Carmela Barquin is a seasoned Chief of Staff and Executive Assistant with 15+ years of experience building systems from scratch, streamlining operations, and supporting CEOs across medical, e-commerce, and service sectors. She excels in SOP creation, team leadership, and project execution.

Summary of Experience
Recent Experience:
Company: Cohesive
Role: Chief of Staff / Executive Assistant
Duration: Aug 2024 – Apr 2025
Responsibilities:

• Provided executive-level support including calendar management, email coordination, and meeting logistics.

• Managed SOP development and tracked deliverables across business units.

• Served three clients in varying industries (real estate, e-commerce, healthcare) with roles ranging from Chief of Staff to EA to lead generator.

• Maintained CRM tools and supported social media and digital marketing coordination.

• Reason for Leaving: Managing 3 clients was unsustainable; seeking focused, long-term placement with one client.

• Notable Achievement: Successfully delivered strategic and executional support across multiple CEOs, acting as the central operations point.

Previous Experience:
Company: Big Impact HQ
Role: Chief of Staff / Executive Assistant
Duration: Dec 2022 – Aug 2024
Responsibilities:

• Supported a holistic medical practitioner CEO by building and managing full team operations.

• Introduced ClickUp for project management; created SOPs and KPIs across functions.

• Led operations for webinars, newsletters, partnerships, and team performance reviews.

• Coordinated day-to-day execution across marketing, admin, and practitioner teams.

• Reason for Leaving: CEO retired and entered a nursing home; Carmela chose not to transition to another partner out of loyalty.

• Notable Achievement: Designed full operational framework from scratch, improving business clarity, role accountability, and growth tracking.

Company: AirClass I-on-7
Role: Sales Manager
Duration: May 2021 – Nov 2022
Responsibilities:

• Recruited, coached, and led a high-performing sales team.

• Handled QA, reporting, and performance evaluations.

• Designed scorecards and initiated strategic reviews.

• Reason for Leaving: Wanted to pivot into executive support and operations.

• Notable Achievement: Exceeded KPIs, implemented structured evaluation processes.

Key Skills and Tools

• Executive & Administrative Support

• Strategic Planning & KPI Tracking

• SOP Development & Process Design

• Project & Operations Management

• Calendar & Inbox Management

• CRM Tools (Salesforce, HubSpot, Follow Up Boss)

• Tools: ClickUp, Asana, Apollo, Intercom, Zendesk, Slack, QuickBooks, Google Workspace, Shopify, Hostaway, VRBO, Airbnb, Smoobu, Pricelabs, Calendly, OpenPhone

Key Metrics and Analysis
Metrics Used:

• Department KPIs (marketing, EA, digital)

• Inbox zero targets

• Lead conversion rates

• Webinar participation

• Social media monetization within 3 months

• Newsletter outreach (bi-weekly targeting per audience group)

Monitoring Tools:

• ClickUp

• CRM Dashboards

• Google Sheets

Motivational Fit
Looking For: A stable, long-term role with one CEO or founder where she can grow with the company and be part of building its legacy. She wants her next company to be her last.
Current Rate: Not specified
Asking Rate: Didn’t want to say; willing to negotiate
Availability: Immediate (currently finalizing light transition tasks with Cohesive)

Red Flags
None. Her commitment, loyalty, and track record of staying long-term with founders is a key strength. She chose not to stay with successors when founders stepped down, out of principle and loyalty to the original leader and team.

Critical Incident
While managing a yearly webinar at Big Impact HQ, the digital marketer resigned abruptly just one day before the event. The systems, passwords, and access to key platforms were all locked or disrupted. Carmela took charge immediately, told the CEO to focus on his appointments, and asked for 3 hours. During that time, she called in trusted external contacts, rebuilt access, re-established systems, and coordinated backup resources. The webinar was attended by nearly 1,000 participants and ran smoothly. This incident earned her deep trust from the CEO, who publicly praised her with the words: “You Filipinos are worth keeping. You’re really worth hiring.”

SOP Impact
At Big Impact HQ, Carmela was the first overseas hire and found the business had no operating structure. She introduced ClickUp, designed SOPs from scratch, and built a comprehensive operational calendar and role-based targets. She created KPI frameworks for each team member—e.g., targeting monetization timelines for social media managers, weekly outreach plans for newsletters, and inbox performance for EAs. Her systems clarified expectations, revealed gaps, and aligned the entire team. The CEO finally had visibility into each role’s impact and was able to lead with structure rather than guesswork.

Assessment of Suitability for the Role
Carmela is a standout Chief of Staff / EA hybrid who thrives in building structure from chaos. She has built teams, created SOPs from scratch, led operations for medical, e-commerce, and agency founders, and shown a rare blend of loyalty, strategic thinking, and operational execution. Her goal is clear: serve one company deeply and long-term. A strong fit for founders seeking a reliable right hand who takes ownership and builds lasting systems.