Finding Creativity and Independence in Entrepreneurship
Written by Emma Beveridge, #WakeEntrepreneur and Student Intern
My experience with UpDog the past couple of months has drastically shifted my view of myself and the professional environments surrounding me. Building off the foundation of involvement and trust, I have grown across numerous domains, including customer service, interpersonal relationships, marketing, project management, and networking all across North Carolina (with an exciting, yet brief stint in DC to be later mentioned).
A class on creativity and innovation that I recently took within the Entrepreneurship department incited an interest and curiosity within me of the interaction between creativity and its importance to a lucrative profession. Specifically, a profession through entrepreneurial efforts is exactly the environment in which creativity can blossom in the ways you reach people, and thus create an even more profitable business. As a Sociology major, I have been privy to seeing, feeling, and truly experiencing the patterns and systems that (in part) bind people together professionally. These bindings are the foundation of a successful startup and personally being able to work for a small and quickly growing business, I get to see the importance of even the smallest of decisions and slightest of interactions. So many of Lauren and Olivia’s decisions as co-owners have drastic effects on the functioning and trajectory of UpDog. With so much autonomy and room for growth, they have even more room for learning, application, and measurable change. Acting as one of their interns has given me valuable insight into their quick and intentional decision making. It also has offered me the opportunity to realize how small actions on my part can cause impactful change on a larger level in a business such as UpDog. Elise (the other intern on staff) and I have recently been given more responsibility in enacting change through projects concerning sustainability, social awareness, and overall growth. Elise and I have succeeded in delivering on our proposed projects and in creating productive structure in a small, start-up business environment in which change is the only constant.
Throughout my experience with UpDog, I have improved upon skills as simple as my time management to as complex as how to maintain strong workplace relationships. A group of Updog employees recently took an enlightening trip to DC in which we were privy to the operation of lobbying for the betterment of the swiftly growing industry of kombucha. The evenings were filled with networking events and the days with walking from offices of senators to house representatives, handing out samples and explaining the economic impact of an expanding kombucha industry.
More than ever, I now understand the people behind the brands that line the shelves of grocery stores I have so often walked past. I better understand what it takes to create one of those brands and to keep it uplifted. The field of entrepreneurship- so creative, dynamic, and independent- is now more enticing than ever and I am so eager to see how this summer’s experiential learning affects me in the years to come. This experience has solidified for me how important creativity, change, challenge, and independence is in my life, professionally and personally. The following semester, I will be traveling abroad to Morocco, a place in which I can further seek this independence and progressive growth. I have gained unexpected realizations from the past couple of months alone and cannot wait to see what else is to come.