Tuscan was the name of my elementary school, and I attended Maplewood Junior High. If those school names don’t sound entirely familiar, that’s because they were in Maplewood and I did not attend LHS until the middle of 10th grade when my family moved to town. It was an odd experience being a teen and having my feet planted in two different communities. It was hard to rebuild friendships while navigating the most difficult years as a teenager. Even though their were challenges Livingston became an important part of life with my family.
Right after high school, I jumped into a mix of jobs to explore my interests and gain experience. During the week, I sold home improvements door-to-door, and at night I wrote resumes for people looking for work. On weekends, I worked at Crystal Plaza catering in Livingston. For a while, I thought I’d pursue culinary school, but I quickly realized being a chef meant working when everyone else was off—and that lifestyle didn’t align with my personality. At that time, I realized I wanted to increase my options and go back to school. I enrolled at County College of Morris and later transferred to the University of Maryland.
Once college was completed, I launched a local magazine called Fashion Life which featured local retailers in New Jersey. I managed to sell out the advertising in a single day, which gave me a crash course in publishing and the printing business. Alongside that, I built my career in the office products industry, working as a sales rep, sales manager, and eventually sales training manager for companies like Sharp Electronics and Ricoh Corporation. By 1990, I decided to step out on my own and start my own business.
In December 1987, I met my wife Allison at the Rusty Scupper, which many may recall as the hot spot restaurant that used to be at Essex Green in West Orange, New Jersey. We were introduced through mutual friends—but so many people now take credit for the introduction, it’s become a running joke! When it came for Allison and me to set down roots, we explored a lot of towns near Livingston but ultimately chose Livingston for the neighborhood and school system. It was also special because Allison grew up here and graduated from LHS, as well, which made it really feel like home from the start.
I am very lucky to have met my amazing wife and know that every day is a gift. No matter what the day brings I’ve learned over the years to embrace the good and the bad and always appreciate the life we have together. We have three wonderful children and I’m incredibly proud of each of them. My daughter Hallie works as a Principal in ISGI for Apollo Global Management and lives in London. My middle son, Jordan, lives in Brooklyn and focuses on environmental work for Zebra Technologies. My youngest son Sam lives in Hoboken and is a Senior Solutions Architect with AWS. They are brilliant, inspiring, and honestly, they’ve become my new mentors. I learn more from them than I ever imagined possible.
In addition to being a husband and father, I have worn many career hats. I thrive on helping people and companies unlock their true value and have benefited from exposure to as many industries as possible. I’ve spent most of my early career in sales, marketing, and communications. But then In 1990, I left the corporate world to start my own training business, working with many of the dealers I had trained at Ricoh. Over time, I expanded into other industries and discovered my real passion which has motivated me and opened a lot of doors along the way. This also led to my writing a series of books focused on sales and marketing techniques.
I shifted gears a bit and began representing athletes, entertainers, and business leaders in various capacities and eventually stepping into the media industry. The build out of my network led me to hosting over 1,000 television shows, radio shows, podcasts, and interviews for books I have written and provided me with a platform to connect with high-level people and build long-term relationships that opened even more doors to future projects.
You may not know Marc Roberts who is from West Orange and has been a life-long friend of mine, but his story is incredible. He’s faced more adversity than anyone I know yet managed to build something extraordinary from nothing. I invite you to visit his website at www.marcroberts.com to learn more about Marc and his life. Presently, I’m working on a second book with him, as well as serving as Executive Producer for his upcoming documentary and major motion picture. In addition to that project, I’m currently developing my fifth television program, which explores pain and pleasure—and how the way we think, eat, and move ultimately shapes who we become.
Lately, my biggest passion is building upon “The Adventures of Little Billy: In Search of the Magic Tree,” a children’s book series I created that’s now an animated program on public television. We’ve just released a new special edition hardcover and I’m working on a high school musical adaptation as well as a new high-end animation project.
And then for another shift in gears, I’m developing FOLDZFLAT®, a luxury writing instrument that doubles as a piece of jewelry—endorsed by both Kevin O’Leary (Mr. Wonderful from Shark Tank) and Kenan Thompson from SNL. Years ago, the original plastic FOLDZFLAT® pen sold over 7 million units through QVC, retail, and promotional markets. This latest version is a reinvention at the luxury level.
My various projects have taken me across all 50 states and internationally to South Africa, Scotland, Canada, and much of Europe. As much as I like to travel, these days I appreciate just being home more than ever. The only trips I really look forward to now are visits to see my daughter in London. Otherwise, I’m happiest right here. I love Livingston for its balance—it’s a great town, with an amazing community, and it’s close to everything: New York City, the mountains, and the Jersey Shore. And I am glad that I have the opportunity to pursue other interests such as martial arts and weapons training, sculpting wood and stone, hiking, basketball, and spending time with my dogs.
As we tend to do at our age, I look back a bit at early life, not in any kind of regretful way but with a wistful eye. Back then, I didn’t fully appreciate learning in high school — I was more focused on skateboarding, biking, and basketball. That changed when I got to County College of Morris and took a course called “Learning Techniques”. The professor for the course taught me how to learn in a way that stuck. It was the bolt of lightning I needed! He was a great professor who often trained other professors including some at Princeton. That class changed the way I approached education and personal growth for the rest of my life.
Along with my family, I have always appreciated good friends. I’ve kept in touch with several long-time buddies such as my close friend and LHS classmate Dave Romano who was my skateboarding buddy when I first moved to Livingston in 1975. I also stay connected with Rick Farano, Frank Levine and Marc Roberts from West Orange High School, and friends from LHS like Gary Weisman and Larry Lerman.
I’ve read many of the Classmate Spotlights and I am glad I was able to contribute one. What I’ve noticed is that around this part, towards the end, it tends to turn to what are the plans for the “next chapter”. But no one is required to actually have that next chapter cast in stone and for me, as long as I have a great family, dogs, and health, all I can say is “we’ll see.”
For more information about Barry and his passion projects, visit:
@barryfarberofficial
