Nab Is... - Nab Communications

"Be the change that you most wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi "The key is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities." - Stephen R. Covey "Seek the small improvement, one day at a time. That's the only way it happens - and when it happens, it lasts." - John Wooden, basketball coach "I never did a day's work in my life. It was all fun." - Thomas A Edison "Life is either a great adventure or nothing." - Helen Keller "If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations underneath them." - Henry David Thoreau "When I quote others I do so in order to express my own ideas more clearly." - Michel de Montaigne "News is what somebody somewhere wants to suppress; all the rest is advertising." - Lord Northcliffe "In the hopes of reaching the moon men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet." - Albert Schweitzer "All the president is, is a glorified public relations man who spends his time flattering, kissing, and kicking people to get them to do what they are supposed to do anyway." - Harry S. Truman "We all have reservoirs of life to draw upon of which we do not dream." - William James "Nothing of character is really permanent but virtue and personal worth." - Daniel Webster "Success is good. Significance is even better." - Robin Sharma "Fall seven times, then stand up eight." - Japanese proverb "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with the first step." - Lao Tzu "Real leadership is not about prestige, power or status. It is about responsibility." - Robert Joss, Stanford Graduate School of Business "Happiness resides not in possessions and not in gold; the feeling of happiness dwells in the soul." - Democritus "On a deeper level, you are already complete, and when you realise that, there is a plain joyous energy behind what you do." - Eckhart Tolle "I believe in equality for everyone, except reporters and photographers." - Mahatma Gandhi "I've lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened." - Mark Twain "You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one." - Henry David Thoreau "It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person - "Always do what you are afraid to do"." - Ralph Waldo Emerson "\"Above all, you want to create something you\'re proud of. This has always been my philosophy of business." - Sir Richard Branson "Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible." - T.E. Lawrence "You can't play great music unless your heart's been broken." - Gaspar Cassado

We are...

Deborah Done, Founder and Director

I have fifteen years' experience in the public relations industry. Here's my professional (and a bit of my personal) story. The short form version is - Edelman Public Relations, Brunswick Group, HM Treasury, Lazard, back to Brunswick Group again as a Partner. In 2009 I founded my own company, Nab Communications, and wrote a book on the Lake District. Since then I've been successfully growing my business as well as growing a new baby due in March 2012.

If you want more detail on my background and career - then read on...

Started out at Edelman Public Relations...

Career in public relations started with international communications consultancy Edelman.
Handled corporate and financial media relations for a range of companies.
Clients included the global insurance giant Marsh & McLennan; Austrian bank Creditanstalt; international technology company NCR; predictive software company FICO and the Bermuda International Business Association (BIBA).
BIBA campaign won a gold award from IPRA, the International Public Relations Association.
Fantastic training ground and a real baptism of fire.

Moved onto Brunswick Group...

In 1998, I moved to Brunswick, the UK's foremost financial public relations consultancy.
Cient list included Abbey National; Royal & Sun Alliance; Prudential; Marsh & McLennan; Gala Bingo; WHSmith; Argos; Jupiter Asset Management; New Star Asset Management; RM plc; Robert Walters
Advised on a range of corporate communications projects across sectors including financial institutions, financial services, retail, technology and support services.
Incredible opportunity to progress quickly, learn from amazing people and take as much responsibility as you were ready to handle.

Seconded to HM Treasury...

In 2000, I was seconded to HM Treasury.
Spent nine months working alongside the Treasury in-house communications team and the FSA press office.
Worked on communications of the Financial Services and Markets Bill and more general issues management for Treasury Ministers and Officials.
Involved in speechwriting and media handling for the Economic Secretary to the Treasury.
Seminal career experience, which gave me exposure to the public sector and the political and campaigning environment.

In-house role at Lazard...

Moved in 2001 to one of the world's leading investment banks, Lazard as Vice President of Communications.
Responsible for developing the bank's pan-European communications strategy and for handling its implementation following the merger of the bank's three houses.
Ran day-to-day frontline media handling and issues management for the bank.
Liaised regularly with senior management across Europe on strategy and messaging, and positioned Lazard's work on major transactions for its clients around the world.
Handled the appointment of one of the world's foremost dealmakers and one of the biggest names in the industry, the late Bruce Wasserstein, as CEO in 2002.
Managed the media strategy and relations for Lazard Asset Management during this period.
Fascinating experience working for a company going through such major transitions and helping to shape its communications strategy.

Back to Brunswick...

In 2004, I returned to Brunswick, becoming a Partner with the firm.
My clients during that period included Euronext; Lehman Brothers; Intermediate Capital Group; Wolseley; WS Atkins; MITIE and Littlewoods.
As well as gaining further experience in media handling, I advised on all aspects of financial calendar work; mergers, acquisitions and disposals; IPOs; corporate positioning and corporate reputation projects; crisis and issues management and running campaigns.
A second stint at one of the leading companies in its field, with the best client list in the business and a team of absolute professionals throughout the firm.

Lakeland beckoned...

Following the birth of my son I decided to upgrade my quality of life and move to Cumbria to be near to my family.
Established my own freelance firm, Nab Communications, handling local, regional and national public relations projects
Nab has built up an impressive client list since its inception including Lakeland Limited, Border Asset Management, McKenzie Douglas, Peninsula Business Services and Portfolio Payroll - see Nab's clients for more detail.
Senior adviser to specialist corporate communications firm Deverill Executive Search www.deverillsearch.com
Wrote a children's travel guide to Cumbria, Lake District Unlocked which was launched in July 2010 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Deborah-Done/e/B003HKEYJS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0)

Formal training...

Graduated with a 2:1 (Hons) in French and English Literature from Trinity College, Oxford where I won a college prize for Meritorious Work.
Hold an MA in Public Relations from Manchester Metropolitan University with Distinction in my course work.
Associate Member of the Institute of Public Relations.
Committed to ongoing training and development – have passed the Securities Institute "Interpretation of Financial Statements" examination; Hawksmere's "Successful Internal Communications" Course; IIR Management Development Course "Finance for the Non-Financial Manager" and most recently completed an Advanced Social Media workshop to help my clients make the most of the new opportunities presented by this growing area.

And when I'm not Nab-bing...

Speak fluent French, business level German and restaurant level Spanish and Italian - taking Italian GCSE in an effort to improve this.
In my spare time I chill out with my little boy Joshua and daughter Ava and explore the glories of Lakeland.
Keen runner - have completed the Regent's Park 6x10k series in 2008, the BUPA Great Manchester 10k run and the Carlisle Half Marathon in 2009.
Practise yoga regularly, read self-improvement books obsessively and am trying in vain to pass Grade 3 piano.
My challenge in 2010 was to complete the Caledonian Challenge, which involved walking 54 miles in 24 hours. I achieved the goal in 23 hours and have written up my experiences on my blog.