She has trekked the Himalayas, climbed the Great Wall of China, ridden camels in Egypt, snorkeled in the Maldives, worked in a castle in Ireland and backpacked 5 continents in 5 weeks and that’s just for starters. For 25+ years, Brenda McGuire has traveled “this small world,” building cross-cultural connections and friendships. Inspired by her father to follow her travel passion, the small-town Iowa girl turned global-preneur, turning her experiences into ways to help others find success in travel and worldwide connections.
She earned a BS in Psychology and International Relations with Distinction from Iowa State University, and an MA in International Communications from Macquarie University in Sydney. She has trained thousands of business professionals how to successfully live and work globally, including while running a multi-million-dollar unit of a Fortune 100 company and as founder of her own international business: Worldwide Connect, a cross-cultural training firm focused on business executives and supporting many major companies across the globe. She became a #1 best-selling co-author of the books Answering the Call and Soul of Success (with Jack Canfield author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series) and makes frequent appearances, such as in the New York Times and on ABC.
In 2012, Brenda also launched a second successful international business, one even closer to her heart: Global Gals, which educates, inspires and empowers women to achieve their travel goals and dreams. The educational and supportive network helps women live, work and travel abroad, whether new to travel or a seasoned globetrotter, a backpacking college student or a global businesswoman. So far, Brenda has experienced 70 countries, 6 continents and 3 cruises around the world—and has even lived on dairy farms in the Swiss Alps—but the “Chief Global Gal” hasn’t unpacked her bags yet. There are more “small worlds” to explore, more connections to be made, and many more women to inspire…