Claire Barber

Visibility is your responsibility.

Every day I played small, someone who needed me found someone else instead. Someone who probably didn't care as much as I do.

So earlier this year I decided to stop waiting to feel "ready." I now show up as I am, say what I actually think, and proudly take up space.

Monday reminder: make the splash. That's how you build something real. ✨

Happy Lou Gehrig Day! Feels strange to say when the day is dedicated to ALS awareness, but if there's anyone who would want us to celebrate, it's Chris Larkin ⚾️❤️

Lou Gehrig, one of the greatest baseball players of all time, was unstoppable at the plate. But his greatest legacy came from his courage off the field fighting ALS.

Similarly, Chris has taken his ALS diagnosis and turned it into a mission to help others impacted by the disease. Raising money, advocacting on Capitol Hill, and co-founding Aggieland Against ALS with Cissy Larkin 🫶🏼

AND TONIGHT, Chris will throw out the first pitch at the Houston Astros game in honor of Lou Gehrig Day!!! Tune in and watch an incredible human remind us all what resilience looks like. 👏🏼

I was “Kiki” long before I was "boss.” Same job, actually. Zero authority, high expectations, everyone testing limits daily. 😉

Being an aunt teaches you real fast that nobody has to listen to you. No title, no leverage, just vibes and trust. You want buy-in? Earn it.

That's also how you run a good business. My team doesn't work harder because I outrank them. They work harder because I show up, I celebrate their wins like they're my own, and I don't lose my mind when things get messy.

Kiki doesn't yell. Kiki also doesn't miss. That's how I run Barber Law, PLLC too. ✨

Conference season is officially over until August, which means my mom gets a six-week sabbatical from 7am hotel mirror selfies. 😉🙌🏼

Before every trip, I run my outfit choices by her. Almost every conference morning starts with a fit-check selfie. If she says no, we pivot…

The funny part? It was never really about the outfit. It’s about the confidence that comes from someone who knows you best.

Thanks, Mom, for being my unofficial stylist (with impeccable taste, by the way!) and biggest fan. 🫶🏼

Holy OMBA is right! Day 1 was incredible with keynotes from Bill Cosgrove and Michael Hammond JD, CMT ☘️ to kick it off. Rich, don’t be sad…we still have 1.5 days to go! 😉

Great to be here and to support Ohio Mortgage Bankers Association. Day 2, let’s go! 🚀🚀

Jodi H. Heidi G. Belnay Erin Scavuzzo, CMB®, AMP Jessie Elizabeth Ruckel, SRA, CML Melanie Coulton, CMB®, AMP

My Papaw’s personal motto was simple but profound: “Work, work, work… learn, learn, learn.” He said this to me more times than I can count, and it wasn't just a phrase, it was how he lived.

He was a proud Naval Aviator known by the call sign “Tiger Rag.” After flying F-86’s in Korea, he earned a Ph.D. in Education, worked as a college professor, and eventually became the Academic Dean of a college. Never one to sit still, he answered another call to public service when he was elected to serve as a County Judge. He never stopped working and learning.

We said goodbye to him this week, and I keep thinking about how much of who I am traces back to him. Being a retired County Judge, Papaw swore me into the state bar: one of the proudest moments of my life. My law degree hangs in my office signed by him. This memory and picture 11 years ago means more to me today than ever before.

He always encouraged me to strive for excellence. I wish he could see where all this is headed, but I think he already knew.

Work, work, work. Learn, learn, learn. I'll carry that with me for the rest of my life. 🫶🏼

In the words of Elle Woods, “We did it!!” ✨

Still on cloud 9 after my team brought home the win! The Future Leaders program has been nothing short of transformative. A huge thank you to the Mortgage Bankers Association team for such an amazing experience, and to my Texas Mortgage Bankers Association fam for encouraging me and investing in this chapter of my leadership journey.

To my teammates and lifelong friends, you are the real deal. I couldn’t have asked for a better squad to build, dream, and lead Luminary Bank alongside. 🫶🏼

Brendan Kelleher Alan Buckley Alyssa Stine

If you know me, you know family is everything. And if you really know me, you know how hard it is for me to step away from work, even to recharge.

So when my sister asked me to make a cross-country detour on my way home from D.C. for a family weekend…I hesitated.

Looking back, it was exactly what I needed.

“Rested” might be a stretch, but recharged? Absolutely. And ready for what’s next.

We’ve been working on something exciting at Barber Law, PLLC…more soon ✨

Last night while moving boxes into our new office, I discovered that the windows I fell in love with by day turn into full-length mirrors by night. This was…a surprise! Or maybe it was just seeing myself after hours of hauling boxes?

But in seeing my reflection, I realized I should take a minute to actually reflect. So I took out my phone to write down some thoughts…

• Gratitude turns hustle into joy.
• Law firm by day, dance studio by night?!
• Great mirror for OOTD texts to Mom + sisters.
• How did I accumulate so much stuff in 3 years??!!
• People first. Always. The rest will figure itself out.

Stay tuned for the big reveal. I can’t wait to show you what we’re building! 🫶🏼