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Training & Speaking

Speaking, Training, Facilitation, & Workshops - Built for the Real World of Work

We deliver speaking engagements, webinars, interactive workshops, compliance training, and meeting facilitation designed for the realities of today’s workplace — no jargon, no filler, no "check-the-box" training vibes.

Perfect for conferences, chamber events, retreats, leadership meetings, and company-wide trainings, our sessions are practical, conversational, and grounded in real HR experience.  Our Threologists translate complex HR and compliance topics into clear guidance leaders can actually use - immediately.

Our approach is collaborative and straight-talk driven - lectures are not part of our sessions. We facilitate meaningful conversations, challenges assumptions, and helps teams walk away with clarity, alignment, and next steps.

Who this is for

These sessions, workshops, and trainings are best for leaders, business owners, boards, chambers, and teams who want clear, practical guidance on people issues without the HR "fluff".

Learn More

HR That Shows Up And Gets Results.

Topics don't address your situation? Reach out to discuss customized solutions to fit your organization's needs.

HR Infrastructure for Growth: Creating the foundation for success
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HR Wake-Up Call: What Growing Businesses Don't Know Can Hurt Them
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DIY HR & AI: Good Intentions, Real Consequences
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The Accidental HR Leader: When Managing People Isn't Your Full-time Job
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Retention isn't a Perk problem - It's a People Strategy Problem
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Hiring without the headache: building a recruiting process that actually works
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Compliance without the overwhelm: What actually matters -and what doesn't
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Speaker Bio

Meet Amy Boston - Speaker, Facilitator, Trainer

Amy Boston is an HR strategist, facilitator, and founder of Threology — an HR and People Infrastructure firm serving growth-stage businesses, nonprofits, and professional services firms. With 20+ years of HR experience across public accounting, union environments, and the trades, Amy holds SHRM-CP and PAFM certifications and has built HR departments from the ground up. She speaks and trains on the people strategy issues that keep business owners up at night — compliance risk, retention, and recruiting — translating complex HR into clear, actionable guidance. She has led sessions for national associations, chambers of commerce, and professional firm networks across Illinois and beyond.

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Upcoming Training and Speaking Events

Where You Can Find Threology Next

Our Threologists are actively speaking at association conferences, chamber events, and professional development programs across the country. Here is what's coming up:

July

Illinois Valley SHRM Chapter

Peru, IL  (In-Person)

Retention Isn't a Perks Problem: It's a People Strategy Problem

September

DeKalb County Nonprofit Partnership

DeKalb, IL  (In-Person)

A session tailored for nonprofit leaders navigating today's people management challenges.

November

Illinois Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (IACCE)

Starved Rock, IL (In-Person)

Details coming soon.  Bringing Threology's straight-talk HR approach to Illinois' premier chamber of commerce conference. 

Past Engagements

2026

LaGrange Business Association

A practical workshop for small business owners to understand the ins and outs of HR compliance.

 

Illinois Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (IACCE)

Rewind Session. How Chambers can partner with HR - practical strategies chamber leaders can act on immediately.

 

Macomb Area Chamber of Commerce  

HR Wake Up Call: What Employers Get Wrong

Workshop | Small Business Risk and HR Strategy

 

Illinois Valley Area Chamber of Commerce

HR Red Flags and Reality Checks

Workshop | Small Business Risk and HR Strategy

 

Publicity Club of Chicago, Chicago, IL

AI in Communications

Panel Member | HR Strategy

 

2025

HR Changes and Small Business Impact

DeKalb Chamber of Commerce - DeKalb, IL

Workshop | Small Business Risk and HR Strategy

 

Non-Dues Revenue for Chambers of Commerce

IACCE Annual Conference - Marion, IL

In-person Session | Business and HR Strategy

 

HR Issues in the Trades

SMACNA of Northern IL - Rockford, IL

Member Meeting | Small Business Risk and HR Strategy

 

Hire Learning: Recruiting and Onboarding that Add Up

CPAFMA - Virtual

HR Webinar Series | HR Strategy

2024

All Firm Planning Retreat

Jasculca Terman - Chicago, IL

Retreat Facilitation | Firm and Individual Goal Setting 

 

HR Roundtable Series

BDO Alliance - Virtual

National HR Roundtable Facilitation | HR Strategy

 

Retention Strategies for Public Accounting

BDO Alliance - Virtual

HR Series | HR Strategy

2023

Recruiting and Retention in Public Accounting

BDO Alliance Evolve - National Conference - Las Vegas, NV

Panel Member | HR Strategy

 

Leadership Retreat

Multiple Sclerosis Society of Chicago - Oak Brook, IL 

Retreat Facilitation | Organization Goal Setting

Session Details

HR Infrastructure for Growth: Creating the Foundation for Success

Format: Keynote / Workshop

As businesses grow, people processes struggle to keep pace. This session explores the HR infrastructure every new or growing organization needs to support sustainable growth, reduce risk, and improve operations. Topics will include essential policies and procedures, onboarding fundamentals, performance management basics, compliance considerations, organizational structure, and other scalable people practices. Designed for business owners and operational leaders, this presentation provides a practical roadmap for creating an HR foundation that supports employees and business success.

Best for: Scaling businesses, founders, executive teams, investor-backed companies, strategic planning sessions

HR Wake-Up Call: What Growing Businesses Don't Know Can Hurt Them

Format: Keynote / Workshop

Most business leaders don't realize they have an HR problem until it becomes an HR crisis. In this fast-paced, plain-language session, Amy Boston cuts through the noise and delivers the HR realities that small and mid-size organizations are getting wrong right now — from misclassified employees and outdated handbooks to compliance landmines hiding in everyday decisions. Attendees leave with a clear-eyed view of their risk exposure and three actions they can take immediately.

Best for: Chamber of commerce events, business associations, executive audiences, leadership retreats

DIY HR & AI: Good Intentions, Real Consequences

Format: Keynote / Webinar / Workshop

AI can write your job posting, draft your handbook, and generate a termination letter in under a minute. But can it tell you if it's legal in your state? Can it spot the misclassification risk hiding in the language it just produced? Can it protect you when an employee files a complaint?

This session cuts through the AI hype and gets practical — fast. Amy walks small business owners, nonprofit leaders, and accidental HR managers through what AI tools can and can't do in an HR context, where the real risks live, and how to use these tools without unknowingly creating liability. Attendees leave knowing exactly what questions to ask, what to verify, and when a human expert needs to be in the room.

Best for: Small business owners, nonprofit leaders, chambers of commerce, accidental HR leaders, professional association events, and any organization using (or considering) AI tools for people management

retention isn't a perk problem - it's a people strategy problem

Format: Keynote / Workshop / Webinar

Ping pong tables and pizza Fridays don't keep great people. What does? A deliberate strategy built around how people actually decide to stay or leave. Drawing on real-world client experience across industries, Amy breaks down the retention levers that matter — from compensation transparency and onboarding quality to manager behavior and career pathing — and shows leaders how to stop losing their best people to preventable reasons.

Best for: HR conferences, leadership teams, professional association breakout sessions, company all-hands or offsites

The Accidental HR Leader: when Managing People isn't Your Full-time Job

Format: Workshop / Webinar

Most managers were promoted for being good at their job—not for knowing how to lead people. That gap is where most HR issues start. In this practical and relatable session, Amy Boston equips “accidental HR leaders” with the fundamentals they were never taught: how to give feedback, handle employee issues, document decisions, and navigate uncomfortable conversations with confidence.

Best for: Frontline managers, new leaders, small business teams, supervisor trainings, internal leadership development programs

Hiring without the headache: building a recruiting process that actually works

Format: Workshop / Webinar

Most organizations treat recruiting like a fire drill — reactive, inconsistent, and exhausting. This session gives business owners and HR leaders a practical framework for building a recruiting process that attracts the right candidates, moves fast, and reflects well on the organization. From writing job postings that don't repel people to structuring interviews that actually predict performance, attendees walk away with tools they can use in the next hire.

Best for: Accounting and professional services firms, trades industries, nonprofits, HR roundtables, and business owners who wear the recruiting hat themselves

Compliance without the overwhelm: what actually matters - and what doesn't

Format: Workshop / Webinar

HR compliance can feel like a moving target and most leaders don’t know where to focus. This session simplifies the chaos by breaking down the highest-risk areas for small and mid-size employers and separating real exposure from unnecessary busywork. Amy translates complex regulations into practical guidance so leaders can make informed decisions without overengineering their HR function.

Best for: Small business owners, HR teams of one, multi-state employers, industry associations, operations leaders