This article was originally published on MSN by Christina-Lauren Pollack.
Read the original post here.
FEATURED WOMEN:
Somia Farid Silber – CEO of Edible Brands
Ellen Latham – Creator & Co-founder of Orangetheory Fitness
Michelle Engstrom – VP of Marketing at Rio Hotel & Casino Las Vegas
Vanessa Dew – Co-founder of Health-Ade, Speaker, and Advisor
Dr Elina Berglund Scherwitzl – Co-founder & co-CEO of Natural Cycles°
Silvija Martincevic – CEO of Deputy
Monica Temoney – Founder of Valkyrie Leadership Consulting Group
April Moh – Chief Marketing Officer at Kyriba
Toni Harrison – Founder & CEO of Etched Communication
Lauren Von Mingee – Founder & CEO of Quintessa Marketing
Rebecca Lovell – COO of Greater Seattle Partners
Varsha Rao – CEO & Founder of Zeal AI / Executive Partner at Flare Capital Partners
Fradel Barber – Founder & CEO of The World Changers
Emily McCarthy – Fashion Designer, Founder & CEO of Emily McCarthy + Co.
Eve DeMartine – CEO & Co-Founder of Popilush LLC
Susan L Combs is the CEO of Combs & Company, LLC
Rimjhim Dey – Founder & CEO of DEY. Ideas + Influence
Erin McAleer – President & CEO of Project Bread
Stacey Ross Cohen CEO & Founder of Co-Communications, Inc. and Best-selling Author
Genevieve Piturro – The Human Connection Speaker is a TEDx speaker, Best-selling Author, and Founder of the Pajama Program
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An Interview by Christina-Lauren Pollack for MSN
You are unique, and that’s your superpower. Own it. The world doesn’t need more copies—it needs original, powerful, unstoppable women who know their worth and walk in it.
Fradel Barber is the Founder & CEO of The World Changers, a company she launched after 20 years in the financial industry to bridge the gap between financial education and real-world implementation.
A recognized leader in finance and insurance, she has been featured in Forbes, Insurance Business, and ABC News and has spoken on stages of up to 20,000 people. She has earned multiple industry recognitions, including Forbes’ Top Financial Security Professional, Women of Wall Street, and Insurance Business Elite Women.
Throughout her career, she has mentored hundreds of financial professionals, empowering them to build successful businesses, and has helped thousands of clients take control of their financial futures. A proud mother of four, Fradel is passionate about proving that women don’t have to choose between building a thriving career and having a family—she is living proof that they can have both.
What inspires you each day to create your version of your “best life”?
My biggest inspiration is my family. I wake up every day knowing that I’m not just building a business—I’m building a legacy for my kids. I want them to see firsthand that they don’t have to choose between success and family, that they can design a life where they have both. I didn’t come from wealth or privilege—I grew up in Brooklyn as the oldest of 12 kids in a strict, Jewish religious household. When I decided to carve my own path at 18, I had no support, no one cheering me on, and no one telling me how to build the life I wanted. But I figured it out, step by step.
Now, I wake up every day knowing that my decisions impact more than just me. My kids are watching. My team is watching. The people we serve are watching. If I can show them what’s possible—whether it’s a young woman doubting if she can have a family and a career or a family wondering if they’ll ever get ahead financially—then I’m living my best life.
How do you develop a strong mindset (to overcome fears, self-doubt, or challenges)?
Tough times will either make you or break you, and I’ve had plenty of them. Think about diamonds—they only form under pressure. Muscles grow through resistance. Tea is made in hot water. The same goes for us. The difficult moments in life are what shape us –if we let them.
One of the most important things I do to stay strong is create boundaries. I make sure to carve out time to spend alone to think. I’m intentional about who I allow in my space and minimize proximity to people who bring me down. It’s easy to let fear and doubt creep in when you’re surrounded by the wrong people. That’s why I make sure to have people in my life who recognize my strengths—but also those who aren’t afraid to challenge me when I’m making excuses or covering up.
At the end of the day, mindset isn’t about avoiding struggles—it’s about learning how to let them make you stronger.
How do you think women can develop more self-confidence and inner power?
Confidence isn’t something you’re born with—it’s something you build. And the fastest way to build it is to keep the promises you make to yourself. When you say you’re going to do something, do it. If you tell yourself you are going to wake up early, then set the alarm and don’t press snooze. Promised to go to the gym; don’t allow yourself any other option than to go. Every time you say you’ll do something and follow through, you’re telling yourself, “I can trust me,” and that builds confidence.
For me, confidence also comes from accepting yourself even while working on getting better. I’ve struggled with my weight my whole life, but even while working to lose it, I made a point to look in the mirror and find the things I loved about myself. It’s easy to focus on what you want to fix, but confidence grows when you learn to love yourself in the process. And stop comparing yourself to anyone else. Remember, you don’t need to be like anyone else, so stop comparing yourself to others. You are unique, and that’s your superpower. Own it. The world doesn’t need more copies—it needs original, powerful, unstoppable women who know their worth and walk in it.
What guidance would you give to women about following their dreams?
Stop overthinking, just do it. Stop waiting for the perfect moment, the perfect plan, the perfect circumstances. The truth is, you won’t feel ready, you will never know for sure, it will be uncomfortable, and you will feel anxious. But that’s usually how you know you are headed for your dreams.
When I started out in business, I had no idea what I was doing. I was young, I felt alone, I was in an industry where I had no experience, and I had to learn everything from scratch. But I just kept moving. I made mistakes, learned from each one, and kept going. I can’t even imagine what my life would be like right now if I had waited to feel ready. I would probably still be stuck in my old life, wondering what could have been.
You don’t feel your way into action—you act your way into feeling ready. So, whatever it is you want to do, start now. Messy, imperfect action is better than waiting for perfection that never comes.
If there’s one piece of advice you’d give your younger self, what would it be?
Stop doubting yourself. You are more capable than you think.
When I was younger, I played small because I was afraid of what people would say, afraid of failing, afraid of stepping into spaces where I didn’t feel like I belonged. But looking back, I realize that the only thing standing in my way was me.
I would tell my younger self: Take up space. Walk into every room like you belong there. Stop waiting for permission to be great. The only person who needs to believe in you is you.
