I am a writer, speaker, global entrepreneur, executive coach, powerlifter, former marriage and family therapist, and fierce advocate for women’s rights, justice, and opportunities.
I wasn’t always bold. I became bold at 27 when I decided to prioritize learning about myself, relationships, and the social and family systems that form us.
I’ve lived and worked in person in Bucks County, Pennsylvania; Beirut, Lebanon; Amman, Jordan; and Taipei, Taiwan. The global executive coaching company I founded operated in 75 countries.
In all those countries, women leaders faced similar challenges in their efforts to lead in patriarchal organizations and countries.
Global Impact
5.0 (2,425 Reviews)
Women’s Empowerment / Personal Growth
286 Pages
October 2026
Palmetto Publishing
For generations, women have been taught that being agreeable, selfless, likable, and accommodating is a virtue. But what happens when that goodness comes at the expense of their own ambitions, development, and voice?
In BOLD, Barrie calls this pattern “debilitating goodness.”
Part memoir, part manifesto, and part practical guide, BOLD helps women recognize the conditioning that keeps them seeking approval and begin making decisions based on their own values, instincts, ambitions, and purpose.
Whether you are leading a team, raising a family, building a business, changing careers, or reinventing your life, BOLD invites you to stop asking for permission and begin creating the life that is uniquely yours.
Join Barrie Zucal at upcoming book events, conversations, and special appearances celebrating BOLD: How Women PLAY BIG by Leading Instead of Pleasing.
Explore the ideas behind the book, connect with the conversation, and discover what it means to lead more boldly in your own life.
In this episode of Tardan Today, host Dennis Tardan sits down with Barrie Zucal, now 80, to talk about her new book, BOLD: How Women Play BIG by Leading Instead of Pleasing.
Join Barrie and her daughter Jessica to celebrate the lunch of the BOLD BOOK. Tom, her husband, will pop the champagne. Barrie will do a short reading from the book. Jessica will conduct a Q & A and then open to the audience.
Catch Barrie in discussion with the fabulous Minal Bopiah, founder of Brevity and Wit and author of “Equity” on Women and Bold Leadership. What does it look like to make bold moves as a woman leader?
“Step into this book with courage, and I promise you will emerge with a stronger, bolder, more empowered version of yourself.”
“This book is a beautiful gift - an ongoing conversation with the best therapist and coach you’ll ever have. You’ll pick this book up again and again through your life for guidance and support. It’s invaluable and a must-read!”
“This isn’t another self-help book. This book is a strategic manual for the woman ready to trade “pleasing” for power.”
“Barrie Zucal’s BOLD book challenges patriarchal norms and encourages women to do the same. Work- ing with this book will ground your spirit, enliven your soul, and help you listen ever more deeply to your own heart’s longing.”
“Barrie’s strong voice, clear and intimate writing, and concrete action steps in BOLD are exactly what I needed. Days after reading the likability chapter, I noticed my behavior, heard Barrie’s words in my head, and changed my actions in the moment; it felt like magic, power.”
“For too long, women have been trained to be agree- able instead of audacious. BOLD is a powerful call to stop shrinking and start leading. Barrie Zucal reminds women everywhere that the world doesn’t need us quieter, nicer, or smaller: it needs us brave.”