Brittany Truskowski is familiar with burnout, not because of her work supporting staff as chief operating officer at Grand Canyon Law Group, but because it happened to her. Twice. “That experience changed how I lead, how I build policy and how I support people,” she says.

Truszkowski has taken that experience and used it to help inform her cultural and organizational transformation at the Mesa, Arizona-based law firm. “The biggest lesson? You can’t scale chaos,” she says. “You have to build systems that grow with your people.” She shares her best practices and strategies that HR leaders can put to work to combat burnout, promote learning and spark honest conversation.

The conversation around burnout, boundaries and mental health in the workplace has evolved rapidly. How are you prioritizing employee wellness in a way that’s both meaningful and sustainable—not just performative?

I burned out twice. Not the “I need a nap” kind of burnout—the futon-in-my-office, working-70-hour-weeks kind. And both times, I wore it like a badge of honor. That experience changed how I lead, how I build policy and how I support people.

We offer unlimited virtual therapy and fully-funded EAP access for all team members, plus gym memberships to promote proactive health. But it’s more than benefits. It’s culture. I talk about my own burnout openly. I block my calendar for deep work and encourage my team to do the same. We train managers to spot early signs of overwhelm—and to normalize asking, “Are you okay?” before it’s too late.

My advice is to build recovery into the rhythm of the work. Don’t wait for someone to hit a wall. Normalize rest. Celebrate boundaries. And if you’re a leader, model it. Your team is watching how you take care of yourself, too.

You’ve scaled teams and created infrastructure across multiple law firms. What are the biggest lessons you’ve learned about building a resilient people strategy—especially in high-pressure, service-based industries?

The biggest lesson? You can’t scale chaos. You have to build systems that grow with your people. When I joined Grand Canyon Law Group, we had smart, passionate people—but no clear workflows, no aligned expectations, no scalable structure. My first move? Create repeatable systems that didn’t rely on memory or burnout to work.

We built standard operating procedures for every role, integrated a true LMS and paired weekly learning with quarterly performance metrics. We also implemented stay interviews—asking, “What’s working? What would make you leave?” before it’s too late.

Resilience isn’t just about withstanding pressure—it’s about recovering quickly and with purpose. That means being transparent, proactive and consistent. My advice? Build from the inside out. Get clear on your values, then build your systems to reflect them. The rest follows.

You’ve been a key driver in transforming how your company approaches learning and development. What’s one initiative that’s had the greatest long-term impact—and what would you tell other HR leaders looking to embed learning into their culture?

For us, weekly training became the unexpected game-changer. We train both attorneys and support staff every week, on the same topics, through their own lenses. It’s not about volume—it’s about rhythm. That consistency has helped us move beyond checking the “training” box to creating a true culture of shared learning. Everyone knows what everyone else is learning, which builds empathy and alignment.

We also follow up on training in one-on-ones and weekly manager check-ins. We ask: Are they applying it? Where are they stuck? The goal isn’t perfection—it’s growth. And we reinforce it through a super accessible learning management system where all our training content, policies and playbooks live.

If you’re an HR leader trying to build this muscle, start by making training part of the workflow, not a side task. Keep it short, tie it to real-world outcomes and make it safe to try, fail and try again. Learning sticks when it feels relevant, supported and repeatable.

As someone who rose through the ranks without a traditional background, what moments defined your trajectory, and what advice would you give to other HR professionals looking to level up in both impact and influence?

I didn’t go to college thinking I’d be an operations executive. I was a foster kid. I started in sales. I didn’t have a blueprint. What I had were people who believed in me, a relentless work ethic and the ability to connect dots others missed.

One defining moment? Realizing I didn’t need a title to lead. At my first firm, I was running systems and mentoring new hires before I had the job description to match. Eventually, someone noticed. But more importantly, I owned it first.

For HR pros looking to grow: Don’t wait for permission. Identify a gap, solve a problem, lead a conversation. The influence will follow. Titles are given, but leadership is chosen—and often, you have to choose yourself first.