We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Christa Barone a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Christa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

There are no words to describe how much happier I am as a business owner. Having a “regular job” would be easier – just showing up, working for a few hours, and clocking out at the end of the day. However, freedom and autonomy are worth more than “easy” for me. I love changing my clients’ lives while having the luxury to run my business as I see fit. 

I’ve had a few “normal” jobs and they taught me a lot, but I repeatedly felt like managing the politics and everyone’s self-serving motivations took more effort than my actual job. Personally, I do not thrive in an environment that repeatedly requires me to choose between my authenticity and the status quo. I finally decided it was time for me to take the leap and share my gifts with all who need them. And so came Wicked Wisdom Consulting.

Through running my own business, I find myself throwing the traditional “9-5” career out the window. Spending my mornings cultivating mindfulness sets the tone for my day and allows me to reach new levels of productivity and creativity. My clients come to me with complex workflow and funnel roadblocks and I’ve designed an environment that allows for the freedom to flow through the day as works best for me.

Are there moments that are difficult? Sure. Do I occasionally question what on Earth am I doing? Of course. But that’s half the fun of it!

Christa, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hi everyone! My name is Christa Barone, I am an Operations Consultant/Contractor. I work with small and medium-sized businesses, coaches, and entreprenuers to optimize their systems, workflows, and processes and manage their business operations so they can focus on providing excellent service to their clients.

One of my “superpowers” is solving problems and anticipating needs/desires before the company even knows about them. Over the years I’ve gained the nicknames: “Wizard of Operations” and “Operations Guru”. I’m described as the “wizard behind the curtain.” 

One of my absolute favorite things to do is transform a company’s workflow and processes through automation, restructuring, and reorganization. Most companies are not utilizing technology anywhere near its full extent nor are their workflows optimized, relying far too much on the human touch. It can be hard to identify where improvements are needed when you are “in the trenches”. That’s where I come in. Not only do I instantly identify where optimization is needed and possible, but I’m also the type of gal that figures out how to make things happen even when it’s not thought possible. It’s quite common for companies to ask how I figured out how to do something so they can replicate it. I’d say that’s one of the things I’m most proud of.

How I got started in Operations ties directly into what sets me apart in the industry. Operations was not something I went to school for, nor was it anywhere on my radar when contemplating careers. I stumbled into Operations by accident and fell head over heels in love. I don’t do what I do because it’s “just my job” or because it “pays the bills”. I do this work because I find it thrilling and it speaks to my soul. Solving a complex problem or reconfiguring a business’ systems is one of the most rewarding experiences. Seeing the look on my client’s faces when I tell them all they have to do is click one button and a cascade of actions occur, saving them a ton of time and money, is priceless.

Through Wicked Wisdom Consulting I’ve worked with coaches, entertainment executives, musicians, artists, health & wellness offices, and more. My services include essentially everything related to running a business and its operations – workflow development, system automation, data analysis, video editing, sales funnel creation and optimization, S.O.P. development, training, CRM setup, website revisions, and so much more. One of my clients saved tens of thousands of dollars per month on ad-spend after my review and restructuring of their sales funnel performance.

To learn more about what I do, check out my website: wickedwisdomconsulting.com

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Books, videos, and essays are great but the absolute best and most impactful resource for me has been other leaders, business owners, and entrepreneurs. I am the type of person who learns best by doing something myself or watching someone else do it and seeing the outcome. Observing the successes and failures of others has provided me with the most profound career and life lessons.

I grew up watching my dad run his very successful business for over 30 years (and counting). I learned valuable lessons growing up and continue to receive his guidance as needed. He is an invaluable asset to my inner circle.

On the other hand, I’ve had the pleasure of working under a few bad leaders. To tell you the truth, I wouldn’t trade those experiences for the world. These individuals helped me design my own leadership style by providing perfect examples of what not to do. I also learned how to navigate uncomfortable conversations – a skill that is invaluable to a good leader.

There’s a saying that if you look around your inner circle and find yourself at the top, you need to expand your circle. You always want someone smarter than you to learn from and bounce ideas off of. Not that they aren’t useful, but books, videos, or essays aren’t going to be your mentor.

Any advice for managing a team?

I’ve found the best way to manage a team is to speak and act authentically, walk the walk, and keep an open door. If you want your team to work hard and take pride in what they do, you better be doing the same. If you want your team to do things the right way, you better keep your door open for questions and guidance. If you want your team to treat you with respect, you better say what you mean and mean what you say.

One of the best ways to keep morale high is to only share what your team needs to know. I’ve seen leaders share intimate business details and amounts of money being spent as an intimidation tactic – all that did was drown the team in unwanted stress that didn’t belong to them. As leaders, we have to remember that our business is not our employee’s business. They do not need to know the fine details behind the veil if it’s not pertinent to their role. We need them in their top mindset so they bring their best to work. If we need to vent or talk through our stresses, it’s our responsibility to find a coach that fits our needs. 

Another way to keep morale high is as simple as listening. People desperately want to be heard and understood. Keeping an open door policy – a TRUE open door policy – is huge. So often we hear horror stories of people who share their concerns and end up in the line of fire. A true leader wants to hear feedback and suggestions.

Bottom line, the best way to manage a team and maintain high morale is to consider others as you consider yourself. The people on your team are not expendable robots. They are wonderful people dedicating hours of their time to you and your business. They should feel appreciated, heard, and trusted.

Contact Info:

• Website: WickedWisdomConsulting.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christabarone/