About do.tell
Good communications can do a lot of good.
That's why I started do.tell.
I'm Stu Oldham. I've spent more than two decades years in journalism, media leadership and communications, helping people understand what's happening, why it matters and what it means for them.
I've seen what happens when organisations get communications right, when they get them wrong and when they don't give them much thought at all.
do.tell brings that experience together, offering senior communications advice, leadership and hands-on help to organisations across Christchurch and Canterbury.
Work that matters.
I'm drawn to people and organisations that are doing good. That includes charities, community organisations, social enterprises, public services and businesses whose work has a meaningful purpose.
A worthwhile kaupapa matters to me. I want to work with people who care about what they're doing, take their responsibilities seriously and want their work to achieve something useful.
That doesn't mean everything has to be a grand cause. Sometimes the work that matters most is the everyday stuff: delivering a service well, helping people through change or making something complicated easier.
I've spent enough time working alongside organisations and communities to know how much difference those things can make.
A bit about me.
I’m a northern West Coaster whose first reporting job was writing junior soccer reports for the local newspaper, in my first year at high school.
Much later, my career took me through newsrooms around the South Island, where I edited newspapers, led editorial teams, managed journalists and helped publications adapt to changing audiences and technology. Along the way, I also taught journalism to people starting out in the profession.
I built a career on editorial judgement, curiosity and an instinct for what matters to people. As an editor, I was responsible not just for the stories we told, but for the people producing them, the decisions behind them and the publications that depended on getting those decisions right.
Later, I moved to the other side of the media relationship. Most recently as communications and marketing manager at Ōtautahi Community Housing Trust, I built and led its communications function, advising the chief executive, executive team and board while managing communications across an organisation providing homes and services to thousands of people.
The work ranged from major housing developments, community engagement and organisational change to reputational issues, internal communications and legislative advocacy. It also involved the everyday communications that help people understand decisions, access services and do their jobs.
I've helped organisations make their case to funders, explain difficult decisions, manage media scrutiny and tell stories that deserve to be heard.
I've been the journalist asking difficult questions and the communications adviser helping an organisation answer them. I've led teams, advised leaders and worked directly with people affected by organisational decisions.
I know that what sounds straightforward in a meeting room can look very different from the other side of the table.
Working with you.
I started do.tell because I wanted to put that experience to work alongside organisations whose work I believe matters.
I like getting involved early, understanding what an organisation is trying to achieve and working with the people who know it best. I'll ask questions, test assumptions and say when I think there's a better way.
Sometimes I'll provide another experienced head in the room. Sometimes I'll take the lead or support the people you already have. And I don't stop at the advice. I can deliver the work, too.
There's no standard arrangement. What matters is finding the right way to help.