"Today’s Zeitgeist is all about community, communication, creativity and collaboration"
Carrie Frais, journalist and co-founder of Maresme Connect
A former BBC journalist. Carrie Frais is one of the co-founders of Maresme Connect and the founder of No20, a showroom, co-working and events space in Vilassar de Mar. She is also the founder and director of MumAbroad, an online resource for the international community living in Europe, the co-founder and director of FiG Communications, a creative agency and the co-founder 4Voices, an online platform to encourage more public speaking among teenagers. She is a regular events host, voiceover artist and hosts her own podcasts ‘The Soundtrack to My Life‘ and ‘Notes on Leadership‘. She is also the co-founder of Bremain in Spain and author and editor of #LivingTheDream, exposing the harsher realities of life away from home. Originally from London, Carrie lives in Montcabrer in Cabrils with her husband Tom, two kids Poppy and Bertie, two cats Wally and Maggie and dog, Reggie.
When I moved away from my native home my world got so much bigger. I used to live in one of the most exciting cities on earth but there’s nothing more enriching than living in a new environment and experiencing a different culture. It opens your mind and ensures you keep learning and growing.
I opened a co-working because I found working from home unstimulating. I like to be able see people face-to-face and bounce off their energy chatting over a morning cup of coffee. I think that the WFH (Work From Home) trend is unnaturally isolating. Humans are mostly very social animals.
I prefer asking questions than giving answers. I tend to think people are more interesting than me! Everybody has a story. The quiet ones in the corner are often the most interesting of all.
My mum died of a heart attack and my dad died of cancer. I will never get over the shock of losing my mum so suddenly or the pain of seeing my dad suffer over such a long period of time.
When my parents died I lost my sense of belonging. It took me several years to work out my new identity in life without them. I am now more happy with who I am than I have ever been.
My mum taught me to never judge and save water. My dad taught me the joy of reinventing oneself, not to take life too seriously and how not to cook.
I used to be a proud of being British but Brexit, Boris and all the political bullsh*t since leaving the EU has changed all that. I am much prouder to be European.
My teenage children can sometimes be monosyllabic and grumpy but I’d never swap these years for the toddler years again. When they do open their mouths, they often make me laugh out loud. They see life from a much more refreshing perspective than us oldies.
I decided to create the anthology #LivingTheDream to sully the shiny Instagram lens we so often see about life abroad. It is still the case that ‘expats’ are portrayed as white, privileged westerners enjoying sangria on the sand. The reality can far removed from that.
Friends are very important to me. They enrich my life, offer support, encourage and motivate. Above all they make me laugh. Like with kids, it is unconditional love.
I thought I was a cat person until I got a dog. More unconditional love.
Today’s Zeitgeist is all about community, communication, creativity and collaboration. That is the thinking behind creating Maresme Connect. Despite the uneasiness of today, I do feel positive about tomorrow.
Websites:
Maresmeconnect
No20Vilassar
MumAbroad
FiG Communications
4Voices
Carrie Frais
Social Media:
Maresme Connect FB Group
Maresme Connect FB page
Maresme Connect Instagram
4Voices FB page
4Voices LinkedIn
4Voices instagram
MumAbroad FB page
MumAbroad International Families in Spain Group
MumAbroad Barcelona Business Group
MumAbroad Instagram
