“Barbara May has an appeal and likeability that can move an audience into a space we rarely see... inspiring!”
BOB ANGELI
Owner, The Comedy Factory
about barbara
Barbara May has spent a lifetime knowing how to get up after a fall.
But she figures doing that and getting a laugh at the same time is a lot more fun.
She is a former national-level gymnast, award-winning coach, aspiring drummer and mother of two who joked her way into the Guinness World Records by performing in the longest stand-up comedy show in history.
With more than three decades of work experience behind her in fields as diverse as sport and recreation, education, not-for-profit management, entertainment and government, Barbara brings a uniquely powerful mix of personal stories, humorous examples, and real-world insight to her programs and clients.
everyone stumbles
Life rarely goes exactly as planned.
Barbara knows that from experience.
Some stumbling blocks are small. Others change everything. Over the years, the unexpected turns in Barbara’s own life have shaped how she works with people, how she sees challenges, and ultimately, how Stumbling Blocks came to be.
where it started
Long before Stumbling Blocks, Barbara was learning about people.
Barbara began coaching gymnastics at 14 and went on to compete at the national level and as a varsity athlete with the University of Alberta Pandas.
Coaching became one of the first places she learned how much communication matters—how differently people respond to pressure, feedback, frustration and encouragement.
Those lessons stayed with her as her career moved beyond sport and into education, leadership, television, facilitation and the not-for-profit sector.
GYMNAST
Competing at the 1984 CWUAA Gymnastics Championships
A CAREER WITH A FEW TURNS
Not exactly a straight line.
Barbara’s career has taken her from gymnasiums and boardrooms to classrooms, television studios and even the comedy stage.
She hosted May We Talk on ACCESS Television, worked as a reporter for Learning & Job News, and interviewed people from across Alberta about work, business and life.
And somewhere along the way, she even joked her way into the Guinness World Records as part of the longest stand-up comedy show in history.
None of it followed a carefully mapped-out career plan. But every experience added something—communication, leadership, resilience, humour and an understanding of people.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Alberta racquetball association with Coby Iwassa 2015 Pan American Games
HOST
May We Talk?
ACCESS TV
built from real experience
A lot of different roles. A lot of experience with people.
Barbara’s work has taken her through education, sport and recreation, not-for-profit leadership, government, television, training and facilitation. Along the way, she has worked as a teacher, counsellor, program director, executive director, career and employment consultant, TV host, and instructor at a leading polytechnic.
Over the years, Barbara became very good at reading a room, noticing where people were engaged, confused, holding back or getting stuck—and figuring out what would help them move forward.
That breadth of experience is part of what Barbara brings to Stumbling Blocks. She understands that workplaces are made up of real people dealing with real pressures, different personalities, competing priorities and things that don't go according to plan.
Experience that spans more than one kind of room.
career highlights
Teaching & Facilitation
Spent 15 years teaching coaches how to coach through the National Coaching Certification Program, facilitated 500+ career and employment workshops, and delivered new-employee onboarding and workplace safety training for Purolator.
Leadership & Management
Served for eight years as Executive Director of the Alberta Racquetball Association, managed three programs and 30 employees at the Military Family Resource Centre, grew Horizon Gymnastics Club from 140 to 400 members, and served as President of CAPS Edmonton.
Education & Human Services
A University of Alberta B.Ed. with experience as a school counsellor, special education teacher, program director, and Government of Alberta career and employment consultant. Barbara also teaches at NAIT, where her teaching portfolio spans 30+ different courses.
Communication & Media
Hosted ACCESS Television’s May We Talk, interviewed business owners for Learning & Job News, helped create the Racquetball Practice Program instructional videos, appeared in television commercials, and performed in the Guinness World Record-setting longest stand-up comedy show.
WHERE STUMBLING BLOCKS BEGAN
A stumbling block that changed everything.
At age 46, Barbara suffered life-threatening pulmonary emboli—blood clots in her lungs. The experience became the catalyst for what would eventually become Stumbling Blocks Team Building Seminars.
During her recovery, everyday moments could feel like hurdles. Looking back, each one she got through felt like a victory.
That experience helped clarify an idea that had been taking shape throughout Barbara’s life and career: everyone encounters stumbling blocks. The challenge is to face what’s happening, work through what’s difficult, and find a way forward.
Today, that idea sits at the heart of Stumbling Blocks and the work Barbara does with leaders and teams.
“Barbara's willingness to share her story has impacted me in a very remarkable way. It has impacted our journey as a hospital.”
DR. CURTIS JOHNSTON
Chief Medical Officer, Royal Alexandra Hospital
