9. The Scrappy Strategist: How La Tonya Roberts Went from Cosmetologist to COO with La Tonya Roberts

La Tonya Roberts has always had a plan - and the grit to execute it. From running a lemonade stand outside a military base in Alaska at age 7 to pitching her parents with formal PowerPoint presentations for Christmas gifts, La Tonya's scrappiness has always been strategic. Today she's the founder of Harmony Consulting Group, a fractional COO, AI strategist, and host of the podcast Systems That Set You Free - and in this episode she walks us through every pivot that got her there. What we cover: Growing up as an Army Brat across Alaska, Germany, Maryland, and beyond Running childhood businesses with military-grade market research (seriously) From cosmetologist to Booz Allen to Deloitte - and knowing when to leave Going all-in on entrepreneurship in 2020 and hitting $1M in a year What fractional COO work actually looks like and who it's for Helping visionary founders slow down, build systems, and scale Why AI isn't the enemy - it's just a tool that still needs a human "Chatasia" and why naming your AI makes all the difference The lightning round: calendar links, color-coded inboxes, and docking stations Chapters: 0:00 - Welcome & Fun Fact: Crows Hold Grudges 0:53 - Scrappy or Sophisticated? La Tonya Answers 1:00 - Army Brat Upbringing & Entrepreneur Roots 2:31 - Lemonade Stands, Chocolate Bars & Military Market Research 4:35 - PowerPoint Pitches to Parents (and Winning) 7:10 - Raising Negotiators: La Tonya's Kids Turn the Tables 10:04 - Single Mom, Grad School & Building Systems at Home 13:30 - Academic Scholarships, Side Hustles & Cosmetology 19:02 - How La Tonya Found Consulting (Thanks, Dad) 22:07 - Leaving Deloitte, Moving to Atlanta & Going Full-Time in 2021 29:03 - Fractional COO Work: Slowing Down Visionaries 34:46 - Strategy, AI Integration & Operational Excellence 39:14 - Lightning Round: Calendly, ClickUp & Chatasia 47:47 - Where to Find La Tonya & Final Thoughts Connect with La Tonya Roberts: Podcast: Systems That Set You Free (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube) Discover more about La Tonya's fractional COO services and other offerings at https://www.harmonyconsultinggroup.org Follow her on social media for daily inspiration and actionable tips: LinkedIn: https://www.LinkedIn.com/in/La-Tonya-roberts Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelatonyaroberts Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelatonyaroberts TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thelatonyaroberts YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheLaTonyaRoberts Connect with Jack Tompkins: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-tompkins/ Pineapple Consulting Firm: https://www.pineapplecf.com Speaking: https://www.pineapplejacktompkins.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCalnj5yLU0ZH9y_tVl1J4ng