Empower HR: A conversation with Patience Ferguson, winner of the HR THRIVE Empower HR Award

Okay, so let's set the stage for our topic today.

The Minnesota Thrive Awards.

So in May of 2026, this year, Our firm, in partnership with Gallagher and Twin Cities Business, hosted the first ever HR Thrive Awards in Minneapolis.

And a close friend and colleague whose name is Galsa Mattson at Gallagher, she recognized the need to celebrate HR leaders.

Just the same way other business leaders are celebrated in terms of advancing the business.

And Galsa approached my colleague Jill and me and said, I've got this idea.

How can we bring this to life? Well, patience knows and many of you listeners know we have been producing the Good Leadership Breakfast now for 16 years.

We just did our 120th episode.

And we didn't see it as that big a stretch to translate what we do in the ballroom on a Friday morning into into an event that could really celebrate HR.

And it was exciting and you were there.

And so my first question, when you first heard about the HR Thrive Award, so what did you think?

Well,

if I can be

totally transparent, I had second thoughts.

Okay.

And, you know, knowing you and knowing the work that you've done, it had nothing to do with you.

But, you know, we tend to not get any credit in the HR profession.

And I've often wondered, you know, there are awards related to CEOs.

There are awards related to CIOs.

There are awards for CFOs.

But we're the people that if it wasn't for us, those individuals wouldn't be able to do what they do.

So I think I had an initial my initial thoughts were more skepticism.

And but I kept looking at it and thought, you know.

if someone is willing to finally shine a light on the profession, why not? And so my skepticism then transferred into excitement and understanding that this is an opportunity for my profession and my colleagues to be highlighted in a meaningful way, not only locally, but hopefully nationally.

Yeah, I'm glad you brought the skepticism.