Leuty Parker

Tag: #tbi

  • SLOP

    Recovering from a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is messy—and one of the hardest parts can be re-learning how to talk. For me, losing my ability to communicate clearly was terrifying. Every word felt like it had to be fought for, and I had to start from scratch to rebuild my speech.

    Even if you haven’t experienced a TBI, learning to talk better; speak more clearly, confidently, and effectively. Is something to anyone who can work on. One technique that really helped me, and that my speech-language therapist recommended, is called SLOP.

    SLOP is a simple yet powerful approach to improve how you articulate words and pace your speech. It’s especially useful if your goal is clearer, more intentional speaking—whether for presentations, daily conversation, or public speaking

    Slow

    Loud

    Overarticu 

    Pause

    … I don’t need to elaborate… you’ll get it from the acronym!

  • Because AI is so woke right now

    You’ve likely noticed I’ve shared plenty of posts about AI, it’s a key part of my niche, blending fashion with technology alongside content on health maintenance (diabetes and TBI). This post continues that focus, while also keeping readers up to date with developments from a more professional perspective.

    Speculation has increasingly shaped global markets since the 1980s, as investors discovered that hype can generate greater returns than underlying business performance. This dynamic fuelled a series of boom-and-bust cycles — from the dot-com era to cryptocurrencies, NFTs and now AI — with AI investment currently driving much of the recent growth in the S&P 500. Yet, like previous speculative waves, signs suggest the AI surge may also be vulnerable to correction, even as investors begin searching for the next trend to replace it.

  • Tesla update

    My interest in the automotive industry developed during a university module focused on Nissan, where I explored the company’s growing investment in autonomous vehicle technology. Using this industry. Tesla was a particular interest in innovative design and iteration with technology….

    Tesla is facing major challenges, including falling demand and heavy price cuts in the UK to attract customers. The company’s valuation largely depends on investor belief that it will succeed in autonomous driving, but confidence has been shaken by a disappointing Robotaxi rollout and criticism of its Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology.

    Unlike competitors such as Waymo, which use multiple sensors (cameras, radar, lidar), layered AI systems, detailed maps, and built-in safety redundancies, Tesla relies on a simplified approach. Its FSD system primarily depends on camera vision with minimal redundancy or external safety layers, increasing the burden on AI perception and decision-making.

    Philosopher Luciano Floridi argues this design choice may present fundamental limitations, raising doubts about whether Tesla’s strategy can reliably achieve fully autonomous driving.

  • Cinderella Explained

    I assume most people know Cinderella…

    A story about a girl ground down by neglect and cruelty who gets one brief night of escape, glitter, and possibility.

    She steps out of the ashes and into candlelight, into music, into being seen. Then midnight comes. The carriage splinters back into a pumpkin, the silk collapses into rags, and the illusion dies.

    All that remains on the cold palace floor is a single glass slipper, fragile, sharp, but unmistakably real.

    It is not costume or disguise, but proof. The slipper holds the shape of her foot like memory holds the shape of truth. It cannot belong to anyone else.

    Everything borrowed disappears, but identity does not. The world can take the magic, the beauty, the moment. But it cannot erase the fit of who she is.

    I’m thinking, miss you seen below our MY glass slipper(s).

  • Disappointment

    If you’ve read some of my more recent posts—“I’m an Unexpected Target Market” in particular—you’ll already understand the depth of my (admittedly embarrassing, yet entirely sincere) adoration for my Christian Louboutin trainers. Which is precisely why this experience has been such a let-down.

    This brand has a long-established reputation for producing premium footwear, particularly high heels. However, its experience with my trainers is comparatively limited.

    Given the lengths I went to to acquire these trainers, beautiful! Comfortable, and carrying an admittedly embarrassing price tag tthey once held a shining place in my heart.

    I am writing this after noticing a few months after purchase, that several details had begun to deteriorate! This is something clearly documented in the accompanying photographs. There is visible scratching to the leather at the toe, exposing the white exterior and revealing the red mid-layer beneath.

    isible scratching to leather at toe

    Additionally, the red design elements appear to be wearing away, and the Louboutin logo has already begun to peel off.

    red design elements wearing away
    Louboutin logo peeling off.

    At this price point, this level of deterioration is not something one would expect from the Christian Louboutin brand, given the reputation it has built. Having worked in women’s wear garment design, I am well aware of the extensive development, testing, and refinement that should underpin products positioned at this level. In this case, however, the development of these footwear pieces appears to fall short of that standard.

    From a place of genuine adoration, I have arrived at deep disappointment—and, frankly, a degree of embarrassment. Having parted with such a substantial sum for a product that now appears faulty, I feel misled rather than indulged. On this basis, I would strongly caution others against purchasing this product from the brand.

  • Black Swan x SWT

    The SWT sector is inherently exposed to Black Swan dynamics because it sits at the intersection of fast-moving tech, shifting consumer behaviour, and fashion cycles.

    Black Swan events (in wearables) can:

    Create instant category leaders.

    Single unexpected breakthroughs; like a new AR display,

    Battery chemistry.

    AI-native eyewear (that can suddenly redefine the market and push one product to the front).

    Make existing products obsolete very quickly …. “Best-in-class” devices can be dethroned instantly when a competitor releases a surprising features. Radically better optics, double the battery life, or a new use-case that shifts what consumers expect.

    And in my area of specialism, they can also accelerate fashion–tech convergence. When a luxury brand releases a wearable that unexpectedly resonates culturally, it can pull the entire market toward lifestyle-led design. This can show how culture can shift faster than any forecast.

  • The next step

    … forget the pun. From brain injury to walking again, from recovery to innovation, high heels have always been part of my story, a symbol of freedom and identity.

    My high heel journey….

    As u had to relearn how to walk entirely from scratch, this project feels especially personal. From those first steps in the wheelchair, to exploring what high heels mean to my identity, to examining current examples of smart or SET shoes — this work embodies everything that truly matters to me.

  • CV structure

    To rewrite my updated CV, reflecting life after partially dying, followed by a nine-month coma, extended rehabilitation (as shared in this blog), and the completion of my MSc (with a dissertation focused on SWTs [smart wearable technology] my revised structure showcasing my full experience is outlined below.

    Part 1. Experience → What’s Shaped You

    – At Victoria Beckham, what part of the work felt most rewarding or natural?

    – At Li & Fung, which aspects gave you energy, and which were hardest for you?

    – During your MSc, what kind of work did you find yourself strongest in — research, analysis, planning, presenting?

    – How has your recovery shaped the way you approach work, creativity, or problem-solving?

    → Output: Clear sense of your  strongest experiences and transferable skills.

    Part 2. Strengths & Style → How You Work Best

    – When you’re at your best, are you more of a creator, strategist, or improver?

    – Do you prefer to work in depth on one project/brand, or move across different projects and clients?

    – What kind of pace and intensity feels sustainable for you?

    – What do others usually notice and value in the way you work?

    → Output: A picture of your natural role and ideal working conditions.

    Part 3. Teams & Collaboration → What Environment You Need

    – In a team, which role comes most naturally to you: idea generator, organiser/bridge-builder, or refiner/finisher?

    – Do you work better in structured, clearly led teams or in collaborative, flexible ones?

    – What kind of colleagues and managers bring out your best?

    – How important is independence versus being part of a close team?

    → Output: Insight into what team setups and cultures will help you succeed.

    Part 4. Future Direction → Where You Want to Go

    – if you could launch one fashion-tech or wearable product, what would it be — and why?

    – Which type of organisation excites you more: a large luxury group, a focused brand, a consultancy, or a startup?

    – What impact matters most to you: setting new standards in luxury, driving sustainability/inclusivity, or inventing new products?

    – Five years from now, what would you want to be able to say about your work?

     → Output: A shortlist of directions (e.g.fashion brand, tech company, brand innovation team, wearable tech startup, consultancy role etc). 

     

     

  • Fatigue

    I’m closer to the final part of my MSc… my thesis! I love it.

    Its theme on SWT (smart wearable technology)… and very abundant of acronyms.

    What pleases me is is that the title features the word “catalyse”… in place for innovation. Cause that’s what I want to be;

    A catalyst

    Sadly, I’m so fucking tired due to results of the TBI; will just have to percevere and work intermittently.

  • Similarly

    https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/mar/28/my-brain-after-the-rupture-review-clemency-burton-hill-documentary?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

    Appears when you come so close to not existing, the motivation to be extraordinary strong.

    Seems other of my brain damaged peers seem to have this trait; but everyone wants to be an outsider.

    This want turns into main priority after your brain is broken. Everything is pushed into a less important spot.

    Not so easy to see…

    But here, people glorify those who have “got to the top”. They don’t realise when you go lower than bottom, making your way back to “normal”, is of equal distance. And takes as much energy.