Tracie Sponenberg

Chief People Officer, The Granite Group. Keynote Speaker. Advisor. Co-Founder. Community Builder. Connector. Introvert. Employee Experience Designer. Fiercely People First.

I write about my decades of experience working in and leading Human Resources, with a focus on frontline companies.  I also write about AI in HR, wellbeing, owning my own consulting business, helping companies with hourly employees and deskless workers transform from paper first to people first, and sometimes I write about my experience as an autistic executive over 50, and occasionally travel and coffee!  My work is laser focused on distribution and manufacturing and related industries. 

I'm a former Chief People Officer at The Granite Group, now Advisor and Fractional HR Executive with 25 years of executive HR leadership experience focused on aligning people strategy with business strategy in industries with deskless employees.

In addition to my advisory work, I'm a keynote speaker on technology, AI, leadership, branding and all things HR!

Founder, Chief People Officer

After a nearly 30-year career in the corporate world, I've started my own business, Tracie Sponenberg LLC!  Providing Fractional Chief People Officer Consulting,Keynote Speaking and Advisory services.

I read a thread this morning that said “I’m absolutely seeing why so many women leave the workforce in their 50s.”

And there were hundreds of responses. (Original post was abbieeals.)

The reasons listed? Perimenopause, other health issues, toxic workplaces, fired, laid off, bullied, couldn’t take it anymore, and much more.

So many more comments about wanting to leave. And more still about not being able to find a job.

I’ve seen this pattern throughout my career but didn’t fully understand this until I actually was in my 50s. Now I get it. And I was lucky. I left to start my own business. Not everyone is able to do that.

Women in their 50s are dealing with real physical changes that affect how we show up. And we’re doing it in workplaces that often weren’t designed with us in mind. Add in caregiving responsibilities (aging parents, kids still at home), decades of navigating changing workplaces and for many, toxic cultures, and the exhaustion of always having to prove ourselves? It’s a lot.

But these are women with 20, 30, 40 years of hard-won expertise. They know how to get things done. They’ve built relationships, solved problems, and carried teams through impossible situations.

We can’t afford to lose them. We can’t afford to lose you.

And for those trying to get back in and receiving rejection after rejection? That’s not about your value. That’s about broken hiring systems.

If you’re leading teams, pay attention to this. Check in with the women on your team who might be struggling silently. Create flexibility that actually works. Make your workplace one where people don’t have to choose between their health and their paycheck.

And if you’re one of the women in that thread feeling stuck or invisible, I see you. Your experience matters. Your contributions matter. You matter.
Women’s issues are workforce issues. Let’s start treating them that way.

And one more thing?

Hire women over 50.

Executive leader focused on aligning people strategy with business strategy at privately held and/or private equity backed businesses experiencing growth and change.  

Passionate about the the people experience, generative AI (yes, ChatGPT!) and all things HR tech, the link between wellbeing and organizational health, and helping companies with hourly employees and deskless workers in industries like distribution, wholesale, retail, manufacturing, agriculture (and other small to mid-sized companies) transform from paper first to people first!

HR Rebel. DisruptHR NH & HR Rebooted Co-founder.   Keynote speaker on technology, leadership, branding and all things HR.  (Speaking engagements listed at www.traciesponenberg.com - well, prior to 2020.  I need to update COVID and post-COVID era engagements!) Super proud to be the recipient of the 2022 Boston HR Council Speaker of the Year Award, the global 2023, 2022 and 2021 OnCON Global Icon Top 50 Human Resources Professional Awards and the RY Perry HR Hero Award.

Advisory Chief People Officer to Distribution & Manufacturing | Strategic HR Consultant | Keynote Speaker | People-First Culture Strategist

Whenever I speak I make sure I fly in at least the day before. The night before I try to take a look at the room. (This was yesterday’s room.)

I often listen to my speaking playlist right before I go on stage, though if I’m super comfortable I don’t need to. And I always do some kind of exercise.

It always takes me about 90 seconds to settle in to speaking. And I show up as my nerdy self, always. 

This conference was one of the best organized I’ve seen, and the hotel and conference facilities were great!

Thank you to Amy Bott for trusting me to speak with your members, and to my friends Mike Marks and Jason Bader for cheering me on from the front row, and for being constant sources of wisdom and advice, and helpful tips.  

I’m not a full-time speaker - I’m a consultant who speaks and shares information (thank you Mike for putting into words exactly how I’ve felt!)

 I’m most comfortable one on one with clients. But I’ve also grown to love these events, where I always learn as much as I share.

Last week, my business officially turned two years old. And I completely forgot about it!  

I was on site with a new client, immersed in the work I love as an advisory Chief People Officer to manufacturing and distribution. While I'm much better about taking time for me than I used to be (I did a ton of reading on the trip, my favorite form of self-care!), I am still navigating how to celebrate things like milestones, and how much the business has grown - and how much I have grown! 

Growth to me means more than metrics, client count or revenue milestones (though those do matter!) Growth to me is the confidence to forget my work anniversary because I was so fully present in meaningful work! Growth is saying yes to the right projects and no to the wrong ones. Growth is about understanding that rest before, during and after a business trip is essential to my wellbeing.  

Two years ago, I couldn't have imagined how my business has evolved! The work as a trusted advisor to manufacturing and distribution and frontline companies. The workshops I'm now teaching on AI in HR and beyond. The planning work that's helping families preserve legacies. The tech projects with humans at the center. The turnaround strategies that are keeping good people in great companies. I definitely couldn't have imagined forgetting to celebrate this day!  

So, my belated celebration is a Thank You! Thank you to every client who trusts me with their people challenges. Thank you to every HR leader who's shown up to learn with curiosity instead of fear. And thank you to everyone who reminds me that doing work you love should be celebrated every day, not just once a year (and that it’s ok if you forget to celebrate at all!)

I received an email that I was named to The Inspiring Workplaces Group’s Top 101 Global Employee Engagement & Experience Influencers for 2026 just as I was about to keynote a distribution conference where I spoke quite a bit about the employee experience! 

For the past two years I have worked as a Chief People Officer Advisor to distribution, manufacturing and other frontline companies, and the work I do centers around looking at everything through the lens of the employee experience.  To be recognized for that is an incredible honor.  

Thank you to Matt Manners and the Inspiring Workplaces team for all the work you do!  And I'm in awe every day of my friends and people I admire also on the list like Alex Seiler, Angela Cheng-Cimini 鄭婷婷, Angela R. Howard, Jill Katz, Craig Forman, Hebba Youssef, Marissa Andrada, Debra Corey, Gifty Enright, Perry Timms, Tracy Brower, PhD, Jeff Waldman, Risha Grant, Tara Furiani, Nicky Hoyland, Enrique Rubio and the entire amazing list, filled with incredible leaders across the globe (check it out below!)

Thank you so much AFFLINK | A PFG Company!

I had a wonderful time.

And the best part? The people.

I had heard this was a special group, and I’m so glad I got to experience it.

A year ago I started writing a newsletter and sharing my thoughts about all things Work (and Community and Coffee!)

I had no goal other than creating a new space for sharing my thoughts outside of LinkedIn.  

I aimed for weekly and sometimes I make it.  More often I don't.  

About six months ago I created a special list for Distribution and Manufacturing leaders, and leaders in similar industries, where I regularly share resources and advice.

All for free.  Forever.  

And I absolutely love writing it!

I don't pay attention to LinkedIn metrics (maybe I should, but I don't!) But for some reason I have been very interested in my newsletter metrics.

This is a huge milestone for me!  Maybe not huge in the world of newsletters, but a significant personal milestone.  500 people took the time to hit subscribe!  

If you are one of them, thank you.

And if you aren't and want to be, click the link below.  My first issue of 2026 drops soon.

This is my first time at Afflink Engage.

It’s also my first time on a hotel key card holder!

I’m looking forward to my keynote tomorrow. Today I enjoyed catching up with some distribution consultant friends also speaking, and getting to know these amazing independent distributors.

(And if I forget what I’m speaking about and when I guess I just pull out the key cards!)

A wonderful first week with my client in Salt Lake City is coming to a close.

I’m leaving with a much greater understanding of where they are, and how I can help.

I’m also leaving with a new favorite local coffee shop, and a new personal motto! 

Thank you Roots Coffee & Co.  for the inspiration. And the terrific coffee!

Community is central to everything that I do. I've joined communities, I've left communities, I've avoided communities. And I've built several communities.
My newsletter is even called "Work. Community. Coffee!"

I've taken a step back from building in recent years, focusing on other things - work, speaking, writing, and things I've needed in my life. Building an active community is pretty much a full-time job.

Today I want to take a moment to recognize the humans behind one of the best communities I ever co-created. The community that I miss the most.
HR on the House.

Remember Clubhouse? In 2020, when we couldn't really go anywhere or get together with community in the same way, this audio-only platform emerged. I was an early adopter, along with many of my HR friends. Pretty quickly, Francisco Reyes Pereira brought together Nicky Hoyland, Jeff(rey) Shapiro and me with an idea - an HR room, running every Friday at noon, where we'd have weekly guests and anyone could join the "stage." 

Fran did all of the promos, we had absolutely amazing guests, and completely packed "rooms."

It was, along with the HR Rebels, one of my lifelines during a really chaotic time. I rarely missed a week for the year or so that we ran. With well over 1000 community members, it was really active for that time.

Shared purpose (and connection on Twitter) brought us together. The community kept us going. The world opening back up, and people finding other things to do eventually brought the community to a close.

I still miss it.

But this past summer, I got to meet Fran in person for the first time ever! (Still waiting on Nicky and Jeff!) We have stayed in each other's lives, supporting from afar, for all that time.

Communities evolve over time. What we need out of communities changes.

But the people? They stay with you.

What communities have been lifelines for you? Tag them below - I'd love to celebrate them!

I normally hate parades. Too loud. Too crowded.

But watching today’s parade honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Savannah, then other parts of the city, was different.

It was beautiful.

The parade’s theme was “A fight with courage. A victory for love.” 

And it’s a perfect theme for this year.

Welcome to New England, where nearly everyone is ordering an iced drink, even though it’s two degrees!

It’s the first day of February, so I deviated from my usual and ordered an iced oatmilk chocolate covered strawberry.

(Coffee pic from the Vintage Cup Cafe in Suncook Village NH.)

February is less travel heavy than January for me, with just a short trip planned with my son, then my husband, and some days on site with clients. 

I have a full week working from home this week, which I’m actually looking forward to. Because as much as I love traveling, I also love coming home.

I use AI tools every single day.  I teach an AI workshop.  I've delivered keynotes on AI in HR.  

But as I prepare to deliver a keynote to a group of distribution executives next week, I am not planning on mentioning AI. 

Because while AI is good at a lot of things, and can certainly help you in many ways, it cannot have the conversations for you.  It cannot deliver the feedback for you.  It cannot replace your empathy. 

This keynote is very human.  I don't want the attendees to outsource their thinking to AI.  I want them to deeply think about how they view their people.  I want them to practice becoming better leaders.  I want them to embrace the messy human parts of people. 

Your people can tell the difference between a leader who shows up and one who hides behind AI efficiency.

I want the attendees to be the leaders who show up!

Weekend coffee pic from Origins Coffee Bar on Hilton Head Island.

Taking a few days in the middle of an extraordinarily hectic month for some much needed down time. 

And no better way to kick that off than finding a great new coffee shop!

In the middle of my most packed work month in recent memory, we took off for a few days.

Bad idea? Not at all. 

Part vacation, part new place to work for a few days, the change of scenery was just what I needed. 

I relaxed. I recharged. I got more work done than I thought was possible, in hyper focused bursts between beach walks and dinners on the water.

It was cold, it was beautiful, it was peaceful and kind of perfect.

Ready to head out again Saturday to try to get ahead of the storm and be in place for my keynote next week to a wonderful group of distribution leaders in Arizona. I’m looking forward to it - and the warmth!

Change can be slow, painful and messy.

It’s definitely not perfect. 

I don’t want perfection though. I want progress.

I had a conversation with a client yesterday, and the words keep sticking with me.

“They have made so much progress.”

That’s the work. That’s what it looks like when you’re leading real people through real change.

The supervisor who’s having better conversations. The team that’s starting to trust the process. The leader who’s showing up differently than they did six months ago. 

Those are the wins that matter.
Perfection is a myth. Progress is the goal.

When I don’t know what to say, or how to process, there are people I respect and adore that I turn to. Sarika Lamont is one of them. She also shares some excellent resources from more people I respect and adore, Kim Minnick and Theresa Fesinstine.

Chief People Officer @ Vidyard | Leading Human-Centered AI Transformation

This image says what I’ve been struggling to put into words.


The events that have transpired over the last few weeks in Minnesota, alongside everything happening in the U.S. right now, have left me carrying a mix of grief, anger, disbelief…and fear.

I’m also noticing this in others: sometimes the feelings are so big that the words don’t come. Or you hesitate to speak because, frankly, if you’re not white, it’s a different level of fear and you know the risks aren’t the same for everyone.

If you’re having a hard time articulating what you feel, you’re not alone.
If you’re processing privately instead of publicly, that’s valid.
People will express differently and that’s okay.

I know that silence can’t be the default anymore.

It doesn’t have to be loud or a grand gesture. But it has to be something, small or big. A conversation. A check-in. Supporting the people and organizations doing the work. Showing up for your community in the ways you can.

I don’t have a perfectly packaged message. I just know we need each other right now.

Take care of yourself and your people. Hug them a little tighter.
And please, do something. In your way. But don’t look away.

(I’m sharing some helpful posts others have shared in my network with helpful resources and ways to take action in the comments - please share any resources you have in the comments below). ❤️

Angela R. Howard is one of the best people & culture leaders you could ever be lucky enough to work with.  

She's also a wonderful human.

And she is available for fractional and project work!  

I 100% trust Angela - please read her post below and reach out to her if you are looking!

Culture executive and community builder applying organizational psychology to how we work, lead, and live.

📣 I’m officially opening availability for fractional and project-based culture & people work in 2026.

Our methodology at Call for Culture works best with social impact organizations where the mission is strong, the external work is visible… and the internal infrastructure is quietly struggling.

And let me be clear about what fractional support actually means, because when used well, it’s one of the most powerful ways leaders can build sustainable, people-centered organizations.

It means senior-level thinking without full-time overhead.

It means I come in, see what everyone else is tiptoeing around, and name it.

It means culture work grounded in strategy, outcomes, and lived reality - not vibes-only workshops or performative DEI/culture theater.

I partner best with organizations that are:
• Deeply mission-driven and ready to bring that same care inward
• Navigating growth, change, or internal tension
• Tired of culture living in a slide deck instead of day-to-day behavior
• Committed to trust, clarity, accountability, and care
• Honest enough to admit: what got us here isn’t getting us where we’re going

Fractional can look like:
✨ Culture assessments & diagnostics
✨ Leadership alignment + standards of work
✨ Change management & trust rebuilding
✨ People strategy during transitions (growth, restructuring, burnout, turnover)
✨ Thought partnership for leaders who actually want to lead differently

This is not a fit if you want quick fixes, buzzwords, or someone to rubber-stamp the status quo.

It is a fit if you want the truth, a clear mirror, and support building something that lasts.

If you’re curious (or know a leader who should be) let’s talk! 

DM me to schedule a discovery call today!

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