Leverage Experience in a Five-Generation Workforce
Let’s unlock the power of experience to see age as an advantage at every stage.
Experience is Underleveraged, and it’s Costing Performance.
Today’s workplace spans four and often five generations. Yet most organizations still operate as if everyone thinks, communicates, and works the same way. The result is friction, stalled decision-making, lost knowledge transfer, and disengagement. Experience is present, but not activated, and costing organizations billions every year.
Generational tension slows collaboration.
Institutional knowledge walks out the door.
High performers feel unseen or sidelined.
Emerging talent, mid-career, and seasoned people misread each other.
Intergenerational Collaboration is Queen Today
From friction to Performance.
Barbara’s keynotes reframe ‘aged’ experience as a measurable business asset. She equips leaders and teams with language, insight, and practical shifts that turn generational diversity into an advantage.
Replace stereotypes with strength-based thinking
Identify where experience is underleveraged right now
Improve collaboration across age groups
Activate Return on Experience inside teams
Increase engagement and retention across generations
Her Media Features
The Power of 5
Breaking the Stereotypes. How Generations Win Together at Work.
With five generations sharing the workplace today, most organizations feel the tension but struggle to name it. Barbara’s keynote gives a clear Return on Experience framework to reduce communication problems and generation bias to increase trust and improve communication without turning the conversation into a boring compliance exercise.
Trusted by Organizations Focused on People + Results
GRAY STREAK. BIG SPEAK.
GRAY STREAK. BIG SPEAK.
Meet Barbara
Barbara Brooks is not just here to talk about age. She is here to change how organizations leverage it.
Known for magnetic stage presence, sharp insight, her humor, and practical frameworks audiences can actually use, Barbara blends data, business credibility, and lived experience to spark conversations that move beyond inspiration and into action.
She is the founder of SecondActWomen, a national platform reaching more than 24,000 women and allies. She has an award-winning career with a background in corporate marketing and media. Her work sits at the intersection of age, workplace culture, and business results.
Barbara has been named one of Colorado’s 25 Most Powerful Businesswomen by the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce and a Top 10 Leader in Diversity by the Denver Business Journal. She serves on the AARP Colorado Executive Council and has been recognized as an Influencer in Aging by Next Avenue, with features in Forbes, Fast Company, MarketWatch, NBC, and Colorado Public Radio.
Today’s Most In-Demand Conversations
Are Barbara’s most popular speeches
Barbara focuses on three of the most relevant conversations affecting people today.
Intergenerational connection and collaboration
Women 40+ and the power of experience
Aging, visibility, and what comes next
These are not niche topics. They sit at the center of a major cultural and economic shift happening in the U.S. and around the world.
They are redefining how people show up, lead, create, and influence at every stAGE of life.
So, What are They Saying About Her Work…
“Infectious. Enthusiastic. Funny. Relatable. Personable. Actionable. Smart. Insightful. Must-have.”
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"Barbara is dynamic. She left our audience uplifted and we were thrilled to have her open our summit."
Gayle Pottle, MS, CFRE, President, AdventHealth Rocky Mountain Foundation
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“She has a gift of teaching others how to blend personal needs with business needs.”
Quinn Slaughter, Senior People Strategy, Western Union
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“I highly recommend her. She's truly a powerful speaker and motivator.”
Katie Johnson, Vice President Global Branding at Hyatt
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![ann robinson, vail valley partnership holding a sign]()
“Wow! Did she deliver. Her keynote was eye-opening, data-driven and fun! 5 out of 5 stars."
Ann Robinson, Vail Valley Partnership
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"Barbara gave an informative keynote. I recommend her to those navigating generational dynamics in the workplace."
Sean Choi, Senior Vice President, HR at FirstBank
Who Books Barbara Brooks?
Employee Group and Social Responsibility Folks
Event Planners of Women’s Conferences, Wellness Summits and Industry Organizers
Leadership Retreat and Professional Development Series Organizers
Wherever honest conversations need to happen, she brings the mic.
She helps organizations tap into the superpower of intergen teams.
It’s the now. Not just the future.
Keynote Speaking
Foster Innovation: Showing how multi-generational teams fuel creativity, collaboration, belonging, and better business outcomes.
Break Through Barriers: Tackling age bias head-on, debunking generational myths, and sparking real conversations that lead to meaningful action.
Energize Your Guests: Giving people the tools and confidence to help every person at every stage feel seen and valued.
Working Sessions
Tailored Solutions: Customized workshops designed around your specific goals and challenges.
Practical Tools: Participants leave with clear, actionable strategies that improve collaboration and inclusion.
Lasting Results: Build stronger teams, deepen understanding across generations, and create cultures that support everyone.
Ready for something new?