How a Mission to Empower, Empowered Me

Written by Taylor Clark, #WakeEntrepreneur and Student Intern 

My name is Taylor Clark and I am a rising senior at Wake Forest University. I am a Communications Major and an Entrepreneurship Minor. As I approach my senior year, I have found that my areas of study truly complement each other and enable me to expand upon one concept by applying the other. I am thrilled that I have the opportunity to marry these two passions of mine in a real life work setting this summer.

I am in Winston-Salem working as the Business Development Intern for Solarté Collections, a private company that offers a luxury line of natural French body care to boutiques, hotels, and spas. Solarté pledges to empower women to live their lives boldly, confidently, and without fear. This powerful mission enables the company to provide support to safe houses all over the country, housing women who have experienced domestic violence, and take a stance in the overall cycle of addressing and overcoming domestic abuse.

Solarté is a beautiful company with a beautiful mission and I am thrilled to be a part of its development. Under the mentorship of CEO, Angela Jenkins, I am confident that I will grow professionally. Working with a startup company is like unveiling the curtain to see behind the scenes only to discover a multitude of opportunities. I find that I am given more responsibility than I expected to receive and it pushes me to work harder and learn so much more along the way. I love wearing all the hats. In my entrepreneurship internship I am applying many of my talents to a variety of projects. I came to Solarté with a focus on strategic marketing and I have already found that by working on so many different things, I now feel comfortable in a lot of other areas.

I first identified the ‘innovative spirit’ of entrepreneurs at Wake Forest, in my entrepreneurship courses and in discussions with professors and peers. Working under the direct guidance of a female entrepreneur and with many other innovators in the environment of Winston Starts, has already had a great influence on my experience. Because of their creativity, hard-work, and passion, innovators are some of the best people to learn from and this exposure will help me enhance my entrepreneurial skills along the way.

I have a variety of personal skills including: relational development, event planning, strategic communication, branding + identity, and creative concept design. With these skills, I tackle tasks with strategy and creativity. My interest and knowledge of the beauty industry, social media, beauty + fashion influencers, and the nonprofit world made this position feel like the perfect fit. My initial interest in this internship developed from my involvement in a charity fashion show. For three years I was a part of the JH Rose Annual Charity Fashion Show supporting My Sisters Closet, an organization benefiting victims of domestic violence. I was the student chairperson and coordinated the entire event with a staff of volunteers. I was always passionate about this project and cause, which is what led to my excitement about Solarté’s mission. My passion is one of my greatest qualities and enables me to approach all tasks with 100% effort.

This summer I will work on a variety of projects to develop Solarté. My first project is to create a Kickstarter Campaign in efforts to raise capital to enhance the product line and brand presence. I have also begun to identify content and potential social mission partners that collate around the mission and relate to Domestic Abuse Awareness, Prevention, and Recovery. This information will be used at various event venues and in media. Throughout the rest of my internship I will document a social media strategy, develop a social media content calendar for the next year, brainstorm ideas for hosted events, plan collegiate positioning and sales strategy, and continue to aid in the expansion of Solarté.

In a short time, I have already begun to see the benefits of adding a layer of real world experience to my already influential education, and I can’t wait to learn more. Under the guidance of powerhouse, Angela Jenkins, I hope to become a networking queen by the end of this summer. She is an authentic business woman and exudes kindness and intelligence with everyone she encounters. Developing such a vital skill like networking would be extraordinary and she seems to have the knack. I am excited to learn more about the ins and outs of business while developing my professional skills.

I will apply my talents in efficient ways to be a valuable member of this team. Along with my personal skills, my relational personality brings positivity and light to the workplace which only helps to promote Solarté’s beautiful mission. I look forward to a summer of thriving in an innovative environment.