#292: Untangling Cultural Knots to Create Mutual Connection – Maria Garaitonandia

The Toastmasters Podcast with Greg Gazin

The Toastmasters Podcast is like a radio talk show featuring interviews with Toastmasters usually featured in the Toastmaster magazine. The purpose of the podcast is to amplify the magazine - to dig deeper or to put a voice to a face or written wordBut unlike a radio show, a podcast is on the Internet, and available, for free, to anyone in the world with an Internet connection, and a connected device capable of playing audio. 260+ episodes are at ToastmastersPodcast.comThe Toastmasters Podcast is co-produced by Toastmasters International and Archieboy Holdings, LLC, for our global audience of Toastmasters and those interested in public speaking and leadership.

[32:03] Cross-cultural moments aren’t rare anymore—they’re woven into our daily conversations. In this episode, Greg speaks with leadership communication strategist Maria Garaitonandia about why well-meaning communication can miss the mark and how greater cultural awareness helps speakers, leaders, and teams avoid misunderstanding before it hardens into judgment.

Maria brings a practical, human lens to intercultural communication, reminding us that it’s often not intent but interpretation that shapes how our message lands. Drawing from real-world coaching experience, she explains how everyday interactions can quietly unravel trust—or strengthen it—depending on how we recognize and respond to cultural differences.

The conversation connects directly to how Toastmasters prepare and perform: awareness of audience, mindset under pressure, and the ability to pause before reacting. Maria’s insights show how communication habits shaped by culture, profession, or generation influence not just what we say, but how we’re perceived.

Maria’s article, Untangling Cultural Knots: How to Turn Misunderstandings into Bridges Between Cultures, appears in the February 2026 issue of Toastmasters Magazine.

Listeners will hear:

• Why impact matters more than intent in cross-cultural communication
• How cultural assumptions quietly shape perceptions of respect
• The difference between task-focused and relationship-focused cultures
• Why one interaction can define—or derail—a professional relationship
• How to pause before labeling behavior as disrespect
• Practical ways to clarify expectations without defensiveness
• Why cultural awareness strengthens leadership presence and credibility

Misunderstandings don’t have to become fixed narratives. When speakers learn to slow down, assume positive intent, and stay curious, communication becomes more flexible—and more human.

By recognizing when culture, context, and expectation collide, we give ourselves room to respond with clarity rather than reflex, and connection rather than conflict.

About Maria Garaitonandia

Maria Garaitonandia is a leadership communication strategist, speaker, and author who helps leaders and teams untangle communication breakdowns so they can work more effectively together. Shaped by growing up across cultures, she brings more than two decades of global experience translating real-world communication challenges into practical insight.

Maria lives in Orlando, Florida and can be reached via her speaking site: https://www.mariagaraitonandia.com/ or training site http://www.globalbridgestraining.com/.

You can also find Maria on LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube.

You can also download her free CLEAR assessment tool  and don't forget to check out her new Book Untangling Communication on Amazon.