Biography
As an executive, leadership, and speaker coach, former attorney, published author, and motivational speaker, Barbara Gottesman gets what it takes to drive her clients to be their best, both professionally and personally. Her legal career spanned over ten years, in Toronto, New York, and the San Francisco Bay area, after which she turned her experience and expertise to coaching and consulting, and in particular to inspiring leaders to authentically grow in their roles in evolving situations. Barbara is also skilled at facilitating team building to strengthen collaboration and productivity. She is a sought-after TEDx speaker coach, regularly leads communications programs that grow executive presence and presentation skills, and works with emerging women leaders in empowerment and career transition groups. Her clients have included executives at Fortune 500 companies as well as emerging growth and early stage enterprises, throughout the United States as well as internationally.
Most recently, Barbara worked with the OU Women’s Initiative team to develop The Art of Speaking Advanced Seminar, an intensive 3-month professional development seminar course tailored to Orthodox women educators and lay leaders. Close to 60 women from across North America participated in this program, a unique blend of workshops, peer coaching, small group professional-led coaching and final presentations.
Barbara received her coaching training and certification from the internationally accredited Coaches Training Institute over 15 years ago, is a certified Myers Briggs facilitator as well as a Mussar instructor through the Mussar Institute. In addition to her private practice, Barbara also volunteers extensively in her community. She loves adventure travel, fitness and her work.
Beginning in 2009, Barbara spent nearly two-and-a-half years sailing with her husband and two children aboard a 46-foot catamaran called Whatcha Gonna Do, throughout Mexico, the South Pacific, and Australia. She chronicled her adventures and lessons learned in her book, How to Slay a Pirate: Lessons on Success from Sailing the Pacific. Barbara’s children are both in college, while she lives on land in the San Francisco Bay area with her husband and two large dogs.