MISSION & STORY
You're on a mission.
We're on it with you.
OUR MISSION & STORY
​Mission & Story is the only communications firm in the country ​founded by an Emmy® Award-winning cable news producer and a federal government communications executive appointed by the President of the United States.
This means that we're not guessing. We know media. We know communications. We know how the government works.
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Our firm brings 20 years of communications experience in the public and private sectors to your table, helping our clients navigate the media landscape when the stakes are high.
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Operating at the forefront of change, our clients are shaping business, culture, and society. They are on a mission. At Mission & Story, we are on it with them, especially when the headwinds are strong and relentless.
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Across public affairs, media training, media relations, video production, and other services, we produce strategies that drive results and lead the debate.
At Mission & Story, we are invested in placing our clients inside of the most important conversations shaping the political and policy arenas. It's our mission. Now, let's go tell your story...
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FOUNDER & CEO
Rachael Shackelford Dussuau is an Emmy® Award-winning cable news producer and former presidential appointee, helping to lead communications strategy at the Small Business Administration and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) at the US Department of Transportation.
For nearly a decade, Rachael worked for CNN producing multiple DC-based shows, including State of the Union and The Situation Room, helping to prepare some of the most recognizable faces in news for high-profile interviews.
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Now, on the other side of the screen, Rachael has worked with more than 100 non-profits, Fortune 500 companies, political organizations, and government agencies to advance their strategic communications objectives.
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Rachael also previously served in the Biden-Harris Administration as the Associate Administrator (SES) for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration and Deputy Associate Administrator for the Office of Communications and Public Liaison at the Small Business Administration. ​
Rachael has an undergraduate degree in journalism from Florida A&M University and a graduate degree in international affairs from the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
SERVICES
Public
Affairs
We help our clients navigate public perception in the policy arena, especially when there is difficult political terrain. A key member of any war room, Mission & Story builds communications strategies that unify coalitions and transform policy conversations and stakeholder perspectives to our clients' advantage.
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Media Training
We work with our media training clients to establish authority in the most important conversations. Each session is tailored with a strategic objective, helping our clients create a lasting impression in front of key audiences.
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With a decade of cable news experience, we have booked and produced guest interviews at the highest levels. Now on the other side of the newsroom, Mission & Story teaches our media training clients how to leverage the media as a part of a broader communications strategy.
Media
Relations
With a decade across departments and shows at CNN, no one speaks the language of the newsroom or a guest booker as fluently as Mission & Story. We were in the room when interview decisions were made. At times, we were the ones calling to book the guest and handling logistics. We know the game.
Our media relationships combined with our booking expertise means that we know how to get our clients in front of the right reporters, podcasters, or influencers. Armed with a tailored and strategic message to reach target audiences, we have the experience to place our clients at the center of the most important conversations.
Video
Production
Founded by an Emmy® Award-winning producer, we know how to tell a story. We work with our production partners to create video with impact. From scriptwriting to shooting in the field to post-production, and everything in between, our firm is the firm to produce creative, memorable content for any target audience.
Political
Messaging
Mission & Story crafts communications strategies for local and state-level candidates across the country. From the moment you decide to run for office through Election Day, Mission & Story is your communications partner. We work with our political clients to shape, change, and run the world. ​
