We had the good fortune of connecting with Tracy Leonetti and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tracy, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I grew up in the early 70’s in Yorkshire, England. Times were tough and money was difficult to come by and working hard was the name of the game. My father worked as my mother suffered from a mental illness and we were 3 girls to be cared for. Despite the challenges my parents undoubtedly endured, we all share many very happy memories. This upbringing forged my character.

Like most children, I spent alot of time day-dreaming of faraway places and foreign languages. Little did I know that this was already putting in place my future life.

My childhood years have taught me that no matter what baggage you have, no matter where you come from, no matter what you have endured that your destiny and decisions lie firmly in your hands. You can have or do whatever you desire, you just need to believe it is possible to make it happen. My life so far has taught me that it is can be a bit of a roller coaster and that sometimes you just need to jump on and enjoy the ride!!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I left my civil service career at the ripe old age of 21 in Hull to travel and discover the world. Something that I had always dreamed about as a child. I enjoyed my travels to Australia, New Zealand, America and Europe and finally settled in the South of France.

The transition to France, a new culture, a new language and the bureaucracy was very tough, especially as I was starting from nothing. So I spent my first few years learning the language and developing my skills and competences in a Corporate career for many international companies in various roles in Marketing and Communications. Over the years, I always felt that something was missing and that I was a square peg in a round hole. I had difficulty with respecting the rigid corporate processes and was always looking for ways to go round them to ensure that my clients got what they needed. I did not conform to corporate rules !!

I finally made the decision to fly alone. I took 6 months off to develop my idea and make it happen! I decided to put my experience of my travels and move to France to help people live their dream life by becoming a Relocation expert with the particular speciality of dealing with all the bureaucracy for the new arrivals (property search services, immigration, visas, healthcare, business and much more). This was an area that I had a particularly bad experience with when I first came to France in 1992 and decided it shouldn’t be that complicated. My whole business model is about authenticity and service. Ensuring that my clients get what they need. I sincerely believe that service quality is what is needed and that clients need to know that we are there for them at every step of their move. I have become the go to person for relocation in the South of France and I am very proud of the team that I have developed. We celebrate 10 years this year in business and 30 years in France this year!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There are so many lovely places to visit and depending on the time of the year my choices would change. Here are some of my old time favourites, that I do all the time because after 30 years, they still bring me joy.

We would have coffee in Golfe Juan by the marina in the morning followed by a stroll down the seafront to Juan les Pins.

We would spend a day on the beach along the coast, drinking non-alcholic cocktails and swimming in the wonderful blue sea and watching the world go by.

A visit to St Paul de Vence village and share lunch in one of the beautiful restaurants on the remparts.

A walk along the Esterel to work off our lunches and lazy time at the beach

A visit to Monaco – Monte Carlo just because you can !

If its the winter, a ski day in Auron which is only a 1h30 drive away and has a beautiful village for the apres-ski also.

A cultural visit to the Picasso museum in Antibes, which is a must see if you are in the area followed by walk on the remparts overlooking the sea.

There is so much to do and see and it never gets boring!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people that have helped me along the way. Kezia Luckett with the Pay It Forward Series Notes to my Younger self, in which I entrusted my story.

I would also shout out to my sister Paula Georges, who has always been there for me and our family, holding my space as a sister, supporting me through difficult times and as a successful business women as a mentor. She is an amazing person, a carer and has a heart of gold. Success for her was not even an option, it just had to be so she has also been an amazing role model.

Website: www.lbsinfrance.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tracyleonetti/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-leonetti-09b6a032/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tracyleonettifr

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TracyLeonettiRelocationandBusinessExpert

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVP85ZGXx6-hsi-gOQ_3GkQ

Image Credits
Ovidiu Paraschiv

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.