Cynthia Barnes

Founder and CEO

Salesforce

Recognized by Salesforce as one of the Top Sales Influencers to Follow 4X (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)

 Salesforce Top Sales Influencer to Follow (4X)

Thank You; It's True.

From teaching women how to reach the top 1% to empowering them to own it—I've transformed my expertise into a revolutionary methodology that helps professional women Own Their Awesome with four simple words: "Thank you; it's true."

As the author of "Reach the Top 1%: A Strategic Game Plan for Warrior Women in Sales" and founder of the National Association of Women Sales Professionals, I witnessed firsthand how even the highest achievers struggle to own their success. This insight led to creating the transformative "Thank you; it's true" framework, which turns the simple act of accepting compliments into a powerful catalyst for authentic confidence.

Key Focus Areas:
• Transforming high-achieving women from reaching success to owning it
• Pioneering behavioral change strategies that eliminate imposter syndrome
• Delivering high-impact keynotes and workshops on authentic confidence-building
• Leading a global movement to revolutionize how women receive and internalize recognition
• Developing scalable programs that create systemic change in workplace cultures

Impact:
• Created the groundbreaking "Thank you; it's true" framework
• Built the NAWSP from inception to 15,000 members
• Featured TEDx speaker on confidence and authentic leadership
• LinkedIn Top Voice | 4X Salesforce Top Influencer

My mission has evolved from showing women how to achieve success to empowering them to fully own it. Through the power of "Thank you; it's true," I'm helping professional women transform their relationship with confidence and create lasting cultural change.

Chief Transformation Officer & Founder 

TED Conferences

• Delivered engaging keynote presentations and immersive workshops at TED Conferences to equip teams with the mindsets and toolsets for success.
• Collaborated with event organizers to tailor talks on various topics to inspire and motivate audiences.
• Received accolades for impactful talks that left lasting impressions on attendees and sparked meaningful conversations.

TEDx Speaker | Keynote & SKO Speaker

RedBoxMe in Collaboration with Cartier

RedBoxMe in Collaboration with Cartier is at the intersection of philanthropy, art, cinema, leadership, literature, sustainability, and more, all driven by deep passion and commitment from our group of members. RedBoxMe was architected by Cartier Awards Laureate and innovator Candice Pascoal alongside the President of Cartier International, Cyrille Vigneron. At its core, RedBoxMe is a platform that curates a diverse and inclusive community of thought leaders, creatives, and individuals from various backgrounds for the expansion of thought. We gather around a number of intellectual and creative opportunities, both online and in person, creating a dynamic and engaging space that goes beyond traditional knowledge consumption.

Luminary Thinker

National Association of Women Sales Professionals

∙ Built a global community of 15,000 women sales professionals, offering targeted mentorship, training programs, and resources that enhanced confidence and career advancement.
∙ Spearheaded strategic partnerships with 50+ global organizations to embed equity-focused hiring and development strategies, achieving measurable increases in diversity and retention.
∙ Designed and launched scalable programs like NAWSP:EVOLVE, addressing systemic challenges and driving industry-wide transformation.

Total Quality Logistics

• Secured and expanded pivotal freight brokerage accounts, identifying prospective clients and sealing lucrative deals.
• Exceeded growth targets by 200%, showcasing exceptional ability to set and surpass ambitious DEI goals.
• Amplified revenue streams to $2 million within eighteen months, ensuring long-term financial viability.

Senior Account Executive, Logistics

Mary Kay Inc.

• Drove customer interest and revenue for a cosmetics company through market research and successful deal closures.
• Initiated employee surveys to enhance organizational communication and understanding.

Director of Employee Engagement

Women leave millions on the table every year—in salary, promotions, and business deals—because they hesitate to ask for what they deserve.

🔹 I help high-achieving women own their worth, negotiate fearlessly, and close with confidence—whether in the boardroom, the sales floor, or their career.

🔹 As a TEDx speaker, executive coach, and Fortune 500 consultant, I’ve worked with leaders at companies like Google, Bridgestone, and New York Life to empower women to stop settling and start owning their value.

🔹 WHAT I TEACH:
✅ How to negotiate with confidence and secure what you’re worth
✅ How to own your presence, influence, and executive authority
✅ How to sell yourself, your ideas, and your expertise like a pro

📢 FEATURED KEYNOTE: “Own Your Ask™ – The Art of Getting What You Deserve”
🔥 Perfect for sales teams, corporate leadership events, and women’s executive groups.

📅 Want me to speak at your next event? Let’s talk!

DM me or visit www.cynthia-barnes.com

* Founded NAWSP to offer executive-level consultation and develop DEI-specific strategies tailored for various industries, serving both U.S.-based and international clients.
* Advised C-Suite Leadership on optimal strategies to achieve short- and long-term objectives, sharing insights on trends, best practices, and their potential impacts on business models.
* Conducted Organizational Assessments to identify areas of improvement and recommended enhanced policies, processes, and procedures to clients.
* Developed and Facilitated Customized Curriculums focusing on recruitment and retention for over 50 organizations nationally and internationally.
* Implemented Employee Training and Development Programs to foster skill enhancement and professional growth.
* Established Performance Metrics and Measurement Systems to assess employee productivity and effectiveness.
* Orchestrated DE&I Roadmaps, aligning organizational goals with actionable diversity initiatives.
Increased Representation of underrepresented populations by 64% through targeted recruiting and mentorship programs.
* Conducted Equity Analysis across the entire employment life cycle, including recruitment, retention, interviews, performance evaluations, and separations.
* Developed ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) to promote inclusivity and address specific employee needs and concerns.
* Managed Talent and Succession Planning Programs to ensure organizational continuity and growth.
* Promoted a Positive and Inclusive Organizational Culture, enhancing team member engagement and productivity.
* Focused on Risk Management to mitigate potential organizational challenges and disruptions.
* Delivered Value by creating customized curricula and training for multiple industries, enhancing organizational capability and adaptability.
* Shared Industry Insights on current and emerging trends, enabling clients to adapt and innovate in their respective domains.

"Can you walk me through your salary expectations?"

I slid my number across the table. $127K.

The hiring manager's eyebrows shot up. "That's... ambitious for someone with your background."

My background: 8 years building revenue systems. $14M in documented value creation. Three frameworks running at my previous company.

"We were thinking more like $85K," he said. "But there's room to grow."

I folded. Took $92K. Convinced myself the title mattered more than the math.

Six months later, I'm training the new guy they hired. His starting salary? $135K. His experience? Five years. His documented wins? "Strong potential."

Same role. Same team. Same hiring manager.
Different invoice.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠:

They knew my number was right. They just knew I'd accept less.

They didn't negotiate my value. They negotiated my confidence.

They weren't questioning my worth. They were testing my documentation.

The script from that failed negotiation still burns:
"I appreciate the opportunity..."
"I understand budget constraints..."
"I'm flexible on compensation..."

Translation: I'll subsidize your profits with my discount.

Now? Different script entirely.

"My rate reflects the value I create."
"Here's the documentation."
"This number is firm."

No apologies. No explanations. No negotiations on my worth.

Because they don't pay you what you're worth.
They pay you what you refuse to work without.

That failed negotiation? Cost me $35K annually. $175K over five years. Before compound interest. Before opportunity cost. Before the mental tax of watching Brad make more for less.

To every Black woman about to negotiate:

Your number isn't ambitious. Their offer is extraction.
Your experience isn't lacking. Their evaluation is.
Your documentation isn't excessive. It's evidence.

Stop negotiating against yourself before they even counter.
Stop accepting their framing of your value.
Stop believing growth potential pays bills.

They have the budget. They always did.
They're just waiting to see if you know it too.

Thank You; It's True™

P.S. That hiring manager? Reached out last year for consulting help. My day rate is now triple what that annual raise would've been. He said it was "outside their budget." I said that sounded like a personal problem. Documentation has a beautiful memory.

#BlackWomensWealthLab #SalaryNegotiation #KnowYourWorth

Founder & CEO, Black Women’s Wealth Lab™ | Closing the pay gap for 1,000,000 Black women by 2040 | Turning corporate extraction into income

A poised woman with short natural curls sits on the floor in a softly lit, elegant living room. She wears a fitted nude-toned tank top and taupe lounge pants, holding a floral teacup in one hand with a laptop in front of her. Her jewelry is minimal and refined, and the neutral décor behind her creates a serene, upscale atmosphere. 

Yes, I invoiced my church $10K.

The pastor's jaw dropped. "But we're doing God's work."

"So am I," I said. "And God's work deserves proper funding."

See, they'd been running community programs for 15 years. Free financial literacy. Free job training. Free business coaching. All led by Black women who tithed, served, and subsidized.

The youth minister was teaching coding bootcamps after her 9-to-5.
The deacon's wife ran entrepreneurship workshops on Saturdays.
Sister Johnson's grant-writing saved them $2M.

All for "the glory."
None for the invoice.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐡:

The coding bootcamp they gave away? Worth $5K per student.
The entrepreneurship program? Corporations pay $25K for that.
Sister Johnson's grant expertise? Consultants charge $10K per proposal.

They were sitting on $500K in annual program revenue.
Giving it away while Black women burned out.
Calling it ministry while we subsidized their mission.

I didn't just invoice them. I taught them to invoice everyone else.

Started charging corporations for diversity training they'd been doing free.
Created certification programs that companies paid to send employees to.
Turned "community service" into community revenue.

Six months later:
• $500K in program fees generated
• 12 Black women instructors now paid $150/hour
• Zero burnout, maximum impact

The pastor called it a miracle.

I called it pricing our gifts properly.

Because even in sacred spaces, Black women's contributions have value. Our expertise doesn't become free because we're in the sanctuary. Our brilliance doesn't get discounted at the church door.

That $10K invoice? It was for the framework that generated the $500K.

They paid it. In full. On time.

Because transformation costs. Whether it's in boardrooms or church basements.

To every Black woman giving away her genius for "the cause":

Your cause needs funding.
Your gifts deserve compensation.
Your service has a price tag.

Even Jesus said the worker deserves their wages.

Start invoicing. Even your church.
Especially your church.

Because we can't pour from empty cups.
But we can invoice for the pitcher.

Thank You; It's True™

P.S. Three other churches just hired me to implement the same framework. $15K each. Turns out, sacred spaces everywhere need to learn how to value Black women's work. I'm teaching them. At market rate.

#BlackWomensWealthLab #InvoiceYourWorth #SacredAndPaid #ThankYouItsTrue

Founder & CEO, Black Women’s Wealth Lab™ | Closing the extraction gap for 1,000,000 Black women by 2040

Black background with white text quote reading 'Even Jesus said the worker deserves their wages.' Black Women's Wealth Lab logo appears at top in gold/yellow. Tagline underneath reads 'Economic justice for Black women who built the wealth.'

Be More Human

For leaders and teams, striving to build deeper connections and drive meaningful change, I leverage storytelling—through fiction, personal narrative, and actionable frameworks—to inspire radical empathy, spark creativity, and foster collective culture. 

I also write for popular platforms and am skilled at creating compelling corporate communications. My approach is active, engaging and impactful. Whether it's a magazine article or typically staid corporate comms, I'll make it sing. 

I don't just teach storytelling—my goal is to embody it, using stories to make individuals and organizations more human, innovative, and connected.

Principal Storyteller / Founder

Gartner

Partnering with one of Gartner's largest global insurance clients to bring insights, resources and expertise that drive its most significant and impactful initiatives.

Senior Client Executive / Americas Global Enterprise / Insurance 

From benchmarks to frameworks to rankings, we provide the practical solutions you need to transform your mission-critical priorities into measurable business results.

We are in steady contact with 60,000 clients, representing 10,000 distinct organizations worldwide. We publish tens of thousands of pages of original research annually, and our analysts answer 250,000 client inquiries every year. Our size and scale allow us to commit vast resources towards broader and deeper analyst coverage, and to deliver insight to our clients based on what they need and where they are.

Senior Account Executive / Large Enterprise / Financial Markets

BetterUp

BetterUp is changing the world by bringing the power of transformation to each and every person. Since 2013 we have been pioneering growth for the whole person. We believe that well-being and peak performance go hand in hand. And that through custom support and strengthening mental fitness, you unleash personal and professional potential.

The BetterUp experience brings together world-class coaching, AI technology, and behavioral science experts to deliver change at scale — improving individual resilience, adaptability, and effectiveness. The results? People living more meaningful, vibrant lives with greater clarity, purpose, and passion.

Sr. Account Executive

LinkedIn

I helped sellers break down barriers and boost results. The modern age demands new tools and fresh approaches. Let's face it, formerly tried and true methodologies have expired. Gaining competitive advantage demands that we embrace something more. 

LinkedIn Sales Navigator advances the art and science of selling. It's relationship selling...on steroids. Gather insights into what's important to your clients and prospects, then demonstrate value from the start. Buyers and sellers prevail with the already proven benefits of Sales Navigator. I took a lot of pride in helping sellers win more! You know who you are, thanks for your trust!

Enterprise Account Executive / Sales Solutions

Microsoft

I sold software! Short and sweet. Microsoft Office and Windows 8 were the tools of the future. They helped folks blast through their days, work and play. What's more, they supported collaboration  in fresh new ways. Today they've been replaced with newer, even more effective versions. You'll have to use them to actually appreciate what they can do for you. They say It's office reimagined, on any device, no matter where you are. Fast, fluid, gorgeous to look at, amazing to use. Be what's next!!

Check out the 2 minute video below. Office 2013 and me, doing our thing.

Collaboration Solutions Specialist

Extended the success of  high-performing solutions partners by engaging them in viable but underutilized IBM initiatives. Demonstrated strong partner advocacy by crafting business plans which highlighted opportunities to extend partner top-line revenue. Fostered innovation by selectively creating liaisons between cross-company teams and individuals. Cultivated and delivered a wide-range of internal resources to assist partners in launching high-yield projects.

Client Manager/ Strategic Midwest Business Partners

Charged with invigorating mid-performing integrator partners. Built strong relationships with C-level executives by understanding their firm's objectives, then selecting specific initiatives for a focused and results-oriented approach. Aggressively evangelized IBM strategic programs which led directly to improved revenue results.

Senior Client Manager/ Regional Systems Integrators / Various roles

Stories can unlock new ways of thinking, inspire empathy and foster growth. My writing is crafted to resonate deeply, offering readers the tools to reflect on their own journeys, cultivate greater self-awareness and build meaningful connections. 

Bridging the worlds of fiction and professional development, my keynotes and hands-on workshops empower teams and leaders to communicate with authenticity, lead with humanness, and connect across differences. 

It's proven that creativity and connection are essential for thriving in today's complex world. My relatable and vibrant approach inspires action and sparks lasting change. I hope my work is a catalyst for leaders, readers and teams alike to embrace their full potential and create cultures of empathy, courage and collaboration.

In Life, my intention is to SEE my fellow human beings. To offer them my humanness and to fully embrace theirs. Bottom line here is, we are all "in it together." Thanks to LinkedIn for that tagline! No human being is an island, regardless of wealth, social or political status, ethnicity, skin color, gender identity or sexual orientation. We are ALL simply human, and we should act accordingly. Treating each other with grace, empathy, and care. Be. More. Human.

Leilani Garrett

"When woman and girls RISE, their communities and their countries rise with them." ~ Michelle Obama 

Today, I am beyond humbled and honored to be included in the Top 30 Global Women of 2025 I Fall Edition, Rising Woman Series by NBCWashington.com!  The theme for this year is Thought Leaders at the Forefront of Transformation. 

This is a cohort of extraordinary women, driving change across sectors including quantum-scale manufacturing, biometrics, gender equality, financial literacy, workplace flourishing, social innovation and more. 

The NBC Rising Woman Series was launched six years ago to amplify the voices of women redefining influence, innovation and impact. What a thrill to be recognized in this way. 💙

Congrats 🎉to the other women in this fall's cohort of the Rising Woman Series. 

 Marsha Lipton, PhD S. Mona Sinha Dr Maliha Hashmi Sandy Carter Devi Sahny Chantal McNeily Valerie Bowden Aida Araissi Tash Durkins 🦋 CPC Malicka Mukubu Cheryl Obal, M.A., COCC®, CTDP®, M.A., COCC®, CTDP® Sherice Forde Ewa J. Kleczyk, PhD Marie Sebueng Magali Fiechter-Deloof Angela McCullough Eviana Alice Breuss Leilani Garrett Shantel Love @Kesia Lima @Amala Amaka Amatokwu- Ndekwu  Yoadan Tilahun Adebola Okusanya @Isoken Nwabunka Uyoyo Zino Edosio @Leonida Minalla Foo @Chioma Ude

#risingwomanseries #risingwoman NBCUniversal #womenleaders
#leadership #storytelling #authenticity #bemorehuman #thefutureisfemale
#womanmakingchange

Human. Author. Speaker. Life Enthusiast. LinkedIn Top Voice. Get my Radical Empathy Playbook

We are inundated with transactions daily. The difference maker in these interactions is the humans. Full Stop. 
#transactions #deals #bemorehuman #winning #realestate #brokers #homesellers

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The Battle

Cynthia Barnes

Leilani Garrett

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Cynthia Barnes's LinkedIn Performance

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