Nicole Smartt

Nicole Smartt is co-owner and VP of Star Staffing, a firm with seven locations in Northern California, and author of the book, From Receptionist to Boss: Real-Life Advice for Getting Ahead at Work, which is required reading in the entrepreneurship program at Sonoma State University. Smartt also appeared on last year’s list of Millennials in Staffing.

“It was a big goal of mine to not only write a book to help others achieve career success, but to use it to brand Star Staffing into more than just a staffing firm,” Smartt says. Her plans also include opening one to two branches each year in Northern California for Star Staffing, which appeared on last year’s Inc. 5000 list.

And the future of the workforce solutions ecosystem? Smartt says it’s about technology and relationships.

“I see staffing being disrupted with better technologies to make connecting candidates to jobs quicker and being more user-friendly for clients and employees,” she says. “Recruiting is marketing. The staffing companies that will thrive in the future are ones that understand the impact on marketing, technology and data management.”

In addition to staffing and writing, Smartt also runs a nonprofit goat rescue in Petaluma, Calif.