Summary

Are you running toward your big business goals, or just running away from burnt-out corporate routines? In this episode of CEO Sisters Road Trip, Sarah and Liz chat with Abby Gates, founder of SproutWise and an HR leader with over 20 years of experience navigating four successful startup exits.

Abby shares her fascinating journey—from taking a solo backpacking trip through Southeast Asia in her late 20s to quitting a high-level executive corporate job during a season of caregiving to launch her own fractional HR firm. Together, they explore why HR isn’t just a "safety net" or "breakroom fluff," but the living foundation of decision-making, company culture, and sustainable scaling. If you’ve ever felt itchy in your career, struggled with taking big leaps, or wondered how to protect your culture before growth breaks your team, this episode is for you!

Key Topics

• The Solo Backpacking Muscle: How a solo trip through Thailand and Bali built self-reliance and transformed Abby’s relationship with risk.
• Amplify vs. Create: Recognizing when you are amplifying someone else’s work versus building something meaningful of your own.
• Caregiving & Career Pivots: Navigating family health crises while negotiating boundaries in corporate leadership.
• HR as a Growth Engine: Why culture isn’t just snacks and foosball tables, but a non-negotiable decision-making matrix.
• The Physical Toll of Misalignment: Listening to your body when stress responses demand a career change.

Chapters & Timestamps

• 00:00 – Episode Intro & Catching Up with Sarah & Liz
• 04:01 – Meet Abby Gates of SproutWise
• 06:53 – Solo Backpacking, Southeast Asia, and Building the "Risk Muscle"
• 20:21 – Overcoming Dread: Advice for Taking the Big Leap
• 28:03 – The Turning Point: Caregiving, Corporate Burnout, & Negotiating an Exit
• 38:30 – Amplifying Work vs. Creating Work
• 46:10 – The Physical Cost of Staying Too Long: Lessons in Self-Care
• 46:30 – What Fractional HR Really Does for Growing Startups
• 51:30 – Where to Connect with Abby & Wrap Up

Resources & Guest Links

• Website: http://www.sproutwise.com/
• Connect with Abby: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbygates6/
• Direct Email: abby@sproutwise.com

Keywords

Startup HR, Fractional HR, Scaling a Business, Risk Tolerance, Company Culture, Caregiving and Entrepreneurship, Solo Travel, Business Mindset, CEO Sisters Road Trip.

Want to learn more about what working with Liz looks like? Head to Your Business Matters to schedule a Discovery call with her