January 12, 2026
Molley Ricketts sat down with Erin Mitchell, the Chief of Staff at Barnes Young Wealth Advisors. They discuss managing culture during a major merger that will grow Barnes Young from 19 to 55 people. With a background in political science, Erin discovered that her empathetic yet direct personality was a perfect fit for HR, where she prioritizes being able to step into other people’s shoes. She is particularly proud of the culture she has helped cultivate and aims to maintain that sense of community across their expanding office locations.
Erin believes the key to overcoming HR stigmas is building deep trust, acting as a transparent “middle woman” between the leadership team and the rest of the staff. She noted that while building trust is a foundation for success, it can be a double-edged sword when team members rely on her so much that she must guide them on how to handle situations themselves. If budget were no object, Erin would provide leadership training to every single employee, regardless of whether they are in a formal management role. She believes emotional intelligence, feedback skills, and career pathing are essential for everyone to lead within their own departments.
Erin left this question for the next guest: “What are some tips of the trade or success stories for enhancing culture and relationships among multiple office locations?”.
To learn more, visit: blueprint.nm.com
Erin Mitchell, thanks for stopping by to speak with us!
That’s where we’ll leave the conversation for today. Before we close the file, we invite you to reach out to us with questions, suggestions or other comments. We’d love to hear from you.
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By Jason Heflin
Jason Heflin is one of CrowdSouth’s owning Partners and brings years of marketing experience from his past lives as a corporate marketing manager, writer, and freelancer. He also plays the ukulele for fun, which is cool.