Because we love it

Tracey

I do what I do because I enjoy it so much. It’s incredibly rewarding to see clients move from where they are to where they want to be, and how we help them through the scary moments. I bring a steady hand to the way in which our business operates, ensuring the Pharos experience is always one of excellence. I love the anticipation driving to work and imagining the day ahead. The opportunity of working with a team of passionate and talented people means we’re always learning and growing, and having a lot of fun doing it – sometimes it doesn’t feel like work at all! The past few years have been incredibly happy, because travelling through our own change process we have finally morphed into the company I always believed we could be.

Bridget

Pharos epitomises everything I believe in…….and I can’t stop enthusing about it! Since I began my career I’ve never been afraid of putting my head above the parapet, standing up for what’s right and nurturing the beliefs and values held in the organisation. It used to seem that what really mattered was status - but the more I progressed up the ladder the more aware I was that the essence of authentic leadership could exist within anyone, at any level in an organisation. The biggest challenge for any leader is holding onto their authenticity and influencing others to remain authentic to themselves.

Everyday at Pharos I am energised by the knowledge that our clients have never needed or wanted to look further than us. I love the fact that they speak as we do about Pharos – that we don’t think twice about them talking to a potential client. And I am truly amazed at how our associates innately share the values and passion that we have for Pharos – that in a business like ours, continually evolving, we never seem to lose sight of the loyalty and fun we have in Pharos.

People start up businesses every day, and however modest we are we shouldn’t forget how successful we’ve been. A small organisation constantly breaking new ground, never afraid to question itself, is surely here for the long-term? We have courage - we won’t paper over the cracks, we won’t sign up for something we know isn’t right.

However crazy I may sound, I love the rush of adrenalin as I face the challenge of convincing an organisation that Pharos is the right choice, and watching the excitement grow as they engage with us.

We have the opportunity of asking the tough questions that leaders and organisations often avoid. When I see people discover for themselves, their latent potential, and realise there are more choices open to them, inside I am smiling because I know they are liberated - to become who they really want to be; enriching the organisation by going beyond what they thought was possible. Albeit they may never paint our name in the sky, they will know the impact we have had, and others in the organisation will experience and benefit from what’s different.

We took the risk to build Pharos and in my twilight years I will be able to look back and be proud of the legacy Tracey and I created. From nothing, we will have created something with meaning. When we ask ourselves ‘What should we be proud of?’ and we look around our business the answers are so easy to find - talk to anyone, people who work with us, clients we serve, people we have touched. I doubt they will ever forget Pharos, and how we enabled ordinary people to become extraordinary contributors.

How Pharos came to be

We’d arrived at a place in our careers where we wanted greater meaning in what we did and the freedom to act with the authenticity and integrity implicit in our values and beliefs. We stood at the top of the abyss, recognising that organisations needed something new and different, and armed with courage and determination – we jumped……and so Pharos began.

When it came to the name, we didn’t want high-brow or catchy, we wanted it to have true meaning. “Pharos” jumped out of the page at us – it depicted what every organisation wishes they had at a time of transformation – a guiding light in uncharted waters, enduring, enabling and dependable…The first lighthouse the ancient world had ever seen, standing tall and proud in Alexandria. Its enduring flame, tended constantly by the community, burned high in its eight-sided tower and could be seen for many miles. By its presence, and the trust that the light would always burn bright, people were filled with the courage to move away from the shore, go beyond what felt safe and familiar – to begin limitless journeys to explore other oceans and worlds. Enriched by their experiences and new knowledge, people became aware of the choices and possibilities for shaping the future…Married with our values and beliefs, and our passion and commitment to provide a unique and revolutionary experience for our clients, Pharos became our metaphor for enabling transformation and beyond.

Our intention is that in the moment and beyond the Pharos experience, you will have gained the insights and relentless energy for successful change.