Katie Elliott, known professionally as HR Katie, is a human resources expert supporting startups and scale-ups with the people side of running a business.

With over 15 years of HR experience and 11 years of motherhood behind her, she has come to understand that leading a team and raising small humans have more in common than most people expect.

In this episode, we explore the human side of HR, the surprising parallels between parenting and people management and what it really means to show up as a whole person in business, even when life feels hard. It's a conversation about instinct, resilience, financial independence and the quiet strength it takes to keep going when professional and personal worlds collide.

In this conversation, we explore:

✨ How Katie took the leap from employment to entrepreneurship without a business plan and built a thriving practice by trusting her instincts and listening to her clients

✨ The specific HR challenges that small businesses and one-woman bands face when they begin to grow and why specialist support can make all the difference

✨ Why personal connection is at the heart of effective HR and how that sets small business support apart from the corporate model

✨ Navigating conflict resolution in small teams and the delicate balance between professional boundaries and human understanding

✨ The striking overlaps between parenting and managing employees and what each teaches us about the other

✨ What to consider before hiring your first employee and why onboarding is one of the most important investments a growing business can make

✨ The relationship between financial independence, financial literacy and the confidence to keep going when life gets hard

✨ Why life and business are not separate entities for mothers and how drawing strength from both can carry us through our most challenging seasons

About the Guest:

Katie Elliott is an HR specialist and founder of HR Katie, supporting startups and scale-ups with practical, honest people management advice. With over 15 years of experience in human resources, she helps business owners navigate team growth, conflict resolution, onboarding and the everyday complexity of leading people well. A mother of two, Katie brings both professional expertise and genuine warmth to her work and is a passionate advocate for showing up as a whole person in business.

You can connect with Katie via her website, Instagram or LinkedIn.

About The Host:

I’m Victoria Phipps – a Mum of two, analogue family photographer, personal brand photographer, educator, charity co-founder, marketer and now podcaster! 🎙️

I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis!

I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams.

Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website for full show notes.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoriaphippsmbe or @mummeansbusinesspodcast.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5* rating and review!

39: Demystifying HR and Leading with Heart When Life Gets Hard with Katie Elliott