Lay the Course Podcast · Vela Creative Co.

The Human Aspect of Running a Business with Kira La Forgia

March 2, 2023·45 min·1 clip

I'm a victim of burnout to the point of being diagnosed with PTSD and learning how to delegate and use my team better, changed my life.

Kelsey Stein opens the show by welcoming Kira to talk through HR, hiring, and the range of support she offers. Kira starts with a self-aware joke about having asked ChatGPT what HR is, which sets a relaxed, honest tone right away. She does not stay there for long. Instead, she explains that HR reaches into the whole business, including offers, profit margins, and the systems that keep people and owners protected. The conversation keeps returning to growth. Kira says many of the clients she sees are in the middle of bringing on multiple employees within just a few months, often while spending less than they were before. She makes that shift sound exciting and intimidating at the same time. That tension matters because a lot of owners picture hiring as a huge leap into full-time payroll and benefits, when that is not the only option. Kelsey asks a simple question people often have: can you hire someone for just ten hours a week? Kira says there is no minimum number of hours for an employee. She adds that the real issue is whether the role makes sense for the company, the culture, and the kind of support the business needs. A role that is only a couple of hours a week may be better handled another way unless there is a clear path for the person to do more. The practical side of the interview keeps circling back to risk. Kira is blunt about not cutting corners. She says owners should get an accountant, get a lawyer, and get an HR person. She also points out that compliance matters because different business structures change how exposed an owner is if something goes wrong. The episode keeps that advice grounded in everyday business reality rather than theory. Kira talks about protecting yourself, protecting your team, and building something bigger without pretending the rules do not matter. By the end, the message is clear: thoughtful hiring can make work better for everyone when it is set up with care. Kelsey closes with gratitude for a conversation that turns a scary topic into something more usable.

As heard by us

HR touches every part of a business, and the hiring side feels more manageable here.

Kelsey Stein and Kira talk through HR and hiring as practical business work, not an abstract back-office task. The conversation ties HR to profit margins, team protection, compliance, job design, and the cost of cutting corners, while also making the point that there is no…

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Thinking about hiring an employee? Start here before you post the job.

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