THE sisters behind the Dorset-based Waterside Holiday Group have told a podcast how they learned to run the business after the death of their father.

Miranda and Olivia Jacobs appeared on It Runs In the Family to discuss how they had nurtured the holiday park company’s culture and the steep learning curve they faced when they became involved with the business.

Miranda told hosts Liz and Leila Willingham: “Our dad died very suddenly, which was a great shock to the family, and we weren’t in any way ready. He was about to start inducting us into the business, we’d had one big meeting, then he got ill.

“We were thrust into it quite suddenly, and we were mourning too. I’m not sure I had something to prove to anyone other than my dad, really. I was going ‘Yes dad, I’m going to make you proud’, and that still pushes me today.

“Our first big appointment was our new CEO, who came from many, many years in leisure. He is terrific. What we really liked about him in the interview and what shone -apart from his brilliant abilities and knowledge of the holiday home industry, which we needed as we knew very little - his values are very similar to ours.”

The podcast was started by Liz Willingham, founder of Poole-based PR and communications agency Liz Lean PR, and her daughter Leila, who is business and PR account manager.