Barbara Brooks Speaks

09/10/2026

Warning: Aging Ahead.
Why on earth does aging matter so much to most? Because it really means you're living. Literally. You are alive, and it's the one privilege everyone in the world can enjoy, no matter the circumstance.

So why hide a number?

Why attach a warning label to aging? Why think that because we hit a certain number, life should be closing out, calling it a day, expiring soon like old milk?

Why forgo hiring someone with such a number that has experience attached to it, and the kind that can help drive revenue? That can bring teams together when there's a wee bit of friction. The kind of experience machine learning can't replace. Rather, the representation of the "I" in AI.

Well, as I continue on my journey to 60 this fall, I'm openly sharing my 59-ness as I did as a teenager turning sweet 16. It's my Sweet 60, and it doesn't deserve a warning label but a celebration.

It's my 60 Days to 60 online party.

as much as as my mother would say at 89 today.

09/10/2026

Warning: Aging Ahead.
Why on earth does aging matter so much to most? Because it really means you're living. Literally. You are alive, and it's the one privilege everyone in the world can enjoy, no matter the circumstance.

So why hide a number?

Why attach a warning label to aging? Why think that because we hit a certain number, life should be closing out, calling it a day, expiring soon like old milk?

Why forgo hiring someone with such a number that has experience attached to it, and the kind that can help drive revenue? That can bring teams together when there's a wee bit of friction. The kind of experience machine learning can't replace. Rather, the representation of the "I" in AI.

Well, as I continue on my journey to 60 this fall, I'm openly sharing my 59-ness as I did as a teenager turning sweet 16. It's my Sweet 60, and it doesn't deserve a warning label but a celebration.

It's my 60 Days to 60 online party.

as much as as my mother would say at 89 today.

09/02/2026

Age bias. It begins at 3 years old. You read that correctly. It started before our Romper Room years, the game Old Maid, and naps after lunch. (Oh, I hated them then and love them today, but I digress).

Kids from 3 to 4 are picking up on the stereotypes before they can talk, and when you think about it, that is very young to learn how to treat people, wouldn't you agree? It means that by the time we are old enough to work, we've had years of messages about who gets to be relevant, lead, and be phased out.

Which is why Intergenerational Awareness Month matters, as does the work my colleagues and I do to erase the bias and change thinking on aging and what it really means and looks like today.

Let's forgo the myths we have of each other and celebrate all generations.

09/01/2026

Out of the 8 generations alive today, up to 5 of them work alongside one another, and this summer, possibly 6 if your Gen Alpha was bagging groceries somewhere.

I was given the chance to speak about it on FOX31 KDVR.com Great Day Colorado with Denise Plante as we kick off .

Give it a watch if you have a few minutes.

Most of us only have close friends within 15 years of our own age, ...

08/26/2026

Catch me and two others today live on LinkedIn with a local radio station talking about women in the workplace, age (bias), and female founder-ship today.

It's ahead of our speeches at the South Metro Denver Chamber Women in Business event this September.

Here's the link to listen in. I'm on with a few folks at 5:30pm MT.

https://www.linkedin.com/events/7497127745500471296/

08/24/2026

Did you know that by 2030, 39% of core job skills are expected to change? Reading, writing, math, and 'manual dexterity' are declining in demand for obvious reasons. Hello AI. However, what you bring will remain in demand, like your power skills (that's what I call them), including analytical and critical thinking, leadership and social influence, AI and big data literacy, resilience/flexibility, and curiosity/lifelong learning. Those are the skills considered important.

That tells me that you are needed more today and in the future than ever. When companies rely on running on spreadsheets, the real risk is not having a generational mix, especially when you bring undocumented knowledge and power skills. That combination is deadly to an organization, and in a good way.

Keep going if you are seeking a job, promotion, or career change, and if you're a hiring manager, look to balance your team with intergenerational workers. By 2030, your company will still be winning the game.

Source: World Economic Forum

08/21/2026

Today is World Entrepreneurs' Day, August 21, and as many of you know, the stats show it's the SHEconomy, with female founders as the driving force.

If you didn't know, I love stats, and here are a few good ones:
✔️ Women 45 to 54 are starting new businesses at a higher rate than any other age group, and that means Gen Z;
✔️ The share of new entrepreneurs ages 55 to 64 climbed from about 15% in 1996 to 25% in 2019, outpacing the growth of every younger bracket (Kauffman Foundation); and
✔️ the average age behind a successful startup founder? 45.

Think about it. We built the hearty resume, learned the industry, and made the expensive mistakes or two on someone else's dime (finger-pointing at me), and now we are cashing in our return on experience but on our own terms as the CEO of our futures.

This is one of many reasons why my company, SecondActWomen, was born in 2018. It's to back women 40+ building their next act, providing professional and personal conferences and special sessions to help them bloom (more).

And so today, take a minute to celebrate the dreamers, innovators, creators, and risk-takers who leaped and launched, turning ideas into something meaningful.

Happy World Entrepreneurs' Day.

08/18/2026

Time to talk a little bit about visibility as seasoned professionals and business owners. Two Saturdays from now, you could be sitting on a rewritten LinkedIn profile, a professional brand boost, and the content to build MORE visibility, instead of wondering why nobody's noticing what you do.

That was me a few years back, and I am an expert in marketing and PR, but I was the shoemaker without shoes, not promoting myself, not sharing my news, and certainly not marketing my capabilities as a professional, age-inclusive speaker.

Fast forward to today, I am an award-winning entrepreneur whose company SecondActWomen has become recognized in national publications, broadcast TV, and popular podcasts. On top of that, my professional brand, Barbara Brooks, the age-inclusion speaker, has been amplified through upping my personal branding game online and offline. No longer am I sitting shoeless wishing I were on more stages or that SecondActWomen would see more growth in our programming.

I invested in me after putting everyone else but me first, and it was detrimental to my business, career, and mental health, frankly.

So, if this resonates and you are looking for a bit more growth and visibility to get the interview, the job, the new client, be on more stages or in media, I'm hosting a two-hour working workshop to give you the tools and information to do it.

Supercharge Your Professional Visibility to Get Seen is Saturday, August 29, 9 to 11 AM MT, live on Zoom. Grab a seat and let's help make you unforgettable.

08/18/2026

I'm jumping on the Kinda Chic trend that's all over socials to celebrate turning 60 in October. Kinda chic to admit that. (See what I did there...)

I'm leaving my 50s with fire this fall while others would see it as a time of fear. For me, it's about continuing to build on things nobody handed me, saying yes before I can talk myself out of it (because I can), and speaking my mind when it's necessary. Hello, people who want to put seasoned people in a box.

We're not slowing down as we age. We're gaining momentum on the things we've worked hard to build, and organizations that figure this out first will have the advantage in this five-generation workforce. Just saying.

Aging is living, and I plan to do that for quite some time.

What's kinda chic about the age you're headed into?

Day 50 to 60

08/17/2026

Hey y'all. I need a big 'ol vote to make it to the main stage at SXSW in Austin next spring to talk about US.

Today, five generations work side by side, but most organizations still train, mentor, and manage like it's one generation. On top of that, they're not hiring their biggest assets—us, people over 40.

My talk at SXSW breaks down what actually works, from communication and retention strategies to the data proving multigenerational teams far outperform, plus the business case for hiring seasoned professionals.

The speech is: Work Reimagined: Five Gens, One Bottom Line

Help me make it to the main stage at SXSW in Austin next spring to talk about it all.

4 Short Steps to Vote:
Click the link https://participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sxsw27/community-voting-edu/page/community-voting/session/1785123380987001A0em
Set up a free account
Search the panel name: Work Reimagined: Five Gens, One Bottom Line
Click the ❤️ on the right to vote