The Story behind the Campfire
Meet your fractional hr partner:
Amy J Hamilton, PHR
People Ops for Trailblazers isn’t just a tagline — it’s how I work.
I’m Amy Hamilton, PHR — a Colorado-based HR consultant who’s been building people operations for small businesses and startups since 2021. My HR roots go back to 2016, with earlier experience in larger, more structured environments that gave me the professional foundation, without the corporate mindset. Before HR altogether, I spent years in entrepreneurship, digital marketing, and web development, which means I think like a business owner first and an HR professional second.
My background in anthropology gave me an early framework for studying how people, culture, and systems interact — and I’ve been applying that lens to organizations ever since. I’ve supported teams from 5 to 500 employees across 30 states and 12 international locations, which means I’ve seen what breaks at every stage of growth, and what holds up.
I specialize in working with small businesses and startups that are serious about growth: companies running on EOS, Pinnacle, Bloom Growth, or any operating system that values clear structure and strong people processes. If you’ve got a framework and the people side still feels like a gap, that’s exactly where I come in. Visionary leaders have the big picture. I build the people infrastructure that makes it livable — translating your culture and values into systems your team can actually feel.
I work in the tools your team already uses or should be using — including Gusto and Rippling — so there’s no steep learning curve on the ops side.
Outside of client work, I serve as a volunteer strategic advisor to Fort Collins and Colorado-based business and startup communities.
Fort Collins is home base, but I work with businesses across the US.
Let’s build something that lasts. Pull up a camp chair:
Tailored, durable HR Solutions
People & Culture
Most small businesses don’t have a performance management system — they have vibes. I build the actual framework: what good looks like, how you communicate expectations, and what happens when someone isn’t meeting them. My clients have maintained engagement scores above 85% and retention above 95% — not because of perks, but because of intentional systems that make people feel like they’re working toward something real. From performance management and leadership development to EOS people processes and culture work, I help you build an environment where your best people stay.
HR Compliance & Employee Relations
Employment law doesn’t care how small you are. I make sure you’re not learning your compliance gaps in a lawsuit. That means employee handbooks that actually reflect how you operate, correct job classifications, leave policies that hold up across states, and a clear process for handling employee relations issues when they arise. I’ve managed compliance for teams across 30 states and international locations — I know what to watch for so you don’t have to.
Recruiting & Talent Strategy
Hiring the right person is hard. Hiring the right person and setting them up to stay is a system. I design recruiting and onboarding processes that actually stick — my clients have achieved 100% six-month retention on new hire cohorts, scaled headcount 2x in two years, and built onboarding programs that get people productive faster. I’ll help you identify who you need, build a process to find them, and make sure they land well — so you’re not starting over six months later.
Client Testimonials
Don’t take our word for it – here’s what our clients say:
Tom F.
Founder & Director | Filmbuilding | Early Stage Nonprofit
“Amy set my organization up for true success as she led me through the onboarding of my first team members with clarity, structure, and a people-first approach. Her strong insight and ability to tie the onboarding process to the larger goals of my organization allowed me to connect so many of the dots essential to its sustained growth. I highly recommend Amy and hope to work with her again.”
Jonathan G.
Real Estate Executive & Investment Management | Early-Stage Company
“Amy is an incredibly effective ‘people’ leader who came recommended through a fellow YPO CEO. She is both strategic and tactical — can think in systems but wrangle the messiness and scrapiness of an early stage company. Her background with EOS provided a shared language from day 1 and she flawlessly executed a 2+ month 360 process for our senior team. We’ll be hiring Amy for more work in the future and would not hesitate to recommend her in a heartbeat.”
Bre R.
Founder, Business Advisor & Board Member | Women’s Business Advocate
“Amy J is a wonderful thought partner. Her skills as a technical expert shine particularly around operations, research, data, people benefits, and performance. As our consulting HR and Operations Director, I was able to work closely with Amy and use her problem-solving skills daily to help me navigate challenges.”
I work with small businesses and startups — typically 5 to 75 employees — across all industries. If you believe your people are the strategy and not just the overhead, we should talk.
Get in touch – let’s build together
Ready to build or refine a strong foundation for your team? Let’s connect and create HR solutions that support your business and its people.