OPERATIONS CONSULTING, TRAINING & EMBEDDED LEADERSHIP
WHAT WE DO
Strategy, Systems, Software, Staff —
one integrated engagement
Four pillars, delivered together to ensure a comprehensive and long-lasting solution. Here’s what each one actually produces.
RESULTS
What this looks like in practice
Here are a few representative outcomes from operations work across high-growth, people-driven businesses.
Coaching Agency...
Profitability Audit
$12,000+
Software expenses cut in a client's first month
Vendor audit, renegotiated contracts, + a leaner software stack helped the owner cut $12,000 in annual expenses without sacrificing service quality.
TRAINING COMPANy...
LEADERSHIP & SYSTEMS
100% of quarterly goals achieved
A leadership team with a real operator in the seat
Role clarity, CRM ownership, and Asana gave the founder a strategic partner and the team a shared source of truth and accountability to drive progress.
CONSULTING firm...
EMBEDDED COO
Weekends back
A business built to outlast burnout, not end because of it.
Documented SOPs, rebuilt communication protocols, + a right-sized team turned a founder on the edge of closing her doors into an operation that runs itself.
WHO THIS IS FOR
✓ You’re somewhere between $1M and $30M in revenue, and growth has outpaced your systems — or you can feel it starting to.
✓ Good opportunities come your way, but you hold back, unsure the team could deliver at a bigger scale.
✓ Your SOPs live in someone’s head, not in writing.
✓ You (or whoever’s running ops) is drowning in firefighting instead of building.
✓ Leadership’s aligned on priorities, but execution keeps slipping.
✓ Your CRM or project tool is half-configured and nobody fully trusts it.
If two or more of these sound familiar, schedule a call.
The Team Behind the scenes
Created by founder Kara Barnes, Backstage Ops is a collective of brilliant operational minds dedicated to taking the friction out of growth. From auditing performance to building custom systems, our experts work behind the scenes to give your leadership team the space, clarity, and backend strength to make a bigger impact.
Learn More
Systems & Software
Embedded Leadership
“
The way Melissa has equipped our team members to fully take responsibility for their tasks has been a game-changer. She’s an executor who gets things done quickly and effectively.
Renee Thompson
“
Kara and her team do a masterful job of taking the chaos that is in your brain (and possibly in your business) and turning it into strategic, refined systems and processes that can amplify your work. They helped me go from feeling like a chicken with its head cut off to a legitimate business owner with structure and focus.
Drew Tarvin
“
The session was energizing rather than overwhelming. We aligned on priorities, added the right level of detail to our initiatives, and now have a clear one-page plan. We know exactly what to do next—and we’re ready to execute.
Carole Mahoney
QUESTIONS
Before you schedule a call
What size companies do you actually work with?
Mostly $1–30M in annual revenue — whether you’re still the one holding it together day to day, or you’ve handed off pieces of it and the cracks are showing anyway.
Is this a one-time project or an ongoing relationship?
Will you replace the tools we already use?
What happens after the engagement ends?
How is this different from hiring a fractional COO through a staffing firm?
RESOURCES
Notes for the work behind the work
Practical perspective on operations, systems, leadership, and the decisions that make growth sustainable.
A 20-minute call to see if there’s a fit — no pitch deck, no pressure.
Schedule a call
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