Stewart Hermiston

Why this persona fits the audience

Runs a one-person online course business in Manchester, recording screen-capture lessons and live workshops on Windows; currently uses free browser teleprompter pages or Google Docs notes when presenting to students and clients.

• Age: 29
• Location: Manchester, UK
• Occupation: Course Creator
• Income: GBP 42k equivalent from courses and coaching
• Education: Bachelor's degree
• Company size: Sole proprietor (1 person)
• Years in role: 3

“I want my students to feel like they're sitting across a table from me, not staring at a screen full of text boxes.”

Stewart Hermiston, 29, is a self-taught educator and entrepreneur based in Manchester who transitioned from a traditional marketing role to running his own online education business three years ago. Holding a Bachelor's degree in Business Management, Stewart leveraged his background to identify a gap in practical, accessible digital skills training. Today, he operates a lean, one-person operation generating approximately £42,000 annually through course sales and one-on-one coaching. His business model relies heavily on high-quality, screen-capture video lessons and interactive live workshops delivered via Zoom and pre-recorded platforms. Despite his success, Stewart faces the classic challenges of the solopreneur: wearing every hat and managing limited resources. His current workflow is a patchwork of free tools; he manages his scripts across Google Docs and a basic, ad-supported browser teleprompter, which often results in a disjointed delivery during live sessions. He has recently decided to invest in better lighting equipment to improve video quality but remains hesitant to upgrade his core presentation software due to cost sensitivity and a fear of vendor lock-in. Stewart is driven by a genuine desire to teach and a strong belief in independence, refusing to compromise his autonomy for rapid scaling. He views his work not just as a job, but as a platform for sharing knowledge, aiming to create a legacy of practical, ethical learning materials. While technically competent, he finds the constant juggling of disparate tools mentally draining, often sacrificing sleep to refine his processes. His ultimate ambition is to build a stable, scalable brand that allows him to focus entirely on content creation rather than administrative overhead.

Background & daily life

A day in their life

Stewart wakes at 6:30 AM, skipping breakfast to dive straight into checking analytics and responding to overnight emails from US and Indian students. By 8:00 AM, he's at his desk, reviewing the script for an upcoming webinar on 'Advanced Data Visualization.' He spends the next hour recording screen captures, frequently pausing to rephrase sentences because his current Google Doc notes feel too rigid. Lunch is a quick sandwich eaten while scrolling through Twitter for inspiration. Afternoons are reserved for live interactions; today involves a 90-minute workshop where he struggles to keep his eyes on the camera while referencing three different browser tabs. Post-work, he steps away from the screen by 6:00 PM to meet Elena for a walk along the river Irwell. Evenings are for winding down, perhaps editing a short YouTube clip or planning the next week's content schedule, ensuring he doesn't bleed work into his personal time.

Lifestyle

Stewart lives in a converted Victorian terrace in Chorlton, Manchester, sharing rent with his partner, Elena. Their routine is structured yet flexible; he rises early to tackle creative work before the city wakes up. Mornings are reserved for deep work on course content, while afternoons involve client calls and community management. He prioritizes health through weekly gym sessions at a local independent studio and cooks most meals at home, though takeout happens during crunch weeks. Financially, he is pragmatic, reinvesting profits into better hardware rather than luxury goods. Socially, he maintains a tight-knit circle of fellow creators and childhood friends, preferring small gatherings over loud parties. He values quiet evenings reading or listening to vinyl records as much as social interaction.

Work life

His workspace is a dedicated corner in the living room, dominated by a dual-monitor Windows setup and a ring light that casts a soft glow. Stewart spends roughly 60% of his day creating content—screen recording lessons, editing video, and scripting scripts. The remaining time is split between live webinars, student Q&A sessions, and marketing. He currently relies on a cluttered desktop of open tabs: Google Docs for his main script, a free browser-based teleprompter for speed-reading, and a separate window for monitoring chat. This fragmented workflow often leads to eye strain and the occasional stumble over words during live streams. He feels the pressure of being the entire department: sales, support, and production all fall on his shoulders, requiring him to constantly switch contexts.

Relationships

Stewart is married to Elena, a graphic designer who provides crucial feedback on his visual materials. His primary professional network consists of other solo creators he meets in Discord communities, where they swap tips on growth hacking. He remains close with his parents in Leeds, visiting monthly, and maintains a low-key but supportive relationship with his university alumni group. He rarely seeks external advice on financial matters, preferring to rely on his own research and trusted peers.

How they decide

Stewart approaches decisions with a blend of cautious research and practical experimentation. He is not impulsive; he typically reads reviews, watches demo videos, and checks forum discussions before committing to new software. However, once he identifies a tool that solves a specific friction point efficiently, he is willing to adopt it quickly if the value proposition is clear. He avoids long-term contracts, preferring month-to-month subscriptions to maintain flexibility. Peer recommendations carry significant weight, especially from trusted colleagues in the creator economy, but he ultimately tests the product himself to ensure it fits his unique workflow before integrating it permanently.

How they sound

Stewart speaks with a mild Mancunian accent, often dropping consonants slightly but generally articulating clearly. His cadence is measured and deliberate, reflecting his careful nature, though it speeds up when he gets excited about a technical solution. He avoids overly corporate jargon, preferring plain English and direct phrasing. In conversation, he tends to ask clarifying questions and nods frequently to show active listening. He rarely uses slang, finding it unprofessional in a business context, but will use internet memes when discussing community culture with peers.