HR is not the enemy. But if you've spent two minutes on TikTok, you'd think otherwise.
In this episode of Leading Through Growth, Tony Sanders sits down with Angie Woods, Executive Vice President at Gregory and Appel, to set the record straight. With 30 years of HR experience, Angie has seen it all — and she's here to challenge every misconception you've heard about HR being the "no police" or only existing to protect the company.
This isn't a defensive take. It's a candid, grounded conversation about what HR actually does in a fast-growth environment, how to attract and onboard the right people when everything is changing, and why vulnerability isn't just a leadership buzzword — it's a survival skill.
Angie shares how she's leading HR at a company that's scaling fast, stretching people without breaking them, and building a culture where growth is the norm. She also opens up about her experience with Rebecca's Rise and Thrive community and what it took to stand on stage and tell her story in front of hundreds of people.
What you'll learn:
• Why fast growth environments aren't for everyone and how to be honest about that upfront
• The rubber band analogy: how to stretch your people without breaking them
• Why hiring slow and intentional beats desperate hiring every single time
• How competencies tie hiring, onboarding, development, and performance together into one system
• What HR can learn from marketing when it comes to messaging and communication
• Why vulnerability is a gift we give to ourselves and the people we lead
• The truth behind TikTok's HR myths and how to rebuild trust when it's been broken
If you're leading HR, partnering with HR, or just trying to figure out how to grow your company without losing your people, this episode will give you a new perspective.
Guest: Angie Woods, Executive Vice President at Gregory and Appel
00:00:00 Intro
00:00:41 The Reality of Fast-Paced Growth Culture
00:02:24 Preparing People for Growth: The Rubber Band Strategy
00:02:49 The 70-20-10 Learning Model and Leading Through Change
00:06:23 How HR Found Me: 30 Years in Human Resources
00:07:56 The Marketing Mindset in HR: Speaking the Language of Business
00:09:51 Strategic HR: Beyond Compliance to Growth Partner
00:12:27 Building Leaders Through Weekly Development Sessions
00:13:33 Intentional Hiring: Attracting the Right Talent for Growth
00:17:45 Learning from Hiring Misses Without Blame or Shame
00:18:50 The Competency System: From Hiring to Performance
00:20:35 The Rise and Thrive Experience: Seven Months of Transformation
00:25:46 Vulnerability as a Gift: Sharing Your Story on Stage
00:27:39 Connection Through Growth: The Emerging Theme
00:28:37 HR Is Not the Enemy: Clearing Up TikTok Misconceptions
00:30:54 HR as Servant Leaders: Problem Solvers, Not the No Police
00:33:56 Outro
#HumanResources #LeadershipDevelopment #TalentStrategy #FastGrowth #LeadingThroughGrowth