Our Mission

We help organizations rethink HR by aligning people strategy with business goals. Our mission is to bring clarity to complex areas like payroll, compliance, audits, HRIS, and mergers and acquisitions.

Through expert guidance and a straightforward approach, we enable leaders to make informed decisions that drive performance and growth. When people feel supported and empowered, organizations become more agile, resilient, and successful.

About Traces of Joy

At Traces of Joy, we believe HR should be more than policies and paperwork. It is a strategic foundation that empowers your people and drives your business forward. Leading a company comes with constant challenges—our role is to ensure that HR is never one of them.

With over 40 years of combined experience, we have seen how the right guidance turns operational hurdles into strategic advantages. Whether you are navigating a merger or acquisition, streamlining payroll, or implementing scalable HRIS systems, we bring clarity, structure, and real-world insight to every step.

We work with companies of all sizes to simplify compliance, strengthen culture, and build the systems that help organizations grow with intention. Our goal is to support teams that feel connected, develop leaders who are confident in their decisions, and implement solutions built to last.

When people feel supported, businesses don’t just grow. They thrive.

A Team Built on Trust and Experience

We are a team of women with extensive experience in every corner of HR—from payroll and HRIS to compliance, workplace audits, and mergers and acquisitions. For us, people and purpose come first in everything we do.

What sets us apart is how we show up for our clients. Whether we are working virtually or in person, we are fully present. We listen, we take the time to understand your specific culture, and we build solutions that actually fit. We don't believe in one-size-fits-all answers.

Our clients know us as practical, approachable partners who are committed to building workplaces that last. When you work with us, you get hands-on support and straightforward guidance. We care about your people and protect your compliance, giving you the confidence to focus on growing your business while knowing your teams are supported every step of the way.

Meet the Founders

Principal HR Consultant

Traci Lasher, SPHR

Traci believes that thriving workplaces are built on a simple foundation: genuine connection. With a unique background in both HR and finance, she has dedicated her career to creating environments where employees feel truly valued and businesses naturally succeed.

Traci partners with leaders to turn "human resources" into human relationships. Her goal is to ensure every team member feels supported and every leader feels empowered to scale. Outside the office, Traci is a traveler and crafter who finds her best inspiration in the outdoors and with her favorite people.

Principal HRIS Consultant

Joy Martineau

Joy understands that the most effective systems are built with a deep respect for the people behind the data. With two decades of expertise in HRIS, Payroll, and process development, she has mastered the art of turning complicated workflows into seamless, everyday wins. She bridges the gap between high-level tech and the human experience, ensuring your tools support your team rather than slowing them down.

Joy helps businesses simplify the complex, improve accuracy, and finally get the ROI they deserve from their HR platforms. When she isn’t optimizing the way we work, she’s out exploring—camping, traveling, and spending quality time with her husband and kids.

Our Services

M&A (Mergers & Acquisitions) Support

We guide businesses through transitions with HR due diligence, culture and organizational alignment, employee communication plans, compliant onboarding/offboarding, and retention strategies.

HRIS & ADP Expertise

From vendor selection to full system rollouts, we make HR technology work for you. We specialize in ADP Workforce Now and Oracle Cloud HCM for setup, configuration, reporting, open enrollment builds, and training for managers and employees. We implement applicant tracking systems and provide focused integrations, specifically HRIS to ATS new hire transfers and basic employee data sync. We also handle system optimization, data migration, custom dashboards, and adoption support.

Payroll Services (Single & Multi-State)

We manage payroll setup, compliance audits, and ongoing payroll processing for companies of all sizes. Our expertise includes multi-state payroll, ensuring compliance with different wage and hour laws, tax rules, and reporting requirements. We also handle year-end processing including W-2s, reconciliations, and compliance reporting.

HR Core Services

We offer comprehensive HR support including handbooks and policies, targeted leave assistance (with compliant acceptance/denial letters such as California CFRA), benefits administration and broker liaison from selecting a broker through open enrollment support, 401(k) audit support, recruiting and onboarding, employee relations, compliance audits, and leadership coaching.

Handbook Services (Single & Multi-State)

We create compliant, customized employee handbooks for businesses in any state across the U.S. Each handbook includes federal requirements plus tailored state addenda to keep your business protected. Whether you operate in one state or across multiple, we handle annual updates, multi-state addenda, and employee acknowledgment forms to ensure your policies stay current.

What Makes us Different

At Traces of Joy, we bring boots-on-the-ground HR support. We step directly into your business instead of watching from the sidelines. We walk your processes, listen to your people, and uncover what’s actually happening behind the scenes. This allows us to fix the problems that slow you down, clean up the systems that stall your team, and build the structure that supports your growth.

You get a partner who is present, practical, and responsive. We handle the hard conversations, tighten up compliance, and streamline your workflows to make your day easier. Everything we do is designed to give you clarity, control, and confidence—so you can focus on running the business, not chasing the issues.