Tzuki Stewart

“The opposite of play isn’t work. It’s depression.”

Having never attended school (a fairly unconventional upbringing!), Tzuki won a scholarship at 16. She went on to university, followed by the City.

Her initial stomping ground was at EY in management consulting, later moving into investment management and joining BlackRock. On a bit of a mission with a healthy disdain for sleep, by 30 Tzuki had qualified as a CFA charterholder and completed an MBA. With a toddler and newborn along for the ride! She fully subscribed to the story we hear (and tell ourselves) that the route to happiness lies in objective markers of success. But however many times she set the next challenge or goal – and reached it – something was missing. Opposing work and play, as so many of us do, Tzuki embraced work to inform her sense of identity and self-esteem and saw play as something for creatives, ‘playful people’ or children. But when Pauline introduced a powerful, more diverse idea of play to her, something clicked! Tzuki started on her own journey to integrate its myriad of benefits into her work and wider life. Now, she’s still just as obsessed with results, but she can achieve them in a way that is enjoyable, energising and fulfilling – in a way that feels like play.