assembly guide ↓ (scroll down)
Applying for jobs, I couldn’t escape the feeling that all the formality was too far from reality. Searching for a more honest way to present myself, it dawned on me.
What better way to encapsulate the chaos of human development than flat-pack furniture assembly?
CHÅRLIE
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STUTTERING
STEWART
Growing up with a lisp and stutter for a little boy named Charles Stewart, was surely some sort of cruel joke...
albeit funny in hindsight.
This was my first taste of vulnerability, which would become a defining aspect of my development.
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EXPOSING MYSELF
Much more helpful than repeating “Sally sells sea shells by the seashore” to overcome my lisp and stutter, was theatre.
Growing up in New York, I was fortunate enough to work with professional speech and drama programs, eventually becoming a formidable speaker and presenter.
It was when acting that I began to feel the exhilaration of being vulnerable, exploring the connection between vulnerability and creative expression.
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PERFORMING
My love for performing took a different turn after being tapped on the shoulder at 15. I had just run in a local 10K when my school’s athletics coach approached me about committing to running.
Within a year I found myself competing at the United States High School National Championships and confronted with a decision.
To act or to run?
I decided to make the most of my legs while I had them, to run.
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SCREWED
Moving (painfully) into physical vulnerability, I broke my foot. After two surgeries, 6 months non-weight bearing and returning to competition after 4 months of rehab, it broke again.
After two more surgeries and 7 months non-weight bearing, I started at Loughborough University as an elite athlete. In March of my first year, it broke for the 3rd time and by April my doctors informed me I was out of options.
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FOR MY SINS
In trying to figure out what was next, one moment from my course stuck out. A marketing brief to create a viable business on campus, with students as the target market.
So, it began with Morning After Sandwiches. Or as I liked to call it, a student’s Sunday MAS.
I created a brand, writing and pitching a few terrible ads - and loved it. The exhilaration of presenting in front of my lecture hall sparked a new passion.
Desperate to find more, I looked into marketing courses and was told Brookes has one of the most practical courses in the UK. Thankfully, they were still accepting applications in late April.
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SLIPPERS & STRATEGY
Fresh in my “retirement” from athletics, I knew I had to do something with my empty summer before Brookes. I got in contact with a small social enterprise start-up in the middle of Denmark and ended up working on creative/brand strategy to sell slippers.
The passion grew.
Taking on a role as a Strategist for my placement year and a Strategy role at an Innovation Agency after university, I've immersed myself in the world of branding and advertising. Working on a range of projects from massive multinationals to small start-ups.
The passion grew.
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NEXT STEP
As I look for the next step in my assembly, I’m excited.
If you'd like to be a part of that, please do reach out via LinkedIn. I’m always up for a chat.
