
Let’s Meet Barb
Barb Schmidt is an international best-selling author, sought-after motivational speaker, mindset coach, meditation teacher, and co-host of the Barb Knows Best podcast.
A practitioner of mindfulness and meditation for over 37 years, Barb is the author of The Practice: Simple Tools for Managing Stress, Finding Inner Peace, and Uncovering Happiness.
She has presented workshops for over a decade at Florida Atlantic University as part of the Peace, Justice & Human Rights Initiative. Barb has created and led programs teaching mindfulness at Nova Southeastern University, and in local childhood development centers, high schools, universities, college athletic programs, and transitional programs for young adults with autism.
In 2011, Barb, with her daughter Michelle Maros, co-founded the nonprofit Peaceful Mind Peaceful Life with the mission to further inner peace and bring mindfulness teachings to the global community. Together they create viral videos for social media that reach millions of people each week.
Barb and her daughter also co-host Barb Knows Best. In this weekly podcast, they share simple, helpful tools for managing daily stress. Through these living room style conversations, they delve into topics ranging from setting healthy boundaries to cultivating resilience.
Currently, Barb teaches regular mindfulness and meditation workshops at Boca Raton Regional Hospital as part of the Peaceful Mind Peaceful Life Wellness Series, for nurses, staff, and the community. Barb co-founded the “Health First” initiative at the Florida Atlantic University Medical School, which provides medical students with tools for taking care of their own mental and physical health.
Barb is passionate about mentoring the next generation of leaders. The Barb Schmidt Fellowship for Cultivating Community Involvement, Activism, and Social Change at Florida Atlantic University aims to provide high school student leaders with a platform to develop the skills and knowledge needed to initiate, execute, and sustain a social movement.
Barb holds an Honorary Doctorate from American College Dublin and from Florida Atlantic University’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letter. She also currently sits as an affiliate faculty member at Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine.
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