OAA Blog

The Graduation Mindset and What It Means for Agency Growth

Marsha Dewart — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 16:54:12 GMT

The Graduation Mindset and What It Means for Agency Growth

Mastering the Art of Delegation and Empowering Your Team for Success

Tony Caldwell — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 15:17:26 GMT

From nurturing client relationships to managing finances and recruiting new talent, business owners juggle competing priorities. As our businesses face busy periods and our to-do lists multiply, we often tell ourselves it’s easier to handle everything on our own, but the truth is we cannot do it all alone. To avoid burnout and set your business up for success, leaders must learn to delegate.

How Learning from Wins and Losses Can Make You a Better Leader

Tony Caldwell — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 16:22:04 GMT

Winston Churchill once said, “Success if not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continuethat counts.” It is through wins and losses that leaders grow and businesses prosper. Businessleaders who harness the power of effective reflection recognize that valuable learnings come from the failures as well as the wins and tap into those experiences to hone future decision-making.

Brace for Turbulence: Tips for Staying Calm in Chaotic Times

Tony Caldwell — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 17:05:37 GMT

Leading a business is never easy, particular with all the economic uncertainty surrounding us. Ever-evolving obstacles like inflation, labor shortages and supply disruptions can be difficult to anticipate, especially while traversing daily business operations. Though it is critical, to keep a careful watch on environmental factors with the potential to influence business operations, it’s just as important to maintain a cool-headed approach. Keeping calm will allow for clearer thinking to not only to navigate crisis but will set the example your team needs to see to continue to move forward with daily operations, energized, motivated and even inspired.

Love it or List It: When and How to Get Rid of a Bad Client

Tony Caldwell — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 16:56:05 GMT

Nothing stops the momentum and motivation of a team more than a bad client. These are the clients who fail to communicate what they need, demand unrealistic timelines or results, provide little-to-no-feedback on work or refuse to listen to expertise. A difficult client can hinder a team's ability to effectively do their job, while taking up valuable time and energy.

Why Passion Projects Make Better Leaders

Tony Caldwell — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 16:48:30 GMT

It is easy for business leaders to find themselves stuck with tunnel vision when seeking out solutions to problems and generating avenues for business growth. But this sort of stunted perspective can not only hinder positive outcomes, but also a leader’s long-term development, creating the perfect recipe for burnout.

Championing Leadership Inside and Outside the Office

Tony Caldwell — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 16:46:29 GMT

What does it mean to be a good leader? True leadership should go beyond how a person manages their work or what they do in the office. The greatest leaders are those who get out into the community to make a difference.

Restoration Leadership: Refining What Still Has Value

Tony Caldwell — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 16:41:25 GMT

In restoration, you learn that progress can come from repairing and refurbishing what already exists. We are often tempted to make big changes in business for the betterment of an organization, without considering what is worth maintaining. In my experience over the years restoring antique airplanes, I’ve recognized parallels between restoration and business leadership that have offered lessons in perspective and patience. Consider the following:

Ripple Effect: The Value in Mentors for Leaders

Tony Caldwell — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 16:38:14 GMT

In business, leaders are always thinking ahead, solving problems and seeking out avenues for growth. It can be difficult for some leaders to consider turning their attention to anything that does not directly impact or benefit their business. But the most impactful leaders are those who recognize there is no way to know everything, and see the tremendous benefit of an outsider’s perspective. That is where an effective mentor can be an invaluable asset.

Power in Words: How Writing Can Offer a Path to Clarity

Tony Caldwell — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 16:36:01 GMT

Many of us write something on a daily basis. Whether it is a shopping list, texts to family or responses to never-ending work emails, at some point during the day we are contemplating the right words to say what we mean. Writing is a method of communication, but also a skill. It improves our ability to understand how we think and beyond its social value, it is a way to organize thoughts, build credibility and shift perspectives.