PeoplebyDesign

A two-minute exercise. It is uncomfortable and it is worth it.

Think of one person you work with closely. Write down six things you know about them.

Now cross out anything you could find on their LinkedIn or in their personnel file. Title, tenure, what team they are on.

Now cross out anything you could get from thirty seconds in the break room. They have kids. They pull for LSU.

Look at what is left.

Most people cross out more than half. That is not a failure of caring. It is that the public file is what gets handed to us and nobody ever asked us to go further.

But if you do have something left, that is proof you already noticed. The only thing missing is that you never said it out loud.

This is one of three exercises we will run on September 23.

Inspire People. Ignite Culture. Transform Lives.

Grateful to be recognized as a Bingo Biggie Sponsor for ABWA - La Capitale's Annual Purse Bingo Fundraiser. This event brought together so many incredible women in business, and it was an honor to invest in the mission of scholarships, education, and leadership opportunities for women in our community.

Thank you to ABWA La Capitale for creating spaces where women can grow, connect, and support one another. Looking forward to what comes next.

Inspire People. Ignite Culture. Transform Lives.

# ABWA

A few people have asked why this topic, and why now.

I lost my dad in January 2024 and my mom that December.

For twenty years I had been building the systems that are supposed to make people feel valued. Then I found out what it actually feels like when a person makes you feel like you matter, and I realized those are two completely different things.

My best friend of 28 years made me a song. She walked me back through all those years, through the memories we have shared, and she named the precise reasons I mattered to her.

The song was the beautiful part. The part that changed me was hearing someone say the specific reasons out loud. That does not take a song. It takes about eleven seconds and a willingness to be specific.

That is the whole reason People by Design exists, and it is why I said yes to this session.

September 23, Greater Baton Rouge SHRM Annual Conference.

Every Piece Matters: Building a Culture of Significance in the Modern Workplace

Wednesday, September 23, 11:00 am
Greater Baton Rouge SHRM Annual Conference, The HR Storybook
Crowne Plaza, Baton Rouge

Everything from the session will be free at pplbydesign.com/every-piece-matters

Inspire People. Ignite Culture. Transform Lives.

Purse Bingo may be behind us, but the momentum it created is still very much alive.

I saw ABWA - La Capitale’s shout out to Redemption - Process Development and Bookkeeping, LLC today, their BINGO BFF Sponsor and a woman-owned bookkeeping and virtual CFO firm that showed up in a big way for this year’s fundraiser. It got me thinking about how much of what made Purse Bingo special was not just the event itself, but everything it set in motion. The relationships built, the businesses spotlighted, the way women kept finding new ways to support each other long after the bingo cards were put away.

Tonight, at a St. George Chamber event, I had the chance to talk to the founder of Redemption in person. What started at purse bingo turned into a genuine conversation and inspired ideas, the kind that reminds you why showing up in these spaces matters. You never know which room, which event, or which conversation will end up being the bridge to something bigger.

This is what I love most about the community we are building here. Women choosing to make space for one another, not because they have to, but because they understand what is possible when we do. Grateful for ABWA La Capitale for creating spaces where these connections can happen, and grateful for every woman in business who shows up ready to build something meaningful, together.

People by Design was featured as this week's Ambassador Spotlight by the St. George Chamber of Commerce.

Being part of the Chamber's Ambassador program has deepened our connection to the St. George business community and reflects the same belief at the heart of everything we do: real growth happens through real relationships.

Melissa Montgomery, founder of People by Design, has valued the opportunity to connect with fellow ambassadors and Chamber leadership, including Travis Thornton and Monica Rouse, while continuing to bring executive coaching, leadership development, and team building to organizations throughout the region.

If your business is part of the St. George community, we encourage you to get involved with the Chamber. Connections like this are how communities and businesses grow stronger together.

Learn more about People by Design's coaching and workshops at www.pplbydesign.com

Every organization on this page reached the same conclusion: HR professionals in this region getting better at their work is worth investing in.

A conference like this happens because people decide it should and then do a lot of quiet work to make it real.

People by Design is a gold sponsor of The HR Storybook, September 22 and 23 at the Crowne Plaza. I am grateful the chapter made room for a first-year practice on a page like this one.

Thank you, GBR Society for Human Resource Management, for building something this community shows up for.

People by Design was honored to be part of House of Colour East Baton Rouge's grand opening celebration this weekend.

Jaime and her team opened the doors to a beautiful new studio for color analysis and personal styling, and it was wonderful to see so many Baton Rouge small businesses come together to celebrate alongside her. People by Design was proud to contribute to the grand prize giveaway, joining a lineup of incredible local businesses and women entrepreneurs who showed up in support.

This is exactly the kind of community I love being part of, women in business lifting each other up, celebrating new beginnings, and building something meaningful together. Congratulations, Jaime, on this next chapter.

Inspire People. Ignite Culture. Transform Lives.