Hi, I'm Charné, I hold the space between growth and grace at Kastelo.
I've spent over 12 years in HR across teams, industries, and leadership styles. I've been in rooms where culture was just a poster and people were reduced to line items in a spreadsheet. Environments where structure ruled, compliance started becoming a headache, and the real 'people' work always took a back seat.
From start-ups to more traditional environments, I have sat in every kind of room you can imagine - including the ones where leaders threw things (yes, actual water), where confidence was crushed faster than deadlines and where important conversations happened behind closed doors, not because we weren't capable but because we were never really meant to be part of them.
So when I say "people work differently at Kastelo," I mean it.
I joined this fintech company just over a year ago. We move fast, build, ship, tweak, relaunch and repeat. But even in the chaos, one thing stays constant: the heartbeat of the business is its people.
That's why I'm starting this monthly blog.
Not to talk about frameworks or policies (don't worry, they matter and our incredible legal team, aka the Bomb Squad, keeps the critical tick boxes updated). But that's not where my energy goes anymore. And that's what makes this role different.
When I joined Kastelo, I had to unlearn a lot.
I came from an HR world built on process, spreadsheets and predictability. Here, our CEO actively challenges the idea of blanket policies. At first, I'll admit, it rattled me. But then it clicked, those systems are tools, not the reason we show up. The real reason comes back to the people.
I thought I knew what "people-first" meant. I've seen all the buzzwords: engagement, trust, belonging. I've built the structures. But Kastelo taught me something deeper:
'People' work isn't about perfection. It's about presence.
And presence lives in the little things:
The Thursday "Connect Over Chicken" chats.
The kind Slack messages after hard calls.
The public ownership of mistakes from the top down.
It's not that we always get it right. But we're constantly trying to make work more human, which is rare or well based on my experience.
So, why this blog?
Because I want to share the stuff that doesn't fit in a handbook, the messy lessons, honest reflections, and wins worth celebrating. Because I believe culture is built in the moments no one sees. And because I think more companies should lead with curiosity, care, and courage.
Let's talk about the 'people' work, the real kind. Because at Kastelo, it hits differently. And I think more workplaces should feel this way too.
Follow along for monthly reflections on how we can rethink and rebuild workplace culture together. I'd love to hear your stories too.
