Jordan Franklin

First things first: about the title.

“Everyone knows I own the company so I came up with a fun title — chief exploration officer — just because that is my leadership style,” said Stratice co-owner and CEO Jordan Franklin. “It is really hard to hire people when they get tied up in titles. That’s not really a ‘me’ thing.”

Unusual title aside, Franklin, 33, has certainly been successful since co-founding the talent management company with her husband and COO, Scott, in 2015 in Montgomery, Alabama. Franklin, who is from northwest Arkansas, moved back from Alabama to join forces with her parents, Chris and Robin Hampton.

Chris helped found a staffing agency in northwest Arkansas, and Robin and her daughter are co-owners of the certified woman-owned business. Depending on when you stop by the Stratice office, you may see Jordan Franklin working with a high-level client, recruiting a white-collar executive or taking out the trash.

“I run a very flat organization,” Franklin said. “I see everyone as equal. It doesn’t matter to me. Everyone to me needs to contribute the same amount.

“Everyone takes out the trash. I take out the trash. If you get inundated with orders, I’m going to sit down with you and become a sourcer, which is our entry-level position. Ask for help. Everyone can be helpful.”

Franklin said she grew up around staffing agencies because of her dad but comes at the business with a fresh approach after originally pursuing a career in medicine at Hendrix College in Conway. She is also a woman in a field predominantly led by men. “It is really fun to show this is what we can do,” she said. “It is also a lot of pressure to not misstep.”

Franklin is working to get over her fear of failure. Her New Year’s resolution was to accept any podcast invitation to promote the company after she turned down 22 invitations in 2021.

“I have always been afraid of misstepping on a podcast,” Franklin said. “There is that pressure to be perfect. You don’t have to be perfect; you just have to be out there.”

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