In this episode, Troy interviews Lisa-Maree Blumenfeld, founder and CEO of RetainHR https://www.retainhr.com/, a fractional HR consultancy helping startups scale their people operations. Lisa shares her unconventional entry into HR — from a degree in Religious Studies to becoming a recruiter, then ultimately leading HR at startups and Fortune 500 companies. The conversation explores her experience building infrastructure for 20+ startups at Expa, the founding story of RetainHR, and the increasing demand for flexible HR support in fast-growing companies.
Lisa also introduces Eleven https://getelevenapp.com/, her new venture designed to improve the quality of one-on-one conversations between managers and employees. From Gen X music nostalgia to deep insights on HR tech stacks, global compliance, and the future of performance management, this episode is packed with value for HR and HRIS professionals alike.
Listen On:
- YouTube. https://youtu.be/hAQw5Wahiao?si=-1Kyb90WfywMBRsq
- Apple Podcasts. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/solving-start-up-hris-and-payroll-with-lisa/id1741363105?i=1000700954881
- Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/4n3sLrnbn1oGwBMVKg6MYU?si=c85a9dba47dd46d3
- All Other Platforms https://pod.link/1741363105
Time Stamps
00:00 - Intro: HRIS Careers Podcast with Troy Wallace
01:18 - Meet Lisa-Maree Blumenfeld, Founder of RetainHR
04:04 - From Religious Studies to Recruiting: A Non-Traditional HR Journey
07:29 - Working at Expa and Building HR for 20+ Startups
09:53 - The Birth of RetainHR and the Power of Fractional HR
11:22 - Ideal Clients: Who RetainHR Helps Most
14:06 - HR Tech Stack Talk: Gusto, PEOs, and Scaling Smart
20:12 - Global Employees, EORs & HRIS Compliance Challenges
22:53 - Launching “11”: Reinventing One-on-One Meetings
28:46 - The Impact of Micro-Moments in Performance Management
31:28 - Lightning Round: Pearl Jam, AI in HR, Advice for Startup HR Pros
35:58 - Final Thoughts and Contact Info
Resources And Links
Eleven https://getelevenapp.com/
RetainHR https://www.retainhr.com/
Lisa' LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisamareeblumenfeld/
Gusto (Payroll and HRIS Lisa mentions: https://gusto.com/
Mentions: @TimSackett 
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