Working with Kelly has had a tremendous impact on our school. She is consistently prompt, professional, and incredibly helpful, taking ideas and transforming them into practical, well-organized plans that are easy to adapt to our unique needs. With Kelly’s support, she has helped us create an engaging experience for our faculty and staff, focusing on our Shared Commitments for Professional Practice. She has made the planning process more efficient and collaborative, which has been well received by everyone.

Kelly Hasenbalg, president of Start with HR, was a fantastic partner as we began building DovetailED. As our employee team grew, Kelly helped us develop a comprehensive employee handbook and establish thoughtful, practical company policies. She was patient, thorough, responsive, and a true professional throughout the entire process. Her guidance gave us a strong HR foundation and the confidence that we were supporting our employees and growing our company the right way.

Kelly is really knowledgeable and responsive. In addition to her expertise in the field, she has the right disposition for HR work. She is keenly aware of the sensitive nature of some of the issues leaders have to navigate in the HR realm and serves as a wise coach who listens well and can provide the right guidance.

Getting our management team together for training wasn’t an easy task, but once we did, everyone agreed it was time well spent. Kelly covered a variety of topics, and her approach made it easy for everyone to participate and have honest conversations. One thing she shared with us—a quote from Brené Brown—has really stuck with us: ‘Being clear is kind.’ We actually say that to each other whenever one of us needs to have a difficult conversation with an employee. It’s become a reminder that being direct doesn’t mean being unkind, it means giving employees the clarity and respect they deserve. That simple message has changed the way we communicate with our employees and has made us better leaders.

“Being clear is kind” — Brené Brown

We really got so much out of our session with you, and I am happy to report we have had some amazing, very generative meetings to start the year. It feels like you were the reset we needed.

I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Kelly Hasenbalg for many years, and she has been an invaluable thought partner throughout my career in independent schools. Her Embracing Courageous Conversations in Leadership workshop was engaging, practical, and immediately relevant to our supervisory team. She has a remarkable ability to create an environment where people feel comfortable tackling difficult conversations while equipping them with strategies they can confidently apply long after the session ends.