From HR Director to Grandmother, Artist and Mentor: My Unconventional Career Map

What if you could build a business so resilient that it could thrive even as you step back to paint, walk your dog, and savor time with your grandchildren? It sounds like a dream, but it’s the reality I crafted after 18 years as an HR Director. It started with a single client in 2003 and grew into a referral platform powered by the most valuable currency we have: trust. This is how I learned that the best business models aren’t just built on strategy—they’re built on heart.

For 18 years, I was an HR Director in the hospitality industry. I loved it. But in 2003, I took a leap of faith and founded Executive HR Consulting Group.

For a decade, I was a solo consultant. I built trust, one client at a time. Then, business boomed. The demand became a welcome challenge I couldn’t meet alone. So, I did what HR does best: I built a team. I reached out to the brilliant professionals I’d worked with before, and they joined me.

Our growth was organic, powered by referrals and word-of-mouth—the highest compliment. For twenty years, we grew. But I faced a new question: How could I step back without closing the door on everything I’d built?

The answer was a pivot, not an ending.

In 2022, I reconnected with the incredible network I’d built over 38 years. I transitioned my clients to the amazing ECG consultants who served them so well. Then, I transformed my company website into a referral platform.

Today, ECG Consulting Group is a curated hub. It connects businesses with a portfolio of extraordinary HR consultants, employment attorneys, benefits and payroll providers. Need the right expert? Visit the site, click ‘Learn More,’ and ‘Contact Now’ to connect directly. https://executivehrconsulting.com/hr-consultants.

This evolution allowed me to preserve what matters most:

• Our Annual Hospitality Survey, which began with 30 LA hotels in 2003 and now serves hundreds nationwide, and continues to provide critical industry data.
• Our Employee Integrity Hotline remains a vital, toll-free resource for employees to voice concerns to an independent third party, ensuring every voice is heard.

Most importantly, this shift gave me a new purpose: paying it forward.

I now have the time to mentor the next generation of HR consultants. If you’re dreaming of starting your own practice, I want to help. From sound business foundations to engagement letters, I offer guidance from a place of experience.

My own leap led me here: to more time with my grandchildren, walks with my dog Theo, and the space to finally nurture my passion for oil painting in my half-office, half-art studio.

Leaving corporate was the best decision I ever made. It built a legacy that now supports others and gifted me a life of freedom and creativity.

My story is proof that you can build something beautiful, let it evolve, and still find time to create your next chapter. Spread your wings. Your future is waiting.

Inspired to start your own journey? Explore the ECG platform or reach out to connect directly.