Meet Joy Blackwell | Founder & Principal Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Joy Blackwell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Joy, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
**”Most business owners have no idea that their payroll department is likely their biggest hidden money leak. After 25 years managing payroll operations across industries from oil and gas to staffing, I discovered that growing companies typically waste 2-5% of their total payroll costs—not on salaries or benefits, but on operational inefficiencies that are completely invisible to leadership.

We’re talking about $50,000 to $150,000 annually for a company with 100 employees, money that’s bleeding out through redundant processes, compliance gaps, manual workarounds, and systems that don’t talk to each other. The shocking part? Most payroll service providers never mention this because they profit from the complexity. They process your payroll correctly, but they’re not looking at whether your entire payroll operation is structured efficiently.

What makes this particularly frustrating is that this waste is 100% recoverable. Unlike cutting salaries or benefits, optimizing payroll operations actually improves employee experience while putting money directly back into the business for growth and expansion. Most Houston business owners I talk to are stunned when I show them exactly where their money is going—they had no idea these inefficiencies even existed, let alone that someone could fix them.”

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
OpEx Consulting Group is Texas’s first payroll operational excellence consulting firm, and I’m pioneering an entirely new category of business consulting. What sets my practice apart is simple: while everyone else focuses on payroll processing, I focus on payroll efficiency. I help growing Texas companies discover and reclaim the $50,000 to $150,000…”

My journey to this point spans 25+ years of payroll operations leadership… I managed payroll for companies with thousands of employees… But the real breakthrough came when I started seeing patterns…

The biggest challenge was that I was creating a category that didn’t exist… I had to learn to educate the market while building the business… I had to prove that there’s a massive difference…

What I want the world to know about my practice is that I’m not just another consultant—I’m a problem solver who found money that business owners didn’t even know they were losing.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh, this is easy – I absolutely love showing people what makes Houston special! Here’s my perfect week:

Day 1 – Downtown & Heights Experience:
Start with breakfast at Snooze AM Eatery in the Heights, then explore Washington Avenue for that authentic Houston vibe. Lunch at The Original Ninfa’s on Navigation – you can’t visit Houston without experiencing real Tex-Mex where the fajita was invented. Evening at Discovery Green for outdoor activities, then dinner at The Rustic for live music and that Texas atmosphere.

Day 2 – Museum District & Montrose:
Morning at the Museum of Fine Arts and Contemporary Arts Museum – Houston’s art scene is incredible. Lunch at Hugo’s for elevated Mexican cuisine, then browse the eclectic shops in Montrose. Evening cocktails at Lei Low for tropical drinks, dinner at Uchi for world-class sushi with a Texas twist.

Day 3 – Space City Adventure:
Full day at NASA Johnson Space Center – this is uniquely Houston and absolutely fascinating. It’s where you really appreciate Houston’s role in innovation and problem-solving on a global scale. Lunch at The Rooftop at POST Houston for amazing city views, then explore the Market Squares Park area downtown.

Day 4 – Foodie Tour & East End:
Start with Kolache Shoppe for a Houston breakfast staple, then explore the East End murals and art scene. Lunch at El Tiempo Cantina for incredible fajitas, afternoon at Buffalo Bayou Park for kayaking or walking trails. Evening at 8th Wonder Brewery – Houston’s craft beer scene is phenomenal.

Day 5 – Galleria & River Oaks:
Shopping at The Galleria (because it’s iconic Houston), lunch at North Italia, then drive through River Oaks to see stunning architecture. Evening at The Majestic Square for dinner and drinks – great atmosphere for business networking too, which is huge in Houston’s entrepreneurial community.

Day 6 – Diverse Neighborhoods:
Morning in Chinatown for dim sum at Ocean Palace, explore Bellaire Boulevard for authentic international cuisine. Afternoon in The Woodlands for a different Houston experience – beautiful planned community. Evening back in town at Heights Mercantile for dinner and local shopping.

Day 7 – Houston Classics:
Brunch at Blacksmith in Montrose, then Houston Zoo or Hermann Park. Afternoon at Miller Outdoor Theatre if there’s a show, or explore Rice Village. Final dinner at Pappas Bros. Steakhouse – because Texas steakhouse excellence is non-negotiable!

What I love most about Houston is the diversity and entrepreneurial energy. You’ll meet innovative business owners everywhere – from food truck entrepreneurs to tech startups to traditional industries reinventing themselves. The city has this incredible problem-solving culture, whether it’s NASA engineers or local business owners finding creative solutions. That entrepreneurial spirit is what drew me to start my consulting practice here – Houston businesses aren’t afraid to try new approaches and optimize how they operate.

Plus, the food scene is unmatched – you can eat your way around the world without leaving the city limits!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have to thank the countless business owners who unknowingly taught me this lesson over my 25-year career. Every time a CEO would ask me, ‘Why does payroll have to be so complicated?’ or ‘There has to be a better way to do this,’ they were planting seeds that eventually grew into this business.

Most importantly, I want to thank every Houston business owner willing to have honest conversations about their operational challenges. They’re the ones who confirmed that this hidden money problem exists everywhere, and they’re the reason I knew Texas needed someone dedicated to solving it.

Website: https://www.opexconsultinggroup.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/opexconsultinggroup

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/opex-consulting-group

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/opexconsultinggroup