She says her two young sons are her greatest teachers. Stephanie Barton has always believed her purpose in life is to help other people realize their potential. It’s a noble calling, one she’s working toward every day in her new role of “life coach.”
She started early.
“I was always the one sticking up for the kid getting picked on during recess,” she laughs. She may have known her purpose early, but her journey to arrive there has been circuitous.
She was born in Phoenix, Arizona, but relocated to Burley, Idaho soon after her birth. She is the oldest of three children.
Barton describes herself as “outgoing, loving, strong and free-spirited.” Her childhood memories read like a script from “Little House on the Prairie.” They include: “playing in the sandbox everyday; riding horses with grandpa; building forts in hay stacks; grandma’s buckwheat-chocolate chip pancakes; dancing and singing with my mom while watching Lawrence Welk; fishing trips and summer fun in Sun Valley; jumping on the trampoline; skiing at Pomarelle Resort; gazing at the Christmas tree while listening to ‘The Little Drummer Boy; trips with the family in the motor home; tubing and water skiing on the Snake River; and watching sunsets from our roof on summer evenings.”
She also recalls with fondness her childhood companions. “There was my cat, Missy, my hamster, Daisy, and my dogs, Trixy, Stubby and Ugly.”
Barton breezed through her school years with characteristic verve. She took tap, ballet, hula and modern dance classes and was a regular in school plays.
“I was the Wicked Witch in “The Wizard of Oz” and had one of the leads in “Arsenic and Old Lace,” she says.
Her teenage years were awash with music. She cherished her hoard of 8-tracks, LPs and 45s and dreamed rock-and-roll dreams. “I listened to Elvis Presley records and dreamed of being his woman,” she confesses. “I think the love affair started in second grade and lasted until he died.”
At the tender age of 14 she got a job managing the record department of the only music store in Burley. “People came in for updates on the newest and best music out there,” she recalls. “I remember recommending Van Halen and “Journey” before anybody even knew who they were. It was the ‘hippest’ job I could ever have asked for. I later found out my parent lined it up to keep me out of trouble.”
“I drove around town in my little Honda with the entire back seat stacked with rows of rock-and-roll 8-tracks. I remember being skeptical about cassette tapes because I couldn’t imagine life without my 8-tracks.”
Barton graduated from Burley High School and set sail for college at Utah State University in Logan. There she studied public relations and communications while working as a part-time waitress. “I was a cocktail waitress at the only private club in Logan. It was like working at my own party every night because I knew all the customers. It was a great way to make good money while attending college.
She married in 1984 and moved to Salt Lake City, where she took a job with Limited Express, a retail-clothing store. She transferred to the San Diego area as a store manager in 1988. While in San Diego, Barton trained for her real estate license and went to work in the southern California commercial real estate market. She also became a licensed massage therapist during that time.
Her marriage ended in 1992 and she moved back to Salt Lake City, where she took a job with a professional recruiting firm. “It was the first time in my entire life that I had lived alone and I loved my independence,” she says.
Barton met her husband, Randy, in 1996 on a bar stool at the Wooden Dog Bar in Trolley Square. “We got to know each other at a friend’s wedding about a week later,” she says. “I resisted him at first because he was littler than me and 10 years older, but all the other guys I was dating became boring after spending time with Randy. We were engaged within three months and married three months later.”
They lived in Salt Lake for a short time before moving into the old school house in Peoa, where they lived for the next seven years.
She had always wanted children and, in the new millennium, the couple had their first son, Cole, in 2001. Their second son, Quince was born two years later. “They are my inspiration and my greatest teachers,” she gushes. A year after the birth of Quince, the family moved to Old Town to simplify their lifestyle.
After employment stints with Park City Media Group, the National Ability Center and “The Shop” Yoga Studio, Barton recently announced the creation of her “life coaching” practice. She received her coaching certification last year and is graduating from additional, extensive training this month.
“I’m very passionate about it and happy that I’m actually able to make a difference in people’s lives. I believe we can all live extraordinary lives if we learn to understand and take care of one another.”
Barton has made a home and a life here. “I love the fact that pretty much everyone is here in the Park City area by choice. They appreciate the beauty of nature and the healthy environment. I love to take time to enjoy the beauty that surrounds me every day. I really don’t have any complaints; I know how lucky I am to live here.”
VITAL STATISTICS
Age 44. Married, two children
Favorite things to do: Ski, read, dance, hike, meditate, and travel. “I love traveling and experiencing different cultures. I also love socializing with friends and anything to do with the beach.”
Favorite foods: Italian and Mexican
Favorite reading: “I usually read inspirational, educational, biography and psychology books to deepen my understanding of the human condition and myself.”
Favorite music and performers: “I will always and forever be a rock-and-roll and blues girl. I also enjoy jazz, folk and new age music.”
Pets: “We have six wooden dogs, beautiful carved art pieces scattered around the house. They’re very low maintenance and don’t have to be boarded when we travel. We also have a beta fish named Blue Stone Zoomer, an awesome, low maintenance pet for the time being.”