Laur Inspired (2025)

10/09/2025

When you’re early in your career, it’s natural to think promotions and opportunities come just from working the hardest. But here’s the reality:

Your reputation is shaped less by the hours you put in and more by what people say about you when you’re not in the room. Jade Bonacolta calls this your “silent PR.”

I was recently talking with my mentor about this, especially in the context of 1:1s with your manager. Those meetings aren’t just check-ins - they’re one of the best ways to make sure your impact is seen and understood.

A few small shifts I’ve been leaning into:
✨ Always showing up prepared with 3 tangible wins for each 1:1.
✨ Giving teammates credit in meetings (“Building on what x said…”).
✨ Thinking ahead and sending updates before someone has to ask

These are tiny actions, but they build a reputation of reliability, professionalism, and collaboration - things people remember when your name comes up behind closed doors.

Your silent PR is a career asset you can start strengthening today.

👉 What’s one habit you’ve built that’s helped strengthen your reputation at work?

04/09/2025

For anyone who hasn’t used their annual leave yet (or keeps pushing it back) this is your reminder:

Rest isn’t optional🌿

When work consumes all our energy, it’s easy to forget that boundaries exist for a reason. Saying no, stepping away, and taking time off isn’t a weakness, it’s how we protect our mental health and sustain our performance long term.

Burnout doesn’t announce itself loudly, it creeps in quietly. You need time to switch off to reset and reclaim balance.

If your calendar has been full of everything but you, maybe it’s time to schedule that break. You’ve earned it, and you’ll come back stronger for it.

📷: Malaga (the “chill” holiday where I surprised myself and didn’t plan anything, and actually chilled…yes, that is a big deal!)

29/08/2025

Monthly roundup! 🌐 💬 💫

How has your summer been?

Anyone else feel the urge to buy new pens and notebooks that you don’t need with September around the corner? Just me?

I feel like time goes quicker every time I write these roundups!

Here’s a few of the highlights...

2 QUOTES

🌐 “We often think that we want an open road and the ability to choose any direction for ourselves. But sometimes, what we need is a tunnel that can reduce our choices and send us in a focused direction.” - James Clear

We’re well over halfway through 2025 and some of you may have set goals that you’re absolutely smashing, or others that you’ve forgotten about, or maybe don’t matter as much to you anymore. Steering your focus to the goal that means the most to you, the highest priority for you to achieve, will better help you to reach it.

🌐 “HR = Human Relationships. You’re not just enforcing rules. You’re managing emotions, building trust, and helping people grow even when it’s hard” -

This is how I see HR. When people ask why I wanted to get into HR, it’s because I don’t see it as Human Resources, I see it as Human Relationships. When I started my career, I began to realise just how important the people are at any organisation, and how critical it is to support your people through wellbeing, through development, and through building relationships. That’s why HR really matters.

2 RECOGNITIONS

💬 Everyone in my team who has supported me through my induction and training at SWAST!
💬 Support from the local CIPD committee in getting involved and becoming a member myself

2 REFLECTIONS

💫 Knowing your boundaries in work and life is the best thing you can do for your wellbeing
💫 Posting consistently on here for over 6 months to build my personal brand 🥳

We happened to visit Malaga during their annual Feria and stumbled across so much culture!

There’s lots of learning to come as I enter a new chapter, and I can’t wait!

📷: the entrance to the Main Street in Malaga, Calle Larios

18/08/2025

I’m excited to share that I recently joined South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust in the HR Services team, and what a first month it’s been.

In these few weeks, I’ve learned so much about the recruitment process, from publishing vacancies to supporting onboarding. I’ve also gained insight into recruitment within the public sector, the breadth of roles available, the variety of skills needed, and the collaborative approach that underpins the process.

One highlight has been getting involved in assessment days. Meeting candidates in person and seeing the process come full circle has been incredibly rewarding, helping me feel truly connected to the work we do.

I’m grateful to my colleagues for being so supportive throughout my induction, answering my questions, sharing their knowledge, and helping me settle in quickly.

With my CIPD Level 5 studies running alongside my new role, I’m looking forward to building on what I’ve learned so far and applying this knowledge in ways that will benefit both my development and the organisation.

12/08/2025

Who else is working on a CIPD qualification??

I’m just over halfway through my level 5 qualification, and studying completely online alongside full-time work.

If you’re doing the same (or thinking about it), you’ll know… it’s not always easy.

Juggling deadlines, work commitments, and life outside of it all can feel like spinning 17 plates all at once.

But here’s what’s been helping me keep going:

💬 Find your people.
Join online study communities or forums where others are on the same journey. Having a space to ask questions, share ideas, and compare notes is a lifesaver. It turns a solo study path into a shared experience.

🤝 Connect with the HR world beyond the textbook.
Reach out to HR professionals, attend networking events (in-person or virtual), and have real conversations about their experiences. These chats don’t just fill gaps in your knowledge, they bring the theory to life and spark ideas you won’t find in a module textbook.

⏳ Protect your study time.
Treat it like a meeting with your future self. Block it in your calendar and stick to it, even if it’s just an hour. Consistency beats cramming every time.

💡 Give yourself grace.
There will be weeks where progress is slow. That’s okay. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. The fact you’re doing it alongside everything else is already an achievement worth recognising.

If you’re currently studying, what’s one tip that’s kept you motivated?

And if you’ve already completed your CIPD, what’s the best advice you’d pass on to those of us still on the path?

06/08/2025

Over the past 5 weeks, I’ve been taking some time to really deepen my understanding of employment law... something that, if I’m honest, I’d only ever touched on in passing before.

I signed up to a series of webinars with Elcons Employment Law Consultants Limited, and I’ve been genuinely surprised at how much I’ve learnt and how useful it’s been for my day‑to‑day work — huge thank you to Johanna McMillan-Peel for our chat back in March 😊

A few things that really stood out for me:

💼 Recruitment isn’t just about finding the best person, it’s about doing it fairly.

— I’m currently learning the how essential structured interviews, clear job descriptions, and right‑to‑work checks are to protect both the candidate and the business.

💼 Managing people well goes hand‑in‑hand with legal compliance.

— Whether it’s handling absence or performance, understanding the difference between “can’t do” and “won’t do” has completely changed how I think about support and capability processes.

💼 Redundancy is never just a cost‑cutting exercise. There must be a true reason behind it.

— Consultation, objective selection, and exploring alternatives like reduced hours or secondments, which not only keeps things fair but gives employees the best possible opportunities in a challenging time.

What I’ve loved most about these sessions is that they’ve taken what can feel like a really daunting subject and made it practical 🤩

I now feel more confident in spotting potential risks, knowing when to seek advice, and balancing what’s right for the business with what’s right for people.

If anyone’s thinking about refreshing their knowledge in this area, I’d definitely recommend these webinars. They’ve given me tools I’ll keep using well into my career.

31/07/2025

Monthly roundup! 🌐 💬 💫

How is it almost August? Anyone else feel like time is flying by?

Looking back on this month, I’m really proud of how far I’ve come and I’m excited for the rest of this year and the growth that’s coming!

Here’s a few of the highlights...

2 QUOTES

🌐 “Trust your gut - you have great instincts!” - Lesley Kelly

When juggling a few new challenges all at once, I knew I had to prioritise to make sure I still had work life balance. But… being the overachiever I am, I struggled to let go of an opportunity, so I reached out to my mentor. This quote was the crux of her advice for me and I knew exactly what I needed to do. Sometimes you need to reach out to someone who knows you, who you trust, to clarify your judgements and it’ll lead you to the make right decision for you.

🌐 “Every no has value” - Will Packer

On my drives to work I like to listen to a podcast, usually The Mel Robbins podcast, and this week I listened to Will Packer talk all things preparation paralysis and using rejection to your advantage. This quote really resonated with me because it’s talking about how being told “no” can fuel you. It doesn’t mean you’re not worthy, it means there’s something you have to pivot or tweak to then try again and get better results. And that’s exactly what I did over the last 6 months. The more you pivot, tweak, and try again, the more you learn, and the more able you are to achieve that dream you have.

2 RECOGNITIONS

💬 The lovely 🌻Denise McMurray for guidance and support with my job application and the CIPD committee
💬 The wonderful Johanna McMillan-Peel for inviting me onto ELCON’s Employment Law webinar series across July which has taught me so much

2 REFLECTIONS

💫 Starting my new role🤭
💫 Achieving a high pass on my latest CIPD assignment!

A little side quest - any geocachers out? A fun new hobby I’ve discovered with a whole little community 🗺️

There’s lots of learning to come as I enter a new chapter, and I can’t wait!

📷: on a geocache hunt

25/07/2025

💬 “I see you. I hear you. I’ve got your back.”

It’s a simple message, but when employees feel this from their leaders, everything changes.

In today’s hectic workplaces, empathy is not a “soft” skill. It’s a leadership superpower 💪

Whether it’s navigating redundancies, burnout, remote disconnect, or life outside of work, ✨ people remember how they were treated ✨

They remember who listened, who paused, who asked “How are you, really?”

As HR professionals, we’re not just policy enforcers or culture drivers: we are human connectors.

Empathetic leadership is how we earn TRUST, inspire PERFORMANCE, and create SAFE, THRIVING ENVIRONMENTS.

Studies show that:
📊 Employees with empathetic managers report higher engagement and retention
📊 Empathy correlates with stronger collaboration and innovation
📊 And most importantly: it builds PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY, where people feel okay to be human

🤝 Empathy doesn’t mean lowering standards. It means RAISING understanding.

It means leading with CURIOSITY, pausing before judgment, and responding before reacting.

In a world that often rewards speed, empathy asks us to slow down and see the whole person.

And that kind of leadership? It sticks with people long after the meetings and metrics are behind them.

15/07/2025

It was a hot one this weekend, and I was able to fully lean into it on annual leave for the past few days ☀️

Out and about, and catching up with the people I love is my favourite thing. No rushing, no squeezing things in. Just some proper time off.

I talk a lot about burnout, balance, and the importance of purpose at work. But I’m reminded that rest isn’t just something we talk about, it’s something we actually have to do.

Here’s your reminder: especially if you’re the kind of person that’s nonstop, always on the go and wondering where the time went, to take some time off for you, even if that’s 15 minutes in the evening.

After a few days offline, I’m feeling more like myself. Less fog, more clarity.

If you’re someone who finds it hard to switch off, I get it. But when you can make even a small amount of time, it really does help 🥰

Hope you got some time for yourself this weekend, too 🦋

10/07/2025

🕒 The Power Hour... have you heard of it?

It’s a simple but effective time management trick I recently heard at an event, and it’s too good not to share.

Someone I spoke with mentioned how they carve out one hour, just 60 distraction-free minutes, to focus on one thing.

Either tying up all the little admin tasks that pile up, or diving deep into a single project.

No emails. No Slack. No phone.

Just one hour of pure, intentional focus.

I’ve tried it a few times now and it’s amazing how much clarity and momentum it creates, especially when you’re feeling stuck or scattered.

If you’re struggling to get traction, maybe it’s time to schedule a Power Hour into your day.

Have you tried this before? Or have your own variation?

👇 Would love to hear how you make time work for you.

04/07/2025

Do you take time out for yourself? 🤔

In the rush of deadlines, meetings, and constant notifications, it’s easy to forget that we’re not robots.

➡️ Taking time out for yourself isn’t selfish, but NECESSARY.

Whether it’s a 15 minute walk, a coffee in silence, journalling, or just sitting still and doing absolutely nothing, these moments are where we reset, reflect, and refuel.

I’ve learned that when I don’t carve out this space, burnout creeps in faster than I expect 🌪️

Creativity dips.
Focus wavers.
Even relationships - personal and professional - feel the strain.

But when I do make time for myself, everything shifts 💡

Clarity returns.
Energy flows.
I’m more present, more effective, and far more resilient.

So here’s a gentle reminder:

Your wellbeing is the foundation of your productivity 🪴

How do you make space for yourself during the week?

30/06/2025

Monthly roundup! 🌐 💬 💫

I think the months get busier each time, but this one has been packed for sure!

Looking back on this month, and 3 months of mentorship, I feel like I’ve really made progress towards my goals... with some even more exciting news in a future post 👀

Here’s a few of the highlights...

2 QUOTES

🌐 “Do the things you think you can’t do” - Sawyer Robbins

Going to the Let Them tour was a huge highlight, after listening to the podcast for forever and reading the book, it was so much greater and more impactful than I even anticipated. This quote stuck out to me because it’s all about proving yourself wrong. Whatever you’ve told yourself you can’t do, you totally can — sometimes you just need a push (even a big push!) but let this be your push.

🌐 “Encourage vulnerability. It’s the most important thing” - Jamie Laing

This goes hand-in-hand with psychological safety in the workplace and is arguably the most important factor contributing to engagement, performance, satisfaction, and wellbeing in the workplace. Jamie’s talk at FOW was really interesting and gave me some food for thought around people and business.

2 RECOGNITIONS

💬 The support from Lesley Kelly over the past 3 months who has really helped me to achieve my goals!
💬 The lovely chat I had about all things HR and careers with Lisa Simmons in the massage queue of the wellbeing village, of all places

2 REFLECTIONS

💫 Attending the CIPD Festival of Work, gaining impactful insights and wonderful connections
💫 Getting my first voluntary role in People Admin to enhance my experience

A little side achievement too - performing in a Hafla for the first time was an amazing experience, I know it won’t be my last 💃

With a lot of change ahead, I’m very excited for what’s to come in July!

📷: outside ExCel London

Laur Inspired

10/09/2025

04/09/2025

29/08/2025

18/08/2025

12/08/2025

06/08/2025

31/07/2025

25/07/2025

15/07/2025

10/07/2025

04/07/2025

30/06/2025

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