Life has an uncanny way of surprising us with its twists and turns. There are moments that break us, splintering our path into unexpected directions. Yet, in these very moments of fracture, we often find our strength, our purpose, and our resilience. Much like Swiss artist Simon Berger’s striking glass art, where each blow of the hammer reveals beauty hidden within the shards, the human spirit can emerge from life’s challenges with renewed brilliance and depth. Charli K Matthews embodies this very idea.

Simon Berger photos: AURUM GALLERY SPECIALISES IN CONTEMPORARY, URBAN, STREET ART, GRAFFITI AND POP ART

Simon Berger’s glass portraits demonstrate that brokenness can be an integral part of creation. Using force and precision, Berger transforms transparent glass into stunning, hauntingly beautiful portraits. What might appear to be destruction—shattering a pane of glass with a hammer—becomes the key to revealing an image that was trapped beneath the surface. The fractures aren’t flaws; they are the essential elements that bring the piece to life. Berger’s work teaches us that in the right hands, even shattered glass can become something extraordinary. This process of transformation is a powerful metaphor for resilience: the ability to take what seems broken and create something beautiful from it.

Charli K. Matthews is a thought leader for social media and marketing in the pump industry with more than a 17 years experience connecting pump professionals around the world. Charli is the Founder and CEO of Empowering Brands that help customers and users to make valuable connections.
Charli is heavily involved with the Fluid Sealing Association; she formerly served as vice chair of membership and marketing chair for the organization.

Drawing on her experience with leading organizations and top trade shows, Charli empowers engineers and operators to network with professionals to grow their knowledge, brand and business through digital media. She helps companies transition from traditional media to the ever-changing contemporary digital space.

EMPOWERING Pumps & Equipment, is connecting, informing and educating others.

Charli K. Matthews’ story mirrors this transformative journey. From the outside, it might seem like her life could have splintered when she faced setbacks. Yet, much like the glass in Berger’s art, Charli’s experience was shaped by those very fractures. Her journey began with challenges, but through them, she found her true purpose. The setbacks that might have shattered her spirit instead became the foundation for her success as a business leader and entrepreneur. Just as Simon Berger takes a hammer to glass, Charli faced her own blows—only to emerge stronger, more resilient, and ready to create something remarkable.

Charli’s work with Empowering Pumps & Equipment represents more than just business. It reflects her commitment to connecting and empowering others. The cracks in her path—the challenges of being a business owner, a mother, a woman in a male-dominated industry—are what have given her the strength to lead with passion, empathy, and vision. Her business isn’t just about pumps; it’s about people, relationships, and helping others realize their potential. The beauty of her work lies in the way she transforms difficulties into opportunities, much like Berger transforms glass fractures into art.

Resilience, as both Simon Berger’s art and Charli K Matthews’ journey show us, is not a linear process. It involves setbacks, pauses, and moments of vulnerability. It requires the courage to face life’s challenges and the understanding that growth and healing are complex, non-linear experiences. Charli’s journey—from Kasey to Charli, from fragility to confidence—exemplifies this non-linear growth. Each phase of her life has shaped her into the leader she is today, and like the cracks in Berger’s glass portraits, these experiences have made her whole.

No stranger to storming the castle — Kasey Matthews

There is a beautiful parallel between the shattering strokes of Berger’s hammer and the transformative moments in Charli’s life. Both remind us that what may seem broken at first glance can, with patience and skill, reveal something breathtaking. The key is not in avoiding the fractures but in embracing them, allowing them to shape and define us.

Charli helps companies just like yours reach their desired audience across a variety of platforms.

In Simon Berger’s work, the hammer becomes a tool of creation, not destruction. And in life, the blows we take—the challenges we face—can become the tools that shape us into who we are meant to be. Charli K Matthews’ story is a testament to this truth. Like the glass portraits she inspires with her resilience, Charli has taken the blows life dealt her and transformed them into something powerful, beautiful, and enduring.

Ultimately, the beauty in brokenness lies in the realization that we are not defined by the moments that shatter us but by how we choose to rebuild. Whether it’s through Simon Berger’s art or Charli K Matthews’ journey, the message is clear: resilience is about transforming the fractures in our lives into something greater than we ever imagined, revealing the beauty and strength hidden within.

Author

Andy Martin: Building Sales Pipelines for High-Converting B2B Leads | Mastering Ideal Customer Profiling & Targeting | B2B Problem Solver