michelle “mo” barrett

“Mo’s story was both inspirational and encouraging, all the while being very entertaining. She is a gifted speaker who uses humor to bring ease and wisdom to an uncomfortable topic. Mo’s message is powerful...show up, be professional and don't make excuses for being who you are.”

-- Hayley Lauritsen - Legg Mason VETS Employee Resource Group

“Get ready to be inspired! Mo uses her strong leadership skills, professional development knowledge and experience to fully engage her audience. Providing real world examples as she guides the listener on a journey of life lessons. Amazing!”

-- Mickey McGalliard - Program Manager, Officer Force Development Air Force Reserve Command Professional Development Center

Speaking Topics

Topics:

  • Fight for Centerline: Defining, assessing and adjusting for the many roles we play and reminding us that what we are is not who we are.

  • Refreshing Common Sense: Learning from our own stories to bring us back to basics by investigating the 3 levels of “why” to help us kick off the auto- pilots of our lives.

  • Permission to Play: Unlocking unique ideas and creative solutions to real-world challenges through lateral thinking.

  • Suck, Squeeze, Bang, Blow: The 4-stroke engine of action. Analyzing our decision-making and impact on others via the chambers of an internal combustion engine.

Travels From: Washington DC

Bio

Mo Barrett is a catalytic comedian prioritizing laughter, leaning and thinking (in that order). Retiring as a Colonel after 25 years in the Air Force, Mo ascended as a multi-minority in an organization that didn't always welcome her openly. She rises above any one label, knowing her value is in the unique perspective she provides. Mo capitalizes on the magic in the mundane and leverages the lessons hiding in plain sight.

Mo graduated from the US Air Force Academy and piloted multiple aircraft including the T-37, T-1A, C-27 and C-5, and deployed to austere fields to establish airlift hubs from bare base conditions. Her mission in life is using comedy to create change through her energetic and unique presentation style, whether during a keynote, workshop or as an emcee.

Purchase her book!

 

“When I first met Mo Barrett a little over a year ago, I was impressed with her wit and intellect. You can’t help but feel cheerful in her presence. She has a remarkable ability to extract wisdom from what most people see as just mundane everyday events. In her book Pardon My Quirk, she uses an easy storytelling style to share some of these gems with us. As a fellow U.S. Air Force officer, I could relate to many of the situations she shares in the book. I found myself nodding, smiling, and laughing through every page!”

-- General Ellen Pawlikoski - U.S. Air Force, Retired

“In addition to her kick-ass pilot creds, Mo Barrett is a compelling storyteller and inspirational speaker. In her book, she carefully compiles her best short and personal stories so that each chapter becomes a potential self-coaching tool and exercise in self-development. She promises to make you laugh, learn and think—I’d add tears of self-discovery to that—and she delivers in style!”

-- Dr. Helena Kim - Coaching Psychologist and Author

“Mo, the monosyllabic-monikered author leverages laughter for levity and lighthearted lessons. As they say, hindsight is 20/20 and her anecdotes viewed through the lens of humor help any reader find the funny in everyday spectacles. But that’s not all. She widens the aperture beyond the laugh, helping you learn from every interaction, giving you something to think about and prompting you to see the humor in your own life. No need to pardon her quirk, these anecdotes DO make you laugh, learn and think.”

-- Andrew Tarvin - Humor Engineer & Keynote Speaker