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 inspiration Joining the business at 19 and proving herself in recruitment Navigating four children while building her own career and leadership style The emotional and strategic process of negotiating the buyout with her mum Her vision for OA Group, balancing legacy with innovation This 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. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to The Rag Podcast and Laura Clark 02:21 Laura's Journey in Recruitment and Family Dynamics 12:03 Early Career Challenges and Growth in Recruitment 18:19 Transitioning to Management and Leadership 28:38 Taking Over the Family Business 32:44 Navigating Business Challenges 34:37 The Emotional Dynamics of Family Business 38:35 Reflections on Business Exits 41:30 Post-Acquisition Vision and Growth 49:54 Balancing Remote Work and Team Dynamics 55:03 Gender Equality in Leadership 59:43 Juggling Work and Family Life __________________________________________ Episode Sponsor: Atlas Your 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. Learn more about the power of Atlas – and take advantage of the exclusive offer for The RAG listeners – by visiting https://recruitwithatlas.com/therag/ __________________________________________ Episode Sponsor: Hoxo Recruitment agency founders - this one’s for you. What’s your plan for the rest of 2025? If it’s based on more cold outreach, referrals, or hiring more recruiters… we’ve got news for you. That’s not where the smart money is going. The market has changed. AI is everywhere. Noise is louder than ever. So if you want to scale profitably this year, you need to do things differently! It starts with what you already have. Your experience. Your network. Your voice. And we are showing you exactly how to use it in a brand-new, FREE Masterclass - built specifically
