

PR FAIL: I sent a press release that wasn't approved and made the 10 o'clock news.
Our host, Chris Norton, reveals his biggest career mistake when he joined a new PR agency as an account manager. What started as enthusiasm to impress his new employers quickly descended into a PR disaster when he prematurely distributed a press release about a new bar opening without client approval.
• Background as a PR professional with experience in London before moving to Leeds
• Eagerly took on a project for an alcohol brand launching a new bar
• Misinterpreted "good to go" from London office as permission to distribute the press release
• Sent the release to media outlets without client approval
• Discovered his mistake when the story triggered local controversy on the evening news
• Feared being fired on his first weekend in the new job
"To everybody out there I apologise for sending a release out too early. I was just keen to get going, but luckily I survived and I'm here to do this podcast with you today."
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