Carla Barber: The 11-million-euro entrepreneur taking aim at sick leave: “People go on leave and then post to Instagram”

There are two things in Spain that always get people talking: money and sick leave. And if you put the two together in the same sentence, you've got the perfect recipe to make half the country see red. The latest to do it is Carla Barber, the cosmetic surgeon who swapped her white coat for an entrepreneur's notebook and who now, at the helm of her empire Carla Secrets, doesn't mince her words.

It all kicked off a few days ago when the CEO of this premium clinic weighed in on an issue that borders on the absurd in this country. "People go on sick leave and then post stories to Instagram." The line, delivered in an interview, has struck a chord. It's not the first time someone has called out this kind of behaviour, but coming from someone who generates jobs and is moving the kind of numbers she is, it adds a whole new dimension. In a country where productivity is practically a mantra, Barber is pointing the finger directly at those who rort the system, as she sees it, pretending to be sick while living it up like influencers on social media.

Numbers that speak louder than words

The interesting part of this story isn't just the controversy, but the engine behind it. Because if Carla Barber speaks with such authority, it's because her company, Carla Secrets, has gone from being a personal project to a genuine giant in the aesthetics sector. And that's no exaggeration. The figures from the last financial year are staggering: the business posted a turnover of nearly 11 million euros. That's a huge achievement, especially given the current economic climate.

But the really juicy part, the bit that has investors rubbing their hands together and competitors getting nervous, is the gross operating profit – the famous EBITDA. We're talking about a figure close to 3.4 million euros. In terms of margins, this puts Carla Secrets in an enviable position, proving that Barber's business model – combining high-end surgery with cutting-edge treatments and a flawless digital marketing strategy – is a genuine value-generating machine.

Genuine gripe or strategic move?

This is where the analysis gets interesting. Barber's criticism of sick leave isn't something that came up in a casual chat down the pub. She's well aware that her image is tied to that of a businesswoman who doesn't allow for any slacking off. Her argument is straightforward and brutally direct:

• Profitability vs. Absenteeism: Barber argues that her company is a place where people work, and that the success of that 11 million turnover is built on the responsibility of a team that doesn't do excuses.
• The cost of opportunity: Her implicit criticism is that while some treat sick leave like a paid holiday, there are self-employed people and small businesses (like hers, even if it's not so small anymore) who are doing the heavy lifting and propping up the economy.
• The weight of social media: The mention of Instagram stories is no accident. It's the perfect hook. The contradiction of seeing someone supposedly "off sick" at a party or treating themselves while posting it all online is exactly the image she wants to plant in the public's mind.

Is this just a business owner having a whinge, or is it a marketing ploy to position herself as the tough leader who can't be fooled? The reality is that, controversy aside, Carla Barber's name is back on everyone's lips, and along with it, her clinic. While other CEOs hide behind bland press releases, she puts herself out there and generates headlines by the dozen. And at the end of the day, in the aesthetics and luxury business, visibility is everything.

The truth is that the former contestant on 'Supervivientes' has proven that her talent extends far beyond being in front of a camera. She's built an empire in a competitive industry, with numbers that solidify her position as one of the most powerful up-and-coming businesswomen in the country. Whether people agree with her views on sick leave is another matter entirely. But as long as her business keeps turning over at a cracking pace, she'll continue to have the platform to say exactly what she thinks, loud and clear.