Client Success Stories

“HR for small companies like ours is like a big bowl of spaghetti, it’s got layers of criss-crossing pieces that are a bit slippery and hard to organize and get perfectly in place. It can be overwhelming, PeopleWise has helped us manage this big bowl of spaghetti and take it from something complicated and hard to swallow into something easy to digest. Taking a large amount of mental energy off our plate and letting us focus on our core business.

Angela on the PeopleWise team came in with quick fixes to get us on track and immediately started building transformative policies and structure to solve our biggest headaches. With their help we’ve seen the confidence of our C-suite grow as business owners. Navigating complex compliance and hiring issues now feels manageable, which has strengthened our ability to take on larger challenges as the company continues to grow.

Beyond the structural overhauls with compliance, payroll, hiring, and the employee handbook, we can’t emphasize enough how valuable it was to have Angela with us during our more tumultuous days. Angela shepherded us with patience and grace and helped coach us to be as professional and constructive as possible during restructuring, an especially difficult high stakes time.

The experience and strategic thinking that Angela has brought to our team has not only helped us handle things as they come up, as they always do, but also be more intentional with staff and how we operate our business. She has fostered a more strategic mindset in our team and has helped us think more proactively about employee development, org structure, and the long term well being of our team and ourselves.

Challenges that once felt overwhelming now feel far more manageable. We have greater peace of mind knowing that, whatever questions or issues come up, there is a clear and thoughtful path forward with Angela’s guidance. Many times we’ve been able to find solutions and Angela’s perspective and expertise has helped contextualize insights and different areas of thought that we wouldn’t even of considered. 

We’re especially grateful for Angela’s accessibility and the steady, composed presence she brings to every conversation. Her perspective consistently helps us uncover solutions, offering insights and considerations we would not have identified on our own. 

Peoplewise is now a seamless piece of our team that I don’t see us being able to grow without. They are like a whole HR department that is simply plugged into our business and has made it a more complete and well oiled machine that has fundamentally changed our capacity to run a good business in every sense of the word.”

– Kyle Kehrwald, Snack Video

"Abby Walker has been an invaluable partner in our recruitment efforts. Tasked with the significant challenge of scaling our team in a highly competitive market, we needed a partner not just with an understanding of HR processes, but with a deep insight into our specific industry. Abby exceeded these expectations at every turn. One of the most impressive aspects of working with Abby is her approach to understanding our company's ethos, vision, and the specific dynamics of the roles we needed to fill. She executed a highly targeted strategy that considered not just the skills but the character and potential fit of candidates within our company culture – and within the team they would be operating in. The communication from the team was exceptional, with transparent, insightful updates at every stage of the recruitment process. Abby’s responsiveness and open dialogue made it feel as though we had an in-house recruitment team, dedicated solely to our objectives. It was evident that the team at PeopleWise Consulting leverages a robust network and possesses a keen eye for identifying talent that not only meets but often exceeds the criteria. Their thorough vetting process ensured that my team spent our time interviewing only the most fitting candidates, making our hiring process much more efficient and effective. Abby operates as an extension of our team, seamlessly integrating across multiple departments and working closely with hiring leaders. Her expertise, professionalism, and dedication have made a tangible difference in our ability to attract and hire the right people."

– Emily Vennerstrom, Chief Impact Officer, NorthRock Partners

"To put it simply, Renee is my number one recommendation for Human Resource knowledge and skills. Renee has a deep passion for employee engagement and organizational culture. In our time working together, she spearheaded several companywide initiatives always using strategic, measurable goals. Her personality and approach allow her to communicate and connect effectively with coworkers of all ages and backgrounds. She also goes above and beyond with her ability to not only start, but follow through, measure, and adjust purpose driven initiatives."

– Derek Burns, President & Co-Founder of Dinkytown Athletes

"Renee Franklin provided executive and strategic Human Resources leadership for Sparboe Companies for over a year. Her legacy is the healthy partnership she built between HR and the rest of the company. The disciplines and compensation programs she developed were successful in attracting and retaining employees in multiple roles across three states. She preferred to be on site and with the team, always working as hard as everyone else. An excellent listener, she was capable of discerning what is most important to our managers and for overall success. She was decisive, yet in her decision making she understood the uniqueness of our business. Being dedicated, open minded, accessible and a straight shooter, she quickly built solid relationships at all levels of the organization and became a central member of our leadership team. As the owner and CEO, I trusted her judgement, valued her intuition, and relied on her knowledge and solid ethics. Our mutual commitment to confidentiality was essential to our trusted relationship. I enjoyed working with Renee and would strongly recommend her."

– Beth Schnell, CEO/President, Sparboe Companies

“Few people have the ability to change an entire organization's culture like Renee Franklin. She helped create a fun, engaged, and motivating place to work. Renee had influence in all areas of the organization and created many positive changes through her initiatives. Renee was able to consistently attract top talent in large part due to the culture that she created over the years. I would highly recommend Renee to any organization looking for winning strategies for their employees and business."

– Aaron Cole, Director of Enterprise Sales, Bluum

"Abby Walker brings a refreshing approach to HR strategy and planning, making the journey towards both short- and long-term success not only manageable but enjoyable. During a period of rapid growth within our department, Abby's steady demeanor and innovative ideas reshaped our team dynamics for the better. Working directly with Abby was not only valuable but truly appreciated."

– Sarah Rushford, Director, Tax Services, NorthRock Partners

"Renee is a collaborative partner who quickly assessed and identified resource needs and helped support the fast paced and changing needs of a growing organization. She is a strong advocate for inclusion and consistently provides employees with the opportunity to voice their thoughts and questions. She led town halls and individual meetings with each department to share our annual employee engagement results. Her approachability and authenticity promoted an inclusive environment where employees felt heard. I genuinely appreciated her support, feedback, and collaboration as we worked across several initiatives together and would highly recommend her as a trusted HR partner.”

– Lynn Bemis, CFO, Smead

"I've worked with a lot of Human Resource professionals over my career and Abby is one of the best. She has a unique ability to solve complex problems, lean into difficult situations, and get the best out of people— besides that, she's just a delight to work with."

– Michael Vedders, VP, Marketing & Brand, NorthRock Partners

“Renee Franklin is an incredible Human Resource professional that not only understands the HR world but also understands employee needs, leadership development, and preserving risk within a thriving organization. In my tenure working along Renee, I was able to learn so much from her on a daily basis that allowed me to be a better leader in my role. Renee is the type of professional that always exceeds your expectations, her work comes back ten times better than you ever expected. She’s able to work with leaders in a way that brings their teams to new levels. She is truly the best in the business.”

– Robert T. Gag, VP & Co-Founder of Dinkytown Athletes

“Renee was a great asset to our organization. She was very knowledgeable in helping our HR and Operations leaders work through updating our policies and gave guidance on navigating through difficult employee situations. Renee worked directly with our teams in a prompt, responsive, and efficient manner. Renee's depth of experience helped our organization identify and address the needs of the business. Renee was a great business partner, and always appreciated that she was able to target her advice to our unique needs and culture."

– Mark Kellen, EVP, Daybreak Foods

“Renee brought new insight and support to our organization; she is professional, thorough, and knowledgeable. Having Renee as part of our HR and corporate structure eased stress, saved us time, and helped us better serve our organization. She has become a great mentor and I’m thankful for our time together."

– Laina Legler, HR Manager, Sparboe Companies