About Barb Greenberg

Barb Greenberg is a former English teacher and stay-at-home mom who grew up with a love of horses. Riding helped her survive the dramas of high school and when her two daughters were infants, it kept her from disappearing under piles of diapers and dirty laundry.

In 1985 Barb decided to become a part-time consultant with Mary Kay, Inc. to pay the board bill on her horse. It was an odd choice, since she rarely wore makeup. And, Barb was so shy, during her high school reunion a friend jokingly suggested she stand against the wall so people would remember who she was. Surprisingly, Barb found she enjoyed teaching about skin care and color cosmetics and helping women feel better about themselves.

Her younger daughter fell in love with horses and before Barb knew it, she was supporting her daughter's riding instead of her own. But Barb was busy working and by 1988 she had earned a place in the top 2% of the company as an Independent Sales Director. In this new position, part of her job was to train and motivate new and seasoned consultants. She freely shared personal stories from the building of her own business to encourage others. She was very open about her fears and uncertainties, her failures and her successes.

For over twenty years, Barb has trained and motivated consultants and directors in her position as an Independent Sales Director with Mary Kay, Inc. She has spoken at group meetings, as well as workshops, covering a variety of topics including, goal setting, time management, and self-esteem building. 

Barb credits the skills and lessons she learned building her Mary Kay business for giving her a strong foundation as a writer. Persistence, determination and learning to believe in herself and in her dreams not only earned her the use of nine free Mary Kay cars (one of which was the prestigious pink Cadillac), but also gave her the confidence to trust herself. And though she didn’t back away when she sat down to write and looked at that first blank piece of paper, she did briefly wonder why in the world she thought she could become a writer.

Every Parent's Nightmare...

In the fall of 1998 Barb's younger college-age daughter was in a life-threatening accident half way around the world. Her daughter's recovery was a miracle and a life-changing event for everyone in the family. With the urging and support of friends, Barb began writing her first book, Hope Grew Round Me.

Again she shared her personal story of hope and transformation to encourage others to find their unique voice, to break through self-imposed boundaries, and to honor all the journeys of their life.

As a writer, Barb knew she was on the right track when she experienced what she believed to be a cosmic version of "finish your homework and you can have a cookie." Two weeks after her book was published, a dear friend gave her a horse, the first horse she'd had in over 15 years.

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