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The CharLatte: Curiosity, communication and AI

Helping people become clearer, more memorable and easier to refer.

Every few weeks I share observations, stories and experiments about communication, networking, public speaking and AI. Sometimes thoughtful. Sometimes ridiculous. Usually both.

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The CharLatte Issue 26 comic cover, titled The Beige. Charl Ex M, a woman with cybernetic features, watches through binoculars from her balcony as glossy beige liquid flows from Server Mountain across a retrofuturistic city beneath a large cloud.
Featured Post

The CharLatte: The Beige

Hi Reader, I went to a quiz a couple of weeks ago for a local charity and during the break there was a buffet. A beige buffet. Samosas. Quiche. Chicken nuggets. Scampi bites. Chips. Onion rings. You get the idea. It tasted good. I hadn’t had this kind of food for a while. It was easy to eat (and for the venue, cater) But all the plates merged into one. From the outside, it wasn’t always easy to tell what was a chicken, cheese or fish. It’s like when I was 17 at my first grown up awards...

1 day ago • 4 min read
Retro-futuristic comic cover for The CharLatte Issue 25, “The Next Iteration”. Charl Ex M (CXM), a humanoid android with dark hair, facial plating, a mechanical neck and robotic arm, sits at a vintage computer and pulls a lever. Fine metallic threads run

Hi Reader It’s been a few weeks of very “human” events. From the ridiculous to the stressful to the very sad. A moth in the ear. A scramble to get my passport renewed when I realised it wasn’t valid for travel to Spain. And then, very sadly, the deaths of a very dear family friend and my great aunt. So I went to one funeral last week and there’s another on Friday. September was also Blood Cancer Awareness Month, and I’ve been part of Blood Cancer UK’s Here for This campaign. My story is...

10 days ago • 4 min read

Hi Reader This CharLatte is a little different this week as September is Blood Cancer Awareness Month On Tuesday I shared something on LinkedIn that I don't talk about very often: what the weeks before my lymphoma diagnosis actually looked and felt like. I realised that before I had lymphoma, I might have known the name, but I didn't know it was blood cancer. And I certainly didn't know what the symptoms could look like. So I wanted to share it here too - a public service announcement and my...

24 days ago • 2 min read
Comic-style CharLatte cover showing android Charl Ex M facepalming after an alert says her identification patch has expired.

HI Reader, This time last week, I should have been on my way to Birmingham Airport to fly to Alicante, Spain. Instead I was in Sainsbury's in Wolverhampton buying some consolation chocolate biscuits and blood orange juice, which I planned to mix with prosecco later for a "staycation sunrise". The reason? My passport wasn't valid to travel to the EU. I thought I'd be fine. I had more than 6 months left. But reading the little notice on the Ryanair app check in, not just about expiration but...

about 2 months ago • 3 min read
The CharLatte Issue 23 comic cover, The Spectre Still Looms, showing Charl Ex M drinking Refreshing R-Oil in The Refresh café while a ghostly Sci-Fly looms behind her.

Hi Reader It’s been a week since the moth landed in my ear (If you didn’t read last week’s, you can get the lowdown here). And every night since then I’ve slept with cotton wool in my ears. I know the chances of it happening again are extremely low - I don’t know anyone else this has happened to and I’d gone 43 years without a moth falling in my ear before - but now I know it could happen. While it’s still fresh in my mind, I’m preparing myself against another moth attack - especially as it’s...

about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Comic book cover for The CharLatte Issue 22, "Attack of the Sci-Fly". Charlotte Ex Machina, a human-android hybrid, runs through a retro-futuristic city while a giant mechanical fly pursues her overhead. Humans, androids and hybrids flee in the background

Seriously…. Hi Reader I'm currently typing this out in the ENT department at New Cross Hospital. This is definitely not what I planned for my morning. I imagine it's going to be something I talk about for a while. Last night as I was falling asleep, an insect fell in my ear. Seriously. I could not make it up. I could feel it moving. The buzzing was intense. It was like something from a horror film. After trying olive oil ear drops (ok - it stopped moving), flushing it out with water (later to...

2 months ago • 4 min read

Hi Reader How have you been? The last few weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind - My birthday, workshops, a keynote, networking events and case studies all got me side-tracked. But I’m still AI curious, so I want to get back on the horse... Because there’s always something new/scary/interesting (delete as appropriate). This week alone: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that we're in the singularity: a point where AI advances beyond human prediction. My LinkedIn feed has been awash with people...

2 months ago • 1 min read
Charl Ex M in a metallic halterneck dress leaving a nightclub and entering a museum at night. On display are rare objects: a vinyl record, a golden isolated soundwave visualization, and a precious jewel. Museum lighting highlights the scarcity and value o

Hi Reader, If you were on Mastermind, what would you choose as your specialist subject? I’m starting to think mine would be Northern Soul. I can imagine sitting in the famous black chair and Clive Myrie saying to me: “So Charlotte, Northern Soul. Are you a fan?” And I’d reply “Well Clive, it’s ok… It’s actually my dad who is the HUGE Northern Soul fan. I’m his +1 as it’s a nice way to spend time with him." Travelling for the scene I’ve been to see Northern Live: Do I Love You show 3 times. We...

4 months ago • 5 min read
Retro-futurist comic cover featuring Charlotte Ex Machina in a metallic halterneck dress at a futuristic DJ console. A soundwave transforms from jagged blue geometric shapes on the left into warm flowing ribbons on the right as people gather on a dance fl

Hi Reader A few weeks ago I was at a networking event chatting to Paul. I’ve known him for years, but only recently found out that he used to be a DJ. I’ve been doing a beginners DJ course so I was asking him for some tips. His biggest piece of advice? Play for the dance floor. He told me a story where he’d gone with a friend to a party. His friend was DJing. He loved trance and didn’t want to play “crap music”. nly, there was a problem. Nobody was dancing. The dance floor was empty. He...

4 months ago • 3 min read
Split-world panorama: on one side, a rare minerals mine with workers excavating precious gems; on the other side, a sleek cyber boutique with a cyborg assistant offering "identity suits" and a sign reading "best self 1 click away"

Hi Reader, A couple of weeks ago, I was in a discovery meeting with a potential new client. We were talking about messaging and website copy. They’re creative and genuinely care about what they do. “We just want to be us and do good work for our clients. We don’t want to have to put on bright pink suits or anything gimmicky to stand out.” I have nothing against pink suits (in fact, I love a colour-block outfit), but I understood exactly what they meant. THE SHOP OR THE MINE? There’s plenty of...

4 months ago • 3 min read