Of course, we all know Ellie Badanes as the brains behind the ThePajamaCompany.com. But did you know that before she launched her business in 2004, this mother of three spent nearly 20 years living as an expat overseas?

In a recent interview with the website ExpatWomen.com, Ellie revealed the obstacles she faced as an expat and an entrepreneur and how she came up with the idea for the business.

“I started my business because I love pajamas, and the whole business concept fit well with my lifestyle,” Ellie said.

In the interview she credits her experience living overseas for the company’s broad and global appeal.

“Living overseas has made me different from a typical American retailer. I anticipate questions about sizing and shipping before they happen,” she told ExpatWomen.com. “I know the occasional challenges of shopping on U.S. websites from overseas. I know the customers I have in mind are not from a certain state, region, neighborhood or country, but rather are very broad – very international. I think that is how the expat experience defines us. We think more broadly. I know pajamas mean different things to different cultures, but pajamas are all about comfort in any language!”

Read more of the interview with The Pajama Company founder and CEO, Ellie Badanes, at ExpatWomen.com.