Farzana Baduel

Over 20 years organising events, I still LOVE bringing people together, connecting people and watch the catalyst of serendipitous encounters unfold 💫
So so proud of @curzonpr.bsky.social team curating the Michael Kors IWD event 🙌

Speaking at the Institute of Directors Women’s Forum was a moment to reflect on how women navigate the workplace, an environment yet to be shaped by the needs of women.

One of the conversations we had, is to be careful who you choose to partner with, you could end up marrying your glass ceiling!

On #InternationalWomensDay, our CEO @farzanabaduel.bsky.social shared reflections on women’s leadership and resilience in a recent interview with the Island Newspaper Sri Lanka.

“ Representation is not about optics. It is about influence .”

Here’s the link to the full read: https://bit.ly/40S4vRY

What might PR look like in 2035?🤔

🎙️ In this special AI-illustrated episode of Stories and Strategies, our CEO @farzanabaduel.bsky.social and Doug Downs take a guided step into the future to explore how the profession could evolve over the next decade.

Full episode via link in comments 👇

Chuffed to be included in this year’s @prweekuknews Power List alongside PR professionals I admire.

Sharing a photo of me 16 years ago when I first entered the PR industry and co-founded @curzonpr.bsky.social ~ still passionate about PR. ✨

www.prweek.co.uk/power-book/u...

International Women’s Day sparks conversations about gender equity. As PRWEEK highlights~ are we sometimes too much chat not enough action?

PR is powered by women yet workplaces have yet to better reflect realities from menstrual health to caring and menopause.

www.prweek.co.uk/article/1950...

🎙️ This week on Stories and Strategies, @farzanabaduel.bsky.social & Doug Downs are joined by Stephen Hahn of RepTrak to discuss why reputation is a business asset not a vanity metric.

The insight was clear: Reputation buys you time. Time protects value. 🧩

Full episode via link in comments👇🏽

This week on Stories and Strategies, @farzanabaduel.bsky.social and Doug Downs sit down with
Tim Weber of Edelman PR to unpack the latest Trust Barometer.

Two insights stood out:
⭐Persuasion slips when people only hear their own circle
⭐ Fear drives retreat

🔗 Link to full episode in comments 👇

“AI could mark a golden era for PR – but only if we believe in ourselves first” 💡

In a new @cipr.co.uk Influence interview, our CEO & CIPR President 2026 @farzanabaduel.bsky.social reflects on leadership, Chartered status & the importance of AI.

Thanks to Lysanne 🙏

CIPR members, find link below 👇

Ten years of @cipr.co.uk CPD Done ✅

PR moves fast and AI is reshaping everything. Staying curious keeps us ahead of the game 🧠

All the best to my fellow CIPR members for the CPD 31 March deadline.
💪
Now: tea, biscuit, little pat in the back. 🍵🍪​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Most founders can pitch an idea. Fewer can navigate what comes after 👀

On 26 Feb, our CEO @farzanabaduel.bsky.social will be speaking on a panel at the IoD Women’s Business Forum to discuss what it really takes to turn ideas into viable businesses 🎙️

🔗Registration link in comments

Leaders are often being judged on what they repeat not simply on what they say 👀

This week on Stories and Strategies with @farzanabaduel.bsky.social & Doug Downs, Molly DeMellier shares practical tips on how to build credibility on social media 📲

🔗 Link to episode in comments 👇

This week on Stories and Strategies, Michael Siegers of Zulu Alpha Kilo sits down with hosts @farzanabaduel.bsky.social & Doug Downs 🎙️

The takeaway from this episode is simple: Satire can cut through industry habits in a way straight critique cannot 💡

For full episode, link in comments 👇

Most organisations avoid humour because they fear losing control 👀

On this week's episode of Stories & Strategies, @farzanabaduel.bsky.social and Doug Downs sit with Michael Siegers to unpack why satire can surface truth without sounding defensive 🎙️

🔗 Link to full episode in comments

At the Makkah Halal Forum 2026 in Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦, our CEO @farzanabaduel.bsky.social joined two timely sessions that reflected just how fast the halal economy is evolving🌍

Thank you to our partners, The Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development (ICCD) for convening such an important forum👏💼

Same words. Different channel. Different judgement. 👀

This week on Stories and Strategies, @farzanabaduel.bsky.social, Doug Downs & Molly DeMellier of Sounds Profitable unpack why audiences read tone, format and context as much as they read content.

🔗 Link in comments 🎙️

Is the grass greener in the UAE? 🌴

I went to Abu Dhabi to see what’s really pulling people there: ambition, growth… and spanking new airports.

My reflections here ⬇️
farzanabaduel.substack.com/p/is-the-gra...

Next week, our CEO @farzanabaduel.bsky.social will be at Makkah Halal Forum 2026 🎙️

She'll moderate a panel with Khawaja Ahmed Usman of Pasha Fabrics, Ufuk Secgin of Halal Booking and Nafees Khunder of Muslim Pro on what global scale really requires for halal brands.

Registration link in comments 🔗

🗣️ In conversation with Cairo’s PR boss Lamia Kamel of CC Plus on #PraxisMENA, their first conference in the Middle East.

The region is the right place, at the right time, for PR storytellers navigating the region’s transformation ✨

Early LinkedIn posts don’t build reach
They build familiarity 👀

On this week's episode of Stories and Strategies, @farzanabaduel.bsky.social & Doug Downs spoke with former LinkedIn exec Alicia Teltz about why early content shapes trust long before reach does 🎙️

Full episode link in comments 🔗

Landed in 🇦🇪 Abu Dhabi ✈️ for the PRAXIS MENA conference. A day full of insight and optimism for comms in the region.

📸 Egyptian PR supremo Lamia Kamel & the Maestro of Gov Comms Alex Aiken

Congrats to PRAXIS team including Amith Prabhu, @arunsudhaman.bsky.social 🙌

V true! Polarisation has been with human history for centuries…

🎥 Spoke on BBC News yesterday about the Melania documentary, a masterclass in controlled narratives

What is most striking is the polarising responses to the film 🍿

→ “People would walk out even on a plane”
→ “Rare, compelling insight”

🔵🔴 Content no longer bridges divides. It reinforces them.

Last week, #TheWeekUnspun tracked Davos 🏔️🌍

Today, @farzanabaduel.bsky.social, Doug Downs & @tbonegallagher.bsky.social discuss how power reacts to uncertainty, and what gets avoided as policy shifts accelerate 💬

To join live, find link in the comments 🔗

Cameras don’t create credibility📸
They test it 🔍

This was discussed in this week's episode of Stories and Strategies where @farzanabaduel.bsky.social and Doug Downs sat with guest Liz Brooks to unpack personal branding 💎

Watched it? Share your thoughts

And if not,🔗 in comments

Delighted to be a panellist at the IoD Women’s Business Forum.
The IoD is special to me, it’s where I met my co-founder @curzonpr.bsky.social James Ollerenshaw while volunteering on the Young Directors Forum.

💫 Full-circle moment
🔗 www.iod.com/events/iod_w...

Today I spoke at the launch of Navigating Growing Political Pressures, a brilliant new report from the Business & Democracy Commission, established by Jericho, with support from @ipsosintheuk.bsky.social & @cipr.co.uk

🔗 👇

www.ipsos.com/en-uk/busine...

Last week on The Week Unspun 🎙️

@farzanabaduel.bsky.social, Doug Downs and @tbonegallagher.bsky.social examined Davos through a PR lens.

Key threads:
🏔️ Davos as brand, not just place. What if WEF relocates?
🎯 Why Mark Carney’s speech cut through
🤝 Trust is going glocal

Full episode in comments 👇

This week on Stories and Strategies 🎙️

@farzanabaduel.bsky.social & Doug Downs sit with Liz Brooks of Interview Valet to explore how personal brands are formed when audiences meet content before they meet the person.

Takeaway:
Personal brands are built through repetition, not moments

Full convo 👇