Let’s figure out if there’s a fit.
Work with Nicole Phommanorat
Nicole partners with organizations, founders, and leadership teams on people-first operations, business systems, ethical AI integration, and executive recruitment. Every engagement starts with a conversation.
There’s a handful of ways to work with Nicole Phommanorat. Looking for the Functioning & Feral™ Hub or Soleila.io? Those are built for service-based founders who need ongoing systems support. Head here instead:
This page is for consulting engagements, strategic partnerships, speaking, and custom projects.
What the work looks like.
Nicole’s consulting work is project-based and high-touch. The scope gets built around what’s actually needed, not a preset package. Here’s where she typically comes in.
People-First Operations & Talent Strategy Organizational design, workforce planning, hiring systems, employee engagement, DEI strategy, and multi-location or HQ transitions. Nicole has spent 15+ years building people systems for franchise groups, retailers, hospitality brands, ad agencies, and VC-backed startups. The work is rooted in treating people well while building something that actually scales.
Executive Recruitment Retained executive search and direct placement for leadership and strategic roles. This is intentionally limited and reserved for organizations whose values align. Nicole approaches recruitment as a human practice, not a transaction. No contingency-based search. No subcontracted work.
Business Systems & Strategy Offer architecture, pricing structure, and tech ecosystem alignment for founders and small teams. If the systems are fragmented and the tech stopped matching the growth two pivots ago, this is where Nicole does her best work.
AI Strategy & Custom Builds Ethical, human-centered AI implementation for teams and organizations. Custom AI assistants, voice agents, lead-generation systems, internal training tools, workflow automation, and AI-powered MCPs. Nicole builds AI that supports your people instead of replacing them. If you have an idea, there’s a good chance she can bring it to life or connect you with someone in her AI creator network who can.
Speaking & Panels Nicole speaks on people-first operations, neuroinclusive business design, ethical AI for small business, and the Functioning & Feral™ philosophy. She brings real stories from real operations, not theory slides.
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Who Nicole works with.
Nicole partners with founder-led organizations, franchise groups, retailers, hospitality brands, education systems, advertising agencies, and VC or PE-backed startups.
Her industry experience spans restaurants, hospitality, and franchise operations (including youth enrichment and childcare), food processing and transportation/logistics, marketing agencies, and PE-backed brands — including international placement work for culinary, management, and property management roles at high-end hotels and resorts.
If you’re committed to growing with integrity and treating people well, there’s probably alignment here.
Before anything moves forward.
Nicole’s work is values-led. That’s not a tagline. It’s a filter.
She partners best with people and organizations that share these commitments: respect and uplift women, protect safety and autonomy, actively practice equity and inclusion, welcome progressive and open-minded thinking, respect spiritual differences without agenda, stand alongside LGBTQIA+ communities with real action, lead with empathy (especially when it’s hard), and leave things better than they found them.
If these don’t resonate, that’s okay. It just means this isn’t the right fit, and Nicole would rather both sides save their time and energy for work that is.
We Thrive Collective isn’t a catchy name. It’s the point. Nicole builds in spaces where everyone gets to thrive.
Start the conversation.
Fill out the form below. No pitch, no obligation. Whether it’s a quick question or the start of a longer engagement, this is the right place to start. If there’s alignment, Nicole will reach out to set up a call. If it’s not the right match, she’ll point you in the right direction.
Nicole responds to all inquiries personally. Expect a reply within two to three business days.
Nicole Phommanorat, SHRM-SCP | Connect on LinkedIn