Introducing the Lighthouse HR Podcast: Turning People Strategy into a Real Growth Engine
There’s a quiet shift happening in boardrooms and leadership meetings.
CEOs, founders and HR leaders are starting to realise that “HR” can’t just be where policies live and where problems go to be managed. In a world of constant change, tight margins and ambitious growth targets, people strategy either drives performance – or quietly holds it back.
That’s exactly why I’ve launched the Lighthouse HR Consultancy podcast, now live on Spotify.
This podcast is for leaders who are serious about making people decisions a strategic advantage – not a tick-box exercise.
Why I Stepped Behind the Microphone
I’m Maggie Sierko, Fractional HR Director and Founder of Lighthouse HR Consultancy.
For over 20 years I’ve worked in senior HR roles across fast-paced, complex organisations – including Amazon, IKEA and large multi-site businesses in the UK. I’ve sat in the rooms where decisions were made about:
- Restructures and growth plans
- Leadership capability and succession
- Culture, engagement and “how we really work around here”
- What happens when strategy sounds great on paper, but then needs to land with real people in real operations
Over time, I noticed the same pattern:
Brilliant businesses with strong products and ambitious leaders… held back by people issues that were avoidable with the right HR leadership and structure.
I created Lighthouse HR to change that – and now the podcast is the next step.
I wanted a place where:
- CEOs and founders can hear straightforward language about people strategy, not HR jargon.
- HR leaders can get practical tools and stories they can take straight into their next meeting.
- We can talk honestly about the messy reality of leading people through change – not just the glossy version.
That’s what pushed me behind the microphone.
What Lighthouse HR Actually Does (and How the Podcast Fits)
In the first introductory episode, I break down what Lighthouse HR Consultancy actually offers – because “HR consultancy” can mean a hundred different things.
At Lighthouse HR, my work centres on three core areas:
1. Fractional and Interim HR Leadership
For medium and large organisations that don’t need (or can’t justify) a full-time HR Director or CPO, but do need senior-level thinking and delivery.
That might mean:
- A Fractional HRD a few days a week
- An Interim People Director to support during a period of change
- A strategic partner to sit alongside the CEO, COO or HR leader and move things forward
2. Delivery of Major People Projects
Big shifts in the business usually need serious HR support, for example:
- Organisational redesign and restructures
- Culture and engagement work
- HR operating model changes
- Integrating technology and AI into HR processes
- Building capability in HR teams and people managers
The podcast will regularly dive into these areas with real examples – what worked, what didn’t, and what we learned.
3. Bringing “Think Like Amazon” Discipline into Growing Organisations
My time at Amazon deeply shaped how I think about:
- Leadership principles
- Bar-raising hiring
- Ownership and accountability
- Data-informed decisions
- Scaling culture, not just headcount
In the podcast, you’ll hear elements of my “Think Like Amazon” approach translated for UK-based growing organisations – without pretending every business needs to be Amazon.
It’s about borrowing the discipline, not copying the whole machine.
Who This Podcast Is Really For
If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you’ll recognise yourself in at least one of these:
- You’re a CEO or founder leading a growing organisation and you know your people strategy isn’t quite where it needs to be.
- You’re a People / HR Director who’s stretched, spinning multiple plates and wants practical ideas you can implement quickly.
- You’re an operational leader (Operations Director, GM, Regional Manager) who’s responsible for large teams and wants to handle people issues with more confidence and structure.
You might recognise situations like:
- “We’re scaling, but our structure and roles haven’t caught up.”
- “We’ve got great individuals, but we’re not operating as a joined-up leadership team.”
- “HR is busy – but not always focused on the things that actually move the business forward.”
If that sounds familiar, this podcast is designed to be worth your time.
What You Can Expect from Each Episode
The Lighthouse HR podcast is built for busy people. That means:
- Short, focused episodes – you should be able to listen on your commute, dog walk or between meetings.
- Plain language – I avoid HR and consulting jargon where possible.
- Real examples – I’ll reference anonymised stories from real businesses and real situations, not just theory.
- Tools and prompts – simple questions or frameworks you can take straight into your next conversation with your team or Board.
Across future episodes, we’ll explore themes such as:
- When and how to use Fractional HR leadership
- How to lead change without burning people out
- What “good” HR looks like in a growing multi-site or customer-facing organisation
- How to bring Amazon-style clarity and ownership into your leadership team
- Where AI and technology can genuinely support HR – and where it can’t
And much more as the series evolves.
Why Listen Now?
The world isn’t slowing down for anyone.
Budget pressures, ambitious growth targets, shifting employee expectations, AI, regulation – they’re all moving at once. The response can’t just be “HR will handle it” or “We’ll sort people once things calm down.”
The organisations that will win are those where:
- People strategy and business strategy are aligned,
- HR has a proper voice at the table, and
- Leaders feel confident, supported and equipped to make people decisions.
This podcast is my way of putting 20+ years of senior HR experience and lessons learned into a format you can access whenever you need it.
Where to Find the Podcast
The Lighthouse HR Consultancy podcast is now live on Spotify, with more platforms to follow.
🎧 Listen to the introductory episode:
In this first episode, I share:
- Why I created the podcast now
- A quick overview of my background and where I’ve worked
- What Lighthouse HR does in practice
- And what you can expect from future episodes
If you’re a CEO, founder or HR leader who wants more than inspirational quotes and generic advice, this space is for you.
You’ll hear honest reflections, practical tools, and a “Think Like Amazon” edge – all grounded in the reality of running and growing businesses with real people, real operations and real constraints.
I’d love for you to join me on this journey.
👉 Search for “Lighthouse HR Consultancy” on Spotify, hit follow, and listen to the introductory episode.
And if an episode sparks a question or challenge in your own organisation, you know where to find me.
