Happiness at Work Keynote Speaker | Author | Toronto & GTA

Happiness at Work Keynotes & Workshops

For organizations across Toronto, the GTA and beyond.

Why happiness is a performance issue

Happiness at work isn’t a soft metric — it’s a performance one. Teams that feel steady under pressure make better decisions, handle difficult conversations without the fallout lasting all week, and spend less energy on drama and more on the work that matters.

Barbara isn’t a researcher or a professional speaker describing workplace pressure from the outside. She spent 25 years as a financial services executive, in leadership and banking regulation, and built her Happiness Formula from inside that pressure — which is why it lands with corporate audiences.

Who Barbara speaks to

Corporate events
Leadership offsites
Employee wellness weeks
Women’s networks and conferences
Associations

Happiness at Work Keynote Speaker: Talks & Workshops

Each session is built around the Happiness Formula and tailored to your group’s objectives. Formats and durations below are starting points — confirmed with Barbara before booking.

The Happiness Formula at Work

Barbara’s signature talk. She shares the practical formula she built over years of mindful journaling on her morning commute while leading teams in financial services — and how any audience can apply it in the moment and in their daily life.

A repeatable practice for staying steady under pressure
Ways to handle difficult conversations without carrying them home
Less time lost to drama and more spent on the work that matters

Keynote

Mindful Leadership in Times of Change

For leadership teams and managers. Drawing on more than 15 years of executive experience, including managing through strategic transformations, Barbara shows how mindfulness sharpens critical thinking and decision-making.

A way to lead with authenticity without losing authority
How to make cool-headed decisions in heated situations
Mindful practices that fit a full calendar

Keynote or Interactive Session

Happiness Roadmap for Busy Professionals

An interactive workshop for employee wellness programs and professional networks. Using the Happiness Formula, participants design their own road map to personal success – with purpose, intention, and the right balance. They start with a vision and leave with a plan – for a fulfilling personal and professional life.

Define a personal vision of success
Reflecting on what matters most, identify meaningful goals and intentions
Discover practical strategies and set a realistic plan for the first thirty days

Workshop

The Happiness Formula, at a glance

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

More about the formula

Presence
Gratitude
Purpose
Balance
Intention
Let go
Do your best
Love

What your team walks away with

More resilient teams that respond to change instead of reacting to it
Confidence handling difficult conversations and difficult people
Less time lost to drama and gossip, more spent on real work
Stronger relationships and better collaboration across the team
Measurably better performance under pressure
A genuine, lasting shift in how people feel about their work

Why Barbara

An Ivey Business School graduate and financial services executive of 25 years — she’s done the job her audience is doing, not studied it from the outside
Published author of Good Morning, Life! (FriesenPress, 2020) — proof the formula works, in a book attendees can keep
A daily journaling and mindfulness practice built over three years — where the Happiness Formula came from, and still her own practice today
Featured in the Toronto Star for her approach to building happiness into a demanding working life

More about Barbara

Where Barbara has spoken

Inspireship

Sport + Spirit

OSFI

Peel District School Board

Nassagaweya Presbyterian Church

Sport + Spirit Women’s Retreat

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

“Barbara Demone was the ideal keynote speaker to open our Sport + Spirit Women’s Retreat weekend. Her personal journey to happiness and timely message resonated with the audience, inspiring our guests beyond the weekend.” — Sophie McLaughlin, Founder, Sport + Spirit

Formats & logistics

Format: Keynote or interactive workshop — programs are tailored to your group’s objectives
Delivery: In person across Toronto and the GTA
Customization: Every program is shaped around your event and audience on a planning call before the day
Travel: Based in Oakville — no travel costs for Toronto and GTA events. Ask about events further afield
Fees: Available on request — share your date, format, audience size and location for a quote

Frequently asked questions

What does Barbara speak about?

Her Happiness Formula — a practical, mindfulness-based approach to staying steady under pressure, built from her own experience leading teams in financial services. Topics include leadership under pressure, workplace resilience, and everyday happiness habits for busy professionals.

Can the talk be customized to our event theme?

Yes. Every keynote and workshop is tailored to your group’s objectives, discussed on a planning call before the event.

How long are the keynotes and workshops?

Every keynote and workshop is scoped to fit your agenda — share your available time when you inquire and the session length is tailored to it.

Does Barbara present virtually?

Let Barbara know whether you’re planning an in-person or virtual event when you reach out, and she’ll confirm what’s possible.

Where will Barbara travel?

Barbara is based in Oakville and speaks across Toronto and the GTA. For events further afield, reach out to discuss availability.

What does it cost, and what information do you need to quote?

Fees are available on request. To provide a quote, share your event date, format (keynote or workshop), audience size and location.

Can we buy copies of Good Morning, Life! for attendees?

Ask when you book — Barbara can let you know what’s possible for your event.

What happens after I reach out?

Barbara reviews your date, audience and goals, then replies within two business days to confirm fit. If it’s a match, you’ll settle the format, length and any customization on a short planning call before the event. Get in touch to start the conversation.

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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