Portfolio

People keep asking me what it is that I do exactly. Is it motivational speaking? Training? Educating? Facilitating? In short, I have often said "yes", but I have come to terms with what and who I am and what I do and it comes down to this. I am a globalist in that I see the BIG picture; a mission specialist in that I believe that we are all here for a reason (one we are charged to discover); and a freedom fighter, believing in the true freedom of knowing,living and working our purpose in a sea of change.

As noted earlier on the site, I am also known as the Unity Guy. But, for me, I call myself O.B. Wan, specializing in organizational behaviour, character and personality and how to create a sense of unity of purpose and action in good times and those of challenge. I help individuals and organizations come to life in the most real of ways, fostering resilience and victory. For how I am doing this these days, please read on...

I have been a College Educator for 13 years now. My expertise and focus has been in the area of business management, including hospitality and tourism. My core courses are organizational behaviour and human resource management as well as marketing and Canadian business law. This year, I am excited to be returning to and taking on entrepreneurial studies (with 3 student teams, as their coach) and strategic management. My excitement with teaching at the College level centers around the fact that, everyday, I have 100-125 young future business leaders with which I work. No greater impact can one person have than to be part of a process that helps develop critical and responsive thinking in the hearts and minds of future generations. I get to engage as coach, facilitator, trainer, educator, manager, and leader, all in one, It is, genuinely, an honour and a joy to work with these extraordinary souls, who are open and looking to be successful while making contributions to work, community and their own lives. Sound pie in the sky? No way. I am constantly reminded of their impact now and in the future. They are the agents of change. Let’s roll!

Starting in August of 2009, I am now engaged as Planner for the YES! Program out of Rabbittown Community Center. Contracted by Vibrant Communities through the Community Services Council as Planner, my challenge is to help create a team and deliver on a program committed to affecting positive and sustainable change in the neighbourhood of Rabbittown in St. John’s. This community is remarkable with 83 nationalities represented and 19 languages spoken! It is true diversity in the midst of the center of the city. Still, based on one source, in the last 10 years, 3 youth graduated from high school! Our intent is to positively and significantly impact that number.

The Center is a going concern, filled with ongoing activities. With a YES! Program that will offer a core academic enhancement component, plus special programming in success management and community building, we are aiming to connect youth, parents, and community resources to create an initiative that is not only successful in its impact but also replicable across other neighbourhoods and communities. I am, indeed, excited to be a part of this initiative and look forward to results. Stay tuned!

I am Baha'i. If you are wondering about what that means, you would be best served by checking out www.bahai.org. Essentially, it is at the core of what I believe and how I best try to live... and the work I choose to do. More specifically, these days, I facilitate a learning circle process centering around a Baha'i-inspired workbook called Reflections on the Life of the Spirit. The circles are open to Baha'is and those of all and no faiths. The material is intended to explore 3 major areas... who we are and our purpose in life, the power and practicality of prayer, and the meaning of life and death. This is eye-opening and liberating material! There is no expectation of one being or becoming Baha'i. It is not an exercise in debate. It is an engaging consultative-based process for exploring deeper meaning in our lives through Baha'i writings, group exercises and discussions. If these ideas and matters are of interest to you and you would like to explore them in a friendly, joyful, and engaging atmosphere without expectations, pop me an email at barry@onepower.ca. Peace.

With the gracious assistance of Courtney Rowsell, Carl George and Mike Nordby, I have created a new You Tube based reality show called SLOWER and HEALTHY LIVING. The idea arose from a conversation with Carl about the one area in which I have found challenge over the last 10 years... weight and health. For those last 10 years, I was "advised, counseled and coached" and nothing seemed to work until I recently realized that none of the suggestions were fun. So, we have created a fun and engaging and real exploration of my own journey back to health. I am basing it on getting more Sleep, Laughter, Oxygen, Water, Exercise and Real food, hence the name SLOWER. Check it out at www.youtube.com/barrylgreen.

Having spent the last 20 years volunteering as the Telethon Phone Bank Trainer and Coordiuator for the Janeway Children's Hospital Foundation in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, I have now trained some 10,000+ volunteers in the art and science of taking donor pledges with grace and enthusiasm. Using the experience and the personal joy and pride I have gained each year working with this wonderful service organization, I am now developing a keynote-to-go to take along on my travels. So, wherever there is a CMN-affiliated hospital in North America or abroad, keep the door open, because I might just pop in for a chat and offer to "celebrate the cause" with a free public talk. You see, I believe and contend that you can tell a culture by how it treats its children, and the CMN Network is a shining example of loving work that supports millions of children throughout the world. It is a joy and honour being associated with such a noble effort. It is an integral part of my passion. In fact, in 2008, I gave a version of this keynote in development at a National CMN meeting and this is what Paula Eddy, Manager of Community Initiatives for the Janeway Foundation, had to say...

Hey Barry! How can I let you know how much I appreciate what you did for all of us! Every session started with someone saying, "Well, I'm no Barry but..." Someone who joined on Thursday came up to me and asked - who is this Barry everyone keeps talking about! You were exactly what we all needed - you got everyone talking to each other with one of those awkward intro sessions - we were laughing but your very poignant messages were loud and clear - even if they were whispered!!! You, my friend, set the tone for one of the best sessions of meetings we ever had - for that I have to say THANK YOU - in my super Barry voice!!!!

Folks, this is one long term labour of love for me and I am intent on developing and perfecting that keynote-to-go for CMN hospitals in 170 places in North America and soon in Ireland, England, Australia and New Zealand. Keep on doing what you do CMN, and I will help wherever I can.

Experiencing the trials, tribulations and, yes, triumphs of my own personal journey with my father and Alzheimer Disease, I presented a keynote on that journey that I affectionately call The Joy of Alzheimer's. While the title may stop people in their tracks, the content appeals to the heart and soul of the human experience and celebrates the potential journey we can all take. Shirley Lucas, Executive Director of Alzheimer Society of the Newfoundland & Labrador, had this to say about the keynote...

Barry Green delivered a very powerful and personal presentation at our January Educational Forum. He gave his audience significant insight into his journey with Alzheimer's Disease and gave them a different perspective on how to deal with their individual journeys with the disease. Many of those in attendance found his presentation to be funny, uplifting and insightful ... he delivered a strong message of hope and true dedication to his Dad! I would suggest that this would be a highly valuable experience for medical practitioners, care givers and loved ones of people experiencing Alzheimer's Disease.

I am now working on a workshop for caregivers and loved ones of those journeying with Alzheimer Disease and I look to bring the message to medical professionals and professional and personal caregivers alike. Indeed, in August of 2009, I was interviewed by Healthy Place TV. I love sharing the story. This is one heartfelt and very personal message for me and my audiences, highlighting the importance of understanding our mission, executing our actions in alignment with our mission, defining our success in the healthiest of ways, and creating genuine joy and happiness as we walk this journey...

In the Spring of 2008, I continued my ever-increasing work within the public school system, conducting a series of school talks on The Power of Choice. Working with Communities Against Violence, I developed a 1-hour presentation which we took into the schools and the feedback was most encouraging. The sessions rocked with energy and with response, and the plan is to build on this effort, getting back to schools again in 2009-2010 and possibly visiting new ones across the Province. The message is about making better choices and it is a joy to be with the youth of this special place I call home. Whether in Nova Scotia or on the Burin or Bonavista Peninsulas, in Central and Western Newfoundland, in Labrador, on the Western Avalon or in the St. John’s area, my experience with youth in this Province is that they so wish to believe in something bigger and better, and I look forward to being part of that process.

The summer of 2008 saw an extension of my work with the Community Centre Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador. In tandem with Amy Percy and the team of the CCANL (and in particular, Krista Legge), I helped coordinate an exciting 8-week program, called the Value of Work, The Value of Money, involving 10 youth as a social enterprise project, sponsored through the Alliance. These youth, 2 from each local community center in the St. John’s area, were working with their respective community centers in delivering neighbourhood programs and services and in creating an enterprise they called PROJECT GIV'ER. This project involved leasing a facility on the shores of historic Quidi Vidi Lake in St. John's and offering a unique confectionary service, lunch-and-learns by the lake, recreational activities for children and adults alike, reading activities and more. It was youth driven and I was so very excited to assist with this program, over the 8 weeks, as it moved beyond the words that our children and our youth are our future. and found a way to engage them in preparing for that future. This was one remarkable project and I love the fact that it fully utilized my own diverse and deep background as a business educator, performance trainer, and entertainer, all-in-one. We witnessed some wonderful results from these high school students. I look forward to a long term and vibrant relationship with the Community Centre Alliance on this and other youth and community oriented projects. On so many levels, this project ROCKED!!!

Teamwork. Teams work. Team works. Either way you say it, I am a believer in the collective response and the power of a team of concerned and committed individuals. Real time solutions are often about the synergy of talents and capacities. With that in mind, I have been working on building alliances of professional trainers and facilitators originating in Newfoundland and Labrador and throughout North America and the world. I am a proud member of the International Federation for Professional Speakers as well as the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers, and am a founding member and the first President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Professional Speakers. I am also a member of the European Baha’i Business Forum, and the Canadian Institute of Management. I am working to help foster the power of synergy inherent in the collective capacity of professional speakers, trainers, facilitators, educators and coaches. Check any of these collective initiatives out today. For more information, contact me at barry@onepower.ca

I like to think that I am much about service, and the public service has been dear to my heart since my very first career position in employment and community development with the federal government. I have worked at both the federal and provincial levels of government in business, community and employment development and, over the last few years, I have been called upon by both levels of government (and municipal government with youth leadership programs) to conduct inspirational and performance training sessions for health care and business service operations, justice agencies and community development initiatives alike. Currently and specifically, I am submitting a catalogue of services to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for their consideration in terms of future training needs in 2009-10 and beyond. I look forward to fostering an exciting and sustainable working relationship with all levels of government over the coming years. For me, it is all about service, and the public service indeed.

For years, I have worked with many companies in terms of their performance training needs. As a business educator, specializing in human resource management and organizational behaviour, I am a passionate proponent of the real and lasting importance of a culture of clear mission, aligned execution, healthy success and sustainable joy and happiness in business. Most recently, I have been turning some real attention to inspiring companies to deal with change in real time. You know, growth can be great for business, but it can be overwhelming as well. I was contracted by Power Vac to meet with its management team to discuss a way to effectively celebrate and motivate its employee base, which had almost tripled after the company had experienced a 70% growth in one year. Here is what Deanne Lee of Power Vac Disaster Kleen-Up said of my work with their company...

Our company had experienced approximately 70% growth over the period of one year. There were significant changes to personnel and structure and some of our long-time employees were struggling with the influx of new people. Due to the company culture, a number of us found it difficult to work with someone when you can't call them by name, because you don't know them. Our company normally employs approximately 50 full-time employees. Everyone knew everyone and it was always a "family" feel to our place of work. Within the span of a few months we hit 146 employees to accommodate several large projects we were working on. Needless to say, the changes occurred quickly and the "pedal was to the metal" for a quite a period of time thereafter. The main concern for the management team was to help the employees deal with the changes and not feel overwhelmed by the "spinning wheel". How were we going to motivate our employees? How were we going to help ensure that they understood, despite many times of telling them that, at the core, we weren't going to change? And, we wanted to make sure that the delivery of our key messages were done from an objective perspective, and in a light-hearted, humorous manner with impact. Sounds like a tall order, but we found our solution in Barry Green.

Barry is a class act... a sincerely genuine person who cares about people and their situations. That clearly comes through when you meet him. He met with our management team, heard what was important to us and our company and delivered a motivational session that not only had us laughing until we cried but, most importantly, spoke to the heart of our employees. There is no greater way to learn than through laughter. Barry never loses sight of what his objective is, gets you there through belly-laughs and leaves you with a few nuggets of wisdom. We would love to have Barry speak for us again!!

I look forward to helping more and more with the opportunities and challenges of change in business. If the public service is the backbone and chassis of our society, business is the engine. I am excited about the work ahead in helping businesses achieve championship results internally and externally for themselves, their employees, their customers and their communities.