Adam Smithers joins the Recruitment Entrepreneur REflex group with his business Follow the Oak, a recruitment consultancy specialising in talent projects across the commercial fitness and wellness ecosystem. Since setting up Follow the Oak in 2017, Adam has worked hard to secure his reputation as a trusted recruitment partner for some of the most iconic and innovative brands in the fitness industry including Precor, Peloton, Life Fitness, Myzone, Snap Fitness, Escape Fitness, Wexer and Matrix Fitness. His extensive industry network has enabled him to plan, manage and execute talent projects across the UK, EMEA the USA markets. Now, with the support and infrastructure of Recruitment Entrepreneur behind him, Adam’s sights are set on becoming the go-to provider of industry talent globally.
Prior to starting Follow the Oak, Adam formed an integral part of a senior management team within a Digital Security company that achieved substantial, fast paced international growth which led to a strategic acquisition by Chubb Fire & Security (United Technologies Corp). He gained valuable insight into the data rich world of integration and automation; a theme which was quickly becoming prominent in the fitness world.
On why he chose to set up in the fitness industry, Adam said “I’ve always been fascinated by industries that embrace technology to enhance solutions, products, experiences and journeys for the end consumer. The global fitness and wellness economy is evolving at a rapid pace and as global participation rates continue to soar, we are seeing more and more tech enabled fitness products and solutions entering the market allowing us to record, measure, map and share our goals and performance. Fitness is becoming more accessible than ever, and I have a true passion for supporting brands who help people live more active lifestyles.
Major investment continues to drive product development and the rise in at-home, subscription & digital fitness is fuelling some fascinating collaborations between hardware, software, and content providers. With that, the skillsets the industry needs are also evolving outside of traditional fitness talent pools and thanks to their enormous brand power we are now able to attract some of the brightest and best minds from the business world and I’m excited to facilitate the process.
“I wanted to build my own recruitment consultancy after being disillusioned with the traditional methods and strategies employed by other providers. I was also committed to dramatically improving the recruitment journey from a candidate perspective by offering a superior representation service underpinned by market knowledge and expertise. We distance ourselves from the high volume recruitment that tends to encourage a KPI/metrics driven approach, instead, we take time to truly understand our client’s market and immerse ourselves in professional networks that help us attract and facilitate introductions with exceptional candidates. At Follow the Oak we truly believe people are the roots to growth and success”
Regarding Recruitment Entrepreneur’s partnership with Follow the Oak, CEO Abid Hamid commented, “Adam has a real vision and ethos, backed up by his exceptional market knowledge and credibility. The fitness economy is a fascinating landscape at the moment, with the pandemic causing huge growth and transformation. The global digital fitness market is expected to be valued at over £20 billion by 2022; we are excited to now be involved in the industry via our partnership with Follow the Oak.”
After running the business for several years, Adam chose to join Recruitment Entrepreneur’s REflex support model, which provides mentoring, infrastructure, and back-office support to recruitment start-ups. On this decision to partner, Adam said, “I chose to become a REflex partner because I felt Recruitment Entrepreneur complements my ambitions and provides the structures and processes required to scale and run a recruitment business. We have a strong market presence to build from and a very ambitious growth strategy; Recruitment Entrepreneur’s guidance, tools and platforms will help me elevate, accelerate, and execute these goals. I’ve also welcomed the team ethos and being able to bounce ideas off a highly experienced and accomplished supporting team has been valuable. Equally, it’s also nice to share the successes with others who have a vested interest in the business.”
