Barbara M.

Barbara has spent a life-time knowing how to get up after a fall. But she figures doing that and getting a laugh at the same time is a lot more fun. She is a former national level gymnast, award winning coach, aspiring drummer and mother of two who joked her way into the Guinness World Records by performing in the longest stand-up comedy show in history.

With more than two decades of work experience behind her in fields as diverse as sport and recreation, education, not-for-profit management, entertainment and government, Barbara brings a uniquely powerful mix of personal stories, humorous examples, and real-world insight to her programs and clients. By talking openly about her struggles and triumphs, Barbara helps individuals and teams see and get past their stumbling blocks and be happy, motivated and productive.

Barbara has a great deal of experience and first-hand information to share about overcoming stumbling blocks at work. She has interviewed business owners on the Learning & Job News, hosted Access Television’s We Talk, and facilitated more than 500 Career and Employment Workshops. She draws upon this experience to help people come up with new ways solving problems in the workplace such as dealing and communicating with co-workers and bouncing back from mistakes with confidence.

It was a health crisis that prompted Barbara to build her business, Stumbling Blocks Team Building Seminars, she says. "At age 46, I suffered life-threatening pulmonary emboli — blood clots in my lungs. Every moment felt like a hurdle, like a trial, as I experienced it, so every moment looked like a victory as I looked back at it. That health crisis was what lit my light bulb and showed me my unifying purpose: helping people get past their stumbling blocks."

At every one of her keynote speeches and team building seminars, Barbara shares and teaches her Stumbling Blocks philosophies. Her motivating solutions for teamwork, communication, resilience and conflict resolution are delivered in a humourous and approachable style. She helps people in the audience to understand and embrace her key message: If you get back up, anything is possible.