Meet Kimberly Barbosa

We were lucky to catch up with Kimberly Barbosa recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kimberly, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

I think a lot of my resilience comes from the foundation my parents laid down for me growing up. They’re immigrants who came to America with big dreams and little more than their hopes and hard work. They always taught me that nothing worth having comes easy, and that persistence is key. Watching them overcome every obstacle, whether it was navigating a new culture, starting over with nothing, or fighting for a better future for our family, those experiences shaped me in ways I didn’t fully realize until later in life.

My resilience was also tested and deepened last year when my mom was diagnosed with cancer. That was a turning point for me, both personally and professionally. I had been pursuing my music career in LA, and everything was moving in the direction I had envisioned for myself, but when I got the news, I knew I had to return to New Jersey and be there for my family. It wasn’t an easy decision, but it was the right one. Seeing my mom fight so hard for her health gave me a new perspective on strength, and it reminded me how important it is to show up, whether it’s for the people you love, or for the goals you want to reach.

Coming back to New Jersey also allowed me to reconnect with my roots. Growing up in a Brazilian-American household, I’ve always been influenced by the sounds and rhythms of Brazil, and that has shaped my music in a big way. Now, as I continue to pursue my pop music project in the New York City area, I feel like I’m merging those influences with my American experience to create something new.

On top of my music career, I’m also reinvigorating my family’s small Brazilian shop. We recently added specialty coffee and seating, which feels like a way to honor both my heritage and my parents’ work ethic. It’s a small business, but it’s a symbol of resilience, of keeping something alive and adapting it to a new generation, even as life changes around us.

In short, my resilience comes from my upbringing, my family’s example, and the way I’ve learned to adapt to whatever life throws at me. It’s not always easy, but when you have a sense of purpose and the support of the people who love you, you can keep going.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I released my single “Guilty” last November.

I’m performing at Paramount Hotel on February 6th in New York City with Breaking Sound. Tickets are available here:
https://www.tixr.com/groups/breakingsoundnyc/events/breaking-sound-nyc-at-paramount-hotel-02-06-126067fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaY7K_Q7Ng2WzxgFIamokeGhzBJQajg2FasGvlPfmOpLDEE2OCbHFlS87M4_aem_dzofXPY-dxgMfM8JtsRnuw

My family business, which I recently took over, is called Barb Coffee Co & Market and is located at 58 Anderson ave Fairview New Jersey. We’re a small market that sells Brazilian goods and we now have a variety of single origin coffees and the best Lattes!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I think my strong people skills and empathetic communication are qualities that have helped me within my music and in every project I have involved myself in. When you can understand what people need and what their concerns are you can connect and solve problems better. I also think my management skills. I was always a self-starter which I think stemmed from being impatient to see things moving and completed. My advice to people who are starting their journeys is to build community. Even with all the technology, we will always crave connection. And we are stronger as indiviudals both personally and professionally when we are surrounded by a strong community.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

The most impactful thing my parents have done for me is always provide me unwavering support and take me seriously. When I was 7 and wanted to play guitar my mom bought me a cheap guitar but she took me seriously, at my first my father didn’t he thought it was silly and I would quit. Later when he realized I had not quit his perspective changed and when I was 11 I wanted to start a band. This time he was also on board with my mom and they bought me a PA system and gave me space to rehearse in our home. My parents helped me book my first shows. By treating me like an autonamous human and not writing me off as a silly kid with silly dreams, they gave me a confidence I rarely saw in my peers. It set me up to trust my intuition and decisions at a young age. It also gave me discipline to follow through with my pursuits. I understood that the gear and education my parents invested in for me wasn’t cheap and we weren’t loaded and I couldn’t just drop everything when it got hard. I think that’s the most impactful thing they did for me.

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Image Credits

Photo by Narek Petrosyan

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