Executive Coach for Founders: Adam W. Barney

At Digital Reference, we aim to surface professional insights that go beyond the usual soundbites. We don’t just spotlight what professionals do — we get into how they do it, why it works, and what it reveals about the evolving world of work. This series is designed to increase transparency, data-verification, and trusted visibility across the talent ecosystem — because when you know more about who’s behind the title, you make smarter, more aligned decisions about who to work with, hire, or follow.

🔦 Professional Spotlight: Adam W. Barney, Executive & Energy Coach

Title: Energy Coach | Leadership Resilience & Agency Growth Strategist | Executive Coach for Founders
Author: Make Your Own Glass Half Full (2024)
Professional Themes: Energy Coach, Executive Coaching, Resilience Frameworks, Burnout Recovery, Agency Growth, Ikigai, Odyssey Planning, Leadership Coaching, Digital Marketing Strategy, Inclusive Leadership, Microbusiness Coaching

💬 The Energy of Leadership: A Conversation with Adam W. Barney

When you speak to Adam Barney, it’s clear that “energy” isn’t just a buzzword — it’s a strategy, a value system, and a form of leadership intelligence. With a background steeped in marketing (Microsoft, Akamai, Digitas) and experience managing over $100M in paid ad spend, Adam now channels his expertise into a new mission: helping executives, agency leaders, and microbusiness owners move from burnout to clarity — and from stuck to scaling.

We sat down with Adam to understand what powers his work, why structured optimism matters more than ever, and how frameworks like Ikigai and Odyssey Planning aren't just theory — they're the future of sustainable leadership.

🧭 How would you brand yourself?

I’m an Energy Coach and a Leadership Resilience & Agency Growth Strategist. That means I don’t just help people “feel better” — I help them build systems of sustainable momentum, rooted in clarity, purpose, and action.

🧠 What’s your typical approach to client engagements?

Clients come to me in moments of high ambition — but also high fatigue. These are founders, executives, and leaders who are doing the work but struggling to feel aligned, clear, or excited by it.

So we start with energy. Not metaphorically — literally. I use The Energy Blueprint, a framework that helps clients understand how they’re spending, storing, and renewing energy across mental, emotional, social, and physical dimensions.

Then we layer in structured tools:

• Ikigai for purpose
  
  
• Odyssey Planning for long-term clarity
  
  
• A blend of coaching and accountability that ensures every session ends with action
  
  

Clients walk away with clarity, not just catharsis.

🎯 Who’s the best fit to work with you?

I specialize in working with:

• Scaling founders, execs, and leaders battling burnout or “energy debt”
  
  
• Microbusiness owners (1–5 employees) navigating transition or looking to regain spark
  
  
• Leaders who want practical tools, not just inspiration
  
  

Most of my clients are navigating complexity in tech, digital agencies, education, professional services, or social impact sectors.

🔍 What industries do you have the deepest experience in?

I’ve spent over 20 years in marketing leadership, from startups to enterprise. This includes:

• Technology (startups to enterprise)
  
  
• Advertising & digital marketing agencies
  
  
• Professional services
  
  
• Education and nonprofit/social impact
  
  

I understand how high-growth environments can also be high-stress — and I help leaders thrive in the tension between those two truths.

💼 What are your specialties or “professional superpowers”?

• Frameworks for resilience, optimism, and productivity
  
  
• Hands-on, repeatable coaching systems
  
  
• $100M+ ad-spend expertise for agency and growth consulting
  
  
• Public speaking, thought leadership, and podcasting
  
  
• Networking as a service (I believe “my network is yours”)
  
  

🌈 What values drive your work?

Levity + Justice. I believe leadership should be joyful, inclusive, and impact-driven. I use my platform and positional power to create visibility and opportunities for underrepresented founders and professionals.

Clients thrive — not in spite of that focus, but because of it.

⚡ What motivates you professionally?

Momentum. Nothing energizes me more than watching a client go from “I don’t know what’s next” to “I’ve never been clearer — and I’m already moving.”

🧬 Personality Type & Strengths:

• Myers-Briggs: ENFP

As an ENFP (Extroverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving), working with Adam will feel energizing, fast-moving, and big-picture oriented.

Adam is a strong match for:

• Visionary but structured founders (often ENTJs, INTJs, or ESTJs): They provide the operational rigor and execution discipline that balances his big-picture and sometimes spontaneous style.
• Mission-driven founders who need a storyteller and connector: He can amplify their vision, rally stakeholders, and build momentum around ideas.
• Analytical or detail-oriented founders (like ISTJs or INTPs): They bring depth and focus, while he provides breadth, energy, and external engagement.
• Early-stage startup founders who need creativity and evangelism: He can help articulate brand, culture, and customer resonance when things are still fluid.

Adam may not be a fit for:

Founders who are hyper-structured, risk-averse, or insist on rigid processes. They may feel tension with his preference for exploration and flexibility. But when paired with a founder who respects his energy while grounding it with discipline, Adam can be a catalyst for bold, human-centered growth.

• CliftonStrengths: Strategic | Connector | Maximizer | Futuristic | Positivity

👉 In essence: With these CliftonStrengths, Adam is a visionary amplifier — best paired with founders who want to scale, inspire, and build thriving ecosystems rather than just grind through incremental growth.

📚 Notable Accomplishments:

• Author: Make Your Own Glass Half Full: The Path To Empowered Optimism and Autonomy (2024)
  
  
• Founder: Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising? podcast + Plugged In Media podcast network
  
  
• Coached nearly 200 microbusinesses via Comcast RISE
  
  
• Vice Chair: Urban Innovators Advisory Board
  
  
• President: Loneliness Global Action – Boston Chapter
  
  
• Held senior roles managing $100M+ in digital ad spend
  
  
• Trademark holder for “Make Your Own Glass Half Full”
  
  

🔗 Professional References:

• Allison Byers, Founder/CEO of Scroobious – LinkedIn
  
  
• Elizabeth Miner, Coach & Speaker – LinkedIn
  
  

🌐 Past Clients Featured:

• Scroobious – scroobious.com
  Leadership coaching and messaging clarity for founder-led fundraising
  
  
• Billionaires in Boxers – billionairesinboxers.com
  Strategic coaching and podcast network development for audience growth
  
  

💡 Adam’s Favorite Tools for Energy & Efficiency:

• Vimcal – calendar that’s actually fast
  
  
• Slack – asynchronous connection
  
  
• Fathom – meeting summaries that stick
  
  
• Audiopen – verbal thought capture on the go
  
  

Why Adam Barney Matters in Today’s Work Culture

In a professional landscape increasingly defined by burnout, distraction, and performative productivity, Adam represents a new kind of leadership advisor: one who pairs metrics with meaning, and momentum with mental health. His frameworks are structured, but not stiff. His sessions create clarity, but never at the expense of empathy.

If you’re looking to not just survive leadership — but sustain it joyfully and justly — Adam Barney might be your next call.

📌 Get in Touch:
Connect with Adam via LinkedIn or explore his work at Make Your Own Glass Half Full

Digital Reference is building a verified talent ecosystem.
Our professional features help decision-makers discover not just what someone has done, but how they work, what they value, and why it matters.

Want to be featured? Reach out at: hello@digitalreference.co

Follow us on LinkedIn for more human-forward insights into the future of work.