By Sheri Madison Kwarteng

Photo by Victor T. Johnson

As former Fannie Mae recruiters, Omari Franklin and Dawn Miller understand what it feels like to be on the receiving end of services offered by staffing companies. Together, Franklin, a former corporate services recruiter from Silver Spring, Maryland, and Miller, a former recruiting manager from Fort Washington, Maryland, have more than 18 years of experience in government and corporate recruiting, as well as in human resources management.

Franklin and Miller found themselves working together at Fannie Mae in 2000, and shortly after, found that they shared a sentiment towards the quality of services provided by their staffing vendors. As recruiters, Franklin and Miller depended on staffing vendors to provide quality candidates and streamline on-boarding and off-boarding processes. When staffing vendors failed to do their due diligence, it often made Franklin and Miller’s responsibilities as recruiters cumbersome. But within a two-year period, the tune of Franklin and Miller’s discussions about staffing vendors changed dramatically; they began to look at their challenge as an opportunity. “We figured that if a prominent firm like Fannie Mae was struggling to find quality staffing vendors in the Washington Metro area, there should be a real opportunity for the right staffing vendor to emerge,” said Miller.

Although the opportunity had presented itself, Franklin and Miller had a lot to consider before walking away from their six-figure salary jobs. Franklin, who attended the University of Maryland, admits the decision to leave his good paying job at Fannie Mae to sail the murky waters of entrepreneurship was tough. “Everyone thought I was crazy. They couldn’t believe I was leaving my job right after my wife, who is a homemaker, had our first son,” said Franklin. But Franklin knew that the sacrifices he and his family made to live within their means were going to serve him well in his transition. “My wife and I drove around in beat up cars, postponed our honeymoon and only made cash purchases for years. It was just a way of life for us,” said Franklin.

Miller, too, had to think through how she was going to maintain a work-life balance that would be conducive to starting a business, managing her household and raising her very active son. “Because I’m a single mother, I’ve always lived on a budget. My concern was more around making sure my son wasn’t going to suffer from my new schedule,” said Miller. “But with the support of my executive coach, parents and grandmother, the transition was seamless.”

Photo by Victor T. Johnson

After a year of conducting market research and consulting with advisers, Franklin and Miller received their first contract as an independent staffing vendor, and sent three contractors to work at a consulting firm. Pleased with the outcome of their first deal and the outlook on their success, Franklin and Miller established FM Talent Source in Silver Spring, Maryland – a full service, minority-owned small business specializing in staffing services. As Franklin and Miller hoped, the market in the Washington Metro area was ripe and companies welcomed their presence as specialists in the recruiting field. “Contracts were coming in and we were able to engage in partnerships – the market was hot! “We knew there was a demand in the market for seasoned accounting and finance professionals, and we were able to meet those demands,” said Miller, who earned a Master’s in Human Resource Management from American University.

FM Talent Source prides itself in its mission to provide the right people to the right places at the right time. Today, with four additional team members—two recruiters, an office manager and a business development manager—FM Talent Source is comprised of professionals who are experts in research, candidate development, talent assessment, negotiating and closing. The company is making its mark in the staffing services industry.

In addition to providing their clients with highly qualified candidates, FM Talent Source also employs the highest of ethical business practices. “We’re not only looking for candidates on major job search boards. We go a step beyond to develop relationships and make other connections through our extensive network,” explained Miller. “We’re not in this business to make a quick buck,” Franklin added. We have walked away from a lot of opportunities that were not in line with our corporate goals.” A testament to FM Talent Source’s success is evident in the increasing number of Fortune 500 companies the firm serves. “We are providing services to companies such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Bearing Point, Grant Thornton and Deutsche Bank among others,” said Miller.

FM Talent Source is also redefining the experience of the job seeker. Web-based employment search board sites and other technology-driven recruiting vehicles have made job searching an opaque process for job hunters. FM Talent Source, however, is working to make the process more personable for their job seekers. “I talk to candidates all the time that feel like their resumes are going into a black hole. Our goal is to respond to as many job seekers as we can, and get them in front of hiring managers to nail those opportunities,” said Franklin.

Among the many rewards of running their own business, Franklin and Miller feel seeing their clients and candidates happy with their services is the most gratifying. “Getting calls from clients about our selection and placement decisions is such a great feeling. It’s also great to know that you were able to guide and place someone on a career path,” said Miller. “Sometimes we get people that have been out of work for a while and are in a tough spot,” said Franklin. “Sometimes they can’t pay their rent or mortgage, or they can’t keep up with college-related expenses for their kids. It’s a great feeling to know you were able to help change someone’s life for the better.”

While Franklin and Miller are enjoying the benefits of entrepreneurship, they are also well versed in the realities of being business owners. “I wake up at 5 a.m. every morning with my 9-year-old son. Once I get to work, I’m on the front line with Omari, and sometimes we really get beat up out there,” said Miller. “Irrespective of what happens in a given day, we still have to be service-oriented, keep a smile on our faces and work hard to keep the integrity of the firm. There’s a lot of hard work that goes into this.”

But the hard work is no match for their partnership. Both Franklin and Miller agree that their partnership has been a key element to their success as business owners. “It’s great to have someone to lean on. As partners, we leverage our ideas and experiences to make the best business decisions for our company and our clients,” said Miller. Franklin and Miller’s advice to anyone considering entrepreneurship is to have a vision that exceeds a superficial appetite. “If it’s about money, it’s not going to be sustainable,” said Miller.
“Being your own boss and the captain of your own ship sounds really good, but when you become an entrepreneur, you trade in your one job for 10 others,” added Franklin. The CEO title is nice, but I’m also the accounts payable clerk, a sales man, the janitor and much more.”

Today, the FM Talent Source vision includes creating a stronger government presence and expanding to New York. Franklin and Miller also plan to launch the FM Talent Source Foundation in 2009, whose proceeds will benefit the professional development of minority college students.