Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Andrea Holt And Melissa Christensen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Andrea Holt and , thank you for joining us today and sharing your experiences and acquired wisdom with us. Burnout is a huge topic these days and so we’d love to kick things off by discussing your thoughts on overcoming or avoiding burnout
We didn’t just “push through” burnout—we leveled up.
Instead of waiting for motivation to magically return, we took action. We pulled back to get honest about what was draining us, rebuilt our systems, delegated what didn’t need our fingerprints and reconnected with the parts of the work that actually lit us up.
As we made those shifts, the fog started to lift. Our energy came back. Focus sharpened. Ideas flowed again. Burnout didn’t just fade; it became data. It showed us what was broken and pushed us to build something stronger.
We created a wishlist. We bossed up. We settled down: Here’s how:
Cut the noise. Emails? Mute. Notifications? Off. Social media? Limited to scrolling for inspiration, not distraction. Change your algo. We focus on positive affirmations, astrology, Taylor Swift, Sphere, Grateful Dead- anything but the news.
Build micro-routines that stick. Morning meditation, virtual yoga with a bestie, a power walk, weekly strength training and gratitude journaling before bed. Tiny wins stack into momentum.
Reclaimed creativity. We stopped waiting for motivation. We started brainstorming, manifesting and creating despite it, literally anything that made our brains feel alive again.
Sacred boundaries. For publicists, work ends at never PM, crisis comms don’t have a sleep schedule. And working from home, especially in an industry that never sleeps, can easily blur the line between work and personal life and lead to burnout. There’s always more to do, and if we let them, our days could stretch to 12-hour days, every day. In past roles, that was often the norm. What helps now is following a routine and being intentionally present. During the day, we’re focused on colleagues and clients. At the gym, our attention shifts fully to ourselves—our goals, our worries, our wins. When our daughters are home, we are present and put all of our focus there.
Cutting the noise, sticking to routines, carving out time on purpose and holding those boundaries helps us protect our energy and keep burnout at bay.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
We’re the co-founders of Vigilante PR, an agency born from years of seeing what works(and what doesn’t)in high-stakes communications. After leading big campaigns, we hit pause, asked ourselves how we’d do it differently and built the agency we always wished existed: lean, transparent, results-driven and unapologetically bold.
Vigilante PR is built to move fast and create real impact. We don’t hide behind tired playbooks, buzzwords or ineffective layered junior teams. You get senior-level strategy from day one, messaging that lands, media placements that matter and digital footprints that stick. We specialize in taking companies from best-kept secret to front-page story, with measurable results our clients can see and feel.
What sets us apart is how we work: flexible, honest and built to scale with our clients. We’re here for visionaries ready to stop playing small. We turn challenges into stories that can’t be ignored, and we do it with grit, clarity and relentless focus. That’s Vigilante PR.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. Grit over glamor
This industry looks shiny from the outside, but the real work isn’t very sexy. It’s late nights, tough conversations, and relentless problem-solving. Grit is what keeps you going when everything breaks at once.
How to build it: Stop waiting for “easy.” Say yes to hard things. Sit in the discomfort. That’s where you level up.
2. Strategic instincts
Anyone can send a press release. Not everyone can see 10 moves ahead. Strategy is knowing what not to do, when to pivot and how to turn chaos into momentum.
How to build it: Study patterns, media trends, newscycles. Watch what actually works. Ask “why” more than “how.” Learn to play chess, not checkers.
3. Radical honesty
People can smell BS. Telling the truth (even when it’s uncomfortable) builds trust, authority and long-term wins.
How to build it: Practice saying the bold thing in the room. Protect your reputation like currency. If it doesn’t feel authentic, don’t say it or leave the party.
Final advice: Don’t chase perfection; Chase progress. Learn fast and adjust in real time. The people who win are the ones who can pivot.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
Balancing heavy workloads, nonstop travel and raising our daughters? Yeah… It’s chaos. But chaos can be mastered.
Prioritize ruthlessly. Not everything matters equally. We are still really into to-do lists. We love to cross things off; it’s just so satisfying. Here’s a tip: know the top five things that must get done each day—and build from there.
Pack everything with purpose. Travel isn’t downtime, it’s a micro-schedule lab. Meetings between flights, reading on the plane, bedtime stories via FaceTime if you’re away. Every minute counts.
Delegate like a boss. At work, at home, wherever possible. You don’t have to do it all. Let others handle the details so you can focus on impact.
Anchor yourself in ritual. Daughter’s bedtime routine? Non-negotiable. Morning coffee moment? Sacred. These small rituals are your sanity lifeline.
Practice ruthless self-care. Sleep, hydration, movement, music and mental reset, even if it’s 10 minutes on the porch or staring at the moon. Protect your energy like it’s the family treasure it is.
The work gets done, flights don’t break you, and your daughter knows she’s priority #1. Balance isn’t perfect. It’s intentional, relentless and real.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.vigilante-pr.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vigilantepragency/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VigilantePRagency
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vigilante-pr
- Twitter: https://x.com/vigilantepr
Image Credits
Vigilante PR
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