Why I’m Here

I never thought I’d be someone who struck out on my own.  I mean, sure - being your own boss is the dream.  But it’s also scary!  Corporate life is a trade-off; you have a steady paycheck, but you have to play by someone else’s rules.  They want you in-office 5 days a week?  Convinced that hot desks or an open office plan is what’s best?  Your cubemate has a steady fish-in-the-microwave-on-Wednesdays habit?   If you want that check direct deposited every two weeks, you make sacrifices.

That’s a bit tongue-in-cheek, but the point is you don’t have control over your work and your life 40+ hours a week.  Almost 20 years into my career, I’ve learned that I crave more control and independence than the corporate world provides. I’ve worked in small businesses, medium-sized businesses, one very, very large business (I absolutely hated it - it’s the one “blip” on my resume - but that’s another blog post), and one thing has always been true.  That start-up/growth atmosphere is what gets me going.  

If you’ve ever interviewed for a job with me, you’ve likely heard me use the phrase “we’re building the ship while we’re sailing it”...meaning we’re figuring things out as we go.  Some people want to go to work, execute a manual, and go home.  I want to write the manual, execute the manual, and think about how I can continue to tweak the manual as the job/company grows.  

Inevitably, that stage ends.  Maybe the company gets sold.  Maybe you’ve influenced all the change you’re able to influence.  Maybe you learn that the culture and values of your company just don’t vibe with your own.  Then, it’s back to square one, and likely being at the mercy of an ATS system scanning your resume for keywords.

Beyond that, I also truly believe that there is a need for the experience I bring to the table.  There are so many small and growing businesses out there that need HR support, whether they know it or not.  In one position I held in a past life, professional-level HR was brought in pretty late in the game, with HR functions being absorbed by other departments.  By the time I got there, there was just so much to fix/clean up that I always felt behind the 8-ball.  By the time I moved on, I had accomplished a ton - but I never got the company fully “caught up”.  My goal is to work with businesses to eliminate the need for HR catchup, and set them up for success while they grow and beyond.

Yes, everyone loves being able to use their own bathroom, their own kitchen, not having to smell microwaved fish on Wednesdays, and unloading the dishwasher* between meetings.   We all have parts of our jobs that we love, and parts of our jobs that we could do without…creature comforts aside, THAT is why I’m working to build an HR consulting business**.

This blog is going to be where you can get to know me a little better.  I’ll write about my career in HR, some of the lessons I’ve learned, some of the crazy things I’ve seen - with identifying details changed to protect the (not so) innocent.  HR professionals are often seen as dry, boring, and the workplace equivalent of the principal’s office.  That is everything I try hard NOT to be.  This blog will be written by me, representing who I am as an HR professional AND as a person.  If you read a few blog posts, you should walk away with a good idea of my style and how I approach things. 

*originally I wrote “throw in a load of laundry between meetings”, but anyone who knows me knows I absolutely hate laundry and am married to a saint that handles the laundry in our home

**for transparency’s sake, I am still looking for a corporate role - for now.  While I’d love to work for myself full-time, I know it’s going to take time to build this thing!

And, finally, I do not own the rights to this song, but it’s a banger - please enjoy!