Not Your Typical HR Story

Earnest Insight was born the way the best partnerships usually are: two sharp HR minds, a shared sense of humor, and one too many conversations that started with, “Have you ever dealt with this?” or “Small businesses deserve better than this.”

Amy Pagett of HR Insight and Shawnna Earnest of Earnest HR found each other through a mutual love of real-world HR (the kind that actually works), a healthy dose of sarcasm, a deep respect for small-business owners building something meaningful, often without an HR team or a rulebook, and a passion to build their business differently. Somewhere between trading war stories, swapping dog photos, and rolling our eyes at overcomplicated “best practices,” it became clear we were better together.

What sealed the deal? A shared belief that HR doesn’t need to be stuffy, preachy, or corporate to be effective, plus an unexpected bond over dogs and a completely unnecessary but successful campaign to turn Shawnna into a Phillies fan (with help from her Philadelphia-born husband). Despite both of us being Colorado natives, here we are, united by small businesses, common sense HR, and a partnership built on trust, honesty, and a lot of laughs.

Earnest Insight exists to give small businesses practical, grounded HR support, without the fluff, shame, or jargon. Just smart guidance from people who genuinely get it.