Helping leaders turn ideas into action
Communicate
at a
higher level
Flag Bridge Communication provides strategic counsel to corporate and government leaders to drive their organizations to the next level.
PRACTICE
AREAS
STRATEGIC MESSAGING
Your vision, goals, and plans clearly articulated, effectively communicated, fully understood, and enthusiastically embraced.
CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS
What could go wrong? Plenty. Let's think about it, plan for it. practice it and handle it when it happens -- and it will!
START-UPS, LAUNCHES, MERGERS, ACQUISITIONS & INTEGRATION
From seed stage to Series A to sale, you have a golden opportunity to clearly define who you are NOW. One shot to get it really right. I've done this 5x.
SPEECHWRITING, EXECUTIVE POSITIONING & LEADER COMMUNICATIONS
Connect with customers, employees, partners, regulators, legislators, investors and the general public -- who all want different things. You'll make it look easy.
SPEECHWRITING, EXECUTIVE POSITIONING & LEADER COMMUNICATIONS
Connect with customers, employees, partners, regulators, legislators, investors and the general public -- who all want different things. You'll make it look easy.
MEDIA TRAINING &
SPOKESPERSON PREPARATION
You have great ideas -- let's simplify their complexity, make them relevant to your audience, and tell them in a credible, memorable way.
What about production: photo/video, graphics, multimedia, web?
I quickly connect with senior leaders to understand complex situations, articulate their ideas into clear, concise words, build strategic plans and tactical programs, and execute relentlessly.
When time is limited - crisis OR sudden good news - I can deliver professional graphics and multimedia products quickly. When time allows, I have a network of talented and creative professionals to convey your message with clarity, style, and impact.
What's a Flag Bridge?
The Flag Bridge is where leaders make big decisions and turn ideas into action through communications.
In the Navy, it's the place on an aircraft carrier where the task force commander formulates plans and issues orders to the ships and aircraft they command.
In business, it can be the in boardroom, on a plane, or at a coffee shop -- wherever the leaders turn ideas into action.
What does that flag mean?
The yellow and blue nautical flag signifies the letter K, or KILO, which is the signal for "I wish to communicate with you" in the International Code of Signals. It's how ships at sea establish communication beyond simple navigation, safety, and distress signals.
In today's noisy world, attention is precious and fleeting. Shouting doesn't work -- you have to let them know you want to communicate, and get their permission to do so. This means you must study your audiences. Who needs to know? Who ELSE needs to know? Why should they care? What do they need to know to understand you? What's the best way to connect? When is the right time?
When you have permission to communicate, you're far more likely to be understood.
Why work with me?
I absolutely love what I do, I do it well, and I Iove working on vital projects. Mission-critical? High-stakes? No-fail? I'm in!
And while I have a strong bias for swift, bold, and decisive action, I have a profound respect for the power of modern media and the trust others put in me when we work together.
Communication is an opportunity to connect, and the tools and technology to share your message with the world are inexpensive and easy to use.
These powerful tools can also inflict incredible damage to a reputation that took decades to build. They can amplify mistakes of haste and inexperience, producing unforced errors and completely foreseeable backlash. They can quickly make a bad situation worse.
In the year 43 B.C., the Roman poet Ovid wrote: “The man who has experienced shipwreck shudders even at a calm sea.“ As an old salt who has worked in high-stakes environments since 1992, I have experienced shipwrecks. I shudder at what could go wrong, think it through, anticipate and mitigate risks, build a plan, and drive execution -- with a weather eye on the horizon for changing conditions.
Speaking as a naturalized Texan (I wasn't born in Texas but got here as fast as I could), your reputation shouldn't be in the hands of someone at their first rodeo. I do the work for free. I get paid to be afraid.
Original artwork by the brilliant Hugh McLeod, on X @hughcards and on the web at hughcards.net - Reprinted with permission. "Old Salt of the Sixth Fleet" is a public domain image - U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.
Catalog #: NH 97953-KN. See the legal page for details.
Official Navy biography and color photo
ROBERTDURAND
Rear Admiral. U.S. Navy, Retired
FOUNDER & CEO
I help leaders accomplish their mission through effective communication. Perhaps I can help you!
In a world of information overload, attention is a precious resource.
I translate complex ideas into memorable stories that move people to action. My experience combines two parallel careers, civilian and military. I have more than two decades in the high technology sector and 27 years in military public affairs. This diverse set of experiences lets me incorporate the best practices of both military and civilian communication to get results.
In my civilian career, I have led corporate communications at five venture-funded high-technology companies, from early stage-startups to private equity turnarounds. I turn complex technology into the words, ideas and images that excite customers, investors, employees and partners.
In my military career, I served as a Navy public affairs officer, retiring as a Rear Admiral, the highest rank in the career field. I served as the Navy's Vice Chief of Information, the senior reserve public affairs officer in the Navy, and led 500 Navy Reserve public affairs professionals and mass communication specialists who provide communication support to the Navy for events, exercises and combat operations.
Roughly speaking, I was CEO of a large PR agency with a distributed part-time workforce with expertise in media relations, crisis communication, strategic messaging, multimedia production, organizational communication and executive positioning.
Military or civilian, I’ve always had the benefit of small budgets, tight deadlines and high stakes; I know how to identify the critical path, make the most of limited resources, focus efforts and execute relentlessly to create maximum impact.
I'm ready for my next mission - let's talk soon!
CONNECTHERE
Email: robert@flagbridge.co
Mob/Txt: 512-850-0729
For any general inquiries, please fill in the following contact form:
