We were lucky to catch up with Iryna Barnett recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Iryna thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your creative career?

Before starting my podcast back in 2023 I had a few different jobs and one of the most important lessons that I’ve learned is the difference between manager and a true leader. Manager , manages people , tell them what to do and often time how to do it. Manager doesn’t take to consideration that people have different styles of learning and manager often times makes you feel like you are less than because of your position. Manager never admits he/she/they dont know something and they often make mistakes and put blame on other people. True leader on the other hand puts together a great group of people who believe in the mission of the leader and work together towards that mission. Leader doesn’t know everything but she/he/they has team of people of different skill sets who are not only help the leader but help one another. I can write so much more about what it means to be a leader but this has been one of the most important lessons I have learned and every day as a creative, as a business owner I try to be an inspiring leader.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Iryna Barnett. I am the founder, owner , host and producer of Moments That Define Us Podcast, a podcast where I explore human stories and defining moments that make us who we are today. I believe sharing our stories has a power to heal . The idea of starting the podcast came to me back to 2020. The world was in a global pandemic, there was so much divide and i thought if people just to talk to each other in a more human level vs political stands, we can all see and understand that we are more similar than we realize. At that time I was in a very stressful and demanding job, had two small kids and adding another thing on my plate seemed impossible. I believe everything in life happens at the right time. From 2020 to 2023 when I finally launched my podcast, I was writing a lot and I believe that was my “cooking” time , I was cooking my project that became Moments That Define Us Podcast. I believe that being a storyteller and creative is my soul’s calling, it is what I was born to do. I am originally from Ukraine. I’ve lived in the States for over 21 years so I believe my approach to storytelling is unique. I am genially interested in people’s stories and their defining moments that makes them who they are today. Every time I sit in front of another human, I want to understand through their story who they are in a deeper level. I always want to make sure that the space I am creating is comfortable and inviting for people to be able to open, be vulnerable and be who they are.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I think when it comes to social media, you have to be your truly authentic self. Be ok with having a slower process because what important to understand is when you just starting out and people don’t known who you are , you have build your audience by showing them who you are, what you do and again, be yourself. There is a lot of fakeness in the world and people are craving real stuff, real stories , authenticity and creatives who are adding more beauty to the world.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Brene Brown’s work is so important for every creative to get into. She provides toolbox we all need to go through ups and owns of the creative journey. “Big magic” by elizabeth gilbert was such an important book for me to read at the beginning of my creative journey. It helped me not to be so judgmental of myself. Simon Sinek and his book “Start with Why” is another piece of literature that every entrepreneur should read . He has so many different talks out that makes you think and understand your “why”. I’ve always enjoyed podcasts but now when I listen to a specific podcast, I not only like the story they are telling but I also listen to how the host ask questions, how engaged the host is, is the host genially interested in what their guest have to say.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://momentsthatdefineus.com/
• Instagram: momentsthatdefineus
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@momentsthatdefineus
• Other: Tiktok -momentsthatdefineus

Image Credits

Photo credit- Roy Lee Barnett Jr. – Instagram royleeb.cinephoto