Check Out Charlie Lewis’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Charlie Lewis

Hi Charlie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Born into an environment worlds apart from the life I lead today, it is often hard to reflect on what it was like to grow up as a queer kid in the midwest. From bad grades to a futile social life, I can’t say my path stood laying before me like a yellow brick road.

I was closeted throughout my lower education and this long-term suppression cracked and splintered my identity. It was not until college that I truly came to terms with who I was and more importantly the tumultuous path I was hurtling down. Thankfully, somewhere along the way I made a decision to no longer react to the restless sea of life but rather choose to steer in a direction more fruitful.

As a communications major I was able to satisfy my hunger to write while still pursuing a “real job” per my parents wishes. In 2022, I completed my Bachelors a year ahead of my class and drove all the way to Los Angeles from Ohio before my diploma even arrived. I soon found that opting out of internships in order to maximize my credit hours may have been the wrong choice when starting my job search.

After hundreds of my applications for a full-time position swiftly fell to the trash, I swallowed my pride in taking my first position as an unpaid intern. My mornings started at 4:00 a.m. as a barista to make ends meet and ended around 5:00 p.m. as a public relations intern to further my career for many months.

The monotony came to an end when I was offered my third and first paid internship at the Lucky Break PR and was able to quit my second job. The LGBTQ+ owned agency both welcomed my identity and nurtured my career, within a few months I was hired. I now spend my days elevating the media presence of organization’s crucial to the community like GLSEN, the leading organization dedicated to creating safe and inclusive learning environments for the queer students I once was.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Anyone that tells you their road to success was smooth lacks truth, or has someone pulling them ahead from behind the curtain. Success is to overcome conflict, but it is that conflict that molds us closer to perfection.

Struggles plagued every corner of my life. I was anxious, unmotivated, and lacking ambition. Even once I finally “had it all together,” I still faced conflict. I eventually found out that a degree is not a guarantee and that I would have to be vigilant to secure my first position.

It took over a year of intern experience to get my first job, and every month that passed solidified more doubt as I questioned my own abilities. My advice is to keep at it, when someone tells you that you “don’t have it” keep pushing through. Prove them wrong.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
At Lucky Break, we work as a team to support and elevate our clients media presence. This requires skilled writing as we craft an organization’s efforts and mission into a story that will have reporters lining up to cover it.

I work as a part of our Impact division, dedicated to uplifting diversity-centered organizations and brands through strategic public relations campaigns, events and celebrity engagement. Within my first week full time, I made my first major accomplishment by securing an article in Forbes for The National LGBTQ+ Task Force.

Recently, our team endeavored out of the office working onsite for JJLA’s OUTLOUD Music Festival at WeHo Pride followed by Capital Pride in DC. OUTLOUD featured performances by Kylie Minogue, Kesha, and more, while Capital Pride celebrated 1980s and ’90s LGBTQ+ activism. The events served as vibrant celebrations of community and resilience, marking an incredible Pride season and a rewarding first year at Lucky Break PR.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
I learned to value our time together. Whether in your personal life or at work, in-person connection is unrivaled. I find myself most productive on our day’s working in the office and I would much rather get coffee with a friend than spend hours texting them from a tiny screen.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itscharlielewis/?hl=en
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-babcock-84431b1a6/
• Other: https://www.luckybreakpr.com/

Image Credits
Jon Viscott Photography