21 Oct The Faces Behind Fluent: Paige Frankovich
As part of Fluent Research’s 20th anniversary, The Faces Behind Fluent highlights the people whose experience, ideas, and perspectives have helped shape our company. This week, we’re featuring Project Manager Paige Frankovich, whose path to research began in casting and production.
Paige joined Fluent and Fluent Productions as an assistant producer and grew into a producer role before discovering that the skills she enjoyed using in production translated naturally to research project management. Today, she works with participants, vendors, and research teams to keep projects running smoothly. While her work involves plenty of coordination and planning, the moments she remembers most are about connection: watching teens find common ground in a focus group or hearing children ask to return to Fluent’s Research Camp.
Get to know Paige in our latest Q&A, including her unexpected career journey, her love of a good list, and why her dream conversation with J.R.R. Tolkien would ideally take place on a walk.
1. Paige, what inspired you to join Fluent Research?
I was between contract jobs as an associate casting producer and wondering if there was something different I could be doing. I wasn’t actively looking for a new job. I enjoyed casting, but one afternoon, while browsing LinkedIn, I came across a short job posting for an assistant producer. It immediately seemed up my alley and like an exciting opportunity to transition into a different area of production.
I applied and started looking into Fluent Productions and Fluent Research, and I was immediately interested. I’ve always loved documentaries, and this felt like a great opportunity to experience a different side of the production world.
2. What’s your role at Fluent, and what does a typical day look like for you?
I started at Fluent as an assistant producer and worked my way up to producer on the production side of the company. Over time, my role naturally began transitioning into project management within Fluent Research, where I started working in operations. I quickly realized that project management was very similar to producing in many ways, and it was something I really enjoyed.
Today, I’m a project manager, and my days can look very different depending on the projects I’m working on. Typically, my role involves communicating with vendors and participants, programming screeners, collaborating with research teams to understand what they need, and making sure each project runs smoothly, stays on track, and follows the timeline for a successful outcome.
3. What’s been your most memorable project or moment at Fluent?
There have been a lot of memorable projects, but I think what stands out most from my time at Fluent is seeing the connections participants make, especially during in-person research. At Research Camp, I loved watching tweens and teens work together, have fun, and come up to me afterward to ask if they could come back or do it again. I’ve seen teens connect in focus groups, feel comfortable sharing their experiences, laugh together, and genuinely enjoy each other’s company. I’ve also had parents email me after a project to say how much their child enjoyed participating. Those are the moments I remember most, the connections people make.
4. How has Fluent evolved since you joined?
Fluent has grown so much, and it’s been exciting to watch that growth across the company. As we’ve expanded, people have had the opportunity to take on new roles, explore different interests, and build their expertise, and I’ve experienced that myself. I’ve really enjoyed watching both the company and the people within it evolve, take on new challenges, and discover new interests.
5. What’s one thing you’ve learned about research that surprised you?
Everything! I really didn’t think about research in any capacity before joining Fluent. One of the biggest things that surprised me was the scale of research that can go into something that might seem really small. I’m constantly amazed by the types of projects that require research, especially topics I never would have thought needed to be studied so deeply.
Our work is diverse, and I love getting to see projects about topics I find interesting and learning about things I might not otherwise have thought about. Research is still a relatively new industry to me, so there’s always something that surprises me. I feel like I’m learning something new every day.
6. What’s your favorite part of working at Fluent, Paige?
I love working with my colleagues. The projects I work on are interesting, and I learn a lot from them, but the people I work with are one of my favorite parts of the job. Working in operations means I get to collaborate with many different people across the company, some more often than others. It’s always fun when I get the chance to work on a project with someone I haven’t worked with in a while.
7. What’s a fun fact about you that most people don’t know?
I trained and taught as a yoga instructor and also earned my personal training certification. I considered working full-time in that world, but ultimately, my career took a different path.
I loved my time teaching yoga, and I’m still a little sad that I never really got to use my personal training certification, especially because I worked so hard to earn it. I came close to working at a few gyms, but unfortunately, they were small and ended up closing during the pandemic. I’d love to continue growing my yoga practice, deepen my knowledge, and expand my skills in that area.
8. If you could have dinner with any public or historical figure, who would it be and why?
I’ve thought about this question a lot over the years, and every time someone asks me, my answer is always J.R.R. Tolkien. I’m in love with The Lord of the Rings, and years ago, I would have chosen him simply because of how much I loved the books. But as I’ve gotten older and learned more about his life, I’ve become just as interested in him as a person.
I would love to hear him talk about his life, his experiences, and the way he saw the world. He was known for talking at length and in great detail about specific things, even something as simple as a plant he might notice on a walk, which I think is reflected in the way he writes. I would love to go on a walk with him and hear how he described what he saw, what caught his attention, and what he was thinking about.
9. What’s a book, movie, or podcast you’d recommend to everyone?
There are so many books, movies, podcasts, and TV shows I could recommend, I’m always recommending something! But if I really think about it, as a woman, I’d recommend The Red Tent. It’s a story about womanhood, love, friendship, and life.
The book is inspired by a very short story in the Bible, where the character the story is about, Dinah, is only mentioned once. The author takes Dinah’s story, which is told through a male perspective in the Bible, and reimagines it through her eyes, giving her a life, a voice, and a story of her own.
At its heart, the book is about female solidarity, healing, and the power of women supporting one another. It’s beautiful and heartbreaking, and it’s a story that will stay with me for a long time.
10. What’s your go-to productivity hack?
I make lists, a lot of lists. It’s how I stay productive and keep track of what needs to get done. There’s something really satisfying about checking things off and watching my to-do list get shorter. Sometimes I’ll even write down something I’ve already finished just so I can check it off! It’s the easiest way for me to stay organized and make sure everything that needs to get done actually gets done.
11. Paige, if you weren’t in research, what career would you have pursued?
I started out in the entertainment industry, so my career probably would have stayed in that world in some way, shape, or form. Producing, organization, and event planning are all things I feel I’m good at, and I know I could thrive in a career that uses those skills.
Alternatively, I could see myself working in archives. If I weren’t working in research and hadn’t gone to school for film, I might have gone in that direction. I find history fascinating, I’m really organized, and that kind of environment seems like it would suit me well.
Or, in a completely different direction, I could see myself working in animal advocacy or at an animal rescue. I have a real passion for dogs and adoption, and I think it would be a challenging but incredibly rewarding career.
12. What does Fluent’s 20th Anniversary mean to you?
Fluent’s 20th anniversary represents the growth, expertise, connection, and commitment we’ve built as a company over the years. It’s a celebration of everything we’ve contributed and a reminder of how much more we have to offer in the years ahead.
13. How do you see Fluent evolving in the next 20 years?
AI is a topic that touches almost everything right now, and I think Fluent does an amazing job of keeping research human centered. As the world continues to evolve and Fluent evolves with it, I believe we’ll continue to find ways to keep people at the heart of the research and help guide companies in a thoughtful, positive direction.
14. What’s one word you’d use to describe Fluent Research? Why?
Thoughtful. Fluent approaches research with intention and care, always considering the people behind the research and how the work can lead to meaningful insights.
15. What’s your favorite way to unwind after a busy day?
I take my dog on a long walk. Spending 30 minutes to an hour outside, listening to music, a podcast, or an audiobook, and giving my mind a chance to focus on something else is one of the best ways for me to unwind.
16. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?
I just returned from a trip to Portugal, which made me even more eager to explore more of Europe! Next on my bucket list are the Nordic countries and the South of France. Anywhere with bright, clear blue water is definitely calling my name.
17. What’s your favorite snack or drink to have while working?
I always have a “fun drink” every day. It’s typically some kind of flavored seltzer, something bubbly with a little flavor. The more seltzer-y, the better!
18. What’s a hobby or activity you’re passionate about outside of work, Paige?
I love plants! I love taking care of them, learning about them, and watching them grow. I have a pretty decent-sized collection that I’m always looking to expand. One day, if I ever have a backyard, I’d love to try gardening. But for now, I’m very happy with my growing collection of indoor plants.