How I Succeeded: Pure PR’s Phoebe Netto

How I Succeeded is a regular series on Lifehacker where we ask business leaders for the secrets and tactics behind their success. Today: Phoebe Netto, founder and managing drector at Pure Public Relations.

Current location: Sydney, Australia
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Current mobile device: iPhone 8
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Current computer: Macbook Pro
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One word that best describes how you work: Intense
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What apps/software/tools can’t you live without?

Todoist for my to-do lists and day planning – there are so many moving parts in PR, I run a business, am on the Red Cross board, have two young children, and volunteer time each week – and it is all planned out in detail on Todoist. I don’t know how I would function without it!

What social network do you find the most useful?

I can’t decide between LinkedIn and twitter.

What were the most important lessons you learned while growing your business?

The Golden Rule is flawed: The Golden Rule states that you should treat others as you want to be treated, but overlooks the fact that other people may not want to be treated the same way. A better rule is to do the right thing and keep in mind how others want to be treated. Perceptive people discern how other people like to be treated, and they adjust their behaviour and style to make others feel comfortable. This rule applies to how you do everything.

What has been the most surprising part of your business journey?

What a huge difference it makes to your productivity and quality of work when you only work with businesses you love and with people who appreciate what you do.

What everyday thing are you better at than anyone else?

Speed reading.

What’s your sleep routine like?

I wake up before 5am every day as I am at my sharpest in the morning and I get in a couple hours of uninterrupted high-quality work.

What advice would you offer to other businesses on how to succeed?

All organisations, no matter their size, have one thing in common: they need people to know, like, and trust them, and they need something that compels them to act. These are the fundamentals of generating sales. And except in rare circumstances, it takes multiple marketing tactics to convince people that your business is worth parting with their money or changing brands for. Get this right and make give your customers many reasons to remain loyal, and your business will succeed.