GRATITUDE IS A VERB

Panagiota is the Serena Williams of HR.

I’ve had the immense privilege of working with Panagiota and learning from her for the past 5 months. She’s completely upgraded the way I think about and operate my eCommerce business.

Before meeting Panagiota, I was blindly operating my business with no direction and just trying to do my best to lead my company to success. I didn’t have a well defined mission, I didn’t have any OKRs or core values to lean on, and I didn’t have a system to manage my team within. Operating my business felt clunky because I lacked organizational and HR experience.

After working with Panagiota for a short period of time, I am now crystal clear on what our mission is and how to achieve it. I feel more aligned with my team than I ever have before and we are all energized by the clarity!

If you’re feeling like your systems, culture, and people are not firing off like you know they can, I wholeheartedly recommend hiring Panagiota and drawing from her deep well of HR wisdom. It will be one of the best investments you’ll make for your company.

And to top it all off, she’s a hoot to work with! While she’s firm and will give it to you straight, she’s also an absolute joy to work with. During your sessions, you’ll be laughing as much as you’re having breakthrough moments!

I had the honor of sharing a start day at Common Thread Collective with the incomparable Panagiota Hatzis. From the moment we met, I could tell there was something special about this individual. Exceptionally intelligent, undeniably charismatic, radiant with kindness and above all else, an evident, overwhelming desire to show true care for every person she meets.

During our time together at CTC, I witnessed Panagiota single-handedly build, implement and scale a system of integrated, functional processes to grow our burgeoning agency from a few dozen to almost 80 by the time I departed. In her role as Vice President of Differentiation she has overdelivered in her unbelievably challenging primary responsibility: preservation of the very special culture at CTC amidst rapid growth. That effort landed CTC at #29 of 12 MILLION businesses on Glassdoor's 2019 coveted Best Places to Work list.

Now, almost two years after we first walked through CTC's doors on our first day, I'm humbled to now call Panagiota a lifelong friend. Her potential is unlimited, and I can't wait to see what this powerhouse accomplishes next.

I am so happy to write this recommendation because I couldn't say better things about my working experience with Panagiota, in fact my partner and I owe her for many of the current processes that had become implemented in my own company today. When I first met her back at Common Thread Collective, she instilled the importance of structure and process that makes companies and their cultures thrive, and it was her knowledge on using workflows like Asana and others that allowed our teams to flourish. Beyond that, she always leads by example with candor and kindness, and is always willing to go above the bar to ensure growth both internally and externally.

Most recently, Panagiota consulted for my production company OOPH Productions and helped setup several internal processes and project management tools that have made all the difference in the world and allowed our workflow to thrive. Any company would be more than lucky to have someone as skilled, diligent, and thoughtful as Panagiota on their team, and she would make a major contribution to any workplace she is a part of.

Panagiota is an absolute unicorn as a human resource leader. Coupling her educational background in behavioral psychology with a tremendous amount of heart, she approaches every HR challenge with a deep understanding of the unique individuals she is meant to serve. It’s this authentic investment in her people that made her absolutely beloved by staff at all levels when we worked together at Common Thread Collective.

As a leadership coach, Panagiota is more effective than most because of the level of personal care she brings to the table. She knows her leaders as people, and how their experiences as humans shape the way they approach work; she recognizes what fuels and drains each person, and works to guide staff and teams toward solutions that will make work life better for all involved.

Panagiota’s coaching style is authentic, honest, and motivated by a true desire to see you succeed, which always left me feeling comfortable getting vulnerable about my areas of weakness, and better able to lean on Panagiota for support where I most needed it.

Of critical importance, Panagiota is the type of HR leader who truly understands what drives the business forward. She’s as adept at digesting a P&L as she is at developing systems and processes. She was always aware of the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead for the organization, and her solutions were oriented around current realities.

Tl;dr, if you have the opportunity to work with this incredible human, you and your organization will forever be better for it.

I met Panagiota to discuss how Hooky Wellness could make an impact at her workplace and from that first interaction, we clicked.

Panagiota is a strategic leader whom understands that the best business practices support both people and profit. The combination of her educational background, professional experience, and passion for people creates an invaluable perspective. She asks the types of questions that help me focus on our offerings and she always finds encouraging ways to remind me of my truth as I’m growing my business.

She’s been a trusted sounding board and someone I can call for a honest conversation. I’d recommend Panagiota and her services to any organization looking to increase effectiveness and impact!

Panagiota played a crucial role in turning my career around at Common Thread Collective.

When I first started working there, I was struggling to adapt to a new structure and dealing with communication issues within my team. I felt like I was on the brink of failure, but that all changed when I had a meeting with my teammates, Panagiota and my manager.

Panagiota immediately defused the tense situation, stating "We're not here because we want to see you go. We're here because we believe in you and we want to see if we can work this out." And work it out we did, thanks to Panagiota's excellent facilitation and guidance. She encouraged me to keep in touch with her regarding my progress and development, and her support played a huge role in my growth as a top-performing client service professional at the agency.

I cannot recommend Panagiota enough for her expertise in culture creation, human-centric human resources, leadership development, and training. She truly saved my career.

Most people can supervise direct reports, some people can lead them, but only a rare few have the ability to transform them. Panagiota is one of these leaders with the Midas touch.

What started as a department of one, she grew into a powerhouse of Learning & Development, Hiring, Human Resources, Culture & Care, and Company-Wide Process, all while strategizing spaces to foster trust, collaboration, authenticity, care, and growth throughout every level of the company. I try imagining a scenario where CTC grows to 160+ employees and remains deeply connected to humanity…. without Panagiota’s presence it doesn’t happen.

She, more than anyone I have ever met, recognizes that trust is built in the small moments. In the 3+ years that I had the privilege to work with her, she has proven her consistency in effectively challenging, supporting, and celebrating. She lives into her values with fierce integrity, and relentless finds creative ways to break barriers and build greatness within BOTH process and people.

One of the most inspiring leaders I have met. Panagiota leads with courage and compassion. She is a true advocate for the people she leads. One of her superpowers is seeking to understand.

She embodies what "clear is kind" means and the power of "checking for understanding." She is masterful at leading big company initiatives and identifying new terrain in the realm of employee satisfaction, retention, and growth.

She was my boss, coach, advocator, and cheerleader. My skills for leading a team and connecting with people have only heightened under her leadership. Her unique ability to problem solve, use unconventional methods to create something amazing is inspirational and unforgettable.

Above all she is a dreamer. She not only has vision, but she is a BOSS at execution and being the entrepreneur of her own life. I have watched her grow professionally and personally. Today she is a VP and Partner at CTC because of the hard work, determination, and confidence that makes her a great leader. I am proud to be her collegue and friend. 

The first thing that stands out about Panagiota is her generosity with her words, compassion and time. She is committed to meeting business needs with a focus on diversity. I was impressed when she reached out in the women's Slack group because it was a perfect example of business leaders being creative in finding diverse talent. And with everything going on with BLM, she reached out to make sure I was okay. If you're looking for someone who is great at connecting authentically with people, and helping them to meet business goals then Panagiota is one of the best.

Thinking about the definition of Thought Leader and Servant Leader to best describe Panagiota. She never came across as a Vice President when we worked together. She was the resource that you didn’t know you needed. Always asking how to best support you, always being clear is kind with expectations, always being resilient in what’s necessary to get the job done, always a true leader when I think of who I want to become! 

A true champion of the people, Panagiota is the most caring boss I've had to date. I'm about to move to a new role at a new company, so you can believe me when I say I'm not exaggerating for her benefit :) Panagiota is thoughtful, ambitious, and always empowering to the people who surround her. She's a next-level coach who will raise the performance of any team she's a part of; best of all, she'll do it in a way that feels deeply human and authentic at all times. Panagiota radiates clarity and kindness wherever she goes.

The impact Panagiota has had not just on me, but on countless other human beings is paramount. Her devotion to people in the workplace can be felt immediately and it comes backed with immense intelligence, experience, education, and ongoing research. The things I have learned from Panagiota span way beyond 'typical' HR into change management, effective meetings, and communicating with a level of understanding for human psychology and motivation. I hope dearly to work with Panagiota again and I'm forever grateful that our paths crossed.