Just the Beginning
Written by Julia Rauchenberger, #WakeEntrepreneur and Summer Intern
It’s crazy to think that my internships with Premier Partnerships and Manhattan Sports Business Academy (MSBA) are over. This summer, I learned many new skills and the wisdom I gained will stay with me for the rest of my entrepreneurial journey. One of my biggest accomplishments was improving my time management skills. Whether it was during work hours with Premier Partnerships or after hours with MSBA, I was consistently juggling a full schedule with a million things to check off the list. After week one, I knew I needed to remain organized and come up with a plan or else I would fail.
Every morning when I would arrive at the New York City office of Premier Partnerships, I would sit down and write a check-list of the tasks that needed to be completed during the day. I would rank them in order of importance while also including the time it would take to complete each task. I wanted to ensure that my work projects would be completed by the deadlines that were set. I would then look at my Google Calendar and plan out my day/week. Not only did I work 9-5 with Premier Partnerships, but everyday after work I would go to an MSBA event at different locations throughout the city. I also needed to build in time to meet with my mentors and network with as many people as possible during my time in the city. I knew that I needed to make the most out of every opportunity I was presented with.
This one accomplishment has taught me a tremendous amount about the entrepreneurship world. Due to the nature of the trade, an entrepreneur will always have a million and one tasks that need to be completed, people to meet with and places to be and by learning how to manage these responsibilities this summer, I feel better equipped for the future.
Throughout the summer, I realized that many of the skills I was acquiring, are replicable in my school life. Before every sales call or outreach we would make at Premier for a potential partner for one of our clients, we would do an extensive amount of research on the company we were pitching as well as on the person we were speaking with. Not only did this ingrain in me the importance of preparation, but also allowed me to hone my research skills. Additionally, Premier Partnerships taught me the skill of storytelling. No matter what kind of company we were working with and no matter how mundane the product might seem in relation to a professional sports team, the people at Premier were always able to create an incredible story behind it. The stories are built from the emotion, passion and loyalty garnered from sports fans and is then implemented into the partnership with a brand. This taught me to always look at ideas and projects from every angle, no matter how tedious a topic might be. I now feel as if I can find a good story behind anything.
This was an incredible summer with so many opportunities for learning and growth and I am so thankful for every minute of it. One of the best things about internships and especially entrepreneurial internships (with the ability to learn from so many departments) is the opportunity to develop an understanding of what you like and do not like. Many students graduating college have broad notions of where they want to work or what they want to do, myself included. But the experience of an internship gives students the opportunity to test out many different avenues and truly discover areas where they can excel and areas where they need to grow. My internships gave me the chance to learn many different aspects of the sports industry while also allowing me to appreciate those areas in which I believe I can be successful. That is the most valuable lesson I will take away from my summer entrepreneurial experience.
As classes begin and I think about my Senior Year and Wake Forest University, I know that I will take all that I’ve learned into my last two semesters of college. I will be completing my Sociology major and Entrepreneurship and Communications minors in my remaining year at Wake as well as continuing my professional development. I am in the process of securing sports related internships in Winston-Salem for the Fall/Spring in order to continue to build my resume. I hope to have the opportunity to work for an entrepreneurial company and am extremely excited to utilize what I have learned this summer in my Entrepreneurship classes this fall. Thank you to everyone at Premier Partnerships and Manhattan Sports Business Academy for everything you were able to teach me!