Who has been your biggest inspiration to you and why?
My mum! She has survived in spite of enormous difficulties (I mean unspeakable!) and always taught me to reach for the stars. Her exact words were “Darling, I don’t care if you want to be a garbage man if that’s what makes you happy, but get the education to be a Doctor – then you’ll always have the choice”. She always taught me I could ‘make it happen’. This has translated in my life to mean that I am CEO of my life, emotions, success etc. and that it is my responsibility, no-one else’s, to make my life happen. No-one else is responsible or accountable for my life except me – in spite of knocks. So I shouldn’t blame anyone else. The early death of my sister also inspired me not to waste a moment. That was her legacy to me.
What keeps you motivated?
I love what I do and I want to do well, so that’s my inspiration. I also want to work hard to give my three children a good life. I want to inspire people positively – give my staff opportunities they may not have otherwise. I’m a Christian, so my life is undeniably and intrinsically linked to my faith. This interprets on a daily basis to try and be the best I can be, forgive my mistakes and move on, and do the best by people when human nature doesn’t always encourage that. The stronger my faith gets, the more I realise I fail regularly, but I am committed to continual improvement. And it’s a happy process!
How do you keep your team motivated?
Well, I feel strongly I have to be in tune with what they want out of life so I can provide it and we can work together. My staff are (without sounding trite) my extended family. That doesn’t mean we are in each other’s pockets or know each other’s personal lives, but it means there is a dedication and commitment to see them achieve their goals – a duty of care. I’d love for there to be an army of people out there touched by the Taurus experience in terms of positive training and mentoring.
Being a very inspiring person yourself, tell us how you do it?
Key points to inspire people:
- Be genuine
- Do what you love
- Effort almost always equals results and satisfaction
- Strive to be outside your comfort zones
- Be sure to know where you are going (you won’t hit the centre of the dartboard – the bullseye – if you can’t see it)
Do you have a vision board?
I do have a vision board and so do my children. It’s important it doesn’t become a material thing – but an inspirational exercise. I do it with the children in school holidays.
How do I put the vision into practice?
Find people who have done what you want to do before, and can help you. Don’t struggle being good at things you’ll never excel in. You can download business plan templates to fill in. It’s just a matter of answering questions – over a glass of red!
Should I do this myself or get some help?
Outsource everything and stay on track with the top level, strategic vision.
What are some of the do’s and don’ts when it comes to integrating your ‘vision’ with your business?
Find people better than yourself who have done it before – don’t compromise. Think big business, not small business.
Can you give us an example of one of your ideas/visions for your business and what steps you take to integrate them and make them a reality in your business?
Loads of examples like templating, standard operating manual, training staff, executive training. The list is endless. We are moving forward each month with new initiatives. Perhaps one example is to extricate myself from the business and start attending more external functions to meet people which has resulted in our database of warm contacts doubling in 12 months. Another is our email newsletter which now goes out to thousands of subscribers. Another is to drive the Taurus brand upwards, which has resulted in significant PR coverage. Another is to fight the skills shortage and hire and sponsor from overseas.
