About Us
SPEAKGLOBAL
Coming from a multicultural, multilingual background, Florence was born in France and has lived, studied, and worked for extended periods in France, Peru, Venezuela, and the United States. Florence realized early on that cultural differences surpass the importance of speaking the same language. After working extensively as a foreign language instructor, voice-over talent and translator who implemented cultural components, she is now dedicated to intercultural communication with language components.
Florence is a pioneer in the field of Intercultural Communication applied to Public Speaking. "As a French-born grown-up-third-culture kid and an interculturalist, having received my formal public speaking training in the United States was eye-opening. I found a dramatic gap between the development and excellence of the programs and the lack of awareness of the intercultural factor, in the light of an increasingly multicultural America and a global world economy.”
Her unique, insightful and humorous outlook on cultural patterns and assumptions has earned her acclaim and reputation. She is presently an active member of SIETAR, the Florida Speakers Association, the Florida Storytelling Association, the Palm Beach County Storytelling Guild, and a member and past president of Boca Raton Toastmasters.
Florence sees her passion and gift for intercultural communication as predestined. “When you’ve had two Jewish Polish adventurous grandparents, a non-Jewish Portuguese grandfather and French grandmother, it is difficult to be oblivious of cultural differences.”
Culture shock is something she has experienced throughout her life. It started with her parents’ international relocations, deepened with an intercultural marriage to a Peruvian, continued with her moving to the U.S. in 1995, and keep happily emerging and being successfully managed with her current Canadian life partner. “As long as I feel culture shock, I know I’m alive! It has become my comfort zone over the years, especially after I realized that I had become a foreigner in my own native land. As a inborn outsider, wherever I go, I now feel at home.”
INSPIRATIONAL / HUMOROUS
SPEAKING, STORYTELLING & WRITING
In 2000, Florence was introduced to a new culture: the medical world. She was faced with breast cancer, which recurred more seriously three years later. The lessons learned from this long adventure of survIval — especially from the medical system — have been compiled in humorous and insightful accounts, reflections and practical tips that she shares with audiences and readers around the world, with her distinctive wit and wisdom. See www.FlorenceFerreira.com
Florence also provides free phone consultations to share insights from her experience.
PERU HERE AND NOW
After the miraculous disappearance of the excruciating symptoms of advanced cancer, while hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru, Florence decided to embark on a new venture. She now also organizes fascinating tours to Peru, where she found a perfect blend of elements she cherishes: imposing sceneries, outdoor activities, deeply rooted cultures, a rich and still unfolding history, mystery, magic, healing energy, a sunny climate and a human-scaled pace of life.
You can visit www.PeruHereNow.com
SpeakGlobal relies on a network of skilled and experienced independent professionals selected on the basis of the specific project.
The founder and director of SpeakGlobal, Florence Ferreira, is an international trilingual (English, Spanish and French) intercultural communication consultant, trainer and keynote speaker with two decades of success in helping organizations and individuals acquire the skills necessary to communicate and interact effectively with their foreign counterparts.
