About this episode
This week on The RAG Podcast, we are revisiting my episode with Laura Clark, CEO of OA Group.Laura’s journey is one of the most unique I’ve ever shared on the show. She grew up watching her mum build Osborne Appointments (now OA Group), joined the business at 19, and earlier this year bought it from her mother to take over as CEO.We talk about:What it was like growing up with an entrepreneurial mother as inspirationJoining the business at 19 and proving herself in recruitmentNavigating four children while building her own career and leadership styleThe emotional and strategic process of negotiating the buyout with her mumHer vision for OA Group, balancing legacy with innovationThis was the first time I’ve had a guest who has bought their business from a parent, and it raises so many relatable themes for any founder, from negotiating long-term relationships to building a business that truly reflects your values.Chapters00:00 Introduction to The Rag Podcast and Laura Clark02:21 Laura's Journey in Recruitment and Family Dynamics12:03 Early Career Challenges and Growth in Recruitment18:19 Transitioning to Management and Leadership28:38 Taking Over the Family Business32:44 Navigating Business Challenges34:37 The Emotional Dynamics of Family Business38:35 Reflections on Business Exits41:30 Post-Acquisition Vision and Growth49:54 Balancing Remote Work and Team Dynamics55:03 Gender Equality in Leadership59:43 Juggling Work and Family Life__________________________________________Episode Sponsor: AtlasYour memory isn’t perfect. So Atlas remembers everything for you. Atlas is an end-to-end recruitment platform built for the AI generation. It automates your admin so you can focus on the business tasks that matter. How many conversations do you have every day? With clients. Candidates. Your team. Service providers.Now how many of those conversations can you recall with 100% accuracy? How many hours a week do you spend making notes to try and retain as much as possible? And how much is still getting lost along the way? Traditional CRM systems weren’t built for the type of recruitment business you’re running right now. They were built to rely on the structured, tagged, categorised, and formal data you could feed it. Manual processes that needed you to input specific information, based on specific questions and answers. But what about all the other conversations you’re having every single day? Atlas isn’t an ATS or a CRM. It’s an Intelligent Business Platform that helps you perform 10X better than you could on your own. How? By removing all your low value tasks, acting as your perfect memory, and providing highly relevant recommendations to impact your performance. Le
