Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiffany Smith Deans.
Hi Tiffany, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story in HR actually started somewhat by accident. Right after high school, I landed an HR internship with the federal government and fell in love with the work. HR wasn’t part of some big career plan I had mapped out for myself—I just stuck with it, and somewhere along the way, it stuck with me.
I built my career in Federal HR, but I always had a feeling I wouldn’t stay there forever. I wanted more. I wanted to feel like I was truly making an impact in the workplace, and honestly, I wasn’t always seeing great examples of what I believed HR and leadership could be.
The real turning point came when my father became sick. I needed more flexibility to help care for him, and my job simply didn’t provide it. That experience was incredibly frustrating, but that frustration ultimately became fuel. I quit my federal career and started my business in April 2019.
Things moved much faster than I expected. My first clients came entirely through word of mouth, and within about three months, I found myself working with several organizations. What’s funny is that even though I was running the business full time, I don’t think I truly treated it like a *business* until around 2023. That was when something clicked for me and I became much more intentional about what I was building and where I wanted it to go.
In late 2024, that evolution led to a rebrand and GroundingWork was born. My original business name never really felt like me, and it took me almost a year to land on GroundingWork. When I did, I knew immediately. It represented the kind of work I wanted to do—helping organizations create the strong, thoughtful people foundations they need to grow.
Today, my work has evolved to include fractional HR leadership and, increasingly, recruitment—something I’ve always been exceptionally good at, even though I haven’t historically marketed it as a core service.
What I’m most proud of, though, isn’t a particular service or business milestone. It’s the impact. I’ve been able to positively affect more people and organizations through this business than I ever felt I could working for someone else. And, selfishly, entrepreneurship has given me something else that’s priceless: the freedom to be the kind of active, present mom I want to be.
It hasn’t been a perfectly mapped-out journey. In many ways, I’ve built it as I’ve lived it. But looking back, even the frustration that caused me to leave my career ultimately led me to work that feels much more aligned with who I am and the impact I want to make.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. One of the biggest challenges of entrepreneurship has been constantly deciding if the juice is worth the squeeze. You eat what you kill, in a sense. Some days that is incredibly invigorating, and other days it is exhausting. There’s no guaranteed paycheck, and you don’t always know when the next big financial win is coming.
I’ve thought about going back to a traditional job more times than I probably should admit! Usually, it happens when the work feels especially massive or heavy. As a business owner, you can’t always leave work at work at 5 p.m. There are definitely moments when I think about how nice it would be to live the “soft life,” collect my paycheck, and let someone else carry the weight of the business.
I’ve also had to overcome my own fear—surprisingly, even a fear of success. For a long time, I don’t think I fully understood what this business could become, and I certainly didn’t know everything required to build and run one. I’ve had to learn pricing, marketing, sales, boundaries, and so many other things that have absolutely nothing to do with being good at HR. One of my biggest lessons has been learning to truly value my skill set, price accordingly, and create boundaries around my work. As much as I want to fix the work world, I can’t do that by burning myself out.
There have also been deeply personal challenges along the way. My father passed away in 2022, and I spent more than a year operating on autopilot. I struggled tremendously while still trying to show up for my family, my clients, and my business. That season changed me in a lot of ways.
And then there’s motherhood. There have been plenty of meetings where my kids are knocking on my office door asking for snacks while I’m trying to quietly shoo them away! It isn’t always the picture-perfect version of flexibility that entrepreneurship sometimes gets sold as. But I make it work, because the benefits are beautiful. I can show up for my children when they need me, be present for the moments that matter, and still build something that belongs to me.
Through all of those challenges, what has changed most is what I believe I’m capable of. In 2019, I don’t think I could fully see the potential of what I was starting. Today, I genuinely believe I can scale GroundingWork into something bigger than I ever imagined and make it great.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
GroundingWork is a people and HR consulting firm that helps growing organizations build strong people foundations so they can grow well—not just grow fast.
We primarily partner with small and growing businesses that need experienced HR leadership and support but may not need a full internal HR department. Our work centers around fractional HR leadership, recruiting, and building the people infrastructure organizations need as they grow.
At the heart of GroundingWork is a belief that good HR should work for both the people and the business. I don’t believe those things have to compete with each other. You can care deeply about employees while still holding people accountable. You can create a great employee experience while making sound business decisions. You can have structure without losing the humanity behind it.
I think that’s a big part of what sets us apart. We don’t approach HR as simply policies, paperwork, and compliance, and we don’t copy and paste “best practices” into every organization. We take the time to understand the business, its people, and where it’s trying to go, and then build what actually makes sense for that organization.
We’re also very practical. I love strategy, but eventually someone has to do the work. We’re willing to roll up our sleeves and execute—whether that’s building an HR foundation, helping a leader navigate a difficult people issue, finding the right person for a critical role, or simply bringing clarity to something that has become messy.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud that GroundingWork finally feels like an authentic reflection of how I have always wanted to do this work. Even the name is intentional. Organizations can have ambitious goals and big visions, but without a solid foundation underneath them, growth becomes difficult to sustain. We help build that foundation.
Ultimately, I want GroundingWork to be known for making workplaces better—not in a fluffy or performative way, but in ways people can actually feel. Better leadership. Clearer expectations. Stronger systems. Thoughtful hiring. Healthier workplaces. And businesses that understand taking care of their people and building a successful organization can—and should—go hand in hand.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
I would definitely consider myself a risk-taker. Once I’ve decided something is worth the risk, I’m usually going for it. Life without a little risk feels boring to me!
Leaving my federal career was probably the biggest risk I’ve taken. I didn’t have clients lined up, a guaranteed income, or some perfectly mapped-out business plan. I truly had no clue what was going to happen next. I just knew there had to be something better for me than what I was experiencing. My husband was incredibly supportive, and having him in my corner gave me the push I needed to actually walk away.
Over time, though, my relationship with risk has evolved. In the beginning, the risk was leaving something secure. Today, sometimes the risk is saying no to money. I’ve turned down clients and opportunities because I knew taking them would leave me without the time or capacity to do the work I actually want to do. That’s not always an easy decision as a business owner, especially when you know income isn’t guaranteed, but I’ve learned that every opportunity isn’t necessarily the right opportunity.
I also think we sometimes underestimate the risk of staying somewhere simply because it’s safe. Security can be comfortable, but it can also keep you from ever finding out what you’re capable of.
My philosophy is pretty simple: you never know until you try. I’d much rather take the risk and “fail” than spend my life wondering what could have happened if I’d been willing to try.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://groundingwork.co
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/tsdeans
