Myra Braun

Why this persona fits the audience

She advises small employers in London on hiring and workplace policies, books discovery calls and follow-up sessions herself, and keeps a paper backup of appointments alongside Outlook. She has tried a few digital scheduling tools over the years but still routes many meetings manually through email.

• Age: 45
• Location: London, UK
• Occupation: Independent HR consultant
• Income: £78k/year gross
• Education: Master's degree in HR
• Company size: Self-employed, sole practitioner.
• Years in role: 12

“The most efficient system is the one you can rely on, not necessarily the one that promises the most bells and whistles.”

Myra Braun has carved out a niche for herself as an independent HR consultant in London over the past twelve years. Holding a Master's degree in Human Resource Management, she began her career in a corporate HR department but found the bureaucracy stifling and the focus too narrow. Seeking greater autonomy and the ability to work directly with businesses she felt she could genuinely help, she established her own consultancy. Her practice is built on a foundation of deep expertise in employment law, policy development, and employee relations, serving primarily small to medium-sized enterprises that lack in-house HR expertise. Myra is fiercely protective of her independence, which influences her approach to technology. While she acknowledges the utility of digital tools, she remains deeply skeptical of subscription-based software, particularly those that promise to automate complex human interactions. Her experience with several scheduling and CRM tools over the years has left her wary of the hidden costs, data privacy concerns, and the potential for systems to fail or become overly complicated. She prefers to maintain a high degree of personal control over her client interactions and administrative processes. This is why she meticulously manages her appointments, booking calls and follow-ups herself via email and phone, and always keeps a physical paper diary as a backup to her Outlook calendar. This dual system, while seemingly anachronistic to some, provides her with a sense of security and direct oversight. Her income of £78k gross reflects her experience and the value she brings, but she is prudent with her finances, prioritising business reinvestment and personal security over ostentatious spending. She lives alone in a comfortable flat in Paddington, her life a testament to her values of professionalism, control, and practicality. Her recent work has involved advising a fast-growing tech startup on establishing fair performance metrics and assisting a long-standing family business with navigating generational change and updating its HR practices to meet modern employment standards. These projects underscore her commitment to providing tailored, robust solutions that address the specific needs of her clients, rather than adopting generic, off-the-shelf approaches.

Background & daily life

A day in their life

Myra's typical weekday begins around 6:30 AM. After a quick breakfast and listening to the news, she walks to her local Tube station for her commute into central London, often using the time to review her paper diary and Outlook calendar. Her mornings are usually dedicated to client calls or site visits, if necessary. Lunch is a simple affair, often eaten at her desk while catching up on industry news. Afternoons are spent on client work – drafting policies, preparing advice, or responding to emails. She aims to finish her core work by 6 PM, but often finds herself responding to urgent client queries or planning the next day's schedule until 7 or 7:30 PM. Evenings are for winding down, perhaps a light dinner, reading, or preparing for a theatre visit.

Lifestyle

Myra lives a structured and relatively solitary life in London. Her days are regimented, starting with a brisk walk to the nearest Tube station and ending with a quiet evening at home. She enjoys the independence her work affords, allowing her to set her own hours, though this often means working late or on weekends. Her income allows for comfortable living, but she's not extravagant, prioritising savings and professional development over luxury goods. She finds relaxation in attending West End plays, exploring London's parks on foot, and tending to her small collection of potted plants on her balcony.

Work life

As an independent HR consultant, Myra's workdays are varied but always client-focused. She spends a significant portion of her time advising small to medium-sized London businesses on complex HR issues, from drafting contracts and employee handbooks to navigating disciplinary procedures and redundancy processes. She personally handles all client communication, scheduling discovery calls and follow-up meetings via email and phone. While she uses Outlook for her primary calendar, she maintains a meticulously organised paper diary as a failsafe and for quick reference. She’s recently been advising a tech startup on developing a fair performance review system and a traditional manufacturing firm on updating its flexible working policy.

Relationships

Myra is unmarried and has no children, her primary relationships being with her clients and a small circle of close friends from university. She maintains professional, respectful relationships with her clients, built on trust and consistent delivery. Her friends, a mix of professionals in various fields, offer a sounding board for broader life issues and occasional social outings. She has a good rapport with her neighbour, an elderly retired solicitor, with whom she sometimes discusses legal and ethical quandaries.

How they decide

Myra is a cautious and deliberate decision-maker. She thoroughly researches options, weighs pros and cons meticulously, and often seeks to understand the underlying mechanics of any proposed solution before committing. She values tangible benefits and proven reliability over novelty or perceived efficiency gains that aren't immediately apparent. She is not easily swayed by trends and prefers to stick with what she knows works, unless a clear, practical advantage is demonstrated.

How they sound

Myra speaks with a clear, measured cadence, typical of educated Londoners. Her tone is professional and articulate, avoiding slang or overly casual language. She uses precise terminology related to HR and business. She tends to be direct but polite, and she avoids hyperbole or emotional language. Her speech is characterised by well-structured sentences and a thoughtful pause before answering complex questions.