About | Barb Monson

Hi, I'm Barb Monson!
And I have two speeds: FAST and OFF.

I am a former CFO, a people-first leader, and a problem solver. I incite a lot of change, but I do it softly. I love cleaning up a mess, whether it's a system, process, or a junk drawer. I create unconventional solutions and am a huge fan of cheeky banter.

When I'm not working I'm either weightlifting, cooking, or binging Netflix with my hubby.

My friends tend to be former colleagues, other business owners, or people I meet through church. And, all my house plants have names.

I have two speeds: FAST and OFF.

Where it all started...

I grew up in Michigan and my childhood was happy, but small. I played small, thought small, and was small (literally… didn’t hit 5 feet and 100 pounds until 11th grade).

I was not confident or outgoing, but I was bubbly and kind-hearted. Confession time: I was a cheerleading captain and created most of our cheers, but wasn't confident enough to present them. I'd tell the squad that I learned it from a cheerleader friend from another school.

(Seriously. Isn't that sad??)

Three things I learned about myself in my college years: I am driven, resilient, and I take calculated risks.

I was a single mom through most of college, moving to Minnesota away from my support system because the economy and opportunities were better for the long term. I learned to be resourceful on my own and was laser-focused on doing whatever it took to build a strong future for my little family.

Who knew that the small girl from Michigan could do so much against the odds??

Finding joy in the corporate life...

I chose Accounting for the stability, and Accounting chose me because it showed me how I can make a positive difference while using my tendencies to optimize resources and get people on the same page.

I was lucky enough to work for multi-billion dollar manufacturing and medical device companies, as well as smaller, private-equity owned, family owned, and even nonprofit organizations. I really loved the teams I worked with!

I was often the only female in my leadership circles and I didn’t fit in. Instead of forcing my way to being seen and heard, I learned how to LEARN from the smart men I was surrounded with. Linking that with my ability to see the story behind the financial lines, tell that story in a way people understand, and mobilizing them toward a vision was the key that got me from being a temp who did the filing for accounting clerks all the way to a CFO.

Don’t get me wrong, though. My work was HARD. I lived on cortisol overdrive and migraine medication for years and needed regular chiropractic and massage care just to unclench my neck and back from all the stress. Man, I was WIRED.

The progression...

While building this career I married my perfect person and we added another daughter to our family.

We cherish our daughters but are loving the empty nester life as well! Our work and our hobbies are separate, but we volunteer together, laugh a lot, and enjoy a vicious game of Sequence almost every night followed by a Netflix TV series binge.

In 2018 I was CFO-ing and volunteering at a drop-in center for homeless youth. Being a person of faith, I asked God what else he would have me do with what time was left on my calendar. I firmly heard, “Why do I only get what’s left?” <<gulp>>

I realized that this life in overdrive wasn’t the life I loved OR the life He had planned for me. I was doing it for security, a leftover survival response from being a single mom living well below the poverty line. So, without a plan I quit my job! With a 6 month notice, of course. (Remember I’m a calculated risk taker, not a crazy one.)

During that time I realized how much of my identity was tied to my title and my outcomes. It got scarier and scarier, but I still took the leap and started my own business. I had a few false starts, though, and even took on finance consulting projects during Covid to keep me going while figuring out this new life.

Today I am LOVING the roles I have. I am the owner of Move Your Mountain®️, helping leaders see how culture informs the workplace and sharing techniques to mobilize their teams so getting work done (and making more money) is easier.

I firmly believe:

Everyone has the right to thrive at work
Cultivating team growth and achieving business results aren’t mutually exclusive
We can create a fearlessly inspired workforce
We must remain confidential, nonjudgmental, and safe

I no longer measure success by my title or income. I measure it by impact and outcomes. I LOVE hearing from audience members and leaders I’ve worked with when they implement something I taught and they are loving the results. And... there’s nothing like seeing someone have an “aha” moment in the middle of a training session or a 1:1 conversation!