Tate Barkley is a speaker, author, educator, and a 30-year practicing litigation attorney. For years he lived his life in shame—of living in poverty, of alcoholism and addiction, and of being a closeted gay man. His 25-year recovery journey has compelled him to write and speak on the themes of releasing shame, recovery and resilience, self-acceptance and mental wellness, as well as personal integrity and ethics. His story demonstrates how shame and addiction can disrupt lives, businesses and institutions. Tate shares with his audiences the tools that have enabled him to embrace self-honesty and service to others as a means to long-term personal growth and resiliency. His story will be familiar to anyone who struggles with feeling “less than” or suffers from imposter syndrome. Tate’s energy, self-deprecation and sincerity provide a thoughtful and uplifting experience for his audiences.

His memoir, Sunday Dinners, Moonshine, and Men, published in September 2023, recounts Tate’s troubled relationship with his father and his journey to overcome his shame and the scarcity mindset that fueled his addictions and blocked his ability to find peace in his life. Tate offers readers a deeply personal account of his dysfunctional childhood, from the backwoods of North Carolina,  to his family’s struggles with poverty in Central Florida, and their ultimate move to the boomtown of 1970s Houston, Texas.