Changing the Game
Welcome to FIFTEEN WEST's Changing the Game podcast. We are dedicated to sharing the real, human stories behind female leaders in recruitment – Founders, CEOs, and trailblazers who’ve made it to the top of their game.
Changing the Game
Changing the Game She Leads: Episode 5 Confidence Through Risk | Tara Ricks, NED at Prospero Group
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In this episode of Changing the Game: She Leads, we’re joined by Tara Ricks, Non-Executive Director and board advisor at Prospero Group, for a candid conversation on leadership, confidence, and what it really takes to build longevity in recruitment.
Tara shares how she moved from investment banking into recruitment through an early opportunity, before helping grow and scale a multinational financial services recruitment firm and later experiencing the shift from founder-led growth to corporate scale following an acquisition.
Along the way, she unpacks what leadership actually demands in a people-first industry: emotional intelligence, empathy, curiosity, and the ability to keep learning.
A standout theme in this episode is confidence, not as a fixed trait, but as something you continually build. Tara speaks openly about imposter syndrome, why “waiting until you’re ready” keeps people stuck, and how meaningful growth often sits on the other side of fear.
You’ll hear about:
- Why recruitment remains a true meritocracy, and how the profession has evolved
- Tara’s framework for confidence: visibility, risk-taking, and “owning your space”
- Reframing “balance” as choices and seasons, and building a career that last
If you’re building a team, stepping into leadership, or navigating your next career move, Tara’s perspective is grounded, strategic, and refreshingly real.