Expat Next Door: LaDana Edwards From the United States

Recently, Prague Morning had the pleasure to meet LaDana Edwards, a successful entrepreneur and the founder of skincare clinic Face Place.

She shared with us her inspiring story, including her challenges and what brought her to Prague.

In 1999, LaDana came to Prague for a two-year assignment with Deloitte, where she worked as a tax manager. Captivated by the weather and the cosmopolitan culture, she fell in love with the region and joyfully decided to extend her stay.

“I find Prague to be my spiritual home; I really love it here,” she says. Since then, she has built a life in the city. “My son was born here, and Doug, my partner, came in 1991, fresh out of university,” she states.

Edwards retired as a partner of the company and now thrives as an evolutionary leadership facilitator.

„I help executive leaders, I facilitate their own self-discovery, and I explain what it means to be a leader in this very complicated time we live in,“ she clarifies. To top it all off, she is just finishing her PhD in transformative studies, and two years ago, she opened her own skincare clinique, Face Place.

 

Living as an expatriate is no walk in the park. LaDana admits that despite her efforts, her demanding schedule at Deloitte made it challenging to learn Czech.

“I always say I speak like a 3-year-old,” she laughs. She empathizes with other non-natives, understanding their daily struggles with language barriers, and feels apologetic and guilty about not being able to speak Czech fluently.

Coming from a different background, Edwards enjoys certain aspects of Prague that might seem unusual to locals. She still remembers her first night in the Czech Republic:

“In Texas, we had 60 days above 40 degrees Celsius. When I arrived in August, I wore a sweater at night,” she smiles. She also appreciates Prague’s culture, which makes her feel like a “global citizen.” LaDana rejoices in the present vitality of the city and its constant evolution:

“From ’99 until now, there’s been a resurgence of positive energy and young entrepreneurs who observe trends elsewhere or reintroduce retro elements from the Czech Republic. I think this fusion is really cool, creative, and humble; it has been beautiful to watch,” she reflects.

 

LaDana is still on a journey to find the perfect connection between personal transformation and leadership. “I am just finishing my PhD in transformative studies and getting ready to start my research and dissertation on leadership awakening,” she explains.

She recently opened her own clinic, Face Place, where she helps clients address their skin issues and preserve their youth.

“I realized that my whole life is about transformation; leadership, and Face Place is really just about helping people transform themselves,” she reflects.

LaDana raised her son in the Czech Republic, and as a teenager, he went through the same severe acne as his mother. As a response to his problems, she flew back home to Texas with him and took him back to the clinique where she healed her skin.

After four treatments in ten days, amazing results from the iDerm facial were showing, so Edwards requested to buy the original equipment so she could recreate the process in Prague.

„I opened it just to get my son feeling good about himself. What was beautiful for me was to take a family picture, for him to be right up front, smiling full face,“ she expresses.

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