Carla Barber: The Businesswoman Turning Over €11 Million Who Calls Out Sick Leave Abuse: “People on Sick Leave Are Posting on Instagram”
There are two things in Spain that are guaranteed to get people talking: money and sick leave. Put them together in the same sentence, and you have the perfect recipe to get half the country riled up. The latest to do so is Carla Barber, the cosmetic surgeon who swapped her white coat for an entrepreneur's notebook and now, at the helm of her Carla Secrets empire, 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. "There are people on sick leave posting stories on Instagram." The line, delivered in an interview, struck a chord. It's not the first time someone has called out this practice, but coming from someone who creates jobs and moves the kind of money she does, it takes on a whole new dimension. In a country where productivity is almost a mantra, Barber is pointing the finger directly at those who, in her experience, abuse the system while pretending to live the life of an influencer on social media.
Numbers That Speak Louder Than Words
What's interesting about this case isn't just the controversy, but the machine 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 firm reported a turnover of nearly €11 million. That's an incredible feat 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. 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 an impeccable digital marketing strategy—is a true value-generating machine.
A Genuine Grievance or a Strategic Move?
This is where the analysis gets interesting. Barber's criticism of sick leave didn't come up in a casual chat down the pub. She knows her image is tied to that of a businesswoman who allows no room for slacking. Her argument is simple and brutally direct:
- Profitability vs. Absenteeism: Barber argues that at her company, people work, and that the success of the €11 million turnover is built on the responsibility of a team that doesn't do excuses.
- The Opportunity Cost: Her implicit criticism is that while some people treat sick leave like a paid holiday, there are self-employed workers and small businesses (like hers, even if it's not so small anymore) that are doing the heavy lifting and keeping the economy going.
- The Power of Social Media: The mention of Instagram stories is no accident. It's the perfect hook. The contradiction of seeing someone "off sick" at a party or enjoying a treat while posting about it on their socials is the image she wants to plant in the public's mind.
Is this just a business owner's complaint, or 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 with it, her clinic. While other CEOs hide behind bland press releases, she puts her neck on the line and generates headlines. And in the luxury aesthetics business, visibility is everything.
The truth is that the former 'Survivor' contestant has proven her talent goes far beyond being in front of a camera. She has built an empire in a competitive sector, with numbers that cement her status as one of the most powerful emerging businesswomen in the country. Whether you agree with her views on sick leave is another matter. But as long as her company keeps turning over at a steady rate, she'll continue to have the upper hand and the platform to say it loud and clear.