Charlotte

She’s bold, she’s brash, she’s hilarious, she’s wonderful.

I judge a woman by the strength of the women around her. If a woman has a solid group of girlfriends, it’s a great sign. If I were going into battle - that is obviously a metaphor - I’d want her by my side. Bottom line I think everyone needs a Charlotte in their life. Someone who is willing to voice their opinion, to praise unnoticed deeds, to call out bad behaviour and to speak up for those who have no voice. She’s incredibly honest and has the ability to say and go places where others would hesitate. To quote her, ‘it can be scary, but truth telling is important’. If a difficult conversation has to be had, Charlotte is often given the task. Why? Because she’s authentic and delivers the message with earnestness and often with a degree of wit. She recounts that she has even been thanked by a staff member for her seemingly brutal assessment of their poor performance that they were oblivious to. Respect.

It’s perhaps no surprises then that Charlotte is a communications expert. Born into a large Catholic family of 9 she falls in the middle and describes herself as the eldest of the second clan. From very early on she displayed leadership qualities and recognised how she could use her gifts to make a difference in the world. She says her dad was direct but fair which makes Charlotte quite the chip off the old block I’d say. The realm of Communications appealed because she often heard people on TV and public forums but often felt they never quite nailed the messaging. She’s a natural, vivacious leader and is quick to advocate for just causes. To observe her in the work ‘zone’ is something to behold. Simply sit back and marvel. She’s articulate, she backs her team, collaborates and empowers those around her at all levels.

That old adage that age is just a number rings true with Charlotte. She’s almost 60 but the number does not define her. She has more energy and is more full of life than many people I know in their 20s. How many executives can you name that complete an exhausting work day, go home and cook for their somewhat large families only to return to the city to attend a mid-week gig?

We first bonded over an introductory session to Trim. Trim sounds like a weight-loss shake. It’s not. It’s a complex document management and secure storage platform. Riveting eh? Far from it. If we’re going to call a spade a shovel, then let’s be honest there are more exciting ways to get to know someone. As I sat across this tall, no-nonsense, high-powered woman in bold purple/magenta blazer complete with matching lipstick, I thought I detected a slight eye-roll. She had me at the rotation of her lens. Our bonding over Trim soon morphed into Sangioveses after work. Each time I catch up with her I learn, feel inspired and perhaps most importantly, laugh. You can hear her laugh from metres away, it’s infectious, raucous and lifts morale. She’s a mother of four beautiful children, each with their own personalities, quirks and aspirations. She says the moment there’s not laughter in the house a red-flag its hoisted. It’s a presence that lingers in the hallway, living room and at the dinner table.

One of my all-time favourite stories was when Charlotte was on a cruise on the Sydney harbour some years ago now. She was told the function was going to be fabulous, filled with interesting, entertaining characters. Note the emphasis on interesting. Unfortunately for Charlotte the narrative didn’t match reality and when informed that the cruise (populated by earnest young political aspirants) would go for another couple of hours, she’d had enough. Upon discovering that the boat would be heading close to where her girlfriends lived, she decided to take matters into her own hands. She jumped overboard, shoes and all into the harbour. Brilliant. Don’t you think it’s like a scene out of a movie? Who does that? So great. As someone who has a huge fear of sharks, I can only imagine the dopamine levels must’ve reached an all time low. The aftermath was so memorable her jump over board even made the nightly news.

Have you read Homo Deus, the sequel to Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari? It’s a fascinating, if somewhat a scary read. Harari predicts liberalism will likely succumb to the algorithms of organisms and humans as individuals will therefore cease to have meaning. However, I don’t think the smartest Google, Facebook or Microsoft platform could have predicted that scenario. A total middle finger to AI which received a metaphorical standing ovation from yours truly.

I used to think I gained a lot of energy from eating a scrumptious piece of scotch fillet (medium-rare, ideally with pepper sauce) but after chatting with Charlotte I walk away inspired, invigorated and want to change the world. I don’t mean to be trite making comparisons with a piece of steak, however, when we talk it’s like Get Smart’s cone of silence envelopes the discussion. For that moment in time the listener is enthralled by her zest for life and her capacity to question and challenge cultural norms across almost every aspect of life, family/work/political/societal.

Perhaps one of the things I respect most about Charlotte is that she makes me realise the remarkable strength and attributes of women. I have since moved interstate. At work we recently had an Indigenous woman of remarkable strength and courage tell us about her story and how she overcame challenges in her life. She asked us to think about a special place where we felt safe and in that space to think of strong women in our lives who we admire.

I thought of my mum and Charlotte.

Charlotte’s strong, fun and adopts a growth mindset. I know few like her. She’s to be revered and cherished.