MEET THE EXPATS: Joe & Coralie: Two adventures in one go

Some of us can go our entire lives ignoring that inner voice that tells us something is missing. Before we know it, it’s too late and all those missed opportunities come raining down as guilty regrets – and so, we leave this world having only lived a half-life. This ‘Meet the Expats’ focuses on a couple that admirably haven’t allowed that inner voice to go neglected. Joe and Coralie took a leap of faith and officially moved to Mauritius in February 2016, beginning not just one, but two brand new adventures on our little tropical island.

We met the couple in a café and instantly felt their passion and warmth as they sat opposite us, sipping on their coffees. British-born Joe and half-Mauritian Coralie make a very interesting couple and after over an hour of speaking, we could see how well matched they are together; both sharing the same ideals and the same outlook on life.

Why Mauritius?

Coralie was born and brought up in France while Joe was born and brought up in Yorkshire. Fate would have it that in 2010 the two would meet while on an exchange, studying in Canada. Six years down the line, the couple made things official and got married right here in Mauritius. But what brought them here and why – we were interested to know.

They told us because of Coralie’s Mauritian background, the link to Mauritius had always been there; Coralie would spend family holidays here during her childhood. For Joe, this was a whole new world and he had only visited the island twice before making the official move. 

Life before Mauritius for the couple was based in London where they both worked in corporate roles, living the typical, busy London lifestyle. Although they were both happy there and reasonably comfortable with their lives, they both felt quite strongly that something was missing – and for two young people working to make someone else’s dream a reality while holding entrepreneurial Masters degrees of their own, we don’t blame them. 

They explained that they had been searching for ideas and looking for a way to work together and set up their own business for a while. An idea for a new business venture finally came to them in 2015, which, on a whim they entered into a competition for new business ideas being run by the Turbine (a start-up incubator and co-working space in Moka). Brilliantly, they were shortlisted and invited to attend the awards ceremony in December 2015, which was a massive turning point in their lives. The competition came at exactly the right time for them and the week they spent in Mauritius that December opened their eyes up to a whole new world of possibilities. 

Upon returning to England, the 28-year-olds decided it was time to take a risk, run forwards with their business idea and move to Mauritius! They quit their corporate jobs, packed up their home, said goodbye to busy London life and returned to settle in Mauritius just two months later. Just, amazing!

The Business: DodoWorkPlay

And so began Joe & Coralie’s brand new two-fold adventure: starting life in a brand new country and starting up a brand new business as part of this new life. 

DodoWorkPlay was set up by the pair here in Mauritius in April 2016 and is a business with entrepreneurs at its core, aiming to connect people and ideas on the island. Their overall mission? To encourage people to reconnect with their work, improve their relationship with it and see it as a positive part of their lives. They do this mainly through monthly events called the Entrepreneurs Brunch and the Entrepreneurs Supper, and retreats: allowing people an open, honest and encouraging space to talk freely about business ideas or their existing businesses. Additionally, another aspect to the business is reconnecting individuals with mind, body and soul and encouraging them to live a happier, more balanced lifestyle.

We asked them for their thoughts on setting up a business in Mauritius and overall, they told us they were quite happy with the process although they believe they would have found it much easier if there was more centralised information on the government website, rather than having to search through and rely on various other online sources. 

One of the main challenges they faced in the beginning with DodoWorkPlay and still sometimes encounter now is trying to break traditional mindsets. They have found through their events that there is a reluctance to openly share ideas. However, together they are striving to promote innovative business ideas and make people aware that it is good to share and talk about ideas, and have  found that slowly, those barriers are being broken down.

The pair told us very honestly that if they were still in the UK, they probably would have been trapped by the corporate lifestyle and wouldn’t have set up a business, particularly this one. Joe said, “There are opportunities here that do not exist in London.  You might think everything is possible in London, but in fact it’s the other way round.” 

Coralie went on to add, “The energy here is different; it’s charged and positive. There are not 3rd world problems here, yet it is not fully developed. It’s somewhere in the middle and that’s exciting.”

To us, DodoWorkPlay is an intriguing, interesting and much-needed venture, which we believe could impact Mauritius’ people and economy very positively in the long run. To find out more please visit their website, dodoworkplay.com and contact them to get involved. 

Life in Mauritius

As their business name says, life is not all about work and we were interested to know more about their personal lives outside of their business. Although they both have had their challenges living here (the lack of variety in the weather for Joe and the lack of pavements for Coralie!), both seem to now be quite settled and happy in their present home.

Currently dwelling in the North, they told us they like to make the most of what beautiful Mauritius has to offer, having recently started scuba diving and regularly taking hikes around the island. One thing both agreed on that they think is missing from the island is a focus on the arts, simultaneously telling us that it would be nice if there was more live music, as well as live shows and theatre. “It’s a shame because we think Mauritius could be amazing in that respect,” expressed Joe. “Porlwi by Light was amazing! They need more things like that here.”

As well as having some of Coralie’s family living here including her sister and parents, the business has allowed the couple the opportunity to meet a wide variety of people. Through DodoWorkPlay, the two have integrated well into the local community and also have a happy, diverse circle of friends, which makes their life on the island even brighter and better.

Finally…

Through meeting Joe and Coralie in person, we can see what a wonderful, positive life the two of them have built together here with a vision that goes far beyond just their own happiness and self-fulfillment. Taking a risk seems to have paid off for this couple and moving to Mauritius has given them a new lifestyle much different to and much more relaxed than their lives in London. Although they may not be planning to be here forever, we can clearly see just how much they are giving back to this country and we do not doubt that they still have so much more to offer. 

Joe left us with this,

“It’s very liberating being here – the optimism, the positive attitude, the ‘live and let live’ attitude… you feel like you can be yourself.”

The world definitely needs more people who feel like they can be themselves, so we must say that is a job well done, Mauritius!

Until next time…

By Sabah Ismail & Khalid Khadaroo