Sharing experiences and celebrating success together
Through her Business Babes Abroad network Hannah Teslin aims to make it easier for women to get started in Germany. Find out her tips for expats here.
Natascha Kittler,
12.07.2023 
Ten years ago Hannah Teslin moved from Canada to Hamburg for love. The love fizzled out, but Hannah stayed. Now she uses her Business Babes Abroad network to support women who come to Germany for work. She told us where the idea came from and why Germany is a good place for international professionals.
What inspired you to set up a network for female expats?
Although love brought me to Hamburg, I was very career-oriented. But it was difficult to meet likeminded women, so I set up Business Babes Abroad in 2018. My co-founder Chelsea and I wanted to expand our professional network and meet other women doing similar things. We started out with small informal meet-ups, but now we also put on larger events which bring together women from a range of sectors. In future we want to expand further and recently started a group in Munich.
What are the benefits of this kind of network?
Women face many challenges in the world of work anyway, such as the gender pay gap. In addition to this, expats have to learn how to get along in Germany. The network is an opportunity to meet and talk to women with similar experiences. Here we feel seen and understood and can support each other.
What opportunities are there for expats in Germany?
In the past ten years, many things have changed for the better for international professionals in Germany. Now, more and more companies are looking for people with English as a first language. The cost of living is also much lower than in Canada or the UK for example.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to get a foothold in Germany?
Don’t expect everything to work straight away. A great apartment, the perfect job, a new group of friends – these things take time. Take it one step at a time and accept that everything will happen in its own time.
