Brenda McGuire, founder of two international companies based in Des Moines — WorldWide Connect, an intercultural training and consulting firm, and Global Gals, a company designed to help women achieve their travel dreams — is an experienced traveler, expatriate, and a leading expert on culture. Born and raised in Iowa, she dreamed of seeing the world. With an M.A. in International Communication (Macquarie University, Australia), a B.S. in Psychology and International Relations (ISU), and over 25 years of travel experience — visiting more than 70 countries and living and working in Switzerland, Australia, England, Ireland, and Japan — she has done just that. Having lived and worked in multiple countries, Brenda is passionate about sharing the culture and history of each country with others so they might learn to love and appreciate all the places she has called home. In particular, Brenda’s heart lies with Australia; she loves teaching others about Australian culture and history — in fact, she used to serve as a guest lecturer for Royal Caribbean’s Australia cruises where she spoke on topics related to Aborigines – their culture, art, and storytelling.

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