About Barbara

Insights from a life well-lived

Barbara Fagan wants to help you live your best life—personally and professionally.

An entrepreneur and author, Barbara is the founder and Chief Catalyst of Living ROI, the founder and CEO of ROI Communication and the founder of the non-profit foundation Family ROI. Her newest organization is Living ROI, which she began with the ambition of helping as many people as she can live fuller and more meaningful lives.

Barbara is the author of The Family ROI Experience: A Step-by-Step Guide to Realizing Your Best Family. She founded Family ROI as a non-profit foundation dedicated to helping people of all backgrounds apply proven business principles to revitalize, focus and strengthen the most important organization in the world—their own family. ROI Communication is the largest independent consulting firm focused exclusively on employee communication and engagement at global Fortune 500 companies. By strengthening communication within organizations, employees are inspired to collaborate better, contribute more and become stronger advocates of their business, culture and brand.

Before beginning her business career, Barbara worked as a London-based television producer for ABC News, where she covered the revolutions in Eastern Europe and the 1991 Gulf War for ABC News PrimeTime Live and World News Tonight. Earlier, she covered international business and produced national radio programs for ABC. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Communications from Humboldt State University.

Barbara was named one of Silicon Valley’s most influential women by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. She was also selected as a winner of the Enterprising Women of the Year Awards, an annual tribute to North America’s top women entrepreneurs.

Barbara was married to Colin Smith for 30 years, and they have two daughters, Emerald and Marina. Barbara now spends most of her time in the Sierra Nevada mountains.