Episode 6: From Corporate HR to Consultancy: The First 90 Days

Everyone talks about the leap into HR consultancy. Almost no one talks about what the first three months actually feel like.

In this Sound HR podcast episode, Tania Harland sits down with Caroline Watkins, founder of Harbourlight HR, just three months into life beyond corporate HR. No polished success story here — this is an honest, unfiltered look at what it really takes: the mindset shift from "HR professional" to business owner, the steep curve of becoming your own marketer, salesperson and accountant overnight, and the slow, unglamorous business of building trust and credibility from scratch.

Caroline also shares her early experience piloting HR Diagnostics — how a structured audit framework helped her frame client conversations with confidence from day one, and why compliance work is one of the most underused upsell opportunities in independent consultancy.

If you're sitting on the fence about making the leap, or you've just landed and are wondering why nobody warned you about this bit — this conversation is for you.

🔗 Curious about how HR Diagnostics can help solve the challenges identified in this episode? Book a free webinar to find out more.