Andrea Bristol
Andrea Bristol has been a PR for over 18 years with specialisms in tech, sport, and charity.
In her spare time, she enjoys training her dressage horse, running, reading, and hanging out with her 3 kids.
- Tell us a little bit about your business…
Admire was formed almost by accident! I ended up getting too busy as a freelancer to do the work by myself so I built a small team to work alongside me.
2. How did you get into the industry?
I was in sales and brand management and relayed that to succeed in sales there had to be a desire for the product and service I was selling so I leaned into marketing and especially PR to do this. I then found that I LOVED PR so carried on learning and specialising in it.
3. What are the biggest opportunities and challenges in your industry?
Opportunities are definitely tech and AI-related. What I love is that the new technology is starting to enable people who would not have considered PR and marketing as a career, perhaps due to a lack of confidence in their writing ability or being dyslexic, to lean into their creativity and talent. It’s really fantastic that tech is opening up our industry to more talented people.
The biggest challenge is for the journalists and editors we work with. Publishing has changed a lot over the past 3 years and in some sectors there are fewer publications. Quality stories and news are more important than ever so we do our best to support them in that way.
4. How would you describe your leadership style?
Mentoring. I really try to support those around me, lead by example, and be a mentor. I hope that anyone who works with me will agree!
5. How do you get the most out of the people who work for you?
You need to be honest at all times and share your vision and where we are going as a team. If you are transparent and passionate about the work and everything in the company and have an open system for communication then everyone will work together to their optimum.
6. What are the most crucial elements to your business running smoothly and being successful?
It’s a team effort. We all have each other’s backs.
7. How has the past 12 months been for you?
Such a huge learning curve! We have grown and worked with some major global companies as well as some hyper-local ones too. We really have punched above our weight. We have had tough times too, the economy is a tricky place at the moment and we have to be patient with that.
8. What will the next 12 months look like for your business?
I really hope we will be able to continue working with the fabulous clients we have and develop the learning in the team so we can do even better work.
9. What are the highlights of your career so far?
It’s hard to say as I’ve been doing this for a LONG time -but being shortlisted for a Drum Award last year and now for the Bristol Life Awards is superb. The team deserves these nominations as much as I do.
10. What’s the biggest business mistake that you’ve learnt from?
I think I’ve made many but the biggest one is not fully valuing myself and my ability and underselling myself. I’m still working on this one!
11. What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve been given?
It’s to never assume. I think as a leader you do need to double-check things. Checklists and systems are essential and then everything is completed properly.
