Stories from the Ecosystem
The Fixer’s Journey: From Doing the Work to Owning It in Workday Consulting
“If you’ve been thinking about it for six months, and you’re still thinking about it, that means something. Don’t talk yourself out of it, just take the call.”
She didn’t mean to become “the fixer.” It just kept happening.
Sara Wincek never planned to work in systems. Her degrees were in human resources. But every time a process broke, every time someone said “we’ll fix it later” – she was the one who made it work.
“I became known as the ‘fix-it’ person.”
A few Excel formulas turned into full-scale ADP cleanups. A short-term HR project became the start of a systems career. She didn’t chase technology. It found her, through messy spreadsheets, outdated workflows, and a curiosity she couldn’t turn off.
Cleaning data wasn’t the dream, but it became the door
When the 2008 recession hit, Sara moved from HR into contract work., traveling to clients who needed help getting their systems under control. She spent months untangling mismatched data, teaching people how to move from paper timecards to Kronos clocks, and translating complex setups into something real teams could use.
“Whenever there’s that freezing point, when people don’t know what to do, that’s when I come in and say, ‘Okay, let’s start at the beginning and fix it.’”
It wasn’t glamorous, but it was foundational. Each problem taught her more about how organizations actually work and how the right tools can make people’s jobs easier.
A recruiter’s email. A leap into Workday
Years later, as ADP projects slowed and Workday began gaining ground, Sara knew the ecosystem was changing. A recruiter reached out about a manufacturer going from paper forms to Workday. She didn’t have Workday experience yet. But she had the instincts of someone who knew how to figure things out.
“I wasn’t sure about the job, but in that interview, I knew that I wanted to dive deep into Workday and by working with this person, it would be someone I could learn a lot from and who would complement me.”
She joined just before go-live and jumped straight in: taking HCM and security training, asking questions, and learning from a Workday report writer who showed her how the system thought. “I found out what people needed and just started learning – taking classes, asking questions, and figuring it out on the job.”
That project marked the beginning of her Workday career one built not on knowing everything, but on learning fast and caring deeply.
What imposter syndrome taught her about respect
Even as her skills grew, doubt lingered. Surrounded by consultants who seemed to know every answer, Sara sometimes questioned whether she belonged.
“Imposter syndrome is huge. I’ve probably had it all my life.”
Over time, she realized that doubt didn’t mean she lacked ability, “it just means you respect the work (and yourself) enough to want to do it right.”
That shift changed how she led projects. Curiosity replaced comparison. Depth replaced speed. And her work became not just about fixing systems, but about helping people feel capable inside them.
How Workday consulting became the place she finally belonged
When Sara returned to consulting, this time focused fully on Workday, it felt like coming home. She loved the variety, the chance to learn from different clients, and the freedom to apply what she’d spent years refining.
“My goal as a consultant is always to make my clients’ workday easier, literally and figuratively.”
Her projects still had complexity and deadlines, but now they also had meaning. Each one gave her another way to help organizations work smarter and people feel supported.
If you’re still thinking about it six months later, take the call
Sara knows what hesitation feels like… that quiet voice that says, “I’m not ready.” She’s been there.
“When a recruiter calls, answer the phone.”
Even if you’re unsure, she says, it’s worth the conversation. Because curiosity, the same instinct that drove her from HR to HRIS to Workday, is often the spark that changes everything.
“If you’ve been thinking about it for six months, and you’re still thinking about it, that means something. Don’t talk yourself out of it, just take the call.”
The courage to keep figuring it out
Sara’s story shows what happens when you choose progress over perfection.
Her career didn’t unfold through titles or straight lines, it grew every time she asked questions, learned on the job, and found a way to make the work better for the people around her.
For anyone in the Workday ecosystem wondering if they’re ready to make a change, her path is proof: you don’t have to have it all figured out.
You just have to keep figuring it out.
Sara Wincek is an HRIS consultant with more than a decade of experience implementing and supporting HR technology across ADP, Kronos, and Workday platforms. At Materion, she served as Senior HRMS Analyst and helped lead global implementations for Absence, Performance, and HCM modules, earning the company’s CEO Award for her work on the Workday launch. She currently consults with Kognitiv, where she supports enterprise clients in optimizing Workday configuration, integrations, and reporting. Her background includes project management, user training, and systems analysis for organizations across manufacturing and corporate environments.
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