Why My Work Starts with Leaders (Even When the Work Is HR)

You may have noticed that since launching Alchemy People Solutions, I’ve been posting more about leadership and culture, and less about HR operations, even though much of my past work has lived there.

That shift is intentional.

I’ve built HR functions and systems. I’ve implemented HRIS and payroll transitions. I’ve designed policies and processes meant to support teams and help organizations grow. That work has been meaningful and, in many cases, effective.

But the work that actually changed outcomes looked different.

I’ve worked closely with executive teams who were also my supervisors, experiencing their leadership both as a direct report and in my role in HR. Being in that dual position gave me a close view of how leadership styles show up day-to-day, and how they get passed down through an organization, often without intention. I’ve seen leaders manage the way they like to be managed, assume others learn the way they did, and carry early leadership habits forward as teams scale. These patterns aren’t about capability, they’re signs of missing alignment.

When leaders lean in — listening, championing their teams, and assigning work that fits — systems begin to hold. And when leaders also lean out — trusting their teams, receiving feedback, and allowing themselves to be shaped by the people they lead — something else becomes possible.

I’ve seen again and again these word be true:

When a leader isn’t aligned with their own purpose, values, or direction, no amount of structure can carry an organization forward.

Systems strain. Culture thins. People disengage.

When leaders are aligned, not just intellectually, but in how they make decisions and show up, culture can thrive. Accountability feels shared. Teams move with clarity instead of force.

That realization deepened my commitment to coaching.

Alchemy People Solutions was founded to integrate strategy and purpose into the core of employment for mission-driven organizations. Over time, it became clear that coaching was the missing link—the essential connection between a leader’s internal alignment and the systems, structures, and teams they guide.

I pursued formal coaching training through an ICF-aligned program to strengthen this work, focusing on helping leaders and professionals step fully into their presence and power. My approach supports clients in aligning decisions, actions, and careers with their deepest values, using mindfulness, body awareness, and intentional leadership as practical tools—not abstractions.

Coaching through my consulting practice is an extension of the work I’ve been doing for years. It’s informed by real-world experience, ongoing learning, and close attention to what actually drives results for leaders and their organizations.

If you’re navigating leadership decisions that feel heavier than they should, or noticing that your systems aren’t holding in the way you expected, I’m open to conversation. Sometimes clarity comes not from fixing anything, but from having space to think alongside someone who understands both the human and structural sides of leadership.

I continue to support small and mid-sized nonprofits in building HR foundations, leadership capacity, and people systems, especially when strategic HR isn’t in-house. What’s become clear to me is that when leaders are supported in staying aligned with their purpose, everything else has a better chance of working.