Professional Spotlight: Tim Gilman

"Work hard, but also have a life."

Tim Gilman, in his marina-front office in Newport Beach, CA | Photo by Kevin Olivares

by Kevin Olivares

Sitting in his marine-front office in Newport Beach, CA, Tim Gilman, Public Relations Strategist at The Brand Amp, reaps the benefits of his hard work and dedication to his craft. However, while Gilman has worked hard and gained 16 years of experience in the field of public relations, he manages to keep a balanced lifestyle.

“I don’t let this job define me,” Gilman says. “It’s important to separate your personal life from your work, or it can consume you.”

Gilman graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a B.A. in Journalism in 2001. He initially was undeclared in his major, until he took a Principles of Public Relations class which he says changed everything.

“I swear they were just talking about me as a person,” Gilman said. “I could not wait for next class man; I knew that was the right thing for me and that’s when I decided to focus in on it and major in it.”

The Brand Amp is the largest PR agency in Orange County for the fifth consecutive year, and Gilman has had a lot to do with that. One of the most important things he has done to strengthen the agency is building a practice, an agency within an agency. Two years ago, Gilman brought Mitsubishi aboard as a client, which began what he calls the “movement practice.”

“Anything that allows you to move… motorcycles, boats, personal watercrafts, airplanes,” Gilman said. “The goal for me is to keep building that.”

The experience gained, and success that Gilman has had as a public relations professional has allowed him to move into management at The Brand Amp. While many agencies are known for their high turnover rate, Gilman and company have managed to defy the statistics and make the agency a premier destination for PR practitioners.

“We’re lucky in that we’ve never had to lay anyone off in the six years that I’ve been here,” Gilman said. “We never talk about ‘hey we have to lay people off because we’re losing clients’ and this and that.” Gilman also says that instead of getting laid off, some have used their positions with the agency as stepping stones to bigger job opportunities.

“It’s a place where we do really, really good work; we do really hard work,” Gilman said. “If you really focus in on being an asset to your clients, they’re not looking for reasons to fire you.”

Gilman has orchestrated and been a part of many events where he has had the opportunity to meet many people such as San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner, and former USC running back Reggie Bush. While public relations has given Gilman the chance to meet famous people, what he talked more proudly of were the experiences and stories he has helped ordinary citizens share.
“We did a video shoot with people who were training for the New York Marathon who used running to overcome a major obstacle in their life, whether it be alcoholism, depression, health issues… we did some really cool things with that,” Gilman said.


While Gilman is a true professional and heavily involved in his work, most of Gilman’s life revolves around his family, especially his 15-year-old son.

“There is nothing more that I love just to sit back and watch him play sports,” Gilman said.

Gilman also plays in an adult baseball league and is very involved in his church. He also recently bought a home, built in 1955, with his wife and says he enjoys breaking it down and repairing everything.

The attitude that Tim Gilman has toward his job and his life is one that any person could envy. His ability to separate his work from his personal life makes The Brand Amp a dream destination for employment for aspiring public relations professionals.

“The stuff that I do, I’m pretty passionate about, and I enjoy doing,” Gilman says. “It’s cool to come here. I enjoy the people that I work with; I enjoy the challenges that I face… It’s important to figure out what you like and the good fit for you and just do it, and do it with all you have too.”

Gilman’s message is resounding and an example for people in any profession to follow.