Xenia Barnes, Chief Executive Officer at Gold Mind Thoughts LLC, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of mental health services.
Since 2008, Ms. Barnes has utilized her expertise as an effective life coach, motivational speaker, and facilitator at Gold Mind Thoughts LLC, where she touches the lives of many as the founder, educational leadership consultant, and chief executive officer. A Brooklyn-based organization, Gold Mind Thoughts offers professional development and wellness services to its wide range of clients; among its many areas of focus, the organization caters to individuals who have been impacted by trauma—be it gun violence or domestic abuse. Determined to target each client’s specific needs and help them conquer their struggles in order to reach their fullest potential, Ms. Barnes has pulled from her own life experiences to become a renowned figure in her field.
Ms. Barnes gravitated toward her profession by overcoming many personal and physical obstacles, such as losing her only nephew and becoming extremely ill. In navigating her way out of this darkness, and developing a desire to let other people realize they are not alone, she established Gold Mind Thoughts, creating a space that would allow people to feel less isolated and less inclined to turn to deep depression, drugs, or suicide, among other outcomes. She says she wanted people “to know that it’s okay not to be okay and to just ask for help,” a service she noted was sorely lacking, especially in Black and brown communities. In addition to her primary role there, she has served as chief executive officer of Beauty of the Soul Consultant LLC from 2011 to 2021; dean of students at Explore Schools from 2016 to 2021; and chief executive officer of Beauty of the Soul Firm from 2014 to 2022.
Ms. Barnes is also the co-founder and chief communication officer for the Melquain Jatelle Anderson Foundation, a nonprofit community service organization made in honor of a young man who was shot and killed that provides services and support to victims of gun violence and their families. Because Anderson, a Brooklynite and Ms. Barnes’ nephew, was determined to help those in his community become educated, the group’s outreach includes memorials, events, and a major scholarship that helps in the education of undergraduate students at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. On top of contributing articles to publications such as Today’s Purpose Woman, Ms. Barnes authored a workbook titled “Loving Yourself Through the Trauma” and has been the organizer of several workshops within her field of life coaching and has been a public speaker and minister for others. She is a proud member of several organizations, including the New York State Peace Coalition for Gun Violence, International Society of Professional Women, Healing Hearts Chaplaincy Ministries, Inc., and Sisterhood of Empowering Women.
Over the course of her career, Ms. Barnes has been recognized with citations from New York City Borough President and current mayor Eric Adams, featured among the “Inspirational Up and Coming African Entrepreneurs” by the International Society of Women and an article by Voyage ATL magazine, and numerous academic awards. Equipped with a Bachelor of Business Administration from Monroe College and a Master of Education in early childhood education from Pace University, she looks forward to maintaining the success of her company as well as going back to school to earn her Doctor of Philosophy. She wants to continue researching how trauma left behind can impact an entire community.