We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tanisha Smith. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tanisha below.

Alright, Tanisha thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?

Scaling on Faith: How I Built HR Ninja Consulting
When I started my business, I had no safety net—no book of business waiting for me, no guaranteed clients lined up. I took a leap of faith, leaving behind a stable job to step into entrepreneurship, unsure of what was ahead but confident in my ability to figure it out. I had 21 years of HR expertise by that time; surely, I would be able to take on a few small clients easily. I was thinking that 2-3 clients would allow me to work and make enough to get by as I traveled the world. I thought, I didn’t need to scale, I just needed to maintain a solid book of business.

The first eight months was brutal. I cried more times than I can remember thinking” what did I do?” I left a job—-a career that I was making good money, I had insurance, a 401K, an IT person to fix my computer problems or change my printer ink and some days I didn’t even have to do much work if there were no major projects and employees behaved. At first, business was spotty. I would land a project for 2 weeks here or there but I did not find anyone looking for someone on-going.

Scaling didn’t happen overnight. It happened over time, through consistency, adaptability, and a deep understanding of what small businesses truly needed. I saw early on that many small businesses lacked the resources for a full-time, in-house HR professional, but they still needed expert guidance. That’s where I stepped in, offering remote HR support—long before remote work was the norm.

Then COVID hit. Suddenly, businesses were scrambling to shift to digital, and I was already ahead of the curve. While many companies were still buried in paperwork, I had built my business to be entirely paperless. I knew how to automate onboarding, streamline company meetings, and run virtual training sessions when many business owners had barely used Skype—let alone Zoom. I became the expert they turned to, not just for HR, but for navigating this new digital workplace.

After connecting with a few businesses that aligned with my business (Benefits Brokers and fractional Payroll and Accounting companies) I was able to get referrals. Luckily, my network did consist of a long list of businesses like that; that I had not tapped into until one day I was approached by someone at a networking session, who worked for an accounting firm and they were looking to bring on an HR Expert to help with their clients. This was the lightbulb moment I needed. I started consulting for them and I then took to LinkedIn and made connection after connection letting people know that I was an “HR Consultant who provides HR services on an as needed basis and there was no commitment needed to use our services ” This was the one liner that opened our business up to so many small businesses. They liked not having to commit. Once I got into one, it was about making my connection to the next client by way of referral and so on.

One of the biggest lessons I learned in scaling was how differently consultants are viewed compared to in-house employees. As an in-house HR professional, I handled things seamlessly—no one questioned every task or project. But as a consultant, every service needed to be justified. Every hour of work needed to show clear value. I had to shift my mindset and ensure my clients felt the impact of my work in a way that made them see me as an extension of their team, not just an outsourced service.

What truly helped me scale was consistency. I made it a point to ensure my clients never felt the distance—I wanted them to feel like I was just in the next office, even if I was working from home or across the country. That personal connection, combined with my ability to work efficiently and adapt to changing needs, allowed me to grow my business in a way that felt natural and sustainable.

Scaling wasn’t about one big break or a lucky moment. It was about showing up every day, delivering results, and proving that HR can be both strategic and seamless—even from afar

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a human resources leader, entrepreneur, and advocate for social impact. With over 27 years of HR experience, I founded HR Ninja Consulting to help startups and small businesses navigate the complexities of HR, leadership, and compliance without the need for a full-time in-house HR team.

Beyond HR, I am deeply committed to empowerment and equity. I founded Helping Hands, Change Hearts, a nonprofit focused on providing life skills and mentorship programs for teen girls in foster care, and educational initiative designed to equip people—especially those from marginalized backgrounds—with the career and business skills they need to thrive. I am a Pod and videocast host for a show called Too Skilled to Fail, that I created for fellow creatives to be able to express themselves and share with others how they’ve had to navigate through this world and figure things out to get to where they are. They share their struggles and success stories but most importantly their truths.

My journey began in corporate HR, where I progressed from entry-level roles to leadership positions, managing everything from employee relations to diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies. Over time, I saw that many small businesses struggled with HR due to limited internal resources. At the same time, I recognized that HR is more than policies and compliance—it is about people, access, and opportunity. This realization fueled my decision to leave the corporate world and build a business and nonprofit that create meaningful change.

Through HR Ninja Consulting, I provide fractional HR leadership, diversity and inclusion training, leadership coaching, workplace investigations, and HR infrastructure development, helping businesses attract and retain top talent, build strong workplace cultures, and stay compliant. My nonprofit, Helping Hands Change Hearts, bridges the life skills gap for young women aging out of the foster system by offering career coaching, financial literacy workshops, and mentorship programs. Too Skilled to Fail extends this mission by providing practical career and business education through podcasts, workshops, and coaching, ensuring people have the tools to advocate for themselves and succeed.

Beyond business, I am a mother of 5, that I have raised and I was a surrogate twice. I enjoy traveling the world to meet new people and learn new cultures but what I’ve leaved most through my travels was about myself.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

When I started my business, I didn’t have outside investors or a safety net—I built it with the money I had saved from selling my first home. That sale gave me the financial flexibility to pay off all my debts—credit cards, car notes—and even buy a new car outright. With the remaining money, I sat on it for seven months while still working full-time, trying to figure out my next move.

At first, I thought I wanted to buy an existing business. I had a friend who owned a Baskin-Robbins, so I talked to him about how he got started and what it would take to buy a franchise. But as we talked, he shared how challenging it was to keep sales up in the winter months, which made me reconsider. Then, I looked into buying a game truck business, which seemed like a great turnkey opportunity—until I realized I would also need a pickup truck to haul it, and I wasn’t willing to finance another vehicle.

When I finally decided to leave my job, I had enough savings to survive for about a year without working if I needed to. I used that money strategically—I hired a top-tier business coach, someone I normally wouldn’t have been able to afford long-term. I invested in building my website, bought a new laptop and monitors, and set myself up for success. Instead of spending everything upfront, I planned carefully, reserving funds to reinvest as my business grew.

Looking back, I’m grateful I took the time to explore different paths before making the leap. Those early decisions shaped how I built my business—thoughtfully, intentionally, and always with the future in mind.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I first started my business, one of my biggest motivators was the desire to work independently. After years of managing teams, I was ready to focus on my craft without the added responsibility of leading employees. Consulting gave me that freedom—I could work directly with clients, set my own schedule, and build something on my terms.

But as my business grew, I reached a turning point. Demand was increasing, and I could no longer handle everything on my own. It was a great problem to have, but it came with a challenge—finding the right people to represent my brand. I wasn’t just looking for consultants; I was looking for someone who worked like I did—committed, self-motivated, and willing to embrace the unpredictable nature of consulting. Unlike a traditional job, consulting meant no guaranteed paycheck—income was directly tied to the hours we worked. I needed people who understood that and were still passionate about the work.

It took me five years to find the right team. There were moments of frustration and trial and error, but I refused to settle. My brand had a reputation for high-quality, strategic HR solutions, and I needed people who would uphold those standards. Eventually, I built a team of consultants who not only aligned with my vision but also helped take my business to the next level.

Pivoting from solo work to leading a team wasn’t something I initially planned, but it became necessary for growth. Letting go of the idea that I had to do everything myself was one of the hardest but most rewarding lessons I’ve learned in business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hrninjaconsulting.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_t.smith_experience/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tanisha.smith.10/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanisha-smith-b957125b/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TooSkilledToFail
• Other: https://www.helpinghandschangehearts.org/