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Pamela Barnum

Trust and Nonverbal Communication Expert

Pamela Barnum Headshot Sept 2023
Speaker Reel
Pamela Barnum Thumb 2
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Detecting Deception
Pamela
Pamela Barnum Thumb 2
Pamela Barnum Headshot Sept 2023
Speaker Reel
Pamela Barnum Thumb 2
Virtual Reel
Detecting Deception

With decades of experience in the criminal justice system as both an undercover cop and a federal prosecuting attorney, Pamela Barnum shares real-world techniques and strategies to negotiate, influence, and build trust through intentional communication and nonverbal cues.

Barnum spent more than a decade in drug enforcement doing deep undercover work. Her success was dependant on establishing trust with some of the most dangerous people imaginable. This was followed up by a career as a federal prosecuting attorney, where she spent countless hours in the courtroom, perfecting her proficiency as a trust strategist and communications expert.

Having studied corporate negotiations in graduate school, Barnum now shares her expertise with others, teaching them how to improve their communication skills to increase trust inside corporations, associations, and law enforcement agencies. She blends actionable strategies with memorable stories, sharing her experience, research, and expertise with humour, candour, and energy.

Barnum is often a featured expert and contributor in print media and radio and television news programs in Canada and the United States. She has also delivered two TEDx talks, which garnered praise and interest from around the world, and has spoken to audiences ranging from 50 to 12,000 and on countless virtual stages.

Speaking topics

Presentations listed below include in-person and virtual keynotes, as well as workshops, fireside chats, and other presentation formats.

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Client reviews

  • Powerful action steps that can be put into play immediately! You really nailed it, Pamela. You were exactly what we wanted as our keynote speaker and you were a hit with every participant. I really appreciate the energy, enthusiasm, excellent content, and delivery that you brought to the event. You are truly unique, accomplished, humble, and funny! Thank you!

  • Pamela, thank you for being one of our Winter Summit speakers. Here are some of the comments by attendees at your session:

    • Very engaging great stories with tie-in!
    • This was my favourite session. Pamela was engaging and dynamic the entire session. She gave some great anecdotal stories, had the room participate in questions. Fantastic! One of my favourite sessions ever!
    • Excellent session. Definitely the best for me.
    • She was awesome! Very engaging… liked the audience participation and storytelling. Fantastic stories! Super engaging and relatable.
  • Pamela made the virtual experience so engaging and captivating. Her presentation was both informative and very relevant to the realities of what employees and workplaces are dealing with today. I have no doubt the audience took away some great learnings. I hope we get the opportunity to work together again in the future, this time in front of a live audience.

  • Pamela Barnum provided a keynote presentation for our FUBCON event at the Chelsea Theater in Las Vegas, and she was nothing short of amazing! Her energy, stage presentation, and strong intellect were front and center from the moment she stepped on stage. She mesmerized the audience with her insights, data points, and imagery that resonated with each and every viewer. She has the uncanny ability to keep the audience on the edge of their seats while simultaneously laughing and going, “Aha, that makes so much sense!” I’d definitely recommend Pamela to anyone looking to give their audience something to not only think about, but to apply in their everyday lives.

  • Dynamic. Engaging. Expert. All words used to describe Pamela Barnum by our conference attendees. She took the time to understand our audience, their cultural sensitivities, and the information that was most important to them. She molded her presentation with that in mind. Pamela demonstrated total expert knowledge of the topics discussed and interacted with our virtual audiences in meaningful ways earning her the consistent position as highest-ranked speaker at our events. Personally, Pamela was a pleasure to work with — accommodating, professional, prompt, and always with a bright smile. Adding Pamela to your conference keynote lineup will take your event to the next level!

  • Well I must say you have been the easiest speaker I’ve ever worked with in my career!!! When you write your book or have a new topic to talk about we’d love to have you back for a future event.

  • Pamela Barnum is excellent at what she does. Her ability to keep our team engaged was impressive. Not only is she entertaining, but we gained new negotiation and communication skills.

  • If you are looking for a speaker who is down to earth, an expert in the field, and magnetically fierce, look no further — it’s Pamela Barnum! First, she worked directly with the planning committee to learn about the association, the audience, and the desired key messages, which she seamlessly integrated into her keynote. Second, Pamela is one of the easiest speakers we have ever worked with. She is professional, flexible, and accommodating. Third, Pamela nailed her keynote! Our audience was happy, which makes me happy. Everyone RAVED about her presentation, and she exceeded all expectations! I recommend her to any organization looking to hire a speaker.

  • Pamela Barnum was truly a pleasure to host at the Aligned Capital Partners Inc. advisor conference this year. She was a great addition to the line up and provided insightful information in a creative, relatable, and interactive way that kept our early morning audience engaged. Well done!

  • Pamela’s session was jam-packed so we know the topic resonated with many. The participants were actively engaged because Pamela spoke in their language, using examples that hit home, allowing everyone to immediately see how and when to use the techniques she taught.

  • Pamela’s ability to influence an audience on the importance of building and communicating trust is world class. Her background as a prosecutor and former undercover police officer gives her a unique advantage that makes her both incredibly effective and impactful to her audiences.

  • Pamela was absolutely wonderful. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed having her and all of her topics and stories that went along with it.  I think she was the best we have had so far.

  • Pamela was a joy to work with in the planning stages and provided a highly engaging and impactful keynote that connected really well with our audience. Since our events are fully virtual, we strive for keynote sessions that keep our audience engaged. Pamela’s session was not only full of relevant content, but her delivery was also one of the most participatory and interactive that we’ve had. She balanced all facets of the event extremely well. We could not have been more pleased.

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