Laurie Wajda always had entrepreneurship in mind, but her satisfaction in a corporate environment put the dream off. After leaving her job as a human resources executive to spend time with her family and continuing to serve as a board member for the Bucks County Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Wajda wanted to put her human resources expertise to good use.
After working in HR for over 25 years, she decided to be her own boss and founded LKW Human Capital Solutions LLC in April 2023. In this new venture, she leverages her skills as an HR generalist to serve the needs of a variety of clients. Her work to date includes HR strategy development and execution, change management, and executive coaching. Clients range from US companies with 40-200 employees to global organizations with over 1,000 employees in the US.
“I pride myself on being a trusted partner,” Wajda said. “I’m flexible, and my diverse HR experience gives me the flexibility to customize solutions specific to my clients.”
From an entrepreneurial standpoint, Wadjda, of Yardley, knew what she wanted to do and what she wanted to focus on, but she didn’t know where to start. She turned to mentors Linda Zangrilli and Joe Roots of SCORE Bucks County for help and received some very personal support.
For example, through virtual meetings and shared computer screens, Lutes helped Wajda complete and submit the paperwork necessary to apply for an LLC.
“For me, it exceeded my expectations,” she said. “It gave me peace of mind knowing that I completed the company registration process correctly. I’m very grateful!”
Zangrilli, whom Wadjda calls her “accountability partner,” provided critical feedback in developing the company’s mission statement, unique value proposition and marketing materials, and also helped set financial goals.
“Linda is always there for me, bouncing ideas off of me and answering my questions,” Wadjda said of Zangrilli. “She’s always available. I needed to work and she was there to guide me and support me.”
Wajda maintains a steady pace of meetings and connections with Zangrilli. She looks forward to giving back that knowledge to other SCORE clients. “If there are others who could benefit from my knowledge, I’d be happy to help them.”
In addition to the support from SCORE, the biggest boost for LKW Human Capital Solutions LLC was Wajda’s success networking and connecting with others. She reached out to former colleagues and referrals and followed up by attending networking events.
“You have to be constantly networking,” says Wajda. Though she’s based in Bucks County, her clients aren’t local. The power of virtual meetings allows her to collaborate with clients throughout Chicago, New Jersey and beyond.
With the need for “partial” and “project-based” talent nowadays being a common requirement for all companies, big and small, Wajda is confident about the trajectory of his business.
“It’s fun. It’s great,” she says, “and I love my clients and I enjoy my work.”
About SCORE
Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 11 million aspiring entrepreneurs. Each year, SCORE provides small business mentoring and workshops to more than 375,000 new and growing small businesses. With more than 70 members in Bucks and Eastern Montgomery County, SCORE Bucks County provides more than 4,300 free mentoring services annually to local small business owners through one-on-one counseling and small business seminars. To stay up to date on the latest news and happenings, sign up for the SCORE Bucks County email list. Text SCOREBUCKS to 22828.
— Courtesy of Catalinas Communications
