Happiness Keynote speaker | Author | Toronto & GTA

Happier teams get better results

Barbara Demone brings her practical Happiness Formula, built over 25 years leading in financial services, to corporate events, conferences and wellness programs.

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Selected speaking engagements

Inspireship | Leadership Development and Executive Coaching

Sport + Spirit Women’s Retreat

Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada (OSFI)

Peel District School Board

Nassagaweya Presbyterian Church

Happiness keynote topics for workplaces

Every talk is built around the Happiness Formula and tailored to your group’s objectives — popular examples are outlined below.

The Happiness Formula at Work

Barbara’s signature talk for professional audiences. Barbara shares the practical Happiness Formula she developed through daily journaling on her morning commute while leading teams in financial services. Participants will leave with a refreshed mindset and practical strategies to navigate workplace challenges, build resilience, and foster daily well-being.

A repeatable practice for staying grounded and finding more happiness in your day.
Greater confidence handling difficult conversations, challenging colleagues, and competing priorities.
Less time lost to workplace drama and more focus on the work that matters.

Keynote

Mindful Leadership Through Change

Designed for leadership teams and managers, this session draws on Barbara’s executive experience leading teams and navigating strategic transformations. Explore mindfulness practices to strengthen leadership presence, sharpen critical thinking, and support better decision-making, particularly when organizations and their people are navigating uncertainty and change.

Participants will gain practical tools to lead with greater clarity, confidence, and intention.

Lead with authenticity and compassion while maintaining authority.
Build trust, strengthen team resilience, and create the conditions for people to embrace change.
Incorporate simple mindful practices into a demanding leadership role.

Keynote or Interactive Session

Happiness Roadmap for Busy Professionals

An interactive workshop for employee wellness programs and professional networks. Using the Happiness Formula, Barbara helps participants explore what a fulfilling life looks like and design their own road map to personal success – with purpose, intention, and greater balance. Participants will leave with a personal vision and a practical action plan.

Define a personal vision of success that reflects what matters most.
Set meaningful goals and intentions aligned with your priorities.
Create realistic strategies for greater balance and well-being.

Workshop

Full Speaking Details

The Happiness Formula

Barbara didn’t find happiness by changing her life. She found it on a commuter train, journaling each morning while leading teams in financial services and raising two boys. Three years later she had a formula that works day in and day out.

How the formula works

Presence
Gratitude
Purpose
Balance
Intention
Let go
Do your best
Love

Why organizations book Barbara

She has done the job — 25 years in financial services, in leadership and banking regulation. She isn’t describing workplace pressure from the outside
The method is practical, not theoretical — A formula built in the real world through the simple act of daily journaling, broken into steps an audience can use the same day
She’s a published author — Good Morning, Life! (FriesenPress, 2020), available in paperback, hardcover, ebook and audiobook
She’s local — Based in Oakville, speaking across Toronto and the GTA — no travel costs, and easy to meet before the event

More about Barbara →

What event organizers say

Barbara’s unique and insightful formula for happiness was not only inspiring but also incredibly practical. She masterfully broke down the concept of happiness into tangible steps, making it feel accessible and within reach for everyone in the audience. Her engaging delivery, combined with her deep understanding of the subject, left us all feeling empowered and ready to implement her strategies in our daily lives. Barbara is a remarkable speaker whose wisdom and warmth resonate long after the event has ended.
Garen Jemian
Founder – Inspireship
Barbara Demone was the ideal keynote speaker to open our Sport + Spirit Women’s Retreat weekend. Barbara’s personal journey to happiness and timely message resonated with the audience and the aim of the retreat, inspiring our guests beyond the weekend.
Sophie McLaughlin
Founder – Sport + Spirit
Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Good Morning, Life! I knew I wanted Barbara to speak to my team. Her perspective, as well as the perceptive and thought-provoking questions she posed to us, resonated with the entire team and prompted much conversation during and after her visit. Do yourself a favour — read GML and then have Barbara inspire you in person. Thank you, Barbara!
Stephen Manly
Managing Director, Model Risk Division – OSFI

The Book – Good Morning, Life!

One Woman Waking up to Happiness, One Moment at a Time

Barbara’s memoir on confident leadership, guilt-free parenting and letting go of everyday drama — the same formula she brings to the stage.

Learn More About the Book

Where to buy

Speaking highlights

Sport + Spirit Women’s Retreat

Planning an event?

Tell Barbara your date, your audience and what you want them to walk away with. She’ll reply within two business days.

Book Barbara to Speak