Why business owners call me before things get messy

"They said I’d never amount to much. So I became a CIPD Fellow."

This one sentence sums up a lifetime of proving people wrong.

I didn’t take the traditional route into HR.I grew up on a council estate in Cardiff, where money was tight, chaos was normal, and expectations were low. School didn’t exactly go to plan.

I still remember a careers adviser looking at me and saying:

“You’ll probably never amount to much.”

I didn’t believe it. I knew I’d prove them wrong.

From Grit to Growth

It took 25 years, a degree, a postgraduate qualification, and a lot of grit to get where I am today, earning my place as a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD. No shortcuts. No handouts.

And in that time, I learned something you can’t get from a textbook: how people really work, what motivates them, what burns them out, and how quickly small issues can spiral into big ones if they’re ignored.

Why This Matters to You as a Business Owner

You might think HR is for large companies with big offices. But here’s the truth: HR problems often start small, and in small businesses, they hurt more.

• That employee who’s brilliant at their job but keeps upsetting others.

• The “friendly” arrangement that isn’t in writing and backfires later.

• That uneasy feeling that you’re not handling something quite right.

These are all HR problems. And the longer they’re left, the harder, and more expensive, they get to fix.

A Real-World Example – Professional Services

An accountancy practice called me when two senior associates had stopped speaking. What began as a disagreement over client deadlines spiralled into missed handovers, frosty silences in meetings, and low morale.

The owner worried about losing one of them, both had specialist knowledge and client relationships that would be hard to replace.

I stepped in, facilitated structured conversations, reset expectations, and put agreements in writing. Within six weeks, deadlines were back on track and clients noticed the improved communication.

Left unresolved, they’d have faced client loss, recruitment costs, and a dent in their professional reputation.

A Real-World Example – Office-Based

A small marketing agency reached out when their office manager started refusing to work with a newly hired project lead. The tension was subtle at first, ignored emails, ‘forgetting’ to share files, but it escalated until clients were noticing delays.

We dug into the root cause, realigned responsibilities, and introduced a simple reporting process so they didn’t step on each other’s toes. Two months later, deadlines were being met, clients were happy, and the office felt like a team again.

Why My Background Helps Me Help You

I know what it’s like to be underestimated. I know what it’s like to work hard for every step forward. And I know how important it is to feel respected and supported at work.

That’s the perspective I bring to my HR work: clarity when things feel messy, calm when tensions run high, and the confidence to handle what’s next.

📥 Free Resource: Download my guide: 5 HR Mistakes That Could Cost You Your Business

📞 Book a free 15-minute HR Check-In – let’s see if you’ve got a small problem brewing before it turns into a big one.