Helen French

Birmingham resident Helen French knows what it's like to relocate to Southeast Michigan and has built a successful business around it.

French grew up in suburban Dublin, Ireland, and attended University College Dublin, moving to the United Kingdom to finish her education at Manchester School of Physiotherapy with the goal of becoming a physical therapist.

She spent 14 years working as a physical therapist in the U.K., with the bulk of those years working with children and their families.

In 2012, she and her husband moved to Michigan for his job with an automotive supplier. Despite being a bit skeptical, French said, “It turned out to be one of the best things we ever did.”

The couple rented a home in Birmingham which they ended up buying. “We wanted a walkable community and we’re big foodies, so Birmingham and Detroit are perfect for that.”

After the move, French admits she “played a lot of golf” before accepting a position as executive director of the British American Business Council (BABC) of Michigan in 2013, a position she held for nearly nine years.

The organization promotes U.S. and U.K. business partnerships and is the largest transatlantic business network with 21 chapters and over 2,500 member companies based in North American and the U.K. French also worked in positions related to her physical therapy background.

A few months after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, French decided to venture out on her own and founded Greenstone Destination Services to assist individuals and families with their moves to Michigan. Most of her clients are international relocations.

French explained that “destination services” involve assisting clients once they arrive in Southeast Michigan with everything from visits to the Secretary of State office to banking, schools, doctors, housing, utilities, renters' insurance as well as social integration.

She recommends to her clients that they keep an open mind and stay positive.

“The move can be a real culture shock, especially for spouses. Some clients really struggle...I encourage them to find at least two positives for every negative and to pick and choose people who they have most aligned interests with, avoiding any negative people.”

For social connection, French highly recommends to women who are new to the area to join the vibrant nonprofit Birmingham Bloomfield Newcomers and Neighbors Club (BBNC), which offers a wide variety of activities for members to connect and build lasting friendships.

“It’s a very international mix of women and I’ve met some of my best friends there,” she said, adding laughingly, "After I joined and they realized I was from Ireland, I became the pub leader for two years.”

The relocation expert noted that after years of booming business between 2021 to 2023, it is a bit uncertain right now. “It’s been an extraordinary year. No one is moving. No one knows what’s happening with the current administration,” she explained.

Aside from work, French loves to garden. She and her husband have two dogs and enjoy travel, especially to visit family, including her parents who are still in Dublin. In Michigan, they appreciate the four seasons, trips Up North, and consider Saugatuck their “happy place.”

“We love the food and the friendliness of the people here,” she explained.“I’m a huge advocate of Detroit and am excited to see it come back – Uber and international visitors and relocations have made a big impact. Many of my younger clients want to live in Detroit...The Art Deco architecture in Detroit is so unique. It’s a small but big city.”

French reflected that she and her husband have met many American and international lifelong friends here and she keeps in touch with many of her clients long after they are settled.

“There’s a fitting Irish saying that says, ‘Strangers are only friends you haven’t met.’”

Story: Tracy Donohue

Photo: Laurie Tennent