Living in a different culture or interacting with others from different parts of the world can sometimes be puzzling. 
I help people put those puzzle pieces together.

You've probably come to this page to find out WHO I am and WHAT I do. Well, I teach people how to effectively and successfully communicate with people from different cultural backgrounds. And I love what I do!

 I've spent a large part of my life living, volunteering and working in different countries around the globe. Soon after university, I moved to the Czech Republic, where I had my first experience with both culture shock and the fascination of learning about another culture. Living in Prague, there were times where I just wanted to crawl under my bedcovers and not come out since some of the cultural differences and my struggle with the language were significant. But, Prague was a beautiful place, and I started to love learning about the Czech people and their country's history. It must have influenced me because years later, I married someone with a Czech background!

That was the start of my adventures. I've also lived in Dubai (U.A.E.) and Saudi Arabia, plus I spent a significant amount of time in Bangladesh. I've traveled to 60+ countries, so I only have around another 135 to go! Today I live in Toronto, but I still take every opportunity to learn about different cultures and explore the world.

My love of other cultures led me to earn a Master of Arts in International and Intercultural Communication. Since then, I've been a Professor of Intercultural Communications, where I do what I mentioned above—promote understanding between cultures. I want my students to put what they have learned to work in the 'real' world and improve both personal and work interactions.  

It's important to know that the only culture I claim to have expertise in is from Canada, the country where I grew up. YOU are always the expert on your own culture. But, aside from my insider knowledge of Canada, I also have studied why there can be differences in the way people think, feel, and behave depending on their cultural background. There are always individual differences, of course, but our culture has a huge influence as well.  Having a clearer understanding of these underlying reasons is a powerful tool to help you succeed in personal and work interactions across cultures.