This year marks 16 years of Pure Public Relations. Today, Pure is an award-winning agency, trusted by clients with communications challenges that matter to their organisations. I am proud of the business we have built and especially of the exceptional team whose judgement, care and ambition make it what it is.
Leading Pure has changed how I think about business and leadership. Together, we’ve proven that a strong business is built on exceptional people, values upheld in practice and the resilience to navigate difficult moments.
To mark 16 years of Pure, I’m sharing 16 lessons that have shaped my leadership and continue to guide the way we do business.
1. The lows will be lower than you expect, but that’s because you care.
I’ve always been incredibly passionate about what I do, but I quickly learned that that feeling intensifies when it’s your own business. The wins are incredibly rewarding, but the setbacks can feel very personal. And while logically we founders know that it’s often not personal, learning to navigate those moments with perspective and resilience is essential.
2. Learning to say ‘no’, and when, is a key skill to master.
The clients you take on, the opportunities you pursue and the standards you set all shape your reputation over time. Knowing when to say ‘no’ is just as important as knowing when to say ‘yes’. While the nos can feel counter-intuitive when you’re trying to build your client list, it’s often the smartest thing you can do to bring your vision to life long-term.
Work with people who respect you, your team and your perspective. Saying ‘no’ might seem inconsequential today, but trust me: when you’re 16 years down the track, you’ll see the benefit of staying true to your values, culture and vision.
3. Focus on your strengths
Develop your strengths and spend as much time using them as you can. Improve the weaknesses that truly hold you back and outsource the rest to people who are better at them than you. The best way to build a successful business is to continuously develop your own strengths and those of your teams, too.
4. Time management isn’t enough. Energy management matters more.
Early on, I thought success was all about managing time. Then I realised the most powerful thing you can do is structure your day around when you are mentally sharpest. When I started doing this, everything changed. I had more energy, more time and more fun!
I learned that early morning is when I have my best ideas, strongest problem-solving skills and highest level of thinking, whereas midday is better for less complex tasks. I now get my whole team to identify their individual ‘energy zones’ and encourage them to structure meetings and deep work at the time that best suits them. It’s made a huge difference to our team, and I encourage everyone to give it a try.
5. Your mindset is one of your most valuable assets. Nurture it.
Spend as much time strengthening your mindset as you do your body. It can feel easy to put it last, but it will ultimately affect everything you do, for better or worse. When you’re running your own business, this is the best way to build the resilience you need to keep moving forward.
6. Shame is poison to you and your business.
Your biggest disappointments and regrets can also become your greatest teachers, and powerful motivation to improve. Some lessons can only be learned by doing, and while they can be painful, you will emerge on the other side stronger. Shame makes you hide mistakes, but owning them is how you learn.
7. Stay curious and ask great questions.
Curiosity opens doors and minds. Learning to ask thoughtful questions helps you understand people, situations and opportunities more deeply. It’s the simplest and yet most valuable habit for a leader, because it helps your team and clients feel valued, understood and valued.
8. Being interested is more powerful than being interesting.
Asking great questions matters, but so does learning to be a great listener. Trying to impress people fades quickly; showing interest in others is much more fulfilling.
Being genuinely interested in the people around you helps you build lasting relationships and learn new perspectives from those with different backgrounds, experiences, and knowledge than you.
9. Not every opinion deserves your attention.
The only criticism worth your energy comes from people qualified to give it: people you respect, aspire to be like, or who genuinely have your best interests at heart. Identify those people and learn to ignore the rest.
10. Surround yourself with people who know more than you.
Just because you’re a founder, that doesn’t make you the expert on everything your business does. Strong businesses are built by strong teams and trusted advisers who bring expertise you don’t have. It’s okay to delegate. In fact, it’s necessary for a strong, capable team and a healthy workplace culture.
11. Define your values and non-negotiables early.
When you decide your priorities, boundaries and principles early on in your business, decision-making becomes clearer and faster. If you stick to those core values, even in hard times, you can be sure that the result will be something you’re proud of.
12. Have a framework for making decisions.
Filtering opportunities through a set of guiding questions helps you focus on what truly matters and avoid unnecessary decisions. I developed my own set of questions early on to keep Pure aligned with what I always wanted it to be, regardless of the challenges I faced.
These questions include:
- Does this decision align with the values of my organisation?
- Could this decision cause any new problems later?
- What might change because of this decision, for better or worse?
- What happens if everyone started doing this?
13. Don’t tolerate mediocrity, especially from yourself.
It’s easy to settle for ‘good enough’, and just as easy to drift once you do. The standard you set becomes the standard your team works to, so expect excellence from yourself first and model it throughout your business. Lead by example.
14. Great leadership empowers people.
The best leaders unleash high performance through trust, empowerment and accountability, not command and control. Build teams and hire people who genuinely like working with each other, and you will find that your business thrives as a result.
15. If you help others succeed, success follows.
As Zig Ziglar famously said, “You can have everything in life you want if you just help other people get what they want.” Building your own successful business or career does not require you to sacrifice being generous and supportive of others. We have to give to get.
16. Leave people and places better than you found them.
And finally: we all have far more influence than we realise, and that influence comes with responsibility. When you lead with this mantra, you will end every day proud of yourself and the business you’ve created.
After 16 years, these lessons continue to shape how Pure works, who we work with and what we stand for. They’re also why our clients get a team that listens closely, holds itself to high standards and genuinely cares about their success.
I can’t wait to see where the next 16 years will take us. Thank you to our clients, staff, suppliers, partners, families and the community for the part you have played in Pure’s story. I am proud of what we have built together and ambitious about what we can achieve next.
