My Cultural Awakening: How My Global Journey Shapes Cross‑Cultural Consulting Success

My Cultural Awakening

I grew up in a small Bavarian village of fewer than 4,000 people—culturally homogenous and with little exposure to global diversity. My window to the wider world came through education: I started learning English in 5th grade, and French in 7th. What fascinated me most wasn’t just grammar or vocabulary—but the cultural differences between Germany, Great Britain and France.
My high‑school English and French textbooks described day‑to‑day life, cuisine, pop culture in those countries—and I caught the travel‑fever to venture out into the world.

At 16 I spent a summer at an immersive English bootcamp in the San Francisco Bay Area—the city I now call home.

From Language Learner to Global Explorer

After high school I wanted more than a third foreign language—I wanted one that would connect me to many countries, many cultures. I chose Spanish, and fresh out of school I travelled to Cuba for an intensive three‑week Spanish‑for‑foreigners program at the University of Havana. I lived with a private‑residence host who cooked for me and encouraged me to explore Havana’s streets, where I learned far more language and culture than I did in the classroom.

That trip changed everything. Witnessing Cubans dancing salsa in the streets, absorbing their vibrant culture—my choice became clear: I would pursue international business and global cross‑cultural work. I went on to earn a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in International Business & Affairs (Germany & Costa Rica), with a Minor in Latin American Studies.

Launching My Corporate Career in Global Markets

After my Master’s in Germany, I moved to Miami—what many call the Business Capital of the Americas—to work as Brand Marketing Manager for the French beauty giant L’Oréal for the Latin American Travel Retail business. I later joined the French luxury conglomerate LVMH, managing relationships with distribution partners of Bvlgari’s watch & jewelry business across 30+ emerging Latin American countries. My fluency in Spanish prepared me well—but what did not prepare me were the cultural nuances across those markets and how to succeed in cross‑cultural communication: how to communicate, persuade, lead, decide, trust across culture borders.

Countries as close as Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina or Brazil differ hugely in cultural expectations. I learned (sometimes the hard way) how to build trust and establish mutual respect in a global business context.

Deepening Cultural Insight: Asia and Big Tech

After a decade in Miami and travel across Latin America, I was ready for new terrain. I moved to South Korea: two months in Seoul studying Korean in immersive mode in lively Gangnam. Learning Hangul and navigating Korean social and business culture exposed me to a very different dimension of cross‑cultural training.

Then back in the U.S., I relocated to San Francisco. I transitioned industries—from luxury consumer brands in Latin America & the Caribbean to Big Tech roles at Amazon and then Google—serving clients and co‑workers from India, Philippines, China, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. The cross‑cultural consulting needs were real: to lead, decide, trust, communicate across teams from very different cultural work‑styles.

Birth of Culture Chameleon: A Thought Leader in Cross‑Cultural Consulting

After nearly four years in Big Tech and exposure to an even broader variety of cultural work‑styles, I decided to share what I had learned: to help professionals fast‑track their international business success. That decision gave birth to Culture Chameleon, a consulting business built around cross‑cultural consulting, executive coaching, corporate training and cross‑cultural training focused on real‑world application.

At Culture Chameleon I leverage the eight dimensions of culture developed by Erin Meyer (Communicating, Evaluating, Persuading, Leading, Deciding, Trusting, Disagreeing and Scheduling). These dimensions form the backbone of our approach to executive training in the global business environment.

Why Cross‑Cultural Communication Matters for International Business Success

• In today’s globally connected business environment, mis‑understanding in cross‑cultural communication can lead to mis‑aligned decisions, weak leadership influence, lost deals or fractured trust.
• Whether you are leading a multicultural team, engaging partners across borders, selling into new markets, or expanding your consulting business internationally—having a clear framework for how to communicate, persuade, lead, decide and trust across cultures gives you a competitive edge.
• With Culture Chameleon, you gain a partner who combines real‑world lived experience (Latin America, Asia, Big Tech) with proven consulting models (executive training, corporate training, cross‑cultural consulting) – helping you navigate the invisible boundaries of culture so you can execute, lead and win.

How Culture Chameleon Helps You

• Executive Training: Tailored programs that equip senior leaders with tools to communicate and lead across cultures.
• Cross‑Cultural Training: For teams and organizations preparing for international expansion, acquisition integration, or multicultural collaboration.
• Corporate Training & Executive Coaching: Guiding individuals and leadership teams to master global engagement, cross‑border decision‑making and trust‑building in diverse settings.
• We address core dimensions: Communicating, Evaluating, Persuading, Leading, Deciding, Trusting, Disagreeing and Scheduling—so you can adapt to any culture, any context, any challenge.

Your Next Step: Build Cultural Fluency & Strategic Advantage

If your goal is to communicate effectively, persuade across cultures, lead global teams, make cross‑border decisions and build international trust, then Culture Chameleon is your partner. Let’s keep the story going — don’t let culture be the barrier. Let it become your advantage.

Contact me today to explore how I can help you develop cultural fluency, elevate your consulting business or global team, and position you as a thought leader in cross‑cultural business.