How Laura Turned Redundancy into a People Operations Consultancy for Scaling Startups

I started at Aldi straight out of university, managing an area of up to four stores at a time, each with teams of around fifty people. Then I moved to Just Eat overseeing London courier drivers, and then to Evri, the largest parcel distribution company in the UK, managing four London depots with 100-plus people per site, and hundreds of thousands of parcels moving through every day. I eventually moved into HR from there.

What makes my pathway different is that I did not start in HR. I walked the shop floor first, quite literally, and that means I bring something most HR consultants do not: real operational experience alongside the people's expertise. I did not intentionally plan either path. I was fortunate enough to find myself in this career, and I am glad I did.

I was leading the talent development function at Evri, managing apprenticeships, graduate programmes, and internal development plans from executive leaders down to depot operatives, when a round of redundancies came. I could have seen it as a setback. Instead, I made a conscious decision to reframe it as an opportunity. Honestly, a big part of starting Novature was not wanting to feel vulnerable again. The redundancy showed me how quickly things can change inside an organisation, and I did not want to put myself in that position a second time.

But it was not just protection. I genuinely wanted to build something that used my skills properly, gave me purpose, and offered the flexibility to work in a way that suited me. Is it the easy route? Probably not. In hindsight it is harder than I expected. But I have loved every minute of it.

Novature specialises in people operations, the strategic side of HR. Our tagline sums it up: confident people make decisions, at every stage of growth. We work with founders and scaling businesses to build strong people and HR foundations, legally and operationally.

What makes us different is that we do not just advise or consult. We audit, plan, and implement. We roll up our sleeves, get into the details, and embed the systems and processes until they become part of how the business runs day to day. You cannot be everywhere at once. That is the problem we solve.

I was still in my redundancy period, building the foundations of the business, when my former employer became one of my first clients. Another came through an apprenticeship provider I had worked with during my time in employment. I essentially had a client on the cards before I had even launched. It was a real reminder of how much networks matter. The relationships I had built over the years paid off almost immediately.

I wish I had recognised the power of that existing network much earlier. Not going out and actively networking, but leaning on the connections I already had. Asking for advice, asking for introductions. I could have done that so much sooner. Do not underestimate what you already have around you.

I use Claude and Notion together to turn around proposals much faster than I ever could before. Answering these very questions, I was dictating my answers to Claude and it shaped my wording into something more coherent. I also use AI to transcribe meetings and pull out actions afterwards, which has been a genuine game changer. It means I can be more present in client meetings, listening and asking better questions, without worrying that I have not noted everything down properly.

Beyond that, I use HeyReach for lead generation and outreach sequencing, Prospeo for lead building, Gamma for presentations, Canva for design, and GoHighLevel for my website and landing pages. The key is linking as many of these as possible into one hub like Notion so your processes are automated and everything runs from one place rather than across ten different tabs. And if you have not got a meeting notetaker yet, get one.

Developing all the skills you need beyond what you deliver. I am not a marketer, but I have had to upskill quickly. Finances: I had always worked in corporations with finance departments handling everything. Now I am in the finance department. The big lesson has been realizing I do not have to be good at everything. Bring in the right help rather than doing a poor job yourself. Get marketing advice from someone who knows marketing. And get a good accountant. Do not mess around with that one.

The other mistake I learned the hard way came from being an operator at heart. My instinct is to jump straight to the solution. But that is not how selling works. People want to feel heard first. They want to know you understand where they are coming from, that you can see a pathway through their situation, and that they can trust you. The solution only lands once that foundation is there.

Being able to walk the dog when I want to walk the dog, not at five in the morning because I need to be on the road by six. Fitting gym classes around my schedule rather than rushing to squeeze a workout in at the end of a long day. It sounds simple, but it is the small things that add up. I am completely in control of my own diary. I do a lot of networking and being able to choose which events to attend and where to spend my time has been incredibly freeing.

It is a gamble, but you are gambling on yourself, so I think the odds are pretty good. It is completely normal to have moments of self-doubt and it really is a rollercoaster at times. But if you have a good support network around you, it is one of the most brilliant things you can do. And the worst case scenario? You can always go back and get a job. I think people forget that sometimes.

If you have a genuine passion, or an expertise that people want, and it is something you truly want to do, then go for it. The benefits are real. I could not recommend it more.

Look at your network. Who is already in it? Who are your second connections? Start talking to people, get their thoughts, and ask them honestly: would they buy what you are thinking of offering? Your network is going to be your biggest asset, especially in those early days.

Get a mentor. Find someone who is a few years ahead of you on the self-employed journey. It can be daunting and it can be isolating, and having someone who has already navigated that path makes a real difference. My virtual door is always open if anyone is contemplating leaving the corporate world. It is something I wish I had had more of when I was starting out.