Meet Sheree Knowles (she, her, hers): Founder & CHRO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sheree Knowles (she, her, hers) and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sheree, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I founded HR Knowledge Source (HRKS), a global faith-based human resources consulting firm, with the ‘little guys’ in mind. I worked for many start-up organizations and often found myself to be the sole HR practitioner. It was very challenging not to have someone else to bring in diversity of thought and expertise. I knew there were other professionals who felt this same level of ‘pain’ and so I founded the firm as an answer to my own, and their, frustration. Because of my involvement with start-ups, I knew that the traditional ‘one size fits all’ consultancy model would not work. I know, from experience, that growing companies need a firm foundation in HR, both from a people capital perspective and also from a business operations perspective. They often cannot invest in full-time senior level HR leaders but they need the talent of those senior level HR leaders. Despite the challenges that come with starting a boutique business, I was convinced that I could create a company that would respond to a need in the marketplace. While I was confident in my knowledge of HR, I knew that I had to get help on the business side of things. I connected with people smarter than me and worked hard to get HRKS off the ground. Here we are 7 years later…thriving in a niche market!

What should our readers know about your business?
HR Knowledge Source (HRKS) is a progressive woman-owned and faith-based HR consulting firm that established its roots in Cobb County in 2013. We excel in support emerging and existing companies as they navigate the complex terrain of people management. We help clients, throughout the world, create alignment between their workforces and business operations. Our Centers of Excellence include: Retained HR Consultancy; Project-Based HR Solutions; Retained Search and Placement; Career Outplacement. We operate with a client concierge mindset and offer every client our ‘gold standard’ of quality, regardless of size and revenue. One of the things that sets us apart from others in this space, is that we have a unique, vibrant, and thriving consulting culture at HRKS. Our workforce ecosystem consists of employees and contractors who drive our amazing culture. This team of dedicated, experienced professionals take great pride in their work and have a genuine passion for people, putting the “human” back into human resources. The other things that sets us apart is that every HRKS team member has served in a corporate role prior to consulting with us, which provides invaluable insight into our clients’ work environments. It hasn’t been a seamless, smooth journey and we’ve learned several lessons along the way. We’ve bumped our heads plenty of times along the way, hopefully becoming wiser each time. My grandmother used to say “All money ain’t good money.” As a business owner, I could not agree more. Not every client will be the best fit for HRKS and vice versa, despite the revenue potential. We are very selective about the clients we retain and the work that we perform. We will refer clients out if we don’t feel there is good synergy and alignment. My advice to new entrepreneurs is to firmly know your ‘why’ (it will come in handy during the hard times) and to practice both endurance (pushing ahead) and resilience (slowing down long enough to appreciate the journey).

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
So many choices! Let’s see… In addition to driving around to check out all of the unique neighborhoods, I’d definitely include: National Center for Civil and Human Rights MLK Jr Birthplace and History Center CNN Center Tour Ponce City Market Centennial Olympic Park Cobb Energy Center College Football Hall of Fame Falcons Game at MB Stadium

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My first shoutout goes to God, my Creator., for putting the right people in my life at the right time. Over the last seven years, He has placed so many amazing people on my path. I want to give a HUGE thanks to Tonya Hawley, Renay Winston, Clem Johnson, Kym Lee, Chelsea Owens, Tamiko Drummond, Keri Lee, and Taylor Lewis for helping me find the ‘lift’ to get HRKS off the ground! Big THANKS to my colleagues who allow me to bounce business ideas off of them without judgement – Stephen Paskoff, Shelton Goode, and the Cobb Chamber CEO Roundtable Purple Team! Last, but absolutely not least, I’d also like to express my gratitude for my “ride or die” team members who work tirelessly to ensure that HRKS fulfills it client promise. They truly make the HRKS engine purr!

Website: www.hrknowledgesource.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hrksllc/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/hrksllc

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HRKSLLC

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HRKSLLC

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDb2FCrncj3rGrsk8WnYfWQ

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hrksllc