Providing deep cultural understanding and practical cultural skills for skilled immigrants who want friendships, success, and a sense of belonging in the United States.
Going From Miscommunication to Meaningful Connection
Common questions immigrants ask
Why can’t I get past the small talk to friendship?
Why does everything need to be an activity? I just want to spend time with people.
I’m meeting people, but I’m not sure how to build that into real friendships.
Do Americans even know how to make friends?
Did you know?
Americans also struggle to make friends!
Individualism in American culture makes friendship and community extra hard.
Americans are very direct (but secretly fear messing up and being culturally insensitive). Yes, they’re afraid of offending YOU!
What you need is to:
Understand your own cultural assumptions around friendships.
Understand deep American culture.
Learn how to adapt so you can make meaningful, fulfilling, genuine friendships.
Our solution is The Cultural Communication and Skills Package
Practical cultural skills for skilled immigrants who want real American friendships and professional success in a different culture.
Your English is great, but you’re not speaking the same language. You expect to be able to make friends in the way you’re used to, but those expectations are not being met, which leads you to feel lonely, depressed and confused. You’re feeling stuck socially, invisible, and it’s hard to break into social circles, sometimes even after years of being here. It’s exhausting, and sometimes you feel like it’s your fault, that you must be doing something wrong.
When you landed that successful job and made the huge commitment to leave your home country, you assumed that connections, friendships and community in the U.S. would follow. You thought it would take a few months to start making American friends who understand and appreciate you and your culture, invite you to celebrate holidays together, and share the highs and lows of life over coffee. You were looking forward to exploring your local community and contributing to it. This is the American Dream, and regardless of what’s happening in the world, it is still possible.
You may have tried…
Networking events
Bar crawls
Gym conversations
Being “more outgoing”
Putting yourself out there repeatedly, just like everyone tells you…
But Americans build friendships through activities! They build community around shared interests. Helping you find the activities and interest-based groups most likely to yield friendships are part of how I help you find your people.
At Beyond Tourism, we provide cultural training so you can increase your social confidence in any American setting.
How I Struggled While Living Abroad And What It Means For You
Hi, I’m Renae. In my twenties, I lived in South Korea for a year teaching English. While many fellow teachers stayed within the Western circles, I pushed myself to learn Korean, build friendships with locals. I learned a lot through my confusing, awkward encounters.
When I returned to the U.S., I struggled to put my experience into words, until I read a book by Geert Hofstede, an early researcher of cultural values. For the first time, I could name the invisible forces that had shaped my confusing cultural experiences. I realized that cultural differences can be explained and understood. It felt empowering.
When I lived in South Korea, I experienced the struggle of being a foreigner. Coming back to the U.S., I knew I wanted to help people feel welcome in my own country. Helping immigrants feel welcome in the U.S. is a deep passion of mine, and Beyond Tourism is a new way for me to express it.
Me in Seoul in 2005.
Introducing my Cultural Communication and Skills package. It’s four 75-minute sessions, designed to boost your social and communication skills to help you establish trust in American social settings. This is about improving skills and helping you understand what it means to adapt, not assimilate. This isn’t a months-long coaching program. It’s targeted skill-building to help you be more confident and comfortable in the U.S., whether it’s for work or making friends.
Session 1 – Your Cultural Story + Expectation Gap
Tell me about your immigration story, what you expected vs. reality, where you feel friction socially, identify key stress points. Ask the questions you don’t dare ask any other American. Share any experience that stumped you. We’ll discover your unique situation and your unique needs. We’ll explore your interests so I can start building your Community Launch Plan. I’ll explain the program in-depth and answer your questions.
Session 2 – Your Cultural Lens
We’ll explore your home culture’s values and how they influence your expectations of building relationships through a Cultural Intelligence assessment (included in the cost of the program). Explore cultural values in-depth, what Americans believe and how they communicate. Learn practical strategies for reading social signals, pacing friendships, and adapting behavior without losing yourself.
Session 3 – Cultural Skills in Action
Explore the 4 skills of cultural intelligence (motivation, knowledge, strategy and action). Learn how to leverage cultural intelligence for building social rapport with Americans. Building upon your previous sessions, we’ll start to explore how cultural intelligence can help you connect more naturally.
Session 4 – Your Community Launch Plan
You’ll receive a personalized Community Launch Plan, where I outline resources in your city, highlighting aligned spaces, organizations, and entry strategies, so you know exactly where to start to strengthening your social circle. All of this vetted by me to make sure you are going into spaces that make sense for you. We’ll wrap up with any final taboo questions you have, and any feedback you might have to help me make this service better for other immigrants.
What is the Community Launch Plan?
This is a very special service I provide my customers. I will dive deep into your American city to look for organizations, hobbies and places that will be interesting to you. I will vet them to make sure you will be welcome. In the plan, I will provide specific days, times, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, and any other specific details that will help you immediately plug into your community.
In our first session, we will discuss your interests, hobbies, and what you have to give. Do you love bowling? Cricket? Book clubs? Fishing? Board games? I will look for it, and let you know what I find. Throughout our time together, I will be building your launch plan.
Yes, I’m tired of feeling lonely and confused. I want to build meaningful connections in my life and understand cultural rules and expectations. And I’m very interested in the launch plan, what do I do next?
1️⃣ Email Renae at renae@goingbeyondtourism.com to make sure this is a good fit for you. Are there any special circumstances or goals you have that we can address? You can set up a free 15 minute consultation, too.
2️⃣If you choose to proceed, we’ll set up the four sessions, which will take place via Google Meet.
3️⃣ At that point, you’ll pay for the program.
How much does this cost?
Right now, because this is an introductory program, you will only pay $250 for all four sessions. Prices will go up, and Renae only works with two clients per month.
If you are interested, reach out today.
If the training doesn’t meet your expectations, we’ll meet again one more time for free to make sure you are satisfied, or give you your money back.
Questions? Email Renae at renae@goingbeyondtourism.com
Schedule a free consultation call today.
Beyond Tourism previously served a variety of travelers and American expats living abroad, and is in the process of pivoting to supporting skilled immigrants in the USA.
Until we receive reviews for the new Cultural Orientation and Skills Package, please learn more about the experience working with Renae.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cultural Intelligence?
Cultural Intelligence (CQ) is what helps you thrive in your multicultural world. It’s the ability to relate and work effectively across cultures. It’s a skill that transforms how you travel, work, and connect.
Beyond Tourism uses the Cultural Intelligence (CQ) Model to assess your current abilities and cultural preferences, then helps you learn how to identify and adapt to cultural differences with confidence.
The CQ model is based on decades of research on intelligence and cultural exchange.
What is the assessment like?
The assessment measures two key areas. First, it identifies your cultural values, for example, where you fall on dimensions like individualism versus collectivism. Second, it measures the four dimensions of cultural intelligence (CQ): CQ Drive (motivation), CQ Knowledge (understanding), CQ Strategy (planning and awareness), and CQ Action (behavioral adaptability). Together, these four dimensions reflect your overall cultural intelligence, which can grow with practice and strongly predicts your intercultural effectiveness. See the power of the assessment to understand your cultural perspective. Download a free sample report here.
Who Is This For?
This training is for you if you are a skilled immigrant (or even international student) living in the U.S., or will soon be moving to the U.S.
It’s for skilled immigrants in the U.S. who want to build strong, deep friendships with Americans, and maybe have struggled with that in the past.
It’s for professionals who feel successful in their work, but are struggling socially.
It’s for people who have felt confused or awkward while interacting with Americans, unsure of how to respond.
It’s for immigrants who are tired of putting themselves out there for so long with no real friends to speak of.
If you’re looking for structured skill building and orientation and a comfortable place to ask your taboo questions, it’s time to book the Cultural Communication and Skills package.
Just $250 to help you build cultural fluency and improve your relationships with Americans.
It gives you an edge in your career, education, and life, wherever you land in the U.S.
What this is not…
This is not immigration advice.
This is not job or internship coaching (though it certainly could help in jobs and internships).
This is not mental health support, though if I think you need that, I will recommend it.
This is not generic networking advice.
This is targeted cultural skill building to help you connect with real friends and your local American community.
Not ready to buy yet? Sign up for the newsletter, or fill out this anonymous survey to help us understand what skilled immigrants need in their lives in the United States.
Final Message From Renae
You can belong here. This is a country of immigrants.
You do not need to change who you are. Immigrant identities are complex as it is.
You do not need to assimilate. Don’t let go of your beautiful culture.
You just need someone willing to explain the things that no one else does about living in the USA.
If you’re ready to stop guessing and start understanding, this is your starting point.
Renae Ninneman
Founder of Beyond Tourism
renae@goingbeyondtourism.com