Peter Andrew is the Client & Communications Manager at global media agency Wavemaker ANZ, working with brands to develop and implement media and advertising strategies.

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1. To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?

Since I was child I’ve always been interested in marketing, but specifically creating experiences for people.

Whether it was in retail, emerging brands and start-ups, or bringing some of the world’s biggest brands to life, my whole career has been focused on creating distinct experiences that have a positive effect on peoples’ lives.

I think that it’s never been more important in the history of humanity for individuals and brands to be able to spark joy in peoples’ lives, and I like to believe that I leverage my abilities to do that in my own unique way.

I currently work for Wavemaker, a media agency, and my role involves me helping well known brands activate through leadership, education and innovation. My teams and I develop and implement media and advertising strategies that assist brands to exceed their marketing and business objectives. Simply, we put the right messages in front of the right people.

2. What does a day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?

What I LOVE most about my job is that no day is similar to another. I would describe my role as the perfect combination of creativity and analytics/strategy.

In saying that, a typical day for me involves lots of meetings. We rely on meaningful relationships with industry partners and clients in order to produce fantastic work, so I spend a lot of my time nurturing those relationships. I also spend a lot of my office time working on strategy development and aligning our internal teams and clients to those strategies.

3. Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?

My role has always had flexible and remote working opportunities. However, COVID 19 has forced the entire company to work from home. We are extremely fortunate that our company has the technological capabilities to support its entire work force working remotely.

This does mean that it becomes extremely difficult to separate your personal life/time from your work/professional time. I find a much larger percentage of my days are “work” time, and less “personal” time. I combat this by implementing psychological barriers, such as dressing as if I’m going to the office, working out daily and building a post-work routine that requires me to finish by a certain time.

4. What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?

In my opinion, a work-life balance is a lifestyle that allows you to excel both professionally and personally. Thankfully, my job provides me with the flexibility and empowerment to have the work-life balance that I desire.

The 4fourthings I value most are that I get to extend my lunch breaks to go to the gym, I work remotely when needed, I finish early or start late when required and my company is extremely accommodating of personal circumstances as they evolve.

At the end of the day, I believe that if you are doing your job well, you should be afforded the flexibility and trust to set your own rules.

5. What do you think are some of the best habits or routines that you’ve developed over the years to help you achieve success in your life?

The most important habit I have developed over the years is to be continually hungry to learn.

Learning and the pursuit of education has provided me with opportunities for personal and professional development, lots of travel, awards and accolades and stimulation with like-minded people.

I also think it’s really important to balance your professional life with a vivacious social life, daily exercise and regular alone time. Finally, I love to spend time with my family – I find it grounding and inspiring.

6. Are there any books that have helped you improve over the years?

As an avid reader and almost professional student, many books have contributed to my development. I love reading non-fiction, specifically anything philosophical, psychological and mythological based.

The book that has had the greatest impact on me would probably be The Art of Living by Epictetus, an Ancient Roman stoic philosopher. The book contains the foundations of stoic philosophy, which is a lifestyle I try to live by, broken out in short and easily digestible learnings. I read one a day after my morning shower, and once I finish the book I start again.

7. What is the number one thing you do to make sure you get the most out of your day?

Every day I try to set aside some time to read and exercise.

8. If you could read an interview about work-life balance by anyone, who would that be?

I’d be interested to read the work-life interview by almost anyone. I think that every individual has something unique to contribute to the world, and we can all learn a lot from each other. However, I would love the opportunity to have a one-on-one with Epictetus.

9. Do you have any last thoughts on work, life or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?

As I alluded to above, perceived work-life balance and correlating success is subjective and different to every singly person. I believe you need to set your own goals, benchmark against yourself and create the life that you want.

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