Executive Coach for Founders: Adam W. Barney

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🔦 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. (Interested in learning more about energy coaching, check out our deep dive here: "What is an Energy Coach?"

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 micro businesses 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

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For more information on Adam W. Barney see his full resume below

Find Adam W. Barney Featured in:

- Digital Reference's Spotlight of: Best Executive Coaches in the USA

- Digital Reference's Spotlight of: Best Leadership Coaches in the USA

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Digital Reference Reviewed Resume for Adam W. Barney

Summary

Proven VP-level strategist with 15+ years leading full-funnel, omnichannel media planning across search, social, CTV, programmatic, and OOH. Former Digitas leader and Microsoft alum with a track record of optimizing $100M+ in media spend. Combines agency precision with entrepreneurial energy and coaching insight to unlock scalable growth for high-impact brands and teams.

Specialties

Omnichannel  Media Strategy

Performance +  Revenue Optimization

High-Growth  Marketing

GTM Campaign  Development

Cross-Platform  Investment Strategy

Team-Leadership  & Growth

Technology Expertise

Media & AdPlatforms: Google Ads, Microsoft Ads, Meta Ads,LinkedIn Campaign Manager, DV360, The Trade Desk, Amazon Ads, TikTok Ads,Captivate, Spotify Ads, Programmatic OOH, Traditional OOH

Analytics &BI Tools: Google Analytics, Tableau, MicrosoftPower BI

MarketingAutomation & CRM: Salesforce, Marketo, Adobe MarketingCloud, HubSpot, DemandBase, Integrate

Productivity& Ops: Trello, WebEx, Hootsuite, DynamicSignal

Professional Experience

Adam W. Barney- Energy Coach        Remote                                                                                    9/22 - current

Founder - Leadership Coaching,Author, Podcast host

●      Built and scaled an Energy Coaching business serving founders and executives through 1:1 coaching, groupcohorts, and creating a first of it’s kind podcast

●      Host of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?podcast, spotlighting agency founders and marketing leaders on AI, performance, and media innovation

●      Coached 200+ micro businesses via Comcast RISE and private clients on energy, clarity, and growth

●      Integrated PositiveIntelligence, Odyssey Plans, and Ikigai into leadership development frameworks

●      Created repeatable systems for founder resilience, strategic pivots, and sustainable progress

PerimeterX                                          Remote                                                                                          5/21 - 9/21

Director ofDemand & Digital Marketing - Saas, Cybersecurity

●      Led GTM planning and campaign execution with a cross-functional team, improving funnel and lead velocity

●      Oversaw media activation across LinkedIn, programmatic, paid search, and retargeting

●      Tightened SDR enablement, optimized messaging, and improved marketing-sales alignment

●      Delivered $2M+ revenue in 90days through integrated ABM and omnichannel campaigns

AkamaiTechnologies                          Boston, MA                                                                                     3/18 - 3/21

Sr. ManagerGlobal Demand Marketing - Enterprise B2B Tech

●      Owned $25MM+ demand budget across paid search, social, CTV, radio, and OOH

●      Delivered +50% YoY deal acceleration and +70% ROI/MRR from omnichannel campaigns

●      Partnered across EMEA, APAC ,and Americas to align GTM and scale enterprise demand gen

●      Led platform integration across LinkedIn, search, display, ABM tools, and Salesforce

●      Navigated GDPR/CCPA and led vendor renegotiations for 6-figure savings

●      Founding member of Akamai’sMarketing Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Board

Consultant                                           Boston, MA                                                                                    9/17 - 3/18

MarketingConsultant -Healthcare, Insurance, Real Estate, SaaS, Tech

●      Advised high-growth and enterprise clients on digital media planning, SEM, and channel optimization strategies

●      Reduced spend inefficiencies by 50%+ through improved keyword targeting and bidding models

●      Developed SEO and content playbooks that streamlined multi-site performance tracking

●      Standardized campaign reporting frameworks across disparate tech stacks to improve attribution clarity

Microsoft                                             Boston, MA                                                                                    3/16 - 8/17

SeniorStrategic Account Manager, Bing Ads - Automotive, Education, Financial Services, Retail,Travel

●      Oversaw $2.5M+ in annual paid media investment across multiple Fortune 100 advertisers

●      Led omnichannel strategy andSEM expansion for CarGurus, doubling revenue and deepening investment YoY

●      Boosted SNHU campaign performance by 300%+ via multivariate testing and full-funnel audience targeting

●      Integrated Bing Ads with display and native media channels to improve conversion and ROAS

●      Built trusted partnerships with C-level decision-makers to align media outcomes with business growth

MyWebGrocer                                     Boston, MA                                                                                   7/15 – 2/16

MarketingDirector –CPG, Grocery

●     Directed media operations across paid search and display for brands like Safeway and Albertsons

●     Delivered C-suite reporting and campaign optimization that doubled mobile app adoption in <90 days

●     Developed integrated media plans aligning seasonal shopper insights with programmatic execution

●     Strengthened retailer-brand performance insights by building automated reporting dashboards

DigitasLBi                                            Boston, MA / Chicago, IL                                                               1/07 – 6/15

AssociateDirector, Media Strategy – Automotive, Retail, Telecom, Education

●      Directed $20M+ in annual digital media across brands like Goodyear, TJX, and Bank of America

●      Achieved 3:1+ query-to-sale ratio and 35% lift in revenue for a national retail client via paid search innovation

●      Led SEM and display integration, optimizing campaign structure, keyword portfolios, and landing pages

●      Developed data-backed pitch strategies and omnichannel plans, helping win multiple AOR engagements

●      Launched Merrill Lynch’s national click-to-call program, lowering cost per acquisition by 75%

●      Promoted four times over eight years, scaling from analyst to senior leadership across accounts and industries

Additional Experience:

Manager, Digital Strategy – Rosetta | Interactive Marketing Associate – Idearc Media

Education

Harvard University                              Remote                                                                                                    

Certificate,Power and Influence for Positive Impact

Bentley University                               Waltham, MA                                                                                            

Bachelor ofScience, Management

 Learning @Morning Brew                   Remote

BusinessEssentials Accelerator Graduate

Terra.do                                               Remote

Climate Change:Learning for Action Fellowship

Personal Interests

Live music, climate action, cuisine & local food culture, craft beer (MA Brewers Guild supporter), travel (domestic &international), hiking with my kids & dogs, community building, equity& justice, supporting emerging leaders

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