She feels fortunate living here and still does not take it for granted. Her commute to the city is short which has given her the opportunity to have a life, as well as a thriving business. “I don’t want to be stuck in what was but want to reach out to everybody.” She has just come off of a tour of 400 shows for one of her events which is a lot of reaching.

Her company, Admire Entertainment, handles people like John Waters, the director of “Hairspray,” and Dr. Ruth Wertheimer, as well as daring new acts like “Group Therapy” which features four different comics with different kinds of mental issues from bi polar to recovering addict, with the tag line being that “laughter is the best medicine.”

Barbara took this to heart when she was diagnosed with lymphoma six years ago which she has managed to keep under control. “I am the healthiest person with cancer in three states,” she quipped. “I kept quiet about it for a long time because I was worried my competition would take my clients, but it’s been really empowering. It made things really clear for me.”

She became “really clear” when she started talking about her newest act, James Galea, the Australian magician who recently went virile on YouTube, getting three million hits! He and four other master magicians will be performing together soon in the U.S. in a big multimedia show. I asked Barbara what the show would be like to which she replied that “poof, something happens.”

Poof, something happened 25 years ago that made Barbara leave the lecture division of New Line Cinema where she was booking people like Abbey Hoffman, Bobby Seals, Jerry Rubin and other political activists. “They weren’t paying me enough, so I became my own boss. At least this way, if I’m not going to make it, it’ll be on my own terms.” That kind of approach to work, as well as life, is why Barbara made it. “I think in stories and dream in Technicolor,” she claims and “I am out to break stereotypes. You’re going to hear the answer ‘no’ before you hear the answer ‘yes’.”

Barbara said yes to her husband Michael, an art dealer, 24 years ago and said yes again when they had their two children, Meredith, 23, and Lizzie, 21. Their three rescue dogs came later. Every time Barbara is thinking of an exit strategy, a new project comes along that pulls her back in.

Her first client, Playfair, created in 1976 by Matt Weinstein, takes ice breaking, problem solving fun to college campuses and corporate retreats. She has also received many awards from the NACA, the National Association of Campus Activities, which represents over 1000 colleges and universities. Among them is Agency of the Year, as well as their highest honor, the Founders award. Additional information and a full roster of all of her clients can be seen by going to her website, www.admireentertainment.com.

In short, Barbara and her small staff oversee it all, the bookings, the flights, the personal appearances, everything — she prides herself and her agency on personal service. This and the fact that she LOVES to cook (her Thanksgiving dinners are legendary) suddenly made me realize she could open an amazing bed and breakfast if she wanted to. Maybe this could be her exit strategy? Then again, maybe not. Poof.