Most CEOs chase growth by focusing on clients and revenue. My guest on The Scaling CEO, Jennifer Barnes, has proven that scaling fast requires putting people first.
Jennifer is the founder and CEO of Optima Office, a fractional CFO, controller, and HR firm. She previously built one of the largest companies in her sector, then launched Optima and grew it into one of the fastest-growing companies in the nation, now with over 100 employees and industry-leading retention. Her philosophy is simple but rare: happy staff, happy clients.
Hiring for Culture From Day One
After her first company, Jennifer vowed never to compromise on culture again.
“When I had the opportunity to start a second company, I really made sure that culturally every single person that joined me really fit the culture already. I find it very difficult… to train people to fit your culture.”
Her interview process starts with values. She asks candidates about the last time they acted with kindness. If they can’t answer authentically, they don’t make it onto her team.
The “Betty the Bookkeeper” Blind Spot
One of the most common mistakes she sees in CEOs is assuming a single person can handle all finance or HR functions.
“Every single business needs a controller… I’ve never met a bookkeeper who can do every balance sheet schedule correctly and spit out a set of financials with no issues.”
For CEOs, the takeaway is clear: don’t rely on “Betty the bookkeeper.” You need a layered financial function, even if you bring in a firm instead of hiring a full department.
Building Resilience as a CEO
Jennifer learned early to separate business from personal feelings.
“In business, you can’t get your feelings hurt. It’s just business. This has helped me have a very thick skin.”
Resilience, she says, comes from emotional intelligence. CEOs must understand different personalities, learn how people are motivated, and manage without taking things personally.
Protecting Your Team at All Costs
Her mantra-people over profits-shows up in real decisions.
“A good example… is a client’s a jerk. They’re not being nice to my team. They know if they call me, I’ll take them off that client… I’d rather have the people than the revenue.”
For Jennifer, standing up for her team isn’t just good leadership-it’s good business. Her firm’s 86% retention rate in a high-churn industry proves it.
Tracking the True Cost of Turnover
Turnover doesn’t appear on the P&L, but it costs CEOs dearly. Jennifer’s firm tracks it directly.
“If we were to lose somebody… all of the time to replace them is put to staff transition cost. We know exactly what that is.”
When CEOs see the real numbers, lost productivity, recruiting, onboarding, they quickly realize retention is cheaper than constant hiring.
Using AI to Add Value, Not Cut Costs
Some CEOs fear AI will force a race to the bottom. Jennifer sees it differently.
“Instead of spending hours in Excel creating financial reports, we’ve created an interface between QuickBooks and PowerBI… what took five hours takes five minutes. And now we can spend an extra hour with the client explaining the financials.”
AI didn’t eliminate jobs at Optima. It freed up her team to deliver more strategic value.
Final Takeaway
Jennifer Barnes proves that putting people first doesn’t slow growth,it accelerates it. Her formula is simple: hire for culture, protect your team, measure the hidden cost of turnover, and use AI to add value instead of cutting corners.
As a CEO, your profits will follow your people. Ignore them, and you’ll pay far more than you think.
I’m Glenn Gow. I help CEOs looking to accelerate growth. On my podcast, I share the exact strategies leading CEOs use to expand without losing their edge.
Listen to the full episode of The Scaling CEO with Jennifer Barnes to hear her candid take on scaling culture, finance, and leadership.
