Her Story
About Farida
Farida Mercedes is an HR Executive and Consultant with more than two decades of experience building the human systems that help organizations and people thrive. She began her career at L'Oréal, where she rose to Assistant Vice President of Human Resources, overseeing a $16 million salary budget and partnering with leadership teams across more than 160 employees on recruitment, retention, succession planning, and employee relations. During the pandemic, she left the corporate world to launch her own venture, founding Merced Group Corp — a portfolio of people-centered businesses that reflects her belief that both workplaces and life's biggest moments deserve to be thoughtful and intentional. Through Merced Group Consulting, Farida partners with small businesses to shape company culture, build out HR policy, and elevate the employee experience, while also guiding entrepreneurs on how to integrate AI tools to work smarter and grow faster. She extends that same intentionality into Merced Manor, an intimate celebration venue in Ringwood, New Jersey, where she serves as Co-Founder and Managing Director, curating personalized events and vendor partnerships for clients marking life's milestones. She holds a BA in Industrial Psychology from Baruch College, attended Stony Brook University, and is a certified executive coach through the International Coaching Federation, along with a certificate from William Paterson University. She is an active member of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Association of New Jersey. Beyond her professional ventures, Farida is deeply committed to community service. In 2020, she founded the nonprofit Little Citizens to give young children opportunities to give back, organizing annual backpack and costume drives that have earned recognition from the City of Newark. She credits her success to resilience and the hands-on lessons learned from navigating difficult conversations within real organizations, and she strives to lead with consistency, proactivity, and self-grace as she balances her roles as a mother, wife, daughter, and entrepreneur.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Farida
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to resilience, which has carried me through some of the most exhausting periods of my HR career. The greatest lessons haven't come from a classroom but from hands-on experience — working directly with different companies and navigating difficult conversations on-site. My education, including my college degree and ICF certification, gave me a strong foundation, but it's the real-world application within organizations that has truly driven my success.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I'd tell young women entering this field to first understand their own strengths, then take small, deliberate steps toward their bigger goals rather than trying to accomplish everything at once. Progress doesn't have to be perfect to count — moving forward with imperfect action, in a way that builds your confidence, is what matters most.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in HR is that it's often misunderstood as simply "paper pushing," when in reality it's a people-first profession that supports employees while balancing their advocacy with the needs of the business. Many small organizations still underestimate how essential HR truly is. Looking ahead, I don't see AI replacing HR — this work requires human connection, empathy, and judgment that technology can't replicate.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Consistency, organization, proactivity, and grace are the values that guide me most. As a mother, wife, daughter, and business owner, staying consistent and proactive — while anticipating the needs of the people around me — helps me balance all of my responsibilities. Just as important is giving myself grace, because I know that growth isn't always a straight line.
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