What I do
HR work happens behind the scenes… and we like it that way. As I watched President Biden's Inauguration in 2021, I joked with friends that my dream wasn't to attend the ceremony, but to be part of the team at the White House getting offices ready for the real work to begin once the parties come to an end.
That's where I thrive: doing the behind-the-scenes work to make it easier for folks to do their jobs, so they can focus on taking care of the communities they serve.
But it turns out, when you run your own HR consulting business, you need to be able to market yourself and your work, which can be a challenge when so much of the real work happens out of the spotlight.
So I want to tell you a little more about what I do at aedHR, with hopes that you'll better understand when to bring me in, and why HR roles matter for creating change.
My partners
The organizations I work with are my partners, not my clients. Why? We're in this together. HR is woven into every aspect of an organization. It doesn’t exist “over there” in a silo – it needs to be integrated.
I get to know each organization I work with deeply – their mission, goals, and collaboration styles. This relationship-building matters because I want HR policies to feel natural to your team, not like something pulled from a textbook.
We are putting the human back in “human resources.”
Since 2023, I've primarily partnered with progressive nonprofits (501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4)), plus some startups calling back to my tech days from 2015-2020. I’ve worked with organizations ranging from 1 person shops to teams with 100 employees. Generally, my partners have brought me in because they are undergoing some type of change or transition, which is a key time to provide additional support for their people.
Some partners have existing People or Operations teams that need additional bandwidth. Others have no people team at all, so I serve as their fractional HR department.
And the picture is not complete without also singing the praises of the amazing subcontractors I work with. HR has so many specialties that being able to rely on colleagues who have specific experience with things like payroll, benefits, and executive coaching has been crucial to providing my partners with the thorough support they deserve.
My favorite projects
It’s sometimes difficult to highlight my work, because there’s rarely A Singular Obvious Solution. But that’s what I love about it. I really value the complexity of the projects I get to work on: the puzzle, the trust building, and the creativity make the results all the more rewarding for my partners and for me.
Here’s a few examples of recent projects that I found challenging and enjoyable:
Spin outs
Small nonprofits often start within fiscal sponsorship organizations that provide guidance and resources, enabling them to test ideas without getting lost in operational weeds. However, at some point, they are ready to take on those responsibilities and exist outside of the fiscal sponsor organization, and that is when they “spin out” (the term used to describe moving from a fiscal sponsorship to an independent organization).
I've helped four organizations spin out in the last two years, each following a different path based on their values, funding, size, and future plans. I start by learning what worked well within the fiscal sponsorship and what didn't, so we avoid repeating problems and we move towards sustainable solutions.
Then I research options – connecting with software vendors, benefits providers, and brokers – before presenting recommendations. I discuss the options with the leadership and decide the best path forward together. Oftentimes, I will stay on to provide ongoing support after the transition is complete, but not all partners require external HR support afterwards, and they carry on doing incredible work.
Why I love this work: Spin outs are an opportunity to get to know organizations deeply and get creative with "HR Basics" so that they authentically reflect the organization’s values. I can also integrate my own values, like recommending health insurance plans that cover gender-affirming care and designing generous parental leave policies. These choices are easier to implement when organizations are "starting fresh" and they create strong foundations for scaling while caring for teams.
Performance concerns
It's uncomfortable saying I enjoy working with performance concerns, because it’s not like it’s fun. But I value these projects because I've seen performance processes go wrong so many times and I'm grateful to offer a different perspective.
Performance Improvement Plans (PIPs) and firing people is almost never my starting point. If organizations just want to fire someone, I make it clear that this does not align with my values.
I've worked with teams concerned about performance at individual, team, and organizational levels. No matter the circumstances, my first step is to have conversations. There's always something beneath performance issues – burnout, trust problems, poor communication, unclear expectations. By addressing the underlying issues head on, performance improves because it was a symptom of those deeper issues, not the cause.
Why I love this work: We don't have to do things the way they've "always been done." Identifying and addressing root causes is more humane and tends to match the values of organizations I work with. It solves the problems rather than just removing the people experiencing them, and it builds stronger, higher-performing teams in the long term.
Hiring
Hiring was my entry into HR and remains one of my favorite parts. Finding equitable and inclusive ways to evaluate new team members creates sustainable organizations that accomplish amazing things.
I spend considerable time with hiring partners crafting inclusive job descriptions and rubrics that will allow us to evaluate candidates equitably. We examine current team skillsets and identify gaps new hires can fill. We design interviews that represent the actual job that candidates will be doing, and we want them to leave the interview with a better sense for how this role fits into their larger career path. Interviews are a two-way street: candidates are interviewing us as much as we're interviewing them!
Why I love this work: Progressive nonprofits cannot create change without their people. Fresh perspectives help teams find new ways to engage the communities they serve, and helping organizations find the best people to do the work feels like one of the most impactful ways I can contribute.
What now?
Now you know more about what I do and how I approach it. If something resonates with the challenges your organization is facing, let's talk about whether I can help.
