CHRISTINE BARNEY

CEO & MANAGING PARTNER, RBB COMMUNICATIONS, MIAMI

Founded by Barney in 2001, rbb offers creative services, digital marketing and public relations focusing on renewables and energy, travel and leisure, consumer marketing and health care. Barney is the former chair of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and South Florida Business Council and sits on the boards of the Orange Bowl Committee and the International Women’s Forum. “I happily serve as a role model for entrepreneurs in PR,” she says. “I speak at industry conferences and meet with owners on how to grow a business.”

EDUCATION: Ithaca College (BS)

FIRST JOB: With the ability to type 90 words a minute, a summer job for me wasn’t McDonald's, but rather office temp. My first job was operating a telex machine — a precursor to the fax machine. You typed to make a series of holes on a tape to feed into the machine. If you made a typo you had to start all over again!

DREAM ALTERNATE CAREER: I am passionate about Christmas. I would love to be a Hallmark ornament designer/artist and create Christmas magic all year round.

IMPACT ON A MENTEE: A waiter once brought me a menu, and on the back was a note from a former employee saying he didn’t want to interrupt my meal with my family but needed to thank me for all I had done to teach him entrepreneurial skills. He had just closed on selling his tech business — he was our IT director who found the courage to go out on his own — that day for $3 million and couldn’t believe he saw me on the same day.

SOMETHING SURPRISING: My hands are always busy — I love to do sewing projects and crafting.