During the summer of 2021, we had the opportunity to hire two interns to our team, Keona and Belle. Keona is a senior at Alabama A&M University, double majoring in marketing and management. Belle recently graduated from St. John Paul II Catholic High School and will be attending the University of Alabama in Birmingham this fall. Their different backgrounds and difference in age presented the unique opportunity to teach a variety of technical and soft skills. Plus, our team learned from their unique perspectives. We were thoroughly impressed by their knowledge and drive to learn.
We sat down with both Keona and Belle to hear how interning at Flourish has impacted the way they think about marketing, how they’ll utilize the skills they learned during their internship and more. Read their responses below.
What’s one misconception that you had about the marketing industry before working with Flourish?
Keona: One misconception that I had about the marketing industry before working with Flourish was that all marketing professionals were salespeople. As I progressed in my studies, I realized that there are several different areas of marketing such as digital advertising, social media management, graphic design, influencer marketing, search engine optimization, email marketing, content creation and more. The more I was able to learn, the more I realized that each aspect of marketing is extremely detail-oriented and that a marketing strategy is most successful when approached holistically, combining several different tactics.
Belle: When I was a freshman in high school, all of my career quiz results said I’d be good at marketing. I was surprised by the results and had the misconception that marketing was rather boring. I had absolutely no idea how much effort and time went into helping a business flourish, and the more I got into it, the more excited I became about it.
What was the most valuable part of your internship with Flourish?
Keona: The most valuable part of interning at Flourish was getting to know the team and learning how each person’s role contributed to their client’s success. Every employee works extremely hard and is very passionate about their work. I really appreciate them for bringing me in and molding me to be the best version of myself as I prepare for my journey in the business world. It is truly a blessing to be able to learn from a group of independent women like myself.
Belle: The best part of my internship was learning from such an amazing team. . I came into this internship with no experience and a limited realm of knowledge, and they welcomed me with open arms and were willing to take the time out of their day to teach me new things. These ladies were very patient with me, and their kindness has had a huge impact on my ability to learn and adapt in a fast-paced environment like the Flourish office.
How has your experience with Flourish prepared you for the next step in your professional journey (school or job market)?
Keona: My experience with Flourish has helped me prepare for my studies in the remaining semesters of college and get a preview of my future day-to-day job lifestyle. Learning from the team has highly increased my knowledge of how marketing professionals think and how marketing firms operate. I will continue to use these skills and apply them to my future endeavors.
Belle: Everything new I experience shapes my decisions about my future. I’ve considered changing my major from business to something completely unrelated, but working with Flourish has made me more confident in my choice to study entrepreneurship. While I enjoy all aspects of business, I enjoy marketing the most. Working alongside an entrepreneur like Megan has taught me that we all have our own expertise that allows us to create opportunities for ourselves rather than relying on another company to offer us an opportunity.
What was your favorite project to work on?
Keona: My favorite projects that I worked on were recapping the Dig Into Canva workshop series, assisting on pro bono social media projects, and conducting research for strategic plans. I enjoyed these projects because they all taught me something different. The Dig Into Canva Workshop was very interesting because I had no prior experience with the tool. Their detailed presentation helped me understand how to use Canva’s features and create professional graphics. Creating social media content helped me understand the importance of brand consistency. Plus, I got to flex my creative muscles and implement my own ideas into each design. Lastly, I prepared a competitive analysis for a company while Flourish was formulating the company’s strategic plan for the upcoming year. This project opened my eyes to the importance of critical research and how it helps form strategic plans for clients.
Belle: My favorite project was writing blog posts for Flourish clients. Before my internship, I had never written a blog of any sort. The team offered a lot of great feedback that boosted my confidence, and I saw my writing improve with each post. Writing is one of my favorite parts of marketing, and I enjoyed learning more about what I enjoy doing and how to strengthen those skills even more.
We’re confident that Keona and Belle have very bright futures in any career path they choose to follow. They’ve proven themselves as hard workers, independent thinkers, and highly skilled young professionals. We’re grateful to have had them join our team this summer.