The HR Connection Podcast with Sabrina Baker

The Ripple Effect of Showing Up

This episode is about the invisible work of leadership: the days you’re tired, unmotivated, and still decide to show up anyway. Marie reflects on a year of growth and the ripple effect that comes from staying with what matters.

The One HR Lesson I’d Take Into Any Year

If you removed every HR process, system, and tool… what’s the one lesson that would still hold everything together?
This episode breaks that down through one story, one truth, and one question to carry into any year:
People don’t burn out because they’re doing too much; they burn out because they’re doing too much that doesn’t make sense.
In small businesses where priorities shift fast, and everyone is juggling multiple roles, clarity becomes the quiet force that shapes performance, engagement, and growth. Today’s episode explains why and gives you a simple way to test whether your people actually know what matters most.
 

How to Build an HR Strategy Around Real Business Goals

Every small business says they want an HR strategy, but most don’t realize their “strategy” is really just a list of HR tasks. In this episode, Sabrina walks through five diagnostic questions that reveal what’s actually standing between your business goals and your people, your real people dependency.
You’ll learn how to identify where your growth is stalling because of capacity, capability, retention, management consistency, or alignment, and how to turn that insight into an actionable HR plan.
Whether you’re a founder, HR department of one, or growing leader trying to connect HR to business results, this episode will help you stop guessing and start building strategy that moves the bottom line.

Do I Even Need HR Yet? 5 Signs You’ve Outgrown DIY People Management

If your idea of HR is a few templates you found on Google and a payroll system that runs itself, you’re not alone. Most small businesses start that way. But at some point, DIY HR stops saving you money and starts costing you growth.
In this episode, host Sabrina Baker, CEO of Acacia HR Solutions, breaks down the five signs your “figure-it-out-as-you-go” approach to HR is holding your business back. She explains why HR is often the forgotten function in small businesses, until chaos hits, and how professionalizing HR can actually accelerate growth, not slow it down.
Through relatable examples, Sabrina shows how every growing business moves through the four stages of HR maturity, compliance, consistency, culture, and strategy, and why real growth doesn’t happen until you invest in the people side of your business.

The PEO Price Tag: How to Know When You’re Paying Too Much for Too Little

PEOs promise peace of mind, one invoice, one system, one solution for all your HR headaches. But what if that convenience is quietly costing your business tens of thousands of dollars a year and holding you back from growing through your people?
In this episode, Sabrina Baker breaks down the real PEO price tag,  what you’re paying for, what you’re losing, and how to know when it’s time to move away from a one-size-fits-all HR model toward a tailored approach that supports growth, control, and culture.

The People Who Carry the Business

In every small business, there are a few people who quietly hold everything together — the ones who show up even when budgets are tight, systems aren’t perfect, and no one’s watching.
In this episode, Sabrina Baker reflects on the unsung heroes of small business — the employees who fix problems before they escalate, steady the team under pressure, and keep culture alive through consistency and care.
Sabrina walks leaders through six questions they can ask to identify these individuals and reminds every HR professional and business owner why this work matters. It’s a short, heartfelt pause to recognize the people who make growth possible — and a reminder that gratitude is also a leadership strategy.

Is It Time to Fire Them? The Real Cost of Avoiding Tough People Decisions

Sometimes, the biggest threat to your company’s growth isn’t who you haven’t hired — it’s who you’re afraid to let go.
In this episode, Sabrina Baker unpacks how small businesses can make tough people decisions with clarity, legality, and compassion, and why holding on too long often costs more than letting go.
 
 

Your Growth Problem Isn’t Strategy — It’s Culture

If your small business growth has hit a ceiling, it might not be your marketing or sales strategy, it might be your people.
In this episode, Sabrina Baker reframes company culture, not as a “nice to have,” but as the foundation of small business growth. She breaks down the three pillars of a thriving employee experience, Connection, Consistency, and Care, and explains how cracks in any of them create ripple effects that hurt performance, productivity, and profit.
Whether you’re leading HR or running the business, you’ll walk away knowing exactly where to look when growth stalls, and how to design employee experiences that drive it forward.

14 Years in HR: Surviving and Fixing Toxic Cultures

Not every messy workplace is a toxic one — but when it is, HR often sees it first. In this episode, Sabrina Baker reflects on 14 years of small-business HR experience and the lessons learned from surviving (and helping fix) toxic work environments.
From learning the difference between dysfunction and true toxicity to figuring out how to influence change without authority, this episode blends real stories with practical advice for HR pros caught in the middle.

When Culture Becomes Cake: How HR Can Reset the Meaning of Engagement

If you've ever spent more time planning office birthdays than reviewing a performance issue, you’re not alone. In this episode, Sabrina Baker tackles what happens when small business HR becomes the unofficial party planner, and how to start shifting those expectations without losing the heart of company culture.