You’re out grabbing dinner with some friends and it feels like you have not eaten all day. You want that huge burger off the menu, but right before you order it, you notice the price. Then, you realize that you cannot afford the burger and the book for class. You cannot afford what you want because it is a struggle to have a heavy school schedule and fit in hours of work. You are afraid that you will lack in other academic areas because of making a commitment to a job. But, there is someone who is not afraid. Charlene Hendricks is the college superwoman who is dominating her active college life and being a businesswoman.
As she enters our interview wearing jeans and a hoodie, I begin to remember how I just saw her an hour ago wearing business slacks and a nice black blouse. I asked why she changed and, she said that after her internship she immediately started her business orders. I told her I do not know how she does it all and she replied, “Like my mother would say, ‘learn, listen, and overcome’.” As we giggled, her warm and welcoming personality opened up this comfortable atmosphere. Instantly, I saw this humble and free-spirited person who is always willing to help whether it benefits her or not.
Constructed by Char is a customization business owned by Hendricks that focuses on jackets, but can customize just about anything. Hendricks explains how she started her business on accident by making a jacket for her friend’s probate. Afterwards, her jacket was such an overnight sensation on social media, it sparked an idea into her head. Now, when she talks about her business, her face lights up like the pot of gold someone sees at the end of a rainbow and her smile is the rainbow reflecting happiness in the room. Angela Hendricks, mother of Hendricks says, “When Charlene first spoke of her business, I really didn’t give it that much thought until I actually saw a visual of what she wanted to do. Then, I told her if you want this you have to start showing me some progress.” Needless to say, I think that is exactly what Hendricks did. The business has been active for about six months now and it is booming, but responsibilities at Brenau University still call her name.
On top of being a student and a business owner, Hendricks is involved in five other activities at Brenau University. She is the Chair Justice of Honor Court, Her Campus President, a peer assistant, an intern, and a dance team member. With everything that she handles, she still seems to stay on top of her responsibilities. Tamera English, Hendricks’ Honor Court employer, says, “Despite the fact that Charlene is a business owner, I have never seen her lack in academic areas of her life.” Serious is an understatement of how Hendricks takes her commitments and responsibilities. Honestly, I can say she is the most passionate person I have ever met and she takes pride in everything with her name on it . One night, she stayed up customizing the same jackets and shirts over and over. Either one word on the shirt was too bright or a picture on the jacket wasn’t centered enough. She would not let them turn out to be anything but flawless. After many hours, she was finally satisfied with the end result and it took just about all night, but to her it was worth it.
Hendricks is a person who is always jumping from one responsibility to another and somehow always makes it on time. English says, “Charlene will arrive to meetings while also finishing up phone calls with people or handling other business, but she always knows when it is time to shift gears and focus on the next task at hand.” I have seen for myself how she can go from being peer assistant Charlene to business woman Charlene. Sometimes, you even have to ask which Charlene you are talking to in the moment.
Hendricks has learned great work ethic in both college and business life. Her creativity is what puts the cherry on top of how exceptional she is. When she speaks of the many ideas for her business, it is like she is painting the visual for you with her words. When discussing her ideas, she made me see that design on a jacket and how a word should be laid out on a shirt. There are not many people in the world like Hendricks who can view any and everything from a open-minded and creative standpoint. English states, “Charlene tries to view the world and situations from new perspectives and is open to new ideas. She sometimes offers multiple solutions to problems, constantly asks questions, but can also express her ideas well to others.” Hendricks is trying to conquer all things in her life with a little creativity and hard work. But, every superwoman has weaknesses.
Hendricks has weaknesses that she is learning to conquer and some may be harder than others. Kayla Sales, long-time friend of Hendricks says, “Charlene overcomes her struggles by remembering her goals and why she started her business in the first place.” The two main challenges that Hendricks faces are money and time management. Hendricks states, “There just isn’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. Aside from time, it is challenging to balance my money because in order to make money you have to spend money and I’ve been spending a lot.” Prioritizing is a key element in how Hendricks is overcoming these challenges. She has to sacrifice things even if it means not being able to do the things she wants to do like, buying the vinyl for her business rather than those cute shoes that just went out on sale, or eating at home instead of Zaxby’s.
So, it’s pretty obvious that Hendricks is a “keep your eye on the prize” type of girl. She does not let the little bumps in the road get her down, even if that means crying on her mom’s shoulder for hours. Hendricks’ mother is her biggest shoulder to cry on during the hard times and her mother is always there to lift her head back up again. Hendricks can sometimes be her own worst critic and there is no one better than her mother to be there to tell her, “You’re still doing great.” Hendricks’ mother says, “I’ve gotten the attitude and the tears when she felt the product was not up to her standards. I have heard ‘I’m quitting and I’m stupid,’ or ‘I can’t do this what was I thinking?’ My reply to it all is give it your all Charlene and you’ll keep thriving.” It seems as though Hendricks’ mother is her right hand man through it all.
Superwoman Hendricks is continuing to learn how to overcome her struggles every day. There is nothing more satisfying to this hard-working woman than when her client is happy with the product or when her professor is satisfied with an assignment. She might be managing her business and college life pretty well, but her support system is a big reason why her head is still above water. Every day she is proving to herself how she can succeed in all aspects of her life and find time for her own happiness. As Angela Hendricks would say, “Learn, listen, and overcome,” which is always the motto!