Building a product-based business brings endless “people operations” challenges: unclear roles, onboarding confusion, turnover, and the myth that formal people-ops equals “corporate.” In this week’s She Sells Differently episode, Kerri Roberts of Salt & Light Advisors shatters that myth and shares a blueprint for small-business people operations that empower your team—and free up your time.
Kerri’s resume—from healthcare HR to COO/CMO roles and then launching her own firm in April 2023—proves that strategic people operations can thrive anywhere. Her courage to leave a high-paying C-suite role and build a business on her own terms teaches us that confidence in people-ops comes only after “doing it scared.”
But freedom doesn’t mean chaos. Even a two-person shop needs:
- Defined Roles & SOPs for every essential task
- Onboarding Rituals at 30/60/90 days to set expectations
- Performance Metrics to keep small teams aligned
- Tech Stack Clarity—no overlapping tools
- Culture Touchpoints—monthly check-ins, peer forums, gratitude rituals
Want a no-fluff way to get started? Open ChatGPT, hit record on your mic, and talk through your people-ops mess. The AI will spit back a draft org chart, SOP templates, and a roadmap. Then level up by joining Kerri’s HR in a Box for monthly lessons, Q&A, and a dedicated people-ops network. For deeper support, her fractional people operations audits pinpoint your gaps and deliver a prioritized action plan.
👉 Listen now to build people operations that support real growth—and reclaim your freedom to do what you love.
Andee Hart is an award-winning sales executive who walked away from traditional success to reinvent how product-based businesses grow. After nearly 20 years in corporate America, she turned a kitchen-counter candle experiment into Hart Design Co, a wholesale brand carried by hundreds of boutiques across North America. That experience became the foundation for She Sells Differently, where Andee is teaching emerging product brand owners to redefine what it means to sell by serving with excellence, growing with strategic purpose, and shining as a light in the marketplace.
