This week’s Founder Friday profiles Kath Harris, who left corporate HR to build practical, relationship-first support for growing businesses
“People remember how you make them feel long after they forget what you said.”
This week’s Founder Friday profiles Kath Harris, founder of Unscripted HR, who spent more than 25 years in corporate HR before deciding to build something entirely her own.
The Corporate Gap
Harris’s decision to strike out on her own came from recognising what energised her most about the work. “The work I enjoyed most wasn’t sitting in large organisations with layers of process,” she explains. “It was partnering directly with leaders, solving problems and helping create workplaces where people actually wanted to come to work.”
That realisation pointed to a clear opportunity. “I started UnscriptedHR because I saw a gap. Many small and medium-sized businesses needed senior HR experience but didn’t need, or couldn’t justify, a full-time HR Director,” Harris says. “I wanted to make strategic HR accessible and practical, without making it feel corporate or complicated.”
The name itself reflects her core philosophy. The name UnscriptedHR came from the belief that people don’t come with scripts, and since every business, leader and employee is different, HR shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all either.
Relationships Over Transactions
“I like becoming a trusted partner who really understands the business, not the consultant who drops off a report and disappears.”
Central to Harris’s approach has been a deliberate move away from typical consulting models. “One of the biggest decisions was focusing on relationships rather than transactions,” she says. “I’ve never wanted to be the consultant who drops off a report and disappears. I like becoming a trusted partner who really understands the business.”
This extended to how she structured her services. Harris made a conscious decision to specialise in long-term partnerships through HR advisory rather than only project work, which gives clients continuity and allows for genuine impact over time.
Networking has proven essential to this relationship-driven model. Much of her work has come from genuine relationships and referrals, built through industry body AHRI, her Walks on Wednesday interview series, and speaking events.
What sets her apart from other consultants, Harris believes, is the combination of senior experience and simplicity. “Clients don’t come to me for a textbook answer. They come because they want someone who understands both people and business. Sometimes HR can overcomplicate things. I like simplifying them.”
She’s also careful to note that HR isn’t just about people for their own sake, it’s tied directly to business outcomes. “I genuinely care about the people I’m working with. HR is about people, but it’s also about helping businesses succeed. The best outcomes happen when you balance both.”
Regional by Choice
“Instead of seeing regional Australia as a limitation, I leaned into it.”
One of the more unexpected turns in Harris’s journey was relocating her family to the Mid North Coast while continuing to grow the business. Rather than treating this as a constraint, she reframed it entirely.
“Instead of seeing regional Australia as a limitation, I leaned into it,” she says. “Technology means I can support clients anywhere, while also building strong local connections through AHRI and the community.”
This decision reflects a broader lesson about the difference between working alone and building sustainably. Harris has learned that growth doesn’t happen by trying to do everything yourself, and that building great relationships, asking for help and surrounding yourself with good people has made all the difference.
Trust Takes Time
Harris’s reflections on entrepreneurship carry weight earned through experience. “People remember how you make them feel long after they forget what you said,” she notes. “I’ve also learned that trust is everything. Trust takes time to build and seconds to lose.”
She’s also come to see boundaries as a strategic asset rather than a limitation. “Saying no can be just as important as saying yes. Not every client is the right fit, and that’s okay. The best work happens when values and expectations are aligned.”
For those considering starting their own venture, Harris’s advice is direct: “Don’t wait until everything feels perfect because it never will. Start with solving a real problem for people rather than trying to build the perfect business. Back yourself, but stay curious. Listen more than you talk, keep learning and don’t be afraid to ask for advice. Most importantly, build relationships. Opportunities rarely come from cold marketing. They come from trust, reputation and consistently showing up.”
Harris also reflects on what success has come to mean to her personally. “Success isn’t just about growth, it’s about building a business that aligns with the life you want to live. I’ve learned to celebrate the small wins, be comfortable with uncertainty and remember why I started in the first place.”
Her final reflection speaks to what she sees as the real differentiator in a crowded market. “There are lots of HR consultants, but there’s only one version of you,” she says. “When you stop trying to sound like everyone else and simply show up as yourself, that’s when the right clients find you. Ultimately, business is about people. If you genuinely care about helping others succeed, the commercial results tend to follow.”
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