VIP Spotlight | Sharon Barczak
There’s a certain kind of person who shows up curious and leaves changed. Sharon Barczak is one of those people.
Since walking through our doors in April 2025, Sharon has become part of the fabric of Purpose Fueled. Showing up for the stories, the conversations, and the reminder that we’re all more alike than we are different.
Below, she shares her journey in her own words.
When did you first walk through the door? What brought you here?
April 2025. One word: purpose. That was it. I had been chasing it. And I was curious.
Why do you keep coming back?
Curiosity, and the speakers who generously share their stories – beautifully illustrating that we are more the same than we are different.
What’s your favorite Purpose Fueled experience — a moment, a conversation, a speaker. Something that stuck.
Sitting around one of the tables at PF, we were discussing fear and how to overcome it. There were all good ideas going around the table but one particular stuck: We were talking about overcoming fear or anxiety when presenting to an audience or group. One gal said “Think of it as: Butterflies are the pre-applause.” I love that and think about that all the time now!
Who are three people you’ve met through Purpose Fueled that have changed your life?
Patrick Flanagan, Stacy Kupsky, Umut Kaplan
What’s one thing you’d tell someone who has never been to Purpose Fueled?
It is an energizing experience and a wonderful way to end the week.
What are you most proud of in life?
My family.
What’s the title of your next chapter — in life or in business?
Title: Coming Out of the Closet, with My Art that’s been There for 25 years. Even my closest family members have not seen it. I’m dusting it off.
What don’t people know about you that they should?
So many times throughout my life I have stopped to ask myself “What is my purpose?” I treated it like a mystery to solve before I could really begin living. For years, I ruminated.
On May 19, 2011, my husband and I were standing atop Giotto’s Campanile in Florence when lightning struck the tower’s rod just above us.
Neither of us was harmed. But with a deafening ring in my ears and with every muscle in my body still shaking I led us down 414 worn, uneven stone steps to the street below.
When I stepped out onto the cobbled street into a cold, cleansing rain, something in me had shifted. I knew, with total clarity, that design wasn’t something I did. It was something I am. It had been living in me all along—I just hadn’t been letting it lead.
I didn’t get the whole answer that day. I’m still living into parts of it. But I stopped ruminating and started moving.
Don’t wait for a bolt of lightning. Your purpose is not a mystery waiting to be solved—it’s already living in you, waiting to be let out. Pay attention to the moments that try to tell you that.
Join us at Purpose Fueled.
What did you want to be when you grew up?
Architect.
How do your best friends, kids, or family describe you? Who do they say you are?
A good friend once said “You listen with depth, reflect with care, and speak only when it matters, which is exactly why it always does.”
Who are the types of people you really love meeting?
The curious, the creative, I find them fascinating. But generally, I enjoy just about all good humans.
If someone in our community should connect with you, who are they? What’s going on in their life or business?
People standing at a threshold: empty nesters in preretirement. Life is shifting. They want a home that fits the life they’re stepping into and a space in which they will thrive.
Efficient, healthy, energizing, and beautiful.
They are ready to be empowered through change, with empathy and expertise. They want to be guided through decisions and maintain their agency. They want to understand the process, not trust it blindly.
Their motivation is intensely personal. They are not remodeling to keep up with trends nor neighbors. They are remodeling with intention, fiercely running with joy towards the years ahead with purpose, and the life they want to live.
Sharon reminds us that purpose doesn’t always announce itself. Sometimes it waits, quietly, until you’re ready to listen.
Want to meet Sharon and the rest of our community? Join us at Purpose Fueled →