11/28/2025
Feature Friday is back!!!!
This week's Feature Friday is Michael Lounsbury with PeopleOps Advisors. Michael is an amazing person who we have gotten to know recently. Make sure to check out this interview, give PeopleOps a follow, and contact them for any HR needs for your company.
๐. ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ, ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐จ.โฃ
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My name is Michael Lounsbury and I am the owner of PeopleOps Advisors, a veteran owned HR consulting and fractional HR firm based in the Upstate. I help small and mid-sized businesses bring clarity, structure, and accountability to their teams through practical HR systems that actually work in the real world. My focus is on building strong workplace cultures, improving processes, and giving business owners the tools, confidence, and support they need to lead well. From compliance to handbooks to leadership development, I help companies create environments where people can thrive and the business can grow with intention.โฃ
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๐. ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฐ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ? ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐ฃ๐จ๐ฒ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐?โฃ
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My journey into HR came from a mix of lived experience and a desire to help people finally feel supported at work. I have seen what happens when businesses lack clarity and structure, and I have seen the impact when they get it right. What inspired me most was watching how much a team can change when a leader has someone in their corner who understands people, systems, and accountability. My favorite moments are always when a business owner tells me, โI finally feel in control again,โ or when an employee says, โThis place feels different now.โ Those moments are why I do this.โฃ
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๐. ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง ๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐ง ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐ฆ๐. ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ญ๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ซ ๐ง๐จ๐ฐ?โฃ
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The Army taught me discipline, resilience, and the importance of clear standards. It taught me that leadership is not about rank but about responsibility, communication, and showing up for your people. I also learned how to operate under pressure, how to adapt quickly, and how to never accept defeat even when the circumstances are difficult. All of that carries directly into the work I do now. Structure, clarity, accountability, and purpose driven leadership are at the core of everything I teach and everything PeopleOps Advisors stands for.โฃ
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๐. ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ซ. ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฐ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฆ.โฃ
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My first book, ๐๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ ๐๐ค๐ค๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ต ๐๐ฆ๐ง๐ฆ๐ข๐ต, is rooted in my personal story. It is about resilience, overcoming adversity, and choosing to rise even when life tries to knock you down. It shares lessons from the Army, from my childhood, and from my journey into entrepreneurship. Writing it was healing, and it gave me a way to help others who have walked through hard places. I am currently working on my second book, Trenches to Triumph, which dives deeper into leadership, growth, and what it means to create impact after surviving difficult seasons.โฃ
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๐. ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ? ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐จ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐?โฃ
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In five years, I see PeopleOps Advisors as one of the leading HR consulting firms in the Southeast, with a full team supporting small businesses across multiple states. I will be speaking nationally, publishing more books, and offering online courses that help business owners strengthen their leadership and culture. I want to build a company that not only serves clients well but also creates opportunities for veterans and people who are passionate about making workplaces better. Impact is the long term vision.โฃ
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๐. ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฏ๐จ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง๐๐ซ? ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง๐๐ซ? ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ญ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ?โฃ
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My favorite part of being a small business owner is the freedom to build something meaningful that reflects my values. I love being able to support businesses, invest in leaders, and create work that truly changes peopleโs lives. The hardest part is carrying the weight of everything on your shoulders while still trying to show up for your family, clients, and community. But it is worth it. My advice for anyone wanting to start a business is simple: stay consistent, stay clear on your mission, and never let fear make decisions for you. Build relationships, ask for help, and remember that progress will always beat perfection.โฃ
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๐๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญโฃ
At the end of the day, everything I do comes back to impact. My goal is not just to help businesses run better, but to help people feel seen, supported, and led with integrity. I believe workplaces can be life changing when they are built with clarity, accountability, and care. PeopleOps Advisors exists because I want leaders to feel confident, employees to feel valued, and communities to grow stronger through businesses that are healthy from the inside out. That is the legacy I am working to build every day.
