“How’d Her Career Get There?” Podcast features TBG’s President, Karen Barbour

Karen Barbour, founder of The Barbour Group, joins the Lauren Asgari Podcast: How’d Her Career Get There to discuss her career in surety bonding, entrepreneurship, and advocacy for small businesses. With nearly four decades in the bonding industry, Karen shares how she transitioned from underwriting to founding her own agency in 2002. She explains the importance of surety bonds in construction, particularly for federal and state contracts under the Miller Act, which ensures financial security in public projects.

Karen reflects on her upbringing, shaped by personal loss and responsibility from a young age, which instilled resilience and a strong work ethic. She emphasizes the importance of forgiveness, perseverance, and staying focused when navigating challenges.

Beyond her business, she is deeply involved in philanthropy and advocacy:

• She co-founded Party for a Cure, raising over $1.5 million to support families affected by neuromuscular diseases.
• She also launched the Alliance for Hispanic Commercial Contractors (AHCC) to support minority businesses in construction.
• She started the National Small Business Party (NSBP) to advocate for small business interests in government.

Karen shares insights on workplace skills, emphasizing focus, presentation, and surrounding yourself with people who believe in your potential. She also highlights the challenges women and minorities face in breaking barriers in male-dominated industries and the importance of having a legal defense fund when entering new spaces.

Her advice for success? Push through fear, stay focused, enjoy what you do, and measure success by how many “good days” you have.

You can watch the full podcast here:

For more, visit the podcast’s page HERE

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