Cake, Crisis & Compliance: A Decade in HR

Ten years ago, I was sitting at my Harry Potter desk under the stairs with redundancy papers in one hand and cake in the other, agreeing to “give consulting a go” for six months.

Well. Those six months escalated.

In this special anniversary episode of Buzzing About HR, I look back on the last ten years of building Kate Underwood HR. From burnout and uncertainty to building a business that supports small companies through the people stuff that keeps them awake at night.

I talk about what those ten years have really taught me. Not the polished business-owner version. The real version. Like learning that not every client is your client. That some people expect HR support, and others seem to want a referee for family politics and Christmas bonus arguments. The pandemic had some of us working flat out while the rest of the internet was making banana bread.

At the heart of it all, one thing has never changed. Small businesses deserve proper HR support. Not watered-down advice. Not scary legal jargon. Not big business prices. Just practical, commercially sensible help that actually works in the real world.

What has changed is how we deliver it. Online training. Fractional HR Director support. Better systems. Smarter tech. More ways to make compliance feel manageable instead of miserable.

I also share what I have learned about people. That policies matter, but honest conversations matter more. That recognition is not fluffy nonsense; it is often the reason people stay. And that the best HR work is not about sounding impressive. It is about making difficult things feel clearer, calmer, and more human.

Mostly, though, this episode is a thank you. To clients, listeners, supporters, and everyone who has been part of this slightly chaotic, cake-fuelled journey.

Subscribe, have a listen, and come with me into the next chapter. There is still plenty more buzzing to do.

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Until next time, keep buzzing and take care of your people!

Transcript

10 Years of Kate Underwood HR

Speaker 1 0:38

Part three achievements and where we're headed. Looking back, here's what fills me with pride Helping dozens of small businesses grow, thrive and transform, sometimes from chaotic back of the envelope setups to thriving professional teams. Saving time, money and stress with systems that actually work. Being the steady, trusted advisor during crises, covid, legal issues, tricky team challenges. Championing flexibility, well-being, inclusion and belonging long before they were trending topics. Building a business that's powered not just by processes but by people, relationships and let's face it cake, launching this podcast, one of the biggest joys of my career and a space where I can share, reflect and connect with all of you.

Speaker 1 1:35

So what is on the plan for the next 10 years? Expanding online training. Years Expanding online training, practical, human, real world content that fits into real lives. Growing fractional HRD services. Helping businesses access strategic HR without the full-time price tag. Exploring new HR tech, including AI, and bringing my twist of geek to help clients stay ahead. Bringing on podcast guests, small biz owners, hr pros, tech innovators, suppliers, maybe even bakers. If you've got something to share, message me. And always, always staying true to why I started to make HR less scary, more practical, more human and more fun.

Speaker 1 2:23

Wrap up plus special double offer. Here's my heartfelt thank you to every client, listener, partner and cheerleader who's been part of this wild, wonderful, slightly cake-fuelled journey. Double digits equals double free trial. To celebrate 10 years, I'm giving you a two-month free trial on Breathe HR not just one. Why? Because I want to spread my HR geekiness and help you fall in love with smoother, smarter systems, ideally with a bit of cake at your side. Organise people data, automate holidays, absences and documents, boost compliance and peace of mind, get expert setup help from me and my team. Offer only available in June 2025. Don't miss it. Thank you for being here, thank you for cheering us on and thank you for fueling KUHR Because, honestly, it's coffee and cake plus HR with a twist of geek that keeps us going. Here's to the next 10 years. Let's keep buzzing.

How It All Started

Speaker 1 3:37

Hello, hello and welcome back to Buzzing About HR. I'm Kate Underwood and today's episode is a very special one because Kate Underwood HR and Training has officially turned 10 years old. Yes, we've hit double digits. That's 10 years of supporting small businesses, untangling people problems, keeping companies compliant, finding clever tech tools, laughing through the chaos and, let's be honest, fueling it all with a serious amount of cake. I mean, if you know me, you know coffee's nice, but cake, cake powers K-U-H-R. And because we're celebrating, today's episode is packed with stories, reflections and some honest sharing. I'll tell you how this all started, with redundancy, a Harry Potter desk and, yes, probably a slab of cake for comfort. The biggest lessons I've learned over a decade the good, the hard, the hilarious, what we've achieved together, what's next and how. Cake will definitely feature in the future and a special double-digit offer at the end to thank you properly. So grab yourself a slice of birthday cake, pop the kettle on and settle in. We're celebrating Part one how it all started. Let's rewind Part one, how it all started. Let's rewind Before 2015,.

Speaker 1 5:00

I'd climbed the HR career ladder HR assistant advisor, business partner manager, hr director. I'd worked across industries, handled all kinds of people, puzzles and learned to love the mix of strategy, law and humanity. But by 2015, I was exhausted. The company I worked for had been bought out three times. I was living out of a suitcase four days a week, juggling new bosses, new structures, new demands. And when the redundancy came, it hit hard.

Speaker 1 5:33

Even as an HR director, I wasn't immune. Even as an HR director, I wasn't immune. I remember sitting at home, tea in one hand, cake in the other, obviously thinking what now? Enter my brother, my biggest cheerleader, relentless encourager, cake sharer, life pusher. He kept saying, kate, you should start your own business. And honestly, I only said yes. To shut him up, I thought fine, I'll give it six months, pick up a couple of clients, then I'll get a proper job. So I set up at my little Harry Potter desk under the stairs. No big plan, just an old laptop, a dodgy printer and a stack of chocolate biscuits to keep me going.

Speaker 1 6:18

I believed small businesses deserved big business, hr, knowledge, tools and tech without the big business bill. I wanted to show owners that investing in their people wasn't just an obligation, it was how they'd grow. What I didn't expect how much support I'd get my network, ex-colleagues, old bosses, LinkedIn contacts. They became my scaffolding. They cheered me on, sent referrals and even brought cake. Okay, maybe I brought the cake, but still I'll never forget landing my first retainer client and celebrating with an actual slice of Victoria sponge.

Key Lessons Learned

Speaker 1 6:58

Of course, it wasn't all smooth. There were printer meltdowns, late night policy rewrites what have I done? Moments and plenty of cake-fuelled brainstorms. And then came COVID. While the world slowed down, we sped up, and it wasn't just me, it was my team, official and unofficial, who stepped up and worked flat out alongside me. We were on late night, zooms, decoding furlough rules, supporting businesses in real crisis. While other people were baking banana bread, we were eating shop-bought cake at our desks, pushing through, sitting still not in my nature or my my teams. And here we are 10 years later, still buzzing, still learning, still begrudgingly admitting my brother was right and still making sure the biscuit tin is always full.

Speaker 1 7:55

Part two the expanded lessons I've learned. These aren't just neat bullet points, they're the real, human, funny, sometimes geeky things I've learned across this journey. Lesson one not every client is the right client. In year one I said yes to everyone. One client expected 24-7 on-call access. Another wanted me mediating family disputes over the Christmas bonus. I learned that setting boundaries isn't unkind, it's necessary. You can't deliver great work or enjoy your cake if your energy is constantly drained. Lesson two change is constant. Employment, law, tech, people, expectations. They evolve fast.

Speaker 1 8:46

I've made staying ahead part of my daily habits, whether it's brushing up on GDPR updates or playing with a new HR system. Staying curious is key. That's what HR, with a twist of geek, is all about. Lesson three Relationships build business. Clients don't just stay because of contracts. They stay because they trust you. I've celebrated client weddings, mourned their losses and been their steady voice in tough times. Sometimes a conversation over coffee and cake has done more for that relationship than any official meeting ever could. Lesson four conversations matter more than documents. You can have perfect policies, but if people aren't talking honestly you've got problems. I've seen grievances dissolve over a cup of tea and a chat, sometimes even over a tray bake.

Achievements and Future Plans

Speaker 1 9:42

Lesson five HR can and should be fun Props in workshops, playful icebreakers, hr bingo. Yes, really, people learn better when they're engaged and they remember things when they laugh. Hr doesn't have to be boring. Add in a geeky edge, a dash of humour and maybe a cake or two and you're on to a winner. Lesson six you can't do it all. For years I clung to everything accounts, admin, social media but letting go, hiring an accountant, collaborating with partners, trusting others, has been a massive shift. My team, both official and unofficial, has helped KUHR thrive and, yes, they've earned their share of birthday cake over the years.

Speaker 1 10:33

Lesson seven flexibility is the future. Businesses that embrace hybrid, flexible hours, phased returns. They attract better talent, keep people happier and perform better. This is one of the most exciting changes I've seen in the last decade. Lesson eight people crave recognition, a thank you, a little public praise, a surprise cake on someone's desk it matters, it's not fluff, it's the stuff that makes people stay. Lesson nine mistakes happen. Own them. I've misjudged timelines, misunderstood briefs or slipped up, but honesty, apology and quick fixes have kept my reputation strong. Lesson 10, tech transforms From HR systems to AI tools. I've loved helping small businesses discover how the right tech can free them to focus on what matters their people and occasionally, a proper tea break with cake.