What do you call someone who shows up to every project, every client conversation, and every team meeting with the same passion and energy as if it were their very first day? At Bridgenext, we call her Nicola Blount, our VP Group Director of Communications Services. Nearly two decades of shaping and leading broadcast media tours has made her name synonymous with expertise, creativity, and flawless execution. From pioneering strategies to keeping teams inspired, Nicola has built a reputation for making the complex feel effortless, while reminding everyone that storytelling is as much about human connection as it is about airtime. Let’s learn more about her:
Bridgenext Communications Team Member Stats:
- Name: Nicola Blount
- Hometown: Kendall Park, NJ
- Current City: New York City
- Team Role: VP Group Director, Communications Services
- Experience: 15 years
- Career Highlight: I fell into the media industry by accident. After college, where I studied acting, I balanced auditioning with temp work (the original freelance hustle). I even had a brief detour working as an assistant technical designer for a children’s sweater company which, as fate would have it, led me through Vegas. Then, a friend asked if I wanted to help with a short-term gig pitching SMTs. I said, “SMTs… what?” Fast forward nearly twenty years and many acronyms later, and I now lead the team that brings our broadcast media work to life.
- Sum up your work style in three emojis: 👏🏽 🏃🏽♀️➡️ 🪄
- What do you love most about working with your team at Bridgenext? The diversity of perspective. The communications team spans 5 generations, speaks 4 different languages, hails from the East coast, West coast, Argentina, Miami and Maine. We don’t always agree, and that’s a strength. It stretches our thinking and elevates our creative output. I believe our ability to bring these different points of view to projects expands our thinking and increases our creative output.
- How would your coworkers describe you? Probably direct, supportive and funny. I’m always here to try new ways to approach work and solve challenges, while getting the job done. I enjoy collaboration and working in teams but never defer to group think. I also value and encourage workplace autonomy.
- Favorite go-to snack/drink to keep your creative juices flowing: A good cup of English breakfast tea, steeped for 5 minutes with a smidge of honey.
- What fuels your creative fire? (Besides caffeine, of course!): I genuinely enjoy what I do on most days (the people, the work, the clients). That level of satisfaction is rare, especially for someone who “just sort of wandered in”. Since the day I learned that SMT means Satellite Media Tour, it’s been anything but boring.
- What’s your biggest career achievement? Taking on a broader leadership role as the VP Group Director, Communications Services has allowed me to contribute to shaping Bridgenext’s Content Studio in more meaningful ways. Pushing me to feed a growth mindset, take more risks, and be okay with failing.
- Tell us about a project that you are proud of: This is such a hard one, my team works on over 150 projects a year across almost every industry and that makes it really hard to choose one. Every project requires a different strategy and approach. And while not every project is a Telly Award Winner (although we recently added 4 to the awards case) I think more than anything I’m proud of the work we do collectively.
- What’s the most exciting trend in the PR industry right now? Human connection and storytelling. While AI has given numerous advantages, it has also led to cutting corners in terms of content production. In a world of automation, the human element is crucial for building trust and deeper engagement. Today’s world has many more complex societal factors beyond traditional media relations that impact our outreach and outcomes. Empathy, humor, and sharing compelling individual stories will be vital.
- How are you adapting to the media industry that’s always evolving? By embracing smart tech and protecting creative instincts. My instinct is often to resist automation, but I’m learning (and leading my team) to use technology to improve production efficiency and sharpen our PR strategy, without dulling what makes our stories uniquely human.
- Favorite Quote: “You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read.” James Baldwin
Nicola’s journey reminds us that sometimes a great career isn’t planned, it evolves when you least expect it. Between the unexpected turns, her creative spark and the drive to shape meaningful stories is central to how Bridgenext brings communication, media, and storytelling together in memorable ways.
Want to learn more? Explore our creative portfolio and PR resources. Stay tuned for more Meet the Team posts.
