Entrepreneurship often calls for self-reflection, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of personal purpose. Alicia Parr’s journey from human resources executive to the founder of Performentor is a testament to the power of aligning one’s work with a deeper purpose. In our conversation, Alicia delved into her motivations, the evolution of her business, and the lessons learned along the way, offering invaluable insights for entrepreneurs navigating similar paths.
The Moment of Realization: Entrepreneurship as a Natural Next Step
For Alicia, the road to entrepreneurship was more about evolution than revolution. Having spent years architecting high-performing HR functions for various businesses, she hit a point where growth within her organization wasn’t aligning with her personal and professional goals.
“I was in a very high-growth business, and I’d architected a great function that was really well designed to do what that company needed,” Alicia recalls. “I groomed my replacement, and she was ready to take on broader leadership. But there wasn’t a place for me to grow within the organization.”
Faced with the realization that the founder’s mission didn’t align with her career ambitions, Alicia knew she needed to pivot. “I realized that my next step was going to have to be entrepreneurship,” she says. With a family to support and no backup plan, failure was not an option. “It had to work,” she adds, acknowledging that the high stakes created a powerful motivation.
Performentor: Building an HR Consultancy with a Difference
When Alicia set out to start her own business, she knew one thing for sure: she wanted to offer something unique. Performentor, her consultancy firm, is built on what she calls a “full-stack fractional HR approach.” Unlike traditional HR consulting models, where a high-level consultant is often tasked with everything from strategy to tactical execution, Alicia’s method is more nuanced.
“We have a team-based fractional method for engaging,” she explains. “It’s about matching the right people with the right expertise to the needs of each client.” The company’s “Unleash People Energy” methodology focuses on not just compliance and HR basics, but on unlocking the full potential of a business’s workforce by aligning its leadership and systems with its growth strategy.
Alicia’s approach is collaborative, working closely with leaders to ensure that their HR systems evolve in line with their organization’s values and goals. “We work really hard to collaboratively build those systems in a way that suits where they are in their growth,” she says. This tailored, people-first model has helped Performentor carve out a unique niche in the HR consulting space.
Lessons in Leadership: Learning From Mistakes
Reflecting on her nearly decade-long entrepreneurial journey, Alicia is candid about the challenges she’s faced along the way. One of the most significant lessons came from a mismatch with a key team member early on in the company’s development.
“For about four years, I had someone helping with sales whose style and approach were not aligned with me,” Alicia admits. Despite her team recognizing the issue early on, it took her years to address the problem. “It’s a lesson I often teach my clients: if you know there’s a mismatch, you need to move deliberately to either align or part ways.”
This experience taught Alicia the importance of intentionality in leadership—a theme that has guided many of her decisions since. “If the work that’s good for someone is bad for the business, it’s not good for either party,” she explains. “Being intentional with your actions, especially when managing people, is crucial.”
Entrepreneurship: A Pathway to Personal Growth
For Alicia, the entrepreneurial journey has been as much about personal growth as it has been about building a business. “Entrepreneurship is such a growth experience, personally,” she notes. “You think you have the answers, but then you have to listen to what people are telling you about what they need.”
One of the most valuable pieces of advice she received early on was the understanding that success would take longer, cost more, and be harder than anticipated. “Those overnight successes you read about? They’re usually 10 or 20 years in the making,” she says with a laugh.
The ability to reflect, adapt, and keep going has been key to her success. “There’s a quote from Elon Musk that says being an entrepreneur is like eating glass,” Alicia recalls. “It’s hard, it’s painful, and it requires constant self-reflection. But when you figure out how to roll with it rather than fight it, that’s when things start to flow.”
Staying in the Flow: The Importance of Purpose
For Alicia, staying in the “flow” has been essential to maintaining the energy and motivation needed to lead her business. Citing the work of psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, she describes flow as the state of being “in the zone,” where challenges are balanced with skill and progress feels natural.
“One of the most important things I’ve learned is that entrepreneurship is not just a way to make money; it’s a way to fulfill my life’s purpose,” she says. “That’s what keeps me going.”
This sense of purpose is what has driven Alicia to shape Performentor not just as a business, but as a vehicle for positive change. “When I see people energized, when I see them getting past challenges they were stuck on, that’s a win for me,” she shares. “It’s those little successes that remind me why I’m doing this.”
Challenges and Future Goals
As Performentor continues to grow, Alicia is laser-focused on creating a business that can run efficiently, scale successfully, and, potentially, operate without her day-to-day involvement. “My goal has always been to build a business that runs semi-autonomously and generates steady revenue while creating meaningful work,” Alicia explains. “I want to be involved, but on my terms—when and where I choose.”
One of the key challenges she’s tackling is balancing the flexibility that has been central to Performentor’s success with the need for more robust, scalable systems. “We’re a very human-based system, but as we grow, we need to be more tech-enabled,” she says. “The challenge is doing that without losing the flexibility that makes us unique.”
Alicia is also focused on positioning Performentor for the future of work, as she sees a shift in how people view their careers. “There’s been a real change in mindset about work. People are looking for more meaning and purpose in their jobs, and we want to be part of that shift,” she explains.
Final Thoughts: Embracing the Entrepreneurial Journey
As Alicia Parr’s journey shows, entrepreneurship is not a straight path to success, but a winding road filled with challenges, growth, and the need for constant reflection. “You’ve got to have humility,” she says. “If you’re not tapped into your purpose, it’s just going to be that much more painful.”
For entrepreneurs at any stage of their journey, Alicia’s story serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of aligning your work with your values, staying intentional in your actions, and being open to the lessons that come along the way. As she continues to build and scale Performentor, it’s clear that Alicia’s purpose-driven approach will leave a lasting impact on both her clients and the broader business community.
