Speaking

From Barbara:

Every day there are thousands of dry, lifeless presentations. People have come to expect boredom as a part of their conference or retreat experience.

This drives me crazy.

Research tells us that human beings learn best when their senses are engaged, both brain hemispheres are active, and they feel connected to others.

That’s why every presentation I do delivers powerful, pertinent content in a lively way.

Music is my primary teaching tool. My songs are positive without being smarmy. The lyrics are smart and surprising and focus on the world of work.

These presentations can be structured as: keynotes, breakout sessions, workshops ranging from 60 minutes to a full day.

I welcome your questions and ideas. barbara@barbaramcafee.com or 612/840-9255

Who You Gonna Be While You Do What You Do?

Five Bold Ideas for Increasing Engagement
"We are called to the place in the world where our deep joy meets the world's deepest hunger."- Frederick Buechner

A recent Gallup Management Journal study indicates that 71 percent of American workers are not fully engaged at work. The effects of this epidemic reach far beyond the bottom line. Living in such a state takes an enormous emotional and spiritual toll on individuals and organizations alike.

Barbara uses music, research, humor, and wisdom from her years as an organizational consultant to introduce you to five bold ideas for bringing more “life” to work. Expect wise insights, belly laughs, and whole-brain learning from this professional singer/songwriter with a gift for making a powerful message go down easy.

Full Voice: Unleashing the Power of Your Vocal Presence

How can you speak so people will listen?
Are you using all of the resources in your voice in service to your intentions, visions, and purpose?
What gifts reside deep inside you that are yearning for expression?
How would your life be different if you were “unsilenced?” If your voice was alive, expressive, powerful, and clear?

Given her own remarkable recovery from paralyzing stage fright, Barbara is walking (singing) evidence of the transformational power of the voice. In her 20 years as a voice coach, she’s been helping leaders, coaches, consultants, physicians, shower singers, and teenagers to “find their voice” – whatever that means to them.

No matter what you do for a living, you spend a good part of every day in conversation at work, at home, and in your community.

Full Voice offers a memorable, pragmatic, and playful way to ensure that your voice is congruent with your message. We will explore five distinct vocal sounds using the Five Element Framework (tm), then explore how sound can be put to work in enhancing your everyday communication.

In this dynamic, experiential session, you will:

• Learn the most common vocal habits that interfere with powerful communication
• Understand how to access five essential leadership qualities through the voice
• Increase awareness of their own vocal habits -- those that support their powerful communication and those that interfere with it
• Discover practical ways to use the voice more effectively and to better “hear” what other people are expressing through their voices.

The Spirit of Yes: Accessing the Essential Energy of Life

"One less hope becomes one more song." - Russian poet, Ana Akhmatova

The changes we face in these times are increasingly rapid and dramatic. Fear is a natural human response to the unknown. Many of us find ourselves stretched beyond our physical and emotional limits as we try to keep pace. How do we sustain our creativity and resilience in the face of fear? How can we stay well and support each other during difficult times? Using music, research, humor, and powerful questions, Barbara offers fresh, pragmatic ways of thinking and acting in the face of uncertainty. We’ll identify five common responses to fear, and then explore alternatives that will bring fresh energy to our work lives.

Spa for Caregivers: A Musical Keynote for Refueling Professional Givers

People whose work demands deep and continued giving are constantly challenged to stay well and balanced. Your own needs get trumped by those of patients, students, or family members. Burn-out lurks around every corner. Barbara honors these everyday heroes with a “spa” of music, stories, humor, and reflection. In the midst of this peaceful oasis, she will also offer five practical tools for staying well back home. Perfect for health care workers, therapists, educators, social workers, ministers, and counselors.

Sample Clients:

International Coach Federation Conference The Women’s Leadership Revival Tour with Meg Wheatley
Best Buy Women’s Leadership Forum
Linkage, Inc. Best of Organizational Development Summit (with Peter Block)
Organization Development Network National Conference
Creative Health Care Management National Symposium
Fraser Health Authority (Vancouver, BC)
Quaker Foods & Snacks
Wells Fargo
Ameriprise Financial, Inc.
Post Properties, Inc.
National Wellness Conference
Bay Area Coaches Association
Georgia Coach Association
Houston Coaches Association
Minnesota Coaches Association
Life Planning Network National Conference
Global Sufficiency Network Conference
Tastefully Simple, Alexandria, MN
Heartland Thought Leader Gatherings (Twin Cities and Bay Area)
The Art of Living Together, A Conference on Community
Full Circle Leadership Retreats for Women Executives
Minnesota Women Psychologists Association