Meet Nancy Erickson

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nancy Erickson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nancy, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
I’ll first say this—I might be a workaholic. I enjoy creating things, getting things done, and thinking outside the box. While you can do that in any career path, I fell into HR, and for some crazy reason, I love it. So balance, for me, is about enjoying the work I do and working with people I enjoy—people who appreciate our style of HR. It’s not about the number of hours you work; it’s about how many of those hours you actually enjoy. Working hard can be fun or miserable—it’s all about mindset and choosing the right projects, team members, and clients to work with.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Total Package HR (TPHR) started as a joke. My business partner, Carmen Whiting, and I worked together for many years at a highly successful specialty subcontractor—she ran Payroll, I ran HR, and labor compliance lived somewhere in between us. Over time, we realized that the way we worked together was far from the norm. In many companies, HR and Payroll teams were often at odds, failing to recognize how deeply interconnected and mutually dependent these functions are.

We thrived on taking the complexities of HR and Payroll and simplifying them for the company. We also refused to accept the stigma often associated with these roles. When our company was sold to an international organization, we had a choice: embrace corporate bureaucracy or follow our passion for working with entrepreneurs. When opportunity knocked, we answered—and we haven’t looked back.

At TPHR, we believe HR and Payroll can be both simple and strategic—we call our approach Stratactical HR and Payroll.

Our team of 25+ HR and Payroll professionals, affectionately known as Geeks, embody our values daily. We are committed to serving as an integrated partner where we are viewed as a seamless extension of our client’s team. We pride ourselves on being responsive. Many HR matters can’t wait, and we get that, so we’ve built a team that understands how to operate with a sense of urgency, while also being mindful that reacting is different than responding. We truly work hard, and we also value being real and telling it how it is. That’s not to say we lack polish and diplomacy, but we’ll never tell you what you want to hear if that’s not what you need to hear. And finally, we like to have fun. HR isn’t always viewed as fun, but we love what we do, and we incorporate our personalities and love for HR in our work every day.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Day 1: Kick things off with a visit to TPHR—we love showing off our space! After that, we’ll head to a local spot with stunning ocean views, perhaps C-Level for lunch and an overview of the epic itinerary ahead.
Day 2: A spa day at the Kona Kai to fully recharge, followed by an early night to rest up.
Day 3: Shopping at unique local boutiques you can only find in San Diego, like Rare Bloom in Point Loma, followed by an early dinner at Ketch and a cozy evening catching up—either on the couch or by a bonfire.
Day 4: A day on the water—sightseeing, sipping some adult beverages, and pure relaxation.
Day 5: Sleep in, brunch at Cody’s in La Jolla, and an afternoon yoga session at Indie Yoga to reset.
Day 6: Exploring San Diego’s historic sites, like the Hotel Del Coronado, ending the day with a gourmet dinner.
Day 7: Breakfast & farewells, wrapping up an unforgettable week.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve been fortunate to be inspired and mentored by many amazing people, but this shoutout goes to my Mama—a kind and simple human who always instilled in me the confidence to believe I could do almost anything. She encouraged me to be the first in our family to earn a college degree. She supported my initial pursuit of a career in fashion, never called me crazy when I started my first business, and when I pivoted to an HR career—despite not knowing much about it—she encouraged me every step of the way.

Website: https://www.totalpackagehr.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tpps_san_diego/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/total-package-professional-services

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/totalpackageps

Image Credits
Carmen Whiting – my business partner is seen with me in the first picture.
The other pictures have some of our team members in them.
One shot is our fun office entry way.
The black German Shepherd posed with me is my Twyla who frequents the office (we love bringing our dogs to the office).