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Advising

Strategy for founders and people leaders who want to retain their team and maintain momentum as they grow.

When the cracks start to show, get perspective, clarity, and systems that help your team scale with less friction and greater impact.

Book a strategy call

Get a second set of eyes

You're scaling fast or going through a period of change and would benefit from strategic guidance. Experienced insight on the People decisions that shape how your company grows.

Whether you need ongoing guidance or focused support on a specific challenge, I help you make confident decisions that keep culture and momentum strong.

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People programs I help you build and scale

  • New hire onboarding

    Your new hires shouldn't spend weeks figuring out how things work. Build onboarding that creates clarity and momentum from day one.

  • Manager role design

    Adding managers won't solve your problems if the role isn't designed right. Know when you actually need management layers and what those roles should do.

  • Leadership alignment

    Your team can't move fast if your leaders aren't on the same page. Align on culture, priorities, and how decisions get made.

  • Culture definition

    Your culture is happening whether you define it or not. Make it intentional through clear values, norms, and expectations that improve how work gets done.

  • Communication

    Too many meetings, too many messages, too much noise. Design communication systems that create clarity without burning people out.

  • Org design

    Adding headcount without rethinking structure creates chaos. Design roles and reporting lines that enable growth, not slow it down.

  • Performance and growth

    Stop losing high performers because they don't see a path forward. Make it clear how performance is measured and how people advance.

  • AI integration

    Don't add AI for the sake of it. Use it strategically to reduce noise, improve clarity, and help your team do their best work.

Advising partnership built for startups and scale-ups.

With me, you get a partner who’s genuinely invested in your success.

Someone who cares about your business, your people, and gets up to speed fast so you can see impact right away. I bring strategic guidance tailored to your company and stage, without the 100-page decks or buzzwords—just clear, practical support that moves the needle.

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Monthly retainer

An ongoing partnership for all your people and culture needs. Typical engagements start at 10-15 hours per month with a minimum 8-week commitment. You get a private booking link to schedule time when you need it—strategy sessions, program building, troubleshooting, or working through specific challenges. I'm in your Slack and available for quick guidance between sessions.

Best for: Companies that need ongoing strategic support without hiring a full-time People leader.

Investment: Starting at $2,500/month (based on hours and scope).

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Project based

Best if you have a specific area you need to move the needle on. Common projects include:

  • Manager role definition and enablement

  • Ways of Working handbook

  • Performance framework design

We define scope, timeline, and deliverables upfront.

Best for: Companies ready to tackle a specific challenge with clear outcomes.

Investment: Based on scope.

What others are saying

  • "Amber has the unique ability to really dive into the details while also keeping hold of the big picture and not lose track of the "why's". That's harder said than done in tech, especially at startups."

    Linda Biggs, CEO and Co-founder

    GET JONI

Why this work matters

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When you get people and culture systems right, you:

→ Retain your best people
→ Make decisions that drive performance
→ Avoid costly missteps

→ Maintain speed as you scale
→ Build culture that attracts top talent
→ Increase productivity and impact

According to PwC research, 77% of executives say the ability to hire and retain talent is most critical to achieving growth. The People decisions you make now play a large role in the success of scaling.

Frequently asked questions

  • My advising works best for companies with 10-150+ employees who are actively growing. Smaller teams often don't need formal culture systems yet. Larger companies usually need more specialized change management. The sweet spot is companies feeling growing pains where informal culture is breaking down, but you're not ready for enterprise-level solutions.

  • Traditional HR focuses on foundational systems: hiring, pay, compliance, policies. That work matters, but it's not my focus.

    My work is strategic and embedded with leadership. I focus on how people actually work day-to-day: how teams make decisions, how leaders align and model performance, how culture shows up in real moments.

    If you already have an HR partner managing operations, this work complements theirs. I strengthen the people and culture side by working closely with founders and leadership teams to shape the experiences that drive performance.

  • Yes, most of my clients are distributed teams. Remote culture design is especially important, because informal communication doesn't happen naturally. I specialize in advising on communication systems, decision-making processes, and connection strategies that work across time zones and work styles.

Have a question I didn’t answer?

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Ready to scale on purpose?

Let's talk about where you are, what you're facing, and how I can help.

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