I help small business owners build million dollar brands, create systems to scale, and grow their revenue.
I started as a receptionist at a local staffing firm and worked my way to becoming a recruiter. At age 21, I was asked if I wanted to buy the firm I worked for. I said no.
Shortly after, the company was sold and I was promoted into sales. Having regretted the decision to decline the offer, I decided it was time to take a chance on myself.
I left the company to pursue my own staffing firm. During that time, I was met by two women owners and decided to join their firm. It was during the 2009 recession and I helped take the company to $36 million in revenue as the President. I drove record sales and built the infrastructure and team for rapid expansion.
Then, in 2023, I wanted more.
I decided to exit my high-paying job and ownership stake.
Why walk away from outward success? To follow my passion of helping small businesses grow and expand their revenue and have a successful business.
Now I run a business that teaches SMB owners how to build a multi-million dollar brand, improve their marketing, visibility and reach, and grow substantially.
In 2016, I published my first book, From Receptionist to Boss: Real-Life Advice for Getting Ahead at Work, the best-selling manifesto that detailed my rise from a receptionist at a local staffing just out of high school to the owner of a 55-person company.
When I’m not working on my business, I’m writing my second book focusing on leadership and growth, which will be published later this year. I am also a columnist for my local business newspaper, Forbes, and Medium, and capturing all the joys of motherhood.
P.S. I am working on a mega women’s conference. Message me if you’re interested in details.
want to know more?
St. Tropez
Last Vacation Spot
Traction
What I’m Reading
my phone
Never Without
Pepsi, please!
Coffee or Tea?
Serres Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon
Red or white?
The Highlights
2003
Started as a receptionist
2010
Became owner of a small staffing firm
2015
Became one of Inc Magazine’s Fastest-Growing Companies
2016
Published From Receptionist to Boss
2016
Became a Best-Selling Author
2017
Recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Top Staffing Firms 3x in a row
2022
Grew Company to $36 million
2023
Successful Exit
2024
Founded my own business
the highlights
2003
Started as a receptionist
2010
Became owner of a small staffing firm
2015
Became one of Inc Magazine’s Fastest-Growing Companies
2016
Published From Receptionist to Boss
2016
Became a Best-Selling Author
2017
Recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Top Staffing Firms 3x in a row
2023
Successful Exit
2024
Founded my own business
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Official Bio
Nicole Smartt knows people.
Nicole has made a career out of supporting the companies in need of talented people — and the talented people in need of work.
In 2016, Smartt published From Receptionist to Boss: Real-Life Advice for Getting Ahead at Work, the now bestselling manifesto that detailed her rise from a receptionist at a local staffing firm just out of high school to the owner of a 55-person company. The book is now required reading in the entrepreneurship program at Sonoma State University. Her next book, focusing on leadership and growth, will be published in 2024.
Smartt has been featured as a guest columnist on platforms including Forbes, The Huffington Post, and Entrepreneur. She has been interviewed as an expert in leadership and recruiting by publications and media outlets, including The Washington Post, Fox News, and CBS. She is also a business columnist for her local paper, The North Bay Business Journal and writes her own monthly column on LinkedIn dedicated to her favorite leader, Ted Lasso.
Leader.
Author.
Speaker.
Boss.
The Smartt Way
Subscribe for actionable tips to help craft your brand, get known and noticed, grow your small-to-mid size business, and become more profitable.
Ways to Work Together
As an expert in leadership, branding, and growth, Nicole is available for a variety of engagements from large-scale corporate events to small business support.
