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

Gabriela, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

Most Operations or Business Consultants start with tools. We start with people.

At The Blissful Step, every engagement begins with an audit, not a software install, not a plug-and-play template or methodology. Because we believe your systems should reflect your people & values, not the latest tech trend.

We don’t just look at workflows. We look at why things feel off. One client told me our audit felt like ‘therapy for her business’ because for the first time, she felt seen, not judged.

That’s what sets us apart: We bring HR care to contractor teams, blend emotional safety with structure, and build systems that actually work for real people.

We’re not here to not just optimize your behind-the-scenes. We’re here to also give you your peace back.

Gabriela, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi, I’m Gabby, founder of The Blissful Step.

I help services businesses build emotionally safe, structurally sound teams, so CEOs can stop micromanaging and start leading with clarity, confidence, and care.

I didn’t set out to become “the team care person.” Like a lot of us, I fell into operations because I was good at organizing chaos. But what kept pulling me in deeper wasn’t necessarily the tech, it was the people. I kept seeing founders burnt out, overwhelmed, and quietly wondering, “Is it me? Am I just bad at this?”

No.. It’s not them.

It’s that most operations support skips the human side of leadership.

That’s why I built The Blissful Step. We blend people-first systems, HR support for contractor teams, and slow business strategy that actually feels good. We don’t just fix workflows, we help you feel like a CEO again.

Every offer starts with an audit (The Audit-First Method™) because we don’t believe in cookie-cutter solutions. We get under the hood of your business and show you what’s really happening, without shame or assumptions. Just clarity.

I’m most proud of the fact that 90% of our clients come from referrals. That tells me we’re doing more than “delivering results”, we’re creating experiences people want to share.

If you’ve ever hired a team and still felt stuck doing everything…
If your systems look good but your day-to-day still feels messy…
If you want to lead with care, but have no idea where to start…
You’re not alone—and you’re not broken.

This is where we begin.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Oh, you mean the time I graduated with honors with a veterinary degree and used that as the perfect excuse to ignore my gut for years? 😅Yeah.. let’s talk about that.

I did what I thought I was “supposed” to do: followed a prestigious path, got the degree, wore the scrubs… but deep down, I knew. This wasn’t it.

The title gave me permission to stay stuck. It was safe. It was impressive. And it made me absolutely miserable.

So I started listening to the voice that kept asking, “What if you just tried something else?”

Dance and fitness instructing came first. Then health coaching. I got certified and started helping people on the side while still scraping by with my day job. But I loved it. I was obsessed with building the business behind the scenes – even more than coaching itself.

That’s when it clicked: I was naturally supporting other coaches and creatives with their systems, management, and launch plans. What started as pep talks turned into client wins. And slowly, I realized the structure, the strategy, the behind-the-scenes magic was my thing.

I volunteered with bigger entrepreneurs, tested frameworks, and learned what actually worked. I said yes to the messy middle. That’s how I found my niche: helping businesses grow with clarity, team care, and systems that feel good to lead.

My side hustle became my full-time thing when I trusted that I didn’t have to be my old career. I could build something new, something that felt like me.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

Team care is business strategy.

If there’s one piece of advice I always come back to, it’s this: Your team’s energy mirrors your clarity.

Most team drama DON’T come from “bad hires”, they come from confusion. People don’t know what success looks like, how to make decisions, or whether they’re even doing a good job.

So here’s what I recommend:

1. Give people real clarity on their roles, responsibilities, and how their work connects to the bigger picture. (Role ≠ task list.)

2. Normalize feedback early and often.. don’t wait for something to go wrong.

3. Celebrate progress, not just outcomes. Catch them doing things right.

4. Talk like a human. Be honest. Be clear. Let them feel safe enough to tell you when something’s not working.

5. High morale isn’t built with pizza parties, it’s built when people feel trusted, supported, and like they’re actually making a difference.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theblissfulstep.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblissfulstep/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theblissfulstep/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/theblissfulstep/

Image Credits

Ariana Dixon
Alejandro Alvarez
Florian Korzer