We recently had the chance to connect with Barbara Kris and have shared our conversation below.
Good morning Barbara, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What are you most proud of building — that nobody sees?
Honestly, it’s the relationship I have with my son.
For a long time, I didn’t see it as something I was building. I mostly saw all the ways I thought I was falling short. As a single mom for many years, I carried a lot of criticism about myself as a mom. I worried I wasn’t “enough” and that is something I’ve had to do significant internal work on.
Now that my son is overseas serving in the Air Force, the distance has a way of clarifying things.
What I see now is our relationship is built on trust, respect, and honesty. Something that didn’t come from perfection or trying to control him, but from showing up, listening, and letting him become who he is.
Our relationship has matured, just like him. I’m learning how to let go, how to respect his choices without hovering, and how to trust the man he’s becoming.
He made strong decisions on his own and built his own path to follow his dream of becoming a pilot.
And I can finally say this with so much pride: I was part of creating a foundation where he felt capable of doing that.
I’m so proud of the parenting I did.
That’s what I’ve been building quietly. And it means everything to me.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Barbara Kris, a transformation coach and speaker who works with women in their 40s and 50s (and beyond!) who are capable, accomplished, and tired of feeling stuck in cycles that no longer fit who they are.
My work centers on health, identity, and self-trust. After years as a high-performing aerospace professional, followed by single motherhood and a full personal reinvention, I learned that lasting change doesn’t come from more information or more discipline. It comes from learning how to trust yourself again and follow through in real life!
That insight led me to develop The One Promise, a simple but powerful framework focused on choosing and keeping one clear, identity-aligned promise. I’ve been honing this work as the foundation of an upcoming 12-module course, a book I’m releasing later this year, and my speaking engagements, where I show women how self-trust is built through small, consistent follow-through, not motivation or perfection.
Through the BK Method – my signature coaching program, I help women lift the weight they’re carrying physically, mentally, and emotionally without extremes or pressure. My approach is proven, practical, and grounded in real life, especially for women navigating midlife transitions and redefining what they want next.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
What breaks bonds most often isn’t conflict itself, but what we fill the space with when communication breaks down.
We start assuming. We let our own fears, past experiences, and limiting beliefs explain someone else’s behavior for us.
Over time, those unspoken stories create distance, even between people who care about each other.
I believe connection is restored by slowing down enough to listen to others with curiosity.
When we actually communicate, when we really listen instead of assume, we can realize something important: we’re far more alike than we are different.
I think we all have a need to feel seen, respected, and understood. When we remember that, and approach each other from that place instead of defensiveness, bonds have room to repair and grow.
Connection isn’t restored by being right.
It’s restored by being willing to understand.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
If I could say one kind thing to my younger self, it would be this: you are enough.
I spent a long time letting other people’s opinions, and my results decide my worth.
I tied who I was to how things turned out and how I thought I was perceived. I’d want her to know that none of that was ever the measure. She didn’t need to prove herself, earn her value, or get it perfect to be worthy.
She was already enough, long before the outcomes, and even while she was still figuring it out.
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
The biggest lie is that there’s a shortcut.
That if you just find the right plan, the right protocol, or the right formula, you can skip the hard parts. You can bypass consistency, self-trust, and real-life follow-through.
There isn’t a shortcut. There is a path.
And while that path can be simpler than most of the industry makes it, it still requires showing up, making decisions, and staying with yourself over time.
The irony is that when we stop chasing shortcuts, the progress you’re looking for actually show up.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I’d stop worrying about what people think. I’d stop second-guessing my gut and worrying about the opinions of those that don’t have to live my life. I’d stop hesitating when I already know the answer.
I’d also be more outspoken. I’d stop shrinking or editing myself to avoid being seen as “too much.” Too much for who? The right people aren’t threatened by clarity.
And I’d stop telling myself that problems are too big for me to make a difference. I’d focus on doing what I can, where I am, with heart. That’s how real change actually happens.
I’d still care deeply and serve fully, just with sharper boundaries, faster decisions, and far more trust in myself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.barbarakris.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialbarbarakris/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-kris-ludwig-ms-cn-1841581a/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/barbara.kris.2025
