The Human Side of HR: A Path to Purposeful Leadership

Join Molly Baker, founder of Indie Consulting, for a conversation with a special guest who shares their journey from perfectionist tendencies to entrepreneurial growth. In this episode, you’ll hear how they built a career in HR, why transparency and listening are at the core of their leadership style, and how they help businesses rethink HR as more than compliance. From scaling a services company to balancing vulnerability and strength as a leader, this conversation offers practical advice for founders, managers, and anyone navigating the human side of business.

MB (Molly Baker): Rapid fire to start. What is one thing on your bucket list?
ES (Erin Spencer): A month in Italy. Every city big and small. Live like a local and eat everything.

MB: If you could be famous for anything what would it be?
ES: An artist like a Monet. Work that makes people feel calm and stands the test of time.

MB: What was your favorite TV show as a kid?
ES: Saved by the Bell. Light and fun. I also loved old school Saturday morning cartoons like He Man and She Ra.

MB: What is your go to coffee order?
ES: Nonfat caramel macchiato. I like caramel more than chocolate in coffee.

MB: If there were a movie about your life what would it be called?
ES: Get shit done. A giant checklist from morning to night.

MB: What is top of mind for you professionally today?
ES: Shifting how people view HR. Many still see compliance and rule policing. I am pushing for HR as coaches, connectors and strategic partners. The profession has been moving this way for decades and we keep working at it.

MB: Brag a little. What are you really good at outside of work?
ES: Elaborate cakes. Fondant buttercream works. It is my creative outlet.

MB: What has been the most pivotal moment in your career?
ES: Realizing I wanted to work for myself. A series of experiences made it clear. I loved one company’s mission but not the day to day. A CEO change showed how leadership fit can derail things. I dipped my toe into consulting for ten months before fully jumping. That made me ready.

MB: What early career advice stuck with you?
ES: Play out the what happens next path until the fear loses power then acts. Also decide and move forward while reserving the right to change your mind. Perfectionism freezes progress. You can learn and adjust.

MB: What habit most contributes to your success?
ES: Transparent over communication. Put the pink elephant in the room. Say what I know, what I do not and when I will follow up. Invite questions. Be vulnerable.

MB: What other qualities matter in a strong leader?
ES: Listening openness and making space for real feedback. Balance autonomy with support. Do not get stuck in how we have always done it.

MB: What relationship has impacted you most professionally?
ES: A senior mentor who invested in leadership training and gave clear feedback. Also my longtime coworker Brit who is the other half of my brain. Yin and yang.

MB: Who are you and what does your company do?
ES: I am Erin Spencer of Edgebrook Lane Consulting. We provide fractional HR. Either we are the full HR department or we deliver project and training support. We partner with clients coast to coast.

MB: What motivated you to start Edgebrook Lane?
ES: Smaller businesses often need HR expertise without a full time hire. I kept seeing that gap. Fractional support fills it so owners can reach their goals.

MB: Best and hardest parts of building the company so far?
ES: Best is building a great team. Hardest is scaling a services model. Projects end and I carry most business development which can feel like being the single point of failure. Larger multi consultant projects add coordination complexity.

MB: How have you handled replacing yourself in the work?
ES: We named a director to lead the team when I became a bottleneck on compliance questions. It freed my time which felt uncomfortable at first. We often equate worth with busyness. The space let me focus on the next evolution of my role.

MB: Biggest misconception about HR today?
ES: That HR controls everything or exists only for rules. We are influencers and conduits. We advise on legal cultural and strategic implications and facilitate the hard conversations. Managers and employees still have to engage directly. No silver bullets. Alignment sometimes means coaching someone out respectfully.

MB: How do you experience being a female founder?
ES: It depends. Sometimes full support. Sometimes competitive vibes. Day to day our field is female heavy so fewer hurdles there. I try to enter rooms without assumptions and let the experience prove itself.

MB: How do you keep growing as a leader?
ES: Peer CEO groups reading podcasts and constant cross industry conversations. I learn a lot from product led and service led leaders alike.

MB: What is next for Edgebrook Lane?
ES: More large project based work and a deeper focus on HR technology for companies from about twenty employees to a few thousand. Many lack bandwidth to optimize their stack. We help them do more with less and run faster without adding headcount.

MB: How do you stay on top of industry and tech needs?
ES: Relationships with HR tech peers and HR leaders pattern spotting across conversations, conferences and client work. When the same pain points repeat we build solutions.

MB: At twenty one did you picture this career?
ES: Not at all. I studied marketing, worked retail, transferred to DC and was recruited into recruiting. That pulled me into HR. I earned certifications and chased opportunities from there.

Find Erin on Linkedin!

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