Case Study: The Upside

Written By Lucy Hargrave

The Challenge
The Upside, a fast-growing activewear brand with a vibrant team culture, had reached 45 employees and was expanding into new markets. While their sales were soaring, the leadership team was feeling the strain of managing “people stuff” on top of running the business.

  • Tricky conversations were being avoided because no one felt confident handling them.

  • The team structure wasn’t keeping up with growth, creating confusion about roles.

  • Leadership worried that their tight-knit culture might fray as they scaled.

  • HR tasks were falling to the Operations Manager, who was juggling 101 other priorities.

The Solution
The Upside brought in The People Collab for fractional HR support — senior-level expertise on a flexible basis. Acting as part of their team, The People Collab:

  • Mapped out a clear team structure with defined roles and responsibilities.

  • Created easy-to-use performance and feedback tools so managers could lead confidently.

  • Introduced culture and wellbeing initiatives to keep the team connected during rapid growth.

  • Provided on-call advice for sensitive people matters, ensuring they were handled legally, fairly, and in line with the brand’s values.

  • Ran leadership coaching sessions to build capability at the top.

The Results
Within six months:

  • Employee engagement scores improved by 25%.

  • Leaders reported feeling more confident having difficult conversations.

  • The brand retained 95% of its team during a period of significant change.

  • The Operations Manager reclaimed over 10 hours a week to focus on core business priorities.

Client Perspective

“Partnering with The People Collab was a game-changer. They just got us — our brand, our people, and the way we want to work. We’ve grown without losing what makes us special, and our leaders feel supported instead of stressed.”
— Operations Manager, The Upside

Lucy Hargrave