Name: Sharon Zeev Poole
Role: Founder and Director
A little bit about myself…
Hi! I’m Sharon and I am the Founder and Director of Agent99. My “baby” (ie. Agent99… I have other real babies!) turned 13 on January 8, 2020. I have a teenager now… can’t believe it.
I have been in the industry for over 20 years … I’m showing my age 😊 But I am still super passionate about what I do every day and count my lucky stars to work with a bunch of legends and some pretty incredible clients.
I balance running a very busy business and managing staff, with being a mum of two boys who are 7 and 4 years old and are super cute (ok, I’m biased). It certainly gets tricky, and there is a lot of ducking and diving to make sure everyone is looked after. I certainly couldn’t do it without the support of my amazing husband and help that we have consistently had since the boys were born.
I also love staying fit and for the last three years I have done the Sydney to Wollongong MS ride and have absolutely loved and looked forward to it…. And when I’m not at the gym or riding in Centennial Park, I love catching up with friends and family for a bev or two at the beach!
What did you want to be growing up?
I desperately wanted to be an architect…. But when I did one week of Physics in Year 12 and basically had a nervous breakdown, I begged to be switched to Chemistry instead… (like that was a walk in the park either, ha), I ended my architecture dreams in an instant.
It’s funny how things work out, because I quickly realised that the written word, and telling stories, was where I shined. After graduating Commerce at Deakin Uni, I worked for my dad as his Marketing Manager for three years. I decided to travel the world and fell into a PR role in London. The rest, as they say, is history!
How did you end up at Agent99 PR?
I had a number of roles at big, small and medium agencies and saw the ‘good, bad and the ugly’…. At my last agency role, I started eyeing my boss’ job. But clearly, that was never going to happen. So, rather than go to a big agency in a senior role, I started my own company, one that was built on integrity and results (without the fluff), which is what clients cared about most. I had thought about it for 6 months, and once I did it, I really didn’t know why I had contemplated it for as long as I did. I truly never looked back!
And in 2019, we were crowned the PRIA Golden Target Awards Small Consultancy of the Year both in NSW and Nationally. This was an absolute career highlight and so rewarding after over a decade of hard work!
Describe yourself in five words:
Hmmm, ok:
Loyal; Persistent; Results-Driven; Honest; Stubborn (not proud of that one… but we can’t be perfect hey?!)
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Wow, there are so many things! I absolutely love seeing a client happy, where we have achieved amazing results that have directly impacted their business. That’s what drives me daily.
On the flip side, developing my team and seeing them shine and do well makes it very rewarding. I am also enjoying focussing on growing and taking the business to the next level now!
2020 is going to be a big year for us. I’m super pumped!