regional: Seattle HR leader’s candid book offers practical insights

Seattle-based HR leader and founder of Reverb, Mikaela Kiner, has released her second book, “The Reverb Way: How to Build a Thriving Business Without Sacrificing It All.” Published recently, the book offers a remarkably candid look into the realities of entrepreneurship, blending personal memoir with practical leadership advice drawn from her extensive experience at tech giants and a decade running her own firm.

Kiner’s narrative deviates from the often idealized portrayal of business success, openly discussing personal struggles like severe insomnia and moments of intense stress, alongside professional challenges such as a significant drop in business due to tech layoffs and economic shifts. Yet, it also celebrates the profound joy and freedom that comes from charting one’s own course, emphasizing that sustainable success doesn't require sacrificing personal well-being.

“I didn’t want to give the impression that owning a business is easy,” Kiner explained in a recent conversation. Her aim was to provide a realistic perspective, acknowledging the difficulties while showcasing the deep satisfaction of intentionally building a life and company. This approach stems from her own career evolution, having spent 15 years in demanding HR leadership roles at Microsoft, Amazon, and Starbucks before founding Reverb in 2015, driven by a desire to do something different.

Strategic Insights for Sustainable Growth

“The Reverb Way” serves as a comprehensive guide for founders and business owners, offering actionable strategies across various facets of company building. Kiner’s insights cover essential topics from effective hiring and delegation to performance management and establishing strong company values. She also delves into the daily mechanics of productivity and the critical importance of protecting personal time.

One key takeaway highlighted in the book is the concept of “parking ideas.” Instead of impulsively pursuing every new concept, Kiner advises logging them in a “Future Goals spreadsheet” for quarterly review. This method helps teams maintain focus, allowing some ideas to naturally integrate into ongoing projects or become obsolete, preventing distractions from core objectives.

Kiner also champions leveraging freedom and flexibility. Her company, Reverb, exemplifies this by observing summer Fridays off, with only a minimal on-call presence. She even discovered an employee regularly left for a rock climbing gym in the afternoon, a testament to the trust and flexibility embedded in Reverb’s culture, where results matter more than rigid schedules. This extends to personal boundaries, with Kiner advocating for leaders to set clear schedule limits—such as no meetings before 9 a.m. or after 5 p.m.—without feeling the need to apologize or justify them.

Recognizing the isolation that can accompany entrepreneurship, Kiner stresses the importance of building a supportive community. After an accelerator rejection, she proactively created WISE, an informal group of women CEOs. This network, which includes direct competitors, meets quarterly to share insights and foster mutual support, prioritizing friendship and collective growth over rivalry. Furthermore, Kiner, a self-described “recovering perfectionist,” emphasizes the necessity of frequent celebration and recognition within teams, suggesting a simple tracking method to ensure everyone consistently receives positive feedback.

Reverb's Turnaround and the AI Conversation

Interestingly, the economic headwinds and tech layoffs that impacted Reverb’s client base and feature prominently in Kiner’s book have since shifted. Following the book's completion, Reverb has seen a remarkable 50% jump in new deal volume across tech, nonprofits, and small businesses, leading to new hiring rounds. Kiner describes the turnaround as unexpected, happening amidst broader economic uncertainties.

Artificial intelligence remains a significant backdrop in Reverb's work, frequently shaping client conversations. Kiner notes a dichotomy in how companies are integrating AI: some are using it to demand doubled productivity with little support, while others are effectively empowering employees to save time. She remains optimistic about the human element in her field, citing the concept of “connective labor”—encompassing empathy, conflict resolution, and helping teams overcome obstacles—as an indispensable aspect that AI cannot replicate. She believes there is ample room for both human expertise and AI in the evolving workplace.

Kiner's “The Reverb Way” offers a timely and refreshingly honest perspective on leadership, entrepreneurship, and the pursuit of professional fulfillment without personal depletion. It highlights that building a successful business can, and should, coexist with a thriving personal life, demonstrating a model where resilience, intentionality, and a focus on human connection lead the way.

FAQ

Q: What is Mikaela Kiner's professional background before starting Reverb? A: Mikaela Kiner spent 15 years in HR leadership roles at prominent companies including Microsoft, Amazon, and Starbucks before founding her HR consulting firm, Reverb, in 2015.

Q: What inspired Mikaela Kiner to write “The Reverb Way”? A: Kiner was inspired to write the book to offer a candid and realistic perspective on building a business, sharing both the struggles and the joys of entrepreneurship, and providing practical advice for creating a company and life one desires.

Q: How does Mikaela Kiner view the role of AI in the workplace, particularly concerning HR? A: Kiner believes that while AI can enhance productivity, it cannot replace “connective labor,” which includes empathy, conflict resolution, and helping people and teams get unstuck. She sees a future where both humans and AI agents have a significant role.