On the first day of my internship at Flashstarts, I had no idea what to expect. When I walked into the Keith Building’s penthouse and formally shook hands with the people who would later become my mentors and friends, I was nervous. But that feeling went away almost immediately. I definitely still had no idea what to expect work-wise, but I felt good about the environment. With the open layout of the office, the presence of a couch and beanbag, the sunlight streaming in from the big windows— I could feel that this was some place I could work and learn comfortably.
So, I went into this summer knowing that Flashstarts is a startup accelerator (whatever that was…) and that I would be a “Marketing Generalist” intern. I came out of this summer with, of course, a firm grasp on what a “startup accelerator” is, more knowledge about the startup world, and more confidence in myself and my skills. I learned that by working hard, speaking my mind, and pushing myself to improve, I could provide real value to a company. I found out that I work best in a more casual environment, where my motivation came from the passion and dedication I saw around me, not from imposed rules. What I valued most, aside from the unique work experience, was the support and knowledge I drew from those around me.
Some of us hanging out on a beanbag (not pictured: the 11 other awesome interns).
I don’t know how they managed to do it, but Flashstarts found an amazing group of people for the summer 2014 accelerator class, both interns and entrepreneurs. Not only are these some of the nicest people I’ve ever known, but they’re also passionate about doing great work, brave enough to be in the startup world, and open to learning and trying new things. This summer, I became better at my specialties (marketing, writing and PR) but what is equally important is that I learned about things I had almost zero knowledge about, just by being around the people I worked with.
As the work was fast-paced and often time-sensitive, the experience had its moments of intense stress. At various times throughout the summer, I felt overwhelmed and frustrated, but those times always passed. It was the good people and the excitement of the work that helped me power through the harder times.
I will always look back at this summer as a happy one. In this environment, one of positivity and collaboration, I was able to do my best work. There was something wonderful about actually looking forward to work every day, and I’m thankful to have had that, and more, this summer.
Position: Marketing Generalist
School: Case Western Reserve University, Class of 2015
