, I think the connections you're building. We've talked a lot about the connection you're building with the community, which are really important. But there is definitely a very strong component of travel, driving, also better understanding of each other and connecting with your children in a very different way. I think it's a very natural thing when you're traveling to also be a lot more observant. You're obviously just a little bit more worried, right? When you're home, you just like, you trust the school, you trust everything.

[00:30:16] It's just you're on autopilot. So we're just running. But when you're traveling, suddenly you're changing everything. You're a little bit more careful with everything that's happening. And one of the big positives as a parent is that you're listening to your children every day, how they're doing. You're also breaking the routine a lot more. So you're a lot more intentional every day in how you approach them, how you discuss, you listen.

[00:30:42] You're really listening to how their day went, how they're going through the adventure. And that's really, really precious as a parent. So I feel like I've grown so much as a parent, but also like the relationships that we've built with the girls is beautiful. Their relationship as well together. So I think if you have different children, it's incredible what it does to sisterhood, brotherhood. But like they get so close because they, it's not easy every day.

[00:31:11] You're there, there is like, it's, it's challenging and that's, that's life. And that, and that creates memories and that creates really very strong ties. So that's something that I've absolutely loved. Also, also traveling. So it's a beautiful adventure. Like I, I recommend it to, to any parent because it just helps you to rediscover. Discover, um, or sometimes like really discover your children.

[00:31:35] And, and one last point, actually from a, um, a mom who has been solo traveling with us. I think it's, she's traveled two times now. So her third cohort will be in April. She's doing every like spring, uh, with us. And then she's traveling actually with another solo mom that she met in Tuscany. So they've been moving from like Tuscany to Ciros. And next year they're going to Spain. Um, and she said that also she felt her children got to know her. Yeah.

[00:32:05] That's the blog I read as well. Yeah. I mean. It really hit me hard. And I, like, for me, it's the same. Like, I think, again, you're, you're just, uh, so much more alive. So I think that your children pick up on it. You know, you're more playful. You're also like curious. You're breaking the routine. And for the children, that's magical to see like mom or dad suddenly like being so much more approachable. There is more sharing together, more discussions about what you're, what you're discovering every day.

[00:32:34] So yeah, you're discovering a new facet of, of mom or dad, or maybe just discovering who they are. Yeah. And so much of what these parents were saying as well, and maybe it was from your interview in addition to that was that idea of redesigning your life every day, making intentional choices. We're going to do this thing today. That feels new. We're going to do this together. What feels good? We're going to go here. We're going to go on a trip. We're going to go down the street to a new coffee shop instead of what I feel like so often

[00:33:03] for all of us, especially I think in, in the U S is the same regimen every day, especially if you have multiple kids and they're in sports and classes, it's, you know, get up, get the kids to all the locations they need to be in, clock into your work day, clock out of your work day, go pick everybody up, feel like you're just driving folks around and you're just in this cycle. And whether or not you have amazing community or that life is really joyful, you're still just in the same schedule every day.

[00:33:33] And I do think, especially for those of us who have that little adventurer in us, that can feel a little bit monotonous. And so this provides all the structure and safety of that, but with the freedom to decide every single day to do something new, which is so exciting. True. You can have different lives in one. I think that's, um, that's, that's kind of what everyone is wishing for. It's breaking that routine, stepping out of the wheel.

[00:34:03] Still just, I think intentionality is really, for me, the biggest one. It's like deciding how you want to run your day and not letting social obligations and framework dictate like what's going to happen every day. Um, and that's, that's really freeing. I think that's why also a lot of parents are just feeling like they're so much younger and so much alive because you just, yeah, feel like back those, you know, those bubbles, like,

[00:34:30] and like your, your child ready to explore. And you have, it's a blank sheet of paper. You can, you can decide how you want to run that day. Um, you do, you do have, I feel also a lot more conversation with the children about this. Like I will, you know, we'll have, we'll have like a family summit and we're just like sitting down and you know, it's like, so what are we doing next weekend? So I have three daughters, so they all have jobs every week.

[00:34:59] And one of them is the planner for, uh, for the weekend. So that's the favorite job of everyone. My God, that's genius. You don't have to do it. Exactly. You pass that off to your children. Wow. That's some top level parenting, Elodie. They love it. They love it. And then they engage everyone and we have discussions about what to do. Um, because we don't have as many things that we must do or attend.

[00:35:25] I did a, just a kind of brief Google search of you prior to us talking. And it seems to me like prior to joining Boundless, you were in kind of the very big corporate world. Is that accurate? Yeah. I've done the big like Procter & Gamble and L'Oreal and Coty for 15 years. And then there was COVID. And so I was in the UK back then. It was just really, really intense to homeschool the girls for six months.

[00:35:54] I'm not a, I like, I fully respect people homeschooling. It just, I just can't edit. So that was on top of managing like the OPI business back then. Um, and, and then around the same time, like I had a personal loss. So my brother passed away and that was like a, that was obviously a huge life event. And I just had to stop. Like I really felt the, the wheel. It was so busy. Life was so busy. And suddenly I was like, but what if it stops tomorrow?

[00:36:23] Is that really how I want my life to be? Yeah. Um, so I took a break and that's when shortly after I, I, we did Boundless with the family. And I just, like for me, I don't know if you're, if you're familiar with this concept of Ikigai. Yeah. Yes. It's, it's a Japanese, maybe I'll explain very shortly, but it's a Japanese concept that really helps you to find your purpose basically in life and where you'll be truly happy.

[00:36:48] Um, and it's finding the intersection between like what you're really good at, um, what will make a difference in the world, uh, what you're passionate about and also what gives you a little bit of money because we're all on the Aussie. Money as we are. Yeah. And, and that's really how it felt. Like when I, when I discovered Boundless, I was like, okay, okay, finally I can use my skill sets for something that really matters. And if I sell one more trip to a family, it will just be so meaningful for them.

[00:37:18] That's something they're going to talk about around the dinner table. You know, when the kids are 20, 22, 25 and like, do you remember mom? Do you remember dad when we did this? So yeah, that's, uh, that's, that's kind of the path, but it was, it was a big and heavy transition, but for the better eventually. I, that reminds me of, I went to Nepal years ago, probably 10 years ago at this point for

[00:37:45] a month and hiked up to Everest Base Camp and we were kind of summoning this small peak above Everest Base Camp as part of the trip. And we ran into this gentleman there who was a little bit older and we were at an altitude. We're all moving really slowly. So we were kind of chatting, seeing that you can't exactly jump around each other on the trail. And he basically was saying that he had been in a corporate job his whole life. And what he was doing on this trip was setting GPS coordinates to put in his will so that his

[00:38:14] kids would take this epic global adventure to all this. What a story. And I mean, this couldn't, it doesn't get more off the beaten path than this location where we were. And I think it all, it just kind of hit a little bit of a nerve with all of us. I ended up actually changing jobs while on the trip, not because of that, but the timing was really key to just be reminded of that, that, you know, life can look really differently.

[00:38:41] And I think you guys are doing a really great job of letting people test that idea without throwing all caution to the wind. And I think that that's the beauty of it, for sure. So you guys, so you left P&G in this big corporate world, went through COVID, and then you've now, tell me which boundless locations you guys have been in. On all of them, except the two new ones. So we've been to Portugal, Greece, Tuscany, and Bali.

[00:39:11] And then I still need to head to Cotor, which launched in July. So I've been there on the scouting trip. Back to my point about the spreadsheet said, yes, we need to go and check. So I was the one doing that one. And then Spain is the one that just launched three days ago. So I haven't been. And I'm not sure when I'll be able to go because it's already fully booked. So Spain has a lot of appeal at the moment, which is great. But we've been traveling, yeah, across and coming back to places.

[00:39:40] Like there are some that just resonate a little bit more. Everyone has their own favorite. So we do have tendency sometimes to stay a little bit longer in some of the locations. Yeah. And the girls start having some habits as well and like to go back to places. How do you, how old are your girls? So they're five, eight, and 10. Oh, awesome. So how do you guys, is this kind of a, for now, we're indefinitely going to stay on the

[00:40:05] move in these locations that will, we can go to new places, we can come back to what's familiar. And as part of your job, like, is it, is it just kind of moving and experiencing the world? This is the MO of your family indefinitely? Or are you looking to find a hub somewhere at some point? There is never any definitely in the family vocabulary. That's what we're doing at the moment.

[00:40:31] But I think as soon as someone is also asking for something different, then we'll listen. So that's why I'm very, very much in touch, especially with my oldest. My five-year-old will go wherever. Like she's just making friends in two seconds at the playground. So she met the best friend just like, you know. Just losing the dream. That's why the older ones are starting to be a little bit more, or like have stronger feelings.

[00:40:56] So we're just like regularly touching base with everyone and seeing how everyone is doing. And then it could change. I, we have many families who do have a home base and they do like six month home base and then six months they're traveling, which seems a great setup as well, especially when the kids are getting a little bit older. And then we, we also have some families who decide to always travel the same time of the year. So I think they, they love their place for like nine months and then they have the three months

[00:41:25] boundless freedom time. Like, and, and usually they come back at the same time of the year. So we have the September families, the January families, the April families. And they kind of travel together. So we start seeing migration to the other and like six, seven families who book together for the year after so they can just catch up again together.

[00:41:48] What a great data point for you to see that what you're building is successful, right? That folks are not only coming back, but they're coming back together is like that extra little gold star. No, this, this is, yeah, this is, this is really beautiful to see. That's, I think that was part of the original intent, but like, um, it just, it clicks sometimes

[00:42:13] between some families between, and when it clicks between the children and the parents or the parents at the same time, it's just like magic, right? And you're just like, okay, this is precious. Yeah. Yeah. What is your return kind of rate of families that are coming for the first time and then come again? We have about 50%. Oh my God. Yeah. So every cohort, it will depend on the locations then.

[00:42:42] Um, but generally speaking, you will have, yeah, about 60% who are new, 40% who are returning families in a cohort. And that helps a lot because the, the existing families know the drill. Um, they already, they, they like activate the community as well. And then the new families feel very quickly also at ease. So yeah. Summer camp counselors.

[00:43:08] They're like, let me show you where the wine wall is. I've always feared to be that. I'm happy to do that person. Wine orientation and next location. So as not to, you know, just paint an only rosy picture of traveling abroad with your family. What are the challenges that you see some of the boundless families face when they're overseas with you guys? Yeah. There are three different categories. The first one is pre-departure.

[00:43:35] Like sometimes it's quite challenging to organize yourself and convince your family or your, the people around that it's right. There is still quite a lot of judgment about what a normal life should be about and what makes children happy. So sometimes you do need to counter those preconceived ideas about, oh, but your children will be so unstable. So we've had like some families who have to fight like pretty radical family situation with

[00:44:04] the grandparents or with some friends. So I think that's one of the challenges. Now, when traveling, the emotional curve is very interesting. So I don't know if you're familiar with the book called Third Culture Kids. I'm not. I would highly recommend it, which is all about exploring those children who are born or raised in a different country than the parent or parents. And it explores through all the changes when they're moving around how their emotional curves are going.

[00:44:34] So usually for the children, like the beginning is very challenging because suddenly it's like, I don't know anyone. I need to make friends. And then very quickly will go up because they make friends really quickly. And then it will go down at the end because there is again the separation. And very often the parent's curve is the exact opposite. At the beginning, they're super excited. There are so many new things. It's liberating. Like I'm back to being a child. And then after some time, the honeymoon phase goes down.

[00:45:02] So when your child goes up, you go down. And then opposite way, like all the same goodbye. This is a moment that is sad, but also so like you're very, very activated emotionally. So it's very exciting. So it goes up towards the end. So you're having to navigate different emotional curve versus your child. So that's one very new element for many parents. And it's a big growth area.

[00:45:29] So we always talk about growth mindsets with the children at the education center. But the educators also tell us that we really need to apply the same methodologies with the parents. Because there is also a lot of growth that is happening through that. And then obviously the last one is the goodbyes. Like the goodbyes are always, you know, hard. But again, that's something that in this book, there is a lot of discussions about the importance of recognizing sadness.

[00:45:58] And discussing those feelings with your children and helping them make sense of it. It's not about saying, oh, but don't worry, we're going home. You're going to see grandma and grandpa. It's just about saying, like, I know, like I also feel sad. And this is normal because we build those relationships and having those, you know, difficult conversations with the children. So I think those are some of the elements.

[00:46:21] And definitely, like, I've been amazed by, like, single parents because they have to do all the work by themselves. So that's definitely harder when you're alone because you need to carry all of this by yourself. But again, there is a lot of sharing by the parents around the emotion. People are getting quite vulnerable on the cohort and just talking about it. Yeah. Wow.

[00:46:51] What a great answer to that question. I can't wait to read that book. It sounds incredible. I mean, I personally think that you should do a trip just for single parents so that none of us have to be on dating apps. And we can just, like, move to a foreign country and all fall in love. But that's just my, that's my pitch. That's an interesting idea. I'm thinking of. Okay. Perfect. That one's just for me.

[00:47:15] When you all are talking to families about how they bridge this gap between usually North American traditional education and the boundless education piece, how do kids, like, get credit for the time away? How does it work to fold back into a traditional system where you kind of have to check boxes and move through the steps? So the approach is definitely very different between the different system.

[00:47:43] The boundless one is focused a lot more on the holistic child, I would say, versus the American one. Now, there is, like, we've had so many families now who don the bridge and then come back. Yeah. The critical element. Yeah. Yeah, especially for older ages. So the critical element is the preparation before. So making sure that you have the right conversation with the school principal or director, explaining the approach, how it's going to work.

[00:48:11] So we have very detailed brochures on what will be covered. Like, the kids are doing academia in the morning and then project-based learning in the afternoon. They're not, like, you know, freestyling the whole day. Like, there is a curriculum that is followed. We also give, like, the parents an example of the growth tracker, which is kind of the report card that is given at the end of the three-month cohort so the school can see what they've covered during those three months.

[00:48:36] So having that conversation up front with the school just really helps to set the right expectation and understand how the school is perceiving it. And you'll be surprised, but generally most of the school directors will be like, oh, my God, if I could have done that for myself or for my children, of course I would apply. Yeah, I was just saying they're probably like, okay, great meeting with you and then turn to their computer and apply for a job with you all.

[00:49:01] I would guess you have no problem recruiting educators for your program. We have, we're attracting a lot of educators who really want to challenge back to the status quo. One of the challenges we've had is more, like, visas, etc. So that's been one of our challenges. But that's why also the traveling programs are helping us a lot now to recruit really, like, high-quality educators.

[00:49:29] But generally, they're educators who really want to think differently about education. They believe in the importance of every single child and learner profile. They love having smaller classrooms as well because then they can really meet the child where they're at. And we do make sure that they have a training before they start with us to make sure that they're fully or very well aware of the boundless approach, basically.

[00:49:57] But, yeah, I would say back to the transition, I think really that pre-conversation is important. And then also helping the children. Again, it's all about communication. So it's helping the children to prepare for their next, for the new location. So maybe watching movies and reading books, etc. about the location. And then the reintegration is another very important one back into the traditional system if you decide to do that. But, again, many families have done the back and forth.

[00:50:27] I'm not going to lie. It's not happening, like, from day one to day two that the kids are, like, hopping around. But, you know, in a few days, they're just readjusting to the new environment. Well, there's just so much consistency in what you all have built between who they're seeing in their free time to the school that they're going to every day. Whereas if I were to move to a foreign country with my daughter, all those elements are different and potentially not connected. Right?

[00:50:56] And it's my job to connect those dots. And so you guys have done such a beautiful job of, I think, easing that transition both for adults and kids. When the parents, I think, are more comfortable through the transition and calmer and more peaceful, the children pick up on it. Right? So, man, is that right?

[00:51:14] I know that we're getting close to our hour, and so I want to make sure we let people know where they can find Boundless Life and kind of what the right steps are for communicating with you all, going to the website, and then signing up for the newsletter, following on Instagram. And then it seems like – I mean, I go on all the time and look at the trips that still have spots. It seems like you don't have to plan a year in advance. You can kind of watch and see where the spots are in real time on your website. Yeah.

[00:51:43] So we're working on a system that will be even more precise, where people will be able to directly book online. But for the moment, you can see where we're at in the different locations. So the website is boundless.life, and you're able there to then also connect with the team. So once you're interested in knowing a little bit more, then you can watch a webinar and then book a call with one of our family reps who have all lived Boundless.

[00:52:08] So they know it with their families and they're able to guide you on the next steps to book a cohort. And Instagram is very useful as well. So we have the Boundless Life account there. You can see a lot about what the families are currently doing in real time almost. So get some info on the different location. And then there is a really useful Facebook group called Boundless Life Families that I think we're soon going to have a thousand families on it. So it's starting to be sizable.

[00:52:38] Most of them have done Boundless, and some of them are just looking and excited to learn more. So it's a good, like, kind of like more neutral platform where you can ask all the questions you want, and it's just answered by the families directly. If we talk to you guys, is there a way to connect with families in our area? Or I'm guessing now that you said Facebook, that's probably a great way to go on and say, Hey, I wonder if there's any families here in Boulder that I could grab coffee with and chat about the experience. That Facebook group is probably the best place to go.

[00:53:08] Yeah, 100%. That's where I would ask. And you will definitely have families in Boulder. I know a few of them to connect with. So I would definitely, that would be my go-to. And then once you've signed up, everyone is on our community Slack. And so we start connecting the families about a month before you arrive. So you have a, yeah, you have a pre-arrival webinar.

[00:53:32] You have a discussion with the admission team also, so that we can build your child's 360 profile. You have the learner profile. So we try to extract as much information as possible from you, the parent who knows the best about the child. So we can pass that on already to the education team to speed up the transition. So that's another thing that happens before you come. And then you join Slack and you can meet the other families who will come on the same cohort.

[00:54:00] So that's some of the little things that are happening also to make the transition as easy as possible. My God, you guys have covered all the bases. My mind is a little bit blown. I'm so grateful for your time. I'm even more excited about this opportunity than I was prior to. I know we're also working on getting one of the single moms that has gone on a Boundless Experience on the podcast as well as a nice complimentary episode. But thank you so much.

[00:54:29] This has been such a pleasure and I'm so excited. Thank you, Sarah. It was a great conversation as well. And yeah, maybe we'll get to meet on the location one time. I hope so. It's going to happen. It's definitely going to happen. All right. Well, thank you so much for meeting and enjoy the rest of your day, Elodie. So much. Bye. Thanks so much for listening to today's episode. I hope you enjoyed it. For more information about the podcast or me, go to youandmekidpod.com. See you soon.

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