Are you fully tapping your company’s growth potential, or are hidden gaps in talent, culture, and client strategy quietly holding you back?
If you’re leading a services-based business, or any company where people are the product, you know how hard it is to scale without burning out your team or losing your edge. This episode hits right at that tension: how to grow sustainably when hiring is tough, AI is reshaping roles, and your culture has to do more than just sound good; it has to work. You’ll hear how a CEO is navigating these exact challenges in real time, so you can pressure-test your own approach.
Here’s what you’ll walk away with:
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A clearer way to think about sustainable growth by focusing on clients as long-term partners—not just one-off revenue
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Practical insight into retaining top talent and building a culture people actually want to stay in
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A grounded perspective on how AI should augment your team without undermining your future workforce
Press play now to uncover a smarter, people-first approach to scaling your business—and start unlocking your true growth potential today.
Unlocking Growth Potential Through People, Culture, and Strategy
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[00:00:00] Setting the stage for growth potential
The episode kicks off by framing the central theme: how CEOs can unlock hidden growth potential by rethinking how they lead people, structure teams, and approach strategy. -
[00:02:00] Consulting as a strategic partnership
Carrie explains that engineering firms don’t just deliver projects—they act as thought partners, helping clients solve complex problems and build long-term value. -
[00:03:00] Employee ownership as a competitive advantage
Barge’s employee-owned model drives decision-making, ensuring every strategic move considers employee impact, which strengthens culture and long-term growth. -
[00:04:00] Retention as the real growth lever
Instead of over-focusing on hiring, Carrie highlights retention, career pathing, and employee experience as critical drivers of sustainable growth potential. -
[00:06:00] From projects to partnerships
Shifting from chasing projects to building client relationships creates recurring opportunities and stabilizes revenue in a project-based business.
Scaling Smarter: AI, Talent, and Leadership in a Changing Landscape
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[00:08:00] Building the future talent pipeline
With fewer STEM graduates, Barge invests earlier—internships, high school outreach, and storytelling—to attract and develop future engineers. -
[00:11:00] AI as a productivity multiplier
AI is transforming workflows by reducing repetitive tasks from hours to minutes, helping teams focus on higher-value work and unlocking new growth potential. -
[00:13:00] AI won’t replace talent—but it will reshape it
Rather than eliminating jobs, AI enables teams to do more with the same people, changing hiring ratios and skill expectations. -
[00:16:00] Transparency drives performance in employee-owned firms
Clear communication around utilization, profitability, and individual impact helps employees connect their work to business outcomes. -
[00:19:00] Board maturity and strategic focus
Carrie shares how effective boards evolve to focus on strategy, talent, and risk—key pillars for scaling and sustaining long-term growth potential.
About Carrie Stokes
Carrie Stokes, PE, is the Chief Executive Officer and President of Barge Design Solutions. With nearly three decades of leadership experience, she is committed to fostering collaboration, innovation, and growth that empowers employees, strengthens client relationships, and enhances communities.
Stokes began her career at Barge as a student intern and steadily advanced through key leadership roles, including serving as the firm’s inaugural Chief of Staff. She has led Barge’s largest division, played a key role in shaping its five-year strategic growth plan, and has served as a member of the board of directors since 2015. In 2025, she was appointed CEO, becoming the first woman to lead the company in its 70-year history. As CEO, she is focused on strengthening enterprise systems, expanding leadership development, fostering innovation, and enhancing the company’s employee-owned culture.