The People Efficient Story
I always say my son, JP, saved my life before he was even born. It was July 6th, 2005, when I went round to my friends and found out I was 34 weeks pregnant! The very next day? The London bombings. I would’ve been at King’s Cross, right in the middle of it all, if my friend hadn’t invited me to hers.
My life in London, living fast and carefree, filled with my first love (acting), loud music, and late nights, took a hard left.
Acting was out. I dove into HR, working my way up from scratch to make sure we were okay. And we were. JP and I became a team. But, it was a struggle in the beginning. Money was tight. Oxford's rent was sky-high and JP's nursery cost as much as my rent! The classic beans on toast for the last week of the month situation.
Being a single mum made me tough and resourceful. I had to be. There was no time to feel sorry for myself, or hobbies or a social life.
I didn’t resent it, and I wasn’t bitter. I kept pushing forward, juggling work and being a mum. I focused on hitting my goals, getting that bonus, and moving up the ladder. But the more successful I became, the further I felt from the person I used to be.
I kind of blagged my way into my first big management role at Gi Group. No management skills, only sheer keenness. Next thing I know, I’m handed a team of 12 and then put in charge of 1,000 employees. Overwhelmed doesn’t even begin to cover it. I felt like I was juggling a hundred things at once, and all while being a single mum.
But somehow, I made it work. I cut my teeth fast, and that’s where the real learning began.
After 15 years at Gi Group, I burned out. HR was all-consuming. And, it wasn't acting. Instead of scripts and stages, I was drowning in policies, procedures and risks.
Managing a massive region of thousands employees wasn't the people-focused job everyone thinks HR is. Sure, you see the best in people, but you also see the worst. The endless uphill battle to prove myself in a male-dominated business caught up to me.
Then COVID hit. The world stopped. So did I.
That’s when I realised: I couldn’t keep sacrificing myself for a career that was draining me. So, I took the plunge. I started People Efficient—a people-first, agile HR business—and finally, I found my way back to who I wanted to be.
In HR, I noticed a pattern: outdated processes, heavy bureaucracy, and rigid structures were slowing everything down. You’ve seen it—you might even be stuck in it. The inefficiencies, the red tape, and, worst of all, employees feeling trapped in a system that didn’t value their contributions.
I found I could combine my HR expertise with my passion for acting to help businesses improve. Acting gave me the creativity and communication skills that businesses needed to break out of the rigid mould. Now, I’m helping companies become more agile while getting back to the stage—doing what I love. It wasn’t easy, but it was the best decision I ever made.
And hopefully, I will soon get to be YOUR People Problem Solver!
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People Efficient Ltd
Tarn House, 77 High Street,
Yeadon, Leeds,
LS19 7SP
Company Number: 11872409
Contact us
support@peopleefficient.co.uk
07397 557761
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