EP 35: How Heather Took Her Next Confident Step to Make This Life Work for Her
59m | Sep 29, 2026As we continue our new collection of conversations with inspiring people from within our community, we’re hearing from people who are showing us the many different ways it’s possible to build a fulfilling life and career around a diplomatic and globally mobile life.
In this episode, we’re joined by Heather Butler, a social entrepreneur and management consultant and the founder of Zaliwa.
After moving to Kenya in 2021 for her husband’s diplomatic posting, Heather came across a beautiful bag made entirely from sweet wrappers. Struck by the waste crisis and lack of job opportunities she was seeing around her, this unexpected discovery sparked an idea that would eventually become Zaliwa.
Meaning “to be born” in Swahili, Zaliwa is about the art of rebirth. Heather brings unique, handcrafted goods made from recycled materials to the global market, building a product-based business across three different countries.
In this episode, we explore:
- Moving to Kenya with the intention of working remotely, only to discover that remote work wasn’t feasible in the way she had expected
- How Heather created her own sense of purpose when she no longer had a paid job role
- How one bag made from sweet wrappers sparked the idea for Zaliwa
- The realities of building a product-based business across borders
- How Heather has navigated sourcing, production and selling physical products while living a globally mobile life
Heather’s story is a brilliant reminder that sometimes the opportunities we create for ourselves come from simply paying attention to what is happening around us.
What started with a move to Kenya, a bag made from sweet wrappers and a growing awareness of the challenges around waste and employment has evolved into a business that Heather is building across borders and taking with her through her globally mobile life.
We hope these conversations inspire you to see your own possibilities differently and remind you that there isn’t one right way to build a career, create opportunities or make this globally mobile life work for you.
🎧 Connect with Heather & Zaliwa
Zaliwa – Instagram & TikTok: @zaliwa.co Website: zaliwa.co.uk
🎧Connect with your hosts
Anna – Instagram: @notjustaspouse | notjustaspouse.com | anna@notjustaspouse.com
Emma – Instagram: @thezestielife | emma@zestie.org | zestie.carrd.co
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