Follow your passion to deal with the challenges of living abroad [The Culture Guy Podcast]

Living abroad as an expatriate family comes with privileges and challenges. Belén Galindo Lizaldre and her husband Roberto Goñi Ruiz uprooted their family of four from Pamplona (Spain) to move to Chattanooga, TN in the United States. Three years in the Tennessee Valley have left a lasting impression on this expat family and on this episode Belén & Roberto share …

What do expat families need away from home? Join the conversation!

You may have heard the phrase: Companies don’t go global, people do. And the people who go global to take their companies with them want to be as successful abroad as possible. Who is responsible for their success? There are many factors: The expatriates themselves have to do what’s in their power to get the skills, tools, and support they …

Overcoming the “Asia challenge” for a Western business [The Culture Guy Podcast]

In this episode Christian talks with Andreas Kambach, a native of Germany who works as a management consultant for Liebich & Partner, predominantly in Southeast Asian markets. Andreas has spent most of his professional career working for German tool manufacturers and helped build sales and distribution arms in India, China, Thailand, and Singapore. Today he utilizes his experience of developing …

How learning to say “I’m sorry” helps you recover from cultural faux pas [The Culture Guy Podcast]

In this episode Christian talks to Mamie Lamley, founder of Mandala Mystics and Coach at Empowerment on Fire. Ms. Mamie is a native of Waiʻanae, a small city on the island of O’ahu, which is part of Hawai’i, the 50th State of the USA. During the interview she explains how to properly pronounce these place names, and you’ll learn what …

Why time zones suck when working globally [The Culture Guy Podcast]

In this episode Christian talks to Kyle Hegarty, who is the Managing Director of Leadership Nomad, part of the TSL Group, where he focuses on helping companies expand across the globe. Kyle has spent the past decade living in Southeast Asia and tells people: “From what I’ve seen and experienced first-hand, the area where companies fall short the most seems …

How culture affects cuisine

One of the benefits of dealing with different cultures is the opportunity to explore the tastes of foreign lands and other people. Food and drink are as much representations of culture as are the arts, architecture, attire, or human behavior. Most of us experience this for the first time when we travel: what people abroad eat can be quite different …

Learning to read The Culture Map with Erin Meyer [The Culture Guy Podcast]

In this March 2016 episode Christian talks to Erin Meyer, Professor at INSEAD University in Paris, one of the leading international business schools. Erin is also the author of The Culture Map. Originally from Minnesota, Erin has been living in Paris for many years. Prior to that she worked in different parts of the world, e.g. in Botswana. There she …

From Samurai to Third Culture Kid to Culture Connector [The Culture Guy Podcast]

In this February 2016 episode Christian talks to Dr. Takanori K. Endo, CEO of Mind Life Solutions, and Crucing, LLC. Dr. Endo is a licensed clinical psychologist, international trainer, and speaker. Since 2005 he has dedicated his time to researching human psychology as it relates to competence, crisis, and conflict resolution. He has helped thousands of people in over 30 …

A gift for those who want an amazing 2016

As the holiday season in the Western world is in full swing, you may still be wondering which gifts to get this year. And since readers of this website are typically involved in making a transition in their professional or personal lives, I have just the right gift idea for you. My friend and mentor Adam Markel, who leads the …

Developing cultural competency as life-long journey [The Culture Guy Podcast]

In this episode Christian talks to Dianne Hofner Saphiere, creator and principal of Cultural Detective (CD). Cultural Detective® is a dynamic tool system that develops invaluable competence in individuals and organizations. The project is a collaboration among dozens of acclaimed intercultural experts worldwide. The CD system enables organizations and leaders to meet the high-performance demands of an increasingly global and …

Putting an end to exploitation

In order to understand and to adjust to cultures and behaviors we don’t like or find “strange,” it is helpful to remain open for the signals we receive from people around us. Especially from people who we might label as being “different” or whose behavior we interpret as “weird.”  To allow input even though it’s uncomfortable, to not look the …

From New Zealand to China, from Australia to Papua New Guinea [The Culture Guy Podcast]

In this episode Christian talks to Trisha Carter, founder of the Cultural Intelligence (CI) Collective in Sydney (Australia). The CI Collective is a comprehensive on-line resource that supports successful cross-cultural adaptation. Trisha shares with us her experience of living and working in several Southeast Asian cultures. She has over 15 years experience as an intercultural coach and trainer helping hundreds of …

The Culture Guy talks to Alan Headbloom [The Culture Guy Podcast]

Welcome to Episode 001 of The Culture Guy Podcast – the official first chapter of this series. In this episode Christian talks to Alan Headbloom, Principal of Headbloom Cross-Cultural Communication in Allendale, Michigan (U.S.). Alan shares with us his work experience and some of his “cultural fool” moments he had when studying in Southwestern Germany. Alan has a track record …

The Culture Guy Podcast

Welcome to The Culture Guy Podcast!

This is Episode 000 of The Culture Guy Podcast. This show is created and hosted by our CEO, Christian Höferle (also known as The Culture Guy, and on the show he will explain how he got this nickname). It is dedicated to everyone who is passionate about cultures and how culture influences everything we do: The way we talk, the …

Work. Together. Across Cultures.

Welcome to The Culture Mastery! Effective May 1, 2015, our company, formerly known as Höferle Consulting, will serve our clients as a revamped business entity: We are now The Culture Mastery, LLC. After more than six years in business our company has evolved. And so have our customers. Initially, Höferle Consulting was established to serve mainly clients from North America and …