From Federal Service to Entrepreneur:  Cheronn Collins Builds the HR Support Small Businesses Have Been Missing

When an unexpected career shift closed one chapter for Cheronn Collins last spring, she chose not to stand still. Instead, she stepped forward with clarity and purpose, launching HR Matters Today, a firm dedicated to bringing high-quality, people-centered HR support to the small businesses that often need it most.

A Career Rooted in Developing People

Cheronn’s career spans more than two decades in human resources at some of the nation’s largest and most complex organizations. She served in leadership roles at Marriott International and most recently as Deputy Chief Learning Officer at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, where she oversaw employee development for more than 100,000 employees.

HR wasn’t her original career plan. “I thought I’d be an IT person,” she laughs. But once she entered the field, she found her calling. Developing people, strengthening systems, and helping organizations thrive became the through-line of her professional life. HR Matters Today is the natural extension of that passion.  

Filling a Critical Gap for Small Businesses

Since launching her firm, Cheronn has connected with business owners across Montgomery County and beyond. One theme appears again and again: many small businesses operate without any HR structure at all.

Even companies with 10–20 employees must comply with certain employment laws, maintain proper documentation, and manage employee issues consistently and with care. Without guidance, these gaps can create risk and slow growth.

Cheronn’s approach is both practical and empowering. Rather than simply stepping in as a fractional HR leader, she helps small businesses build their HR foundation from the ground up — and trains someone on their team to sustain it.

Her services span the full HR lifecycle:

• Developing structured hiring strategies that move decisions beyond gut instinct
• Designing onboarding programs that introduce new hires to the organization’s mission, culture, and expectations
• Building performance management systems that are fair, consistent, and aligned with business goals
• Creating compliant, people-centered policies and handbooks
• Coaching leaders on communication, accountability, and team dynamics

“When you’re in a 15-person organization, and one person isn’t operating in harmony with the team, it affects everyone, and it affects productivity,” she notes. “Being intentional about who you bring in—and how you support them—matters.”

Supporting Larger Organizations, Too

While small businesses are a core focus, Cheronn’s background makes her a valuable partner for larger organizations navigating multifaceted challenges. She specializes in organizational development, helping teams understand why goals are missed, where structures create friction, and how to strengthen employee engagement.

She brings a toolkit of assessments – including Myers-Briggs, Everything DiSC, Emotional Intelligence 2.0, and the Conflict Dynamics Profile – to help teams understand themselves and each other. “When you look at the assessment reports, you can sense where the conflict is occurring,” she explains.  “Then the question becomes:  how do we manage this situation?  How do we come up with some team norms so we’re all moving forward together?”

Developing the Next Generation of HR Professionals

One of the busiest parts of Cheronn’s business right now is helping HR professionals prepare for the certification exam administered by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).  A certified SHRM instructor since 2019, Cheronn has taught the SHRM Certification Prep+ course for SHRM, Montgomery College, Morgan State University, and Montgomery County SHRM. Now, as an official SHRM distribution partner, she offers these courses independently.

She is also in the early stages of developing an HR Development Program with structured learning paths across HR functional areas, making experiential, high-quality HR training more accessible to those seeking the next level in their HR career.

Her long-term vision includes building a team within her own firm. “I want to bring in people who are passionate about HR and give them hands-on experience you can’t get from classroom study alone.”

Finding Community and Moving Forward

Cheronn is candid about the challenge of navigating a sudden career transition, but she is equally clear about what helped her move forward: community.

She is a graduate of AMBER Cohort 6, offered by the Montgomery County Black Collective, a program she credits with helping her stay focused on the future. “AMBER helped me look ahead,” she says. “When you have something meaningful to build toward, you regain your footing.”

She is also a graduate of the inaugural Founders Rising cohort at the Maryland Women’s Business Center and completed the CEO Accelerator program through the Maryland Small Business Development Center, further strengthening her foundation as a business owner.  HR Matters Today is certified in Montgomery County’s Local Small Business Reserve Program and the Local Business Preference Program.  And HR Matters Today is an approved vendor in the State of Maryland’s eMMA procurement system.

A New Chapter for Montgomery County Businesses

HR Matters Today represents more than a new business. It represents Cheronn’s commitment to helping organizations create workplaces where people can thrive. Her blend of executive-level HR expertise, practical systems thinking, and people-centered leadership is already making an impact.

For many small businesses, nonprofits, and public-sector agencies across Maryland, HR Matters Today offers something they’ve long needed: a trusted HR partner who understands both the complexity of large organizations and the realities of growing ones.