1. What prompted you to join Men with Pens? You already have your own business, right?
I’d been following James and Harry for quite a while, probably before they knew I existed. From their blog posts, I knew they were a couple classy fellas and knew what they were doing. Their posts are always good, not sleazy, and the reader comments are always excellent. There’s no bashing that goes on here, so I knew James and Harry run a different sort of ship.
In my mind they were already becoming friends, though I hadn’t spoken to either of them. I think the official meeting came through the comments on our respective blogs.
James and Harry and I hit it off immediately as we’ve got pretty similar senses of humor and outlook on things, life, business. A small man-crush was born and in that crush, James trusted me with some small design work. I did my best, the Pen Men were happy, and we continued on in this way for a couple months.
Well, as I said, James and Harry are classy dudes, and I like to imagine I’m a classy guy as well. None of us liked having me working behind the scenes as a subcontractor. So I requested (begged, really) to be part of the team. They said, “Well, jeez, I guess!” and that was that.
What really prompted me to join Men with Pens were dreams of World Domination. A team that works well together can get far more done than any individual and can do far more than another team that doesn’t work well.
Harry, James and I work exceedingly well together. While I do still run my own business at Charfish, I am simply a designer at heart and that’s what I get to do with the Pen Men.
I think many people would pass on an opportunity of merging companies, fearing it would dilute the brands or become confusing. But the Charfish/Men with Pens duo has just made both brands stronger.
2. What benefits came from becoming a Pen Man? Were there any drawbacks?
There are many, many benefits, and only one drawback as I see things.
Just to get this one out of the way, the drawback (if it even is one) is that I’m really, really busy. I have a successful design company which brings in work, and James and Harry give me a ton of work as well. So some of my days are long and some of my weeks consist of juggling 16 or so different projects. It can be rough.
But the benefits far outweigh being busy. I get to polish my design work with two guys who have great eyes for design, and also see what they’re up to behind the scenes. We share quite a bit between us and are always critiquing projects.
On top of that, I’ve also learned quite a bit about business, communication, administration and that sort of thing. Being really busy necessitates figuring out where you can save time.
3. What’s been your biggest challenge in freelancing? How did you overcome it? (That is, if you did overcome it!)
The biggest challenge was, and still is in a way, doing it alone. Charfish is just me. I have a computer and a mouse and I work by myself. James and Harry are there for me, but they’re in Canada and Vegas…so, really the production that I’m responsible for is, well, just mine. If I don’t do it, I don’t get paid, people get mad and clients fire me. That’s no good.
And as a solo-businessman, I have to do marketing, keep the books, communicate with clients, do the production, etc. I also insist on learning new skills to keep myself interested and bring the best I have to my clients, so there’s that, too.
I would like to mention here, lest I scare any potential business owners, that this is all very doable and nothing to be afraid of. You’ll be busy, but the secret is to do what you love and make sure you do it well and take pride in it. Everything else will sort itself out along the way.
Meaning…if you’re a writer, just write and do your best. Don’t NOT start a writing business because you don’t know how to do your own taxes. Just START. Do what you do and produce like mad. Then, one day you’ll see that you really need to start keeping your area clean, or organize your schedule better, or learn better marketing.
The cool thing is that you’ll figure it out all on your own. And it’ll be a practical solution, ’cause you’ll be too busy by then to bother with superfluous junk.
4. We don’t know anything about you. Give us some interesting and completely useless facts that make you a cool guy.
I’m writing a book. It’s fiction that is just plain fun. It’s got a talking tree, good guys, bad guys, magic, humor, love and ethics. It’s my whole philosophy and my entire outlook on life rolled into a fun ride.
I love to rock climb on large cliffs, but I’m afraid of heights.
I’ve got wicked bad tinnitus. (That’s ringing in your ears, if you don’t know.) Only for me, it’s not ringing. It’s the sound of a hurricane ripping through the Grand Canyon and someone left their aluminum can collection out. To counteract the noise in my ears, I have to have noise around me.
So I listen to music all day long and sleep with a fan about an inch away from my head.
5. Name three qualities that you value and uphold as much as possible.
Ethics. Real ethics. Not sissy ethics where you get in trouble for swearing. I mean helping out your parents, cleaning up junk on the streets, helping someone off drugs, tutoring someone who’s having trouble.
People get confused with ethics because we’re all mostly good people who don’t go around robbing banks and stealing purses. But ethics (to me) isn’t so much the bad stuff you DO, but the good stuff you DON’T do.
Communication. Both in life and business, if your communication is lousy, you’re just not going to do as well as you could be doing.
Doing my best. I really believe once you start taking shortcuts, it’s all that much easier to keep taking shortcuts. Then your work suffers and you start losing confidence.
6. Tell us one goal in life that you haven’t accomplished yet but are still determined to reach.
Well, I’m sort of a tough guy to fool or snow over with fancy rhetoric. So someday, I’d really like to sit down with a politician, look him in the eye and ask, “What are you thinking, man? Seriously. Have you even read the Constitution?”
7. Describe three things that you can’t live without.
Books, music and someone to talk to.
8. What are you most proud of in business? In your work? In life?
In business:
Starting. Seriously… just having started my business makes me proud. I had a comfy corporate job that was sucky but secure. All signs and most people (ha!) pointed to just sticking it out. “You’re not supposed to enjoy working,” was a pretty common refrain.
I don’t buy into that so I just started my business. There were a million reasons not to and I was coming up with more every day. But I did it, overcame that negative inertia sort of feeling and here we are.
In work:
Any time a client writes me and says he’s really happy, I’m as proud as I can be. I put a lot of myself into my work. To have it make a difference in someone else’s life is what it’s all about. I couldn’t be happier than at those moments.
In life:
My father had pretty major surgery a couple years ago. I spent a week at his house while he was recovering, helping him, cooking for him, entertaining him and just trying to make things glow a little more for him. He had a fast recovery and I like to think I was part of it. And even if I wasn’t, it was really nice to be able to pay back my parents for all their hard work.
9. Think fast! Give us your most valuable piece of advice.
Communicate! That’s best advice I can give. Communication solves everything. Lack of communication creates a vacuum into which flows confusion, guessing, assumptions, worry, etc. When in doubt, communicate.
10. What’s it really like to work with James and Harry?
It’s a nightmare. All I get are emails that read, “Is it done yet?” And three minutes later, “How about now, is it done?” and “That’s not good enough. Start over.”
I can often hear James’s wicked cackling from 3,000 miles away. Harry’s always out riding his motorcycle, so he’s not much help.
Nah, James and Harry are real cool cats. If you’ve read this whole interview, you can tell I like things a certain way, like a smoothly running business, no problems with communication or stuff going on behind my back. In the short time I’ve known them, I’ve come to trust James and Harry to the utmost. They are ALWAYS there for me, even in personal moments when I just need someone to help me over a tough spot in life.
It’s pretty magical, actually. I mean, we haven’t met in person, but we’re already a tightly-knit crew and good, good friends. In all honesty, I never dreamed that a business venture could run this smoothly. It’s been a real pleasure so far.
11. Bonus question! Are we going to see more of you around here?
Well, there aren’t going to be any naked pictures of me, if that’s what you mean. (Unless the readers beg for it…)
But yes! I’ll be around for sure. I’m still getting used to the workload and how best to manage my time. Becoming more active here at MwP is a big part of that.
Thanks for having me!
Yay! I’m so happy to finally really get to know the newest Pen Man! Welcome, welcome, welcome Charlie!
And, er, you really shouldn’t tease us like that. Certain readers (Kelly?
) may just beg! 
Allison Day’s last blog post…Island Roll
Charlie,
You’ve got a special way of seeing things that struck me from the start. You’re a great foil for these two dudes, and I’m pleased as punch that you’ll be around here.
I already knew from Ignite Living and Charfish that you’re a crazy multitasker, so getting used to the workload should be a snap. You just have to ignite… any real life you had hoped for?
Good luck!
Regards,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post…Inspiration Points: And the Armor Weighs a Ton, Too…
Hi Charlie – thanks for the great insight into what makes you tick. You’ve got a wonderful outlook on work and life. I hope we get to hear more of your thoughts in future posts.
Rachael’s last blog post…Fact checking – has technology made us sloppy?
“Books, music and someone to talk to.” Perfect! I think I’d like you, Charlie.
And I have a confession. At first, I hated the white-on-black design (I thought it was a case of choosing form over function), but with each new post I like it more. So classy, so unlike anything else out there, so “I gotta read this.”
Bravo.
Jean Gogolin’s last blog post…Revealed: How the Financial Bailout Really Works
It’s so nice to see Charlie naked.
You come out to play more often. That is if James will unchain you form the desk long enough. How can you climb rocks and be afraid of heights? Is it one of those “I spit in the face of fear” things?
That ringing in the ears must be awful! I have a small brook flowing from eardrum damage, I can’t image a hurricane. You do wonderful work in spite of being tormented all the time.
And Kelly, LOVE the shoes.
Jamie Simmerman’s last blog post…Brain Picking Sean Platt, He’s Finally Up to Bat
Talk about an excellent interview, rockin! Solid questions, I was impressed with the questions as much as anything else. How can I become a pen man? Or inquire about your services?
Miguel Wickert’s last blog post…It’s About Connecting People
How about a half nude shot? (which half, your choice)
HAH!
Climbing bodies are HAWT!
Thanks for the interview. Enjoyed it a lot.
Having been a recipient of Charlie’s good ethics I can truthfully say that he is one hell of an authentic guy and I’m glad to have him in my corner!
Great interview and don’t tease us with the nudity – it’s been too long for some of us!
If any one has worked with Charlie you will know this is not just words on paper, this is true authentic stuff! I have gotten the above impression from him in the little bit I have worked with him so far.
I would highly recomend him for any project! You can trust this guy!
Dave
Dave C’s last blog post…Move over earthblog, Optimus is the new kid in town!
It’s nice to (digitally) meet you, Charlie. I love the whole “world domination” thing – I’m on board with that!
As a computer graduate myself, I know there’s one other thing you didn’t mention in the interview which I know takes up a lot of time as well.
In the computer world, things evolve and move very quickly and in the midst of trying to keep up on marketing, taxes, etc. you also have to keep up on the ever evolving tech stuff.
John Hoff – eVentureBiz’s last blog post…Open Discussion: What Would Make For A Great WordPress Hosting Company?
Hey everyone!
Just wanted to drop in quickly and thank all of you for the great comments. Charlie’s out doing good in the world right now, but I’m sure he’ll stop by and respond later on.
Hey gang!
Sorry for the delayed chit chat, but Friday mornings I’m almost always out doing stuff and things with people.
But I’m back now and I LOVE you guys! What a great reception (again).
@ Allison – Hey! I know of you from your site. In fact I just ate sushi moments ago, and I’d happily eat nothing else ever ever again.
@ Kelly – I see the readers here know you already
And your aversion to fully-clothed humans. And I really appreciate your comment. The internet is such a gigantic amorphous place where everything seems pretty much accounted for already. So for you to say you like my outlook…well, makes me feel like I’ve got a place here.
@ Rachael – Hey hey, nice to e-meet you
And you will be seeing more of me around here!
@ Jamie – The rock climbing thing…uh, I’m not really a spit in the face of fear type of guy. At least not in “screw you, Death, I’ll show you” sort of way. I just really really like climbing. There aren’t many things you can do that are good for your body, graceful, aesthetic, hard as hell and for which you can die if you screw up. It’s a good mix of “life” you know? It’s got failures and strength, ultimate highs and the lowest of lows. It’s a blast. Torture on the tendons, but a blast.
@ Maus – Hahahah! I’d say thanks and that I have a hawt climbing body but…uh…I’m also a desk jockey mouse pusher. I guess it all evens out
@ Camilla!!!! – Hey, lady! Great to see you here. I love how I’m responding to people I’m meeting for the first time, and then there’s you. My old pal, smack dab in the middle of it all. And I love your comment. If you have a sick mind (like me) and read sick things into it (like I did) your comment makes it sound like you’ve seen me naked before.
@ Dave – Shucks, man, thanks. Didn’t you know you were a MwP reader, but it’s good to see you here as well. I should probably get over that, as it seems everyone visits this blog. James and Harry are da bomb.
@ John – Man I hear that. Here’s what I did last night after the work was done: After Effects tutorials, Cinema 4D tutorials, studied some PHP and Java scripting. Glad to meet you and see another techy face around here.
Thanks again, everyone! Quite a crew you are.
Dammit, Harry, you beat me by about 30 seconds. Now everyone thinks I’m rude. Sheesh.
You know what makes me feel good? That people come and comment and welcome Charlie in his first public presence, and that everyone says such great things.
It makes me all warm and fuzzy to know I picked a good one.
You should feel it from my end, James
@Charlie – Awesome! Another sushi lover! (Don’t worry, I’m hard at work converting James.
) So… if you could have anything in a sushi roll, what would you want? (I’m not hijacking your comments for my own purposes… no sirree, not me! 
)
@James – You attract the good ones. First Harry, and now Charlie. And of course, you’re also one of the “good ones”… but I’m sure you already knew that.
And of course we all came out and warmly welcomed Charlie. We’ve been wanting to officially meet him here at MwP for so long… you boys sure know how to create suspense.
Allison Day’s last blog post…Island Roll
Charlie,
I’m completely anonymous here. I don’t know what you’re talking about.
James,
I have to come here to talk to him, b/c now he never has time for posting at *two* of my favorite blogs. So it’s the only way I can slobber on about his special viewpoint.
Jamie,
Thanks, I’ve been wearing them around the ‘net for a while, but these dudes didn’t like to show off our sartorial style until they got their new digs, so you might not have seen them. Glad you like!
Until later,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post…Inspiration Points: And the Armor Weighs a Ton, Too…
@Allison – Well, James has hijacked my site’s comments enough that we can get away with some sushi talk now
I really like it all except for octopus, which is sort of like eating fish-flavored rubber bands. Given the choice, I love Unagi, tuna, and of course the seasonal California roll.
And she’s right, James. If you were a lousy schmuck, you’d be attracting the ne’er-do-wells.
Well, now that you mentioned it, do dreams count? Hee hee!
Camilla
Oh great, James is getting all warm and fuzzy inside again
@Charlie – tutorials . . . they never end, do they? Even tutorials have tutorials on “how to use this tutorial”.
John Hoff – eVentureBiz’s last blog post…Open Discussion: What Would Make For A Great WordPress Hosting Company?
@Charlie – The wheels in my mind are turning, thinking up a Charfish Sushi! Hmmm… charfish sashimi? Where can I catch a charfish?
You know, I’m not a big fan of tako (octopus) either. Much too chewy for my tastes. Luckily my boyfriend loves tako, so I always give them to him.
@Allison: How about some shark in that Charfish sushi?
@Harry – Good idea. I’ll check around next time I’m in the Tahoe area.
Allison Day’s last blog post…Island Roll
Allison,
If I remember correctly, I think you catch Charfish in Seattle. Maybe Puget Sound? Bring a large hook.
Since no one else has asked for them, I’ll be the first to demand the naked pictures.
Man, talk about arriving late to the party.
It’s so good to finally meet you, Charlie! And look there, you fit right in with this crowd. Like Tetris! Tell me you aren’t gonna say hello then disappear into the bricks again. Are you?
@Allison Ha! Daaah-dum. Daah-dum, dah-dum, dah-dum dum dum dumdumdumdum!
@Kelly – Good point.
@Charlie – You don’t mind if I turn you into sushi, right?
@Kelly again – I have a feeling Charlie the Charfish won’t go for that idea. Hmmm, how am I going to pull this one off? Oooh I know how to bait a Charfish… good sushi.
@Nicole – Just as long as Charlie doesn’t *bite* anybody… we should be okay.
*cough cough* Claire Bennet *cough cough* 
Allison Day’s last blog post…Together, we are Alli-Son
I’m way late for this party but wanted to say I thought this post was a great intro for introducing Charlie. I didn’t know anything about him previously but now I understand how he fits right in with the Pen Men team. What amazes me is the following in #10 – “It’s pretty magical, actually. I mean, we haven’t met in person, but we’re already a tightly-knit crew and good, good friends. In all honesty, I never dreamed that a business venture could run this smoothly. It’s been a real pleasure so far.” – the ‘haven’t met in person’ part. It just goes to show the capabilities of the Internet when applied correctly with the personalities that fit together. I look forward to hearing more from Charlie in the future.
@Geek’s Dream Girl – No . . . please, no demands for such things! LOL
John Hoff – eVentureBiz’s last blog post…Open Discussion: What Would Make For A Great WordPress Hosting Company?
The third pen man! He’s not a hologram. Yay!
@John Hoff
Why not? I’m on the naked-picture-demand bandwagon. Charlie offered, so I think we should take him up on that offer!
@ Alex – *peals with laughter*