Jennifer Barnes: Turning Financial Know-How into Optima Office Success

From surviving hostile takeovers to building one of San Diego’s fastest-growing companies, Jennifer Barnes has learned the power of resilience, flexibility, and people-first leadership. In this episode, Jennifer shares her journey from her early days at Petco to founding Optima Office, a thriving firm providing fractional CFO, controller, bookkeeping, and HR services.

You’ll hear how Jennifer transformed challenges into growth opportunities, why culture and client care drive Optima’s rapid expansion, and how outsourcing financial and HR functions can help companies of all sizes thrive.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How Jennifer pivoted her career after setbacks and turned them into new ventures.

• Why Optima Office’s “speed of execution” and caring culture set it apart.

• The benefits of outsourcing finance and HR functions instead of hiring full-time.

• How Optima tailors services for industries like real estate, nonprofits, and professional services.

• The role of flexibility and hybrid work in Optima’s success

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