Meet Charnice Blaize, a 2018 Fashion Business and Promotion graduate from Birmingham City University.
Charnice talks to Graduate Fashion Foundation about her work growing her company and digital platform and agency, The Blaized Agency.
What is the most valuable thing you have learnt at university?
During my time at university, I learnt the importance of application of knowledge - it is fine to spend time learning information or a skill (or both) but the true indicator of the success of that knowledge comes from how you apply it. For me, one of these skills included networking. Over the years, the network that I have built has been the biggest impact to where I am now. The saying 'your network is your net worth' definitely holds a lot of truth. It is important to network, not to climb your way to the top, but to learn and expand your knowledge. To see what opportunities you can then be a part of a apply that knowledge. And to then help others by connecting them with the people in your network. Your network is powerful.
Tell us about your current projects and work, what have you been working on?
Since leaving university, after conducting two years working in the industry (at ASOS as a Culture Marketing Co-Ordinator), last November, I made the decision to take the jump and become self-employed, starting my own business, Blaized. Blaized is a business consultancy helping new entrepreneurs and S&M enterprises confidently navigate through the world of business using toolkits, 1-1 sessions and super helpful & digestible business articles written by myself. But on top of business, we remind about self-wellness, supporting a healthy work, wellness balance while guiding them on their journey to business success. The Blaized Agency is a creative and talent management agency, working with our talent roster (here) and connecting them with global brands, and working with global brands with our additional services to help develop and bring their creative concepts to life.
What form does your work take?
My business lives on a website platform ( www.blaized-uk.com). It was important for me, when creating my website, to ensure that it reflected the tone that I wanted my business to have. The tone that I wish I was provided with to ease me into the world of business. Informative, yet digestible, and Easy to Navigate around. Within the business world already, everything is so complex. There is so much jargon, and important information to learn (pretty fast). I wanted to make a platform where people would not feel scared or deterred to start their own business. All the information I share through the articles is super digestible and written in a tone that is inviting. It's important o make all my readers feel comfortable as I want them to feel confident while learning about their business journey (and not as though they should be understanding everything straight off the jump). In addition to business, it was important for me to enhance the importance of wellness, reminding people that it is just as important to invest in yourself as it is your business. The articles cover topics from how to set up a business, money management, and developing marketing strategies to how to reducing stress and anxiety, setting boundaries and working out your work-wellness balance.
How have you evolved as a young creative since graduating in 2018?
When you make the decision of working for yourself, life comes at you fast. Very fast. And you are forced to grow up. While working, I have learnt that even though the decisions you make now can have a big impact for your business for the future, it's important to make the wrong decisions. It's the mistakes that you truly learn from. And I have also evolved my understanding of purpose and passion over position. If you only know your position of where you want to be (at the top, super rich or whatever it may be) this will not be enough to always get you through the harder days. However, knowing what your passion is and working in your purpose, this will dive you for the longest and the position that you desire, will come.
What are the messages and themes behind your project that you want people to take away? Do explore any topics like diversity, sustainability or politics in your work?
Within my work, especially on the talent agency side of my business, diversity is super important to me. I often found when looking at a lot of talent rosters that represent influencers, there weren't many that I felt had diversity. Especially with the recent conversations that there is a lack of diversity within the industry as a whole, it was important for me to tackle this problem in anyway that I could. I want to and will continue to create a talent roster where I can represent a diverse group of talent, and connect them with a wide spectrum of brands from a variety of industries. No brands should struggle to connect with talent or have a problem with representation if they work with agencies like us.
What’s an aspect of the fashion industry that you’re passionate about fixing or having a positive impact on?
Within the industry as a whole the two things that I want to have a positive impact on is;
1. Helping other's feel confident to become an entrepreneur and start their own business venture
2. Connect amazing talent with brands, and positively impact diverse representation within marketing. I want to work to provide people with the information they need in a way thats easy for them to understand and apply so that they can feel good and ready (or as ready as you'll ever be' when starting their business journey.
What is your plan for the future?
My plan is to work hard, grow my business, maintain my wellness - business balance and enjoy the journey.