May is Taurus month.
Taurus is the zodiac sign that falls between April 20 and May 20 and captures all those lucky people who down through the ages have been described as dependable, trustworthy, smart ambitious, practical, strong and who take a no-bull approach to life.
As you might suspect, our founder and CEO, Sharon Williams, is a Taurean which becomes illuminatingly obvious from the moment you meet her. Sharon and I have worked together for over 3 years now – she lives and breathes the brand.
It was a no-brainer that Sharon, 27 years ago, decided to call her company Taurus, especially as the core values of the company are so intrinsically aligned to her personal traits and those of the Taurus star sign.
But how did the name come about and under what circumstances?
Sharon had just given birth to the first (Charlotte) of her three children and actually registered the company on the same date – 21 August, 1995, while in the maternity ward of the hospital. “Taurus was the name that came into my head at the time – it was a strong word, my star sign and I then looked up what it meant,” Sharon recalled.
“The words that depict those born under the Taurus star sign resonated with me and I thought it would be good for a business. And, here we are 27 years later, and despite COVID-19, a financial crisis or two, a personal battle with breast cancer, we have kept our doors open for business.”
“At the time, I road tested the idea of the Taurus Bull name with my husband, who as an IT brain, laughed and said Taurus, load of bull.” The Taurean spirit in me saw the funny side. A sign of no-bull resonates with me – strength, cuts to the chase, doesn’t take any bull – a bullseye, a target. That “no-bull” approach has not let the company down, in many cases, has become the point of difference in helping over 1,000 clients during these past years. It is also how I interact with my team, my clients and the Taurus network.’’
Like many companies Taurus had humble beginnings. “Balancing a new-born baby and running a business from my study at home was basically my daily routine in those early days. But clients started to see what we could do for their brand and bravely we gained a solid reputation, especially in the IT entrepreneur field.” “Soon my home study became too small and we moved into a slightly bigger office in Artarmon on the corner of Elizabeth Street by the Station on Sydney’s north shore. “After a few years, we moved to a much larger 2 floors and business started coming in the door with the company diversifying its work as the Bullseye methodology came into being.”
Taurus made the big jump into the CBD in 2016 and hasn’t looked back.
The latest move to Barangaroo on the 22nd level of a skyscraper, acknowledged as the “heartbeat centre” of Sydney’s business world, says it all on the success of Taurus and the drive and determination of Sharon, a Taurean who never gives up despite the hurdles and setbacks that life throws at her. “Not many PR and marketing companies have stayed in business as long as Taurus and today, with the help of a ‘gun’ team of professional practitioners the business has climbed to the top of the ladder. “We have the perfect mix of old blood and hungry new minds that clients can depend on to be ahead of the pack while at the same time providing the experience to avoid the pitfalls in these challenging times.”
Hats off to all Taureans this month.
By Ian Dose, IR and Government Consultant