Hi, I’m Kourtney. I build People Operations for small businesses.
I help growing, founder-led businesses build a people function that actually fits them, then keep it running inside how the business already works.
Let’s Talk
I build People Operations for small businesses because I learned the hard way that work should create real value for real people. When it does, both the people and the business thrive. I do this with humility and a genuinely human approach, especially for employees in their hardest moments.
More than a decade in HR, rebuilt for small business.
I am Kourtney O’Connor, founder of The People Biz. After more than ten years in corporate HR, I started this company to give growing businesses something they rarely get: a people function built around how they actually work. I lead every engagement and bring in a collective of senior HR experts where it makes sense, so you get deep expertise without the overhead of a full team.
My passion for this work comes from a belief in the role small businesses play in their communities. Whether you are a Colorado small business or a company scaling fast, you deserve people infrastructure that is practical, personalized, and built to last, not corporate bloat you will never use.
When I am not building people strategy, I am a wife, mother, and active member of the recovery community. Those roles shape how I work: with empathy, honesty, and a focus on building resilient workplaces that are both supportive and successful.
The right experts, brought in when it counts.
Getting the people part right is not optional, it is essential. We bring in the right experts to support our clients with practical, business-minded solutions that align people, operations, and growth.
Andrea Girolmo
Employee Wellbeing
Sarah Cotner
Recruitment
Birana McCrumb
Leadership & Culture
Sarah Alaimo
Compliance & Employment Law
What we stand for.
Break the Mold
HR done differently. No corporate fluff, no busy work.
Make it Great
We hold the work to a high bar, not “good enough.”
Do What You Say
We own outcomes and follow through.
People Are the Point
Your team is the whole reason the business works.
Value, Not Busy Work
Every deliverable moves the business forward.
Prove It
Results you can see and measure.