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  1. Home
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  3. Barb Monson
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Barb Monson

MBA
Leadership Consultant & Event Speaker
Move Your Mountain LLC
Country or state 
United States (Minnesota)
Available to 
Global
City 
Minneapolis
Fee 
Languages 
English
Volunteer
Yes
Timezone 
America/Chicago

Personal Details

Bio

Barb Monson is a Leadership and Career Consultant who helps professionals cut through the noise and finally get noticed at work. A former CFO (yes, the executive who doesn’t act like one), Barb brings an insider’s perspective on what leaders and decision-makers really look for—without the jargon or the boring slides.

With 26 years in corporate finance and executive leadership, Barb knows firsthand the challenges of standing out in high-pressure environments and earning influence with different leadership styles. Today, she translates those experiences into lively, practical talks that equip audiences to build visibility, influence, and confidence in ways that actually stick.

Her signature keynote, "Chameleons & Peacocks: How To Stand Out At Work," gives participants a fresh, funny, and deeply practical framework for showing up authentically while commanding attention in any professional room. Whether she’s coaching rising leaders one-on-one, guiding teams through transitions, or speaking on big stages, Barb’s superpower is helping people see what’s possible—and giving them the tools to make it real.

Audiences describe her as insightful, relatable, and refreshingly candid. She leaves people with those “aha” moments that spark real change, along with strategies they can put to work the very next day.

Current position (1)

Leadership Consultant & Event Speaker

Move Your Mountain LLC

Degrees (2)
MBA in Management
University of St. Thomas
2004 to 2011
BSB in Accounting
University of Minnesota
1993 to 1995

Presentations

Presentations (4)
Chameleons & Peacocks: How To Stand Out At Work

Being visible at work isn't about becoming louder or more polished—it's about knowing when to blend in, when to stand out, and how to communicate your unique value in both moments. This session equips professionals with a practical framework to navigate workplace visibility with authenticity and strategy.

Learning objectives:
1. Learn when to blend in vs. when to stand out, and how to adapt each one to your style
2. Learn to define and articulate your core value beyond job tasks or titles
3. Understand how connection—not just competence—drives career advancement

Discover how to show up with presence and credibility in rooms that weren’t built for you

Building Teamwork in a Disconnected Culture

Whether your work environment is remote, hybrid, or on-site, today's workforce is becoming increasingly disconnected as a team.

The secret behind this? They don't WANT to be part of a team. In this session Barb dives into the management techniques that need to adjust to this new reality, while still showing the audience how to deliver company results in a disconnected world.

Understanding Differences (And People Who Bug You)

This session helps leaders understand how they can leverage different workstyles and tendencies on their team (including introversion, generational, and other differences)
This also applies to general audiences - what if it's your boss who bugs you? How do you overcome differences in style?

Key Takeaways:
• Specific ways to bring out everyone's best (in a group and individually)
• Leadership Dos and Don'ts when assessing talent
• What to do if someone “bugs” you at work

Not Your Mama's Goal Setting

This session is where Barb tears down the traditional S.M.A.R.T. goal model and shows you WHY it isn't working and what to do instead.

One of her most popular talks, this is a fan favorite for those who love goal setting, and (even better) those who hate it!

Whichever side you’re on, this workshop will make you think about goals VERY differently! You'll learn why discipline and motivation aren't the problem (or the solution) and how to move toward what you really want... even if you don't know what that is. If you're ready to stop the "starting over" cycle, this is for you!

Past talks (10)
Goals Are Not The End Game
American Family Insurance DreamBank
Online
May 3, 2023
On The Right Road But You've Got A Flat Tire
Minnesota WomenVenture Peer Circle
Online
January 9, 2023
What Your Employees Don't Want You To Know
Bad Boss Summit: How Not To Be The Bad Boss
Virtual
July 18, 2023
The Anti-Goal Way to Get It DONE
Resilient Woman Leadership Summit
Virtual
June 14, 2023
I Know What Your Employees Are Thinking
Int'l Leadership Summit: Winning Strategies for Today's Team Management
Virtual
January 19, 2023
Sending Annual Employee Objectives To The Corporate Graveyard
DisruptHR Chicago
Chicago, IL
September 14, 2023
Not Your Mama's Goal Setting
Warrior Unchained Live
Wisconsin Dells, WI
September 24, 2023
Not Your Mama's Goal Setting
POMA Insight Session
Online
November 2, 2023
Cultivating Careers: Growth Beyond The Performance Review
4Flow
Online
November 25, 2023
Motivating Teamwork: Bridging Gaps Despite The Stress
Statewide Insurance Fund NJ
Newark, NJ
February 8, 2024
  • All (1)
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  • One sheet (1)
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Barb Monson Speaker One Sheet
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Books & Articles (1)

Becoming You: A 28-day Guided Journal
Self-published,
2021

Expertise (8)

Leadership
Employee turnover Employee Disengagement individualism Building Trust Goal setting and achievement Corporate team building Leadership

Reviews

Testimonials (4)
  • Brilliant - Barb is clever, determined, and passionate. She inspires others to be the same. She is a skilled speaker and leaves listeners feeling engaged and challenged. Highly recommend working 1-1 with her or just going to her talks.
    Caitlin Copa
  • I appreciated Barb's approach for her authenticity and humor, and she really encouraged the audience to focus on the steps she provided for personal development. Her empowering speaking resonated with anyone in the audience facing challenges (and who is NOT facing some sort of challenge?)
    Michelle Scheuermann
  • Barb Monson is an incredibly passionate and connected speaker. She knows how to read a room and work a room. I saw her speak in July 2023 and her perspective on goal-setting was so valuable. As someone who resists "SMART" goal-setting, Barb's talk made me feel like I could still "move mountains" by setting goals in a way that would work for ME. I highly recommend you hire Barb for your next corporate event, conference or event. She's incredible!
    Sara Deacon
  • Barb spoke to my group earlier this year. She was a dynamic, educational and humorous speaker. Everyone loved her take on SMART goals and how they could work for them. I would definitely recommend you hire Barb for your next corporate or business event!
    Wendy Babcock
    Verified
Recommendations
7 Audience
Show More
Why choose me? 

I turn overlooked voices into confident leaders.

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