BY: LAUREN DEGEN
All good things must come to an end; or so they say. This semester interning at Olivia Management has flown by, but the lessons I learned in this short time have been invaluable. This blog is all about the 5 greatest lessons I learned throughout this semester.
- It's all about the people you are surrounded by. A team is only strong as its weakest link. There are many times that you will find yourself in this place, but use the people around you to uplift and encourage you. The women and man (thanks for putting up with us Josh) at Olivia Management were some of the most positive people I know. They constantly pushed me to be the best version of myself and to show up each day ready to work. Their passion and drive is contagious. Working around such uplifting people can make a job joyful, fun, and worth every bit of hard work.
- Making mistakes is apart of life, own up to them. Throughout my internship, there were multiple times when I made mistakes. Some were bigger than others but if I learned one thing from this, it’s that everyone truly does make mistakes. However, it’s all about how it’s handled in the aftermath. Owning up to my mistakes didn’t show my weakness, but instead showed my willingness to grow and learn so that in the future I could do better. This lesson taught me humility, grace, and how to keep persevering even when I stumble.
- Know your strengths and work every day to develop your weaknesses. Upon starting my internship with Olivia Management, my wonderful bosses asked me what my interests were and what type of tasks I would like to work on. After I mentioned having interest in graphic design, I had the opportunity to create a lot of tour posters, marketing visuals, etc. Making these graphics was such a fun experience for me because I got to express some personal creativity while also working within the vision of our artists. It stretched my strengths but also helped me to develop my weaknesses. It may have been challenging at times, but rewarding when I saw my visual designs posted on socials and websites.
- No matter how small an idea may seem, it has the ability to make a huge impact. Erin and Maggie have created a work environment that fosters creativity, freethinking, and the willingness to think outside the box to implement new ideas. When we sat in the office for our Monday staff meetings, we often had brainstorming sessions and thoughtful conversation. No idea was a bad idea, every opinion was welcome, and we used each other’s creative minds to come up with the best solutions to any problems we were facing. Sometimes 5 brains are better than 1.
- Work doesn’t feel like work if you are doing what you love. Ever since I was a little girl, I have always wanted to be around music. To work in an industry that revolves around my passions has been so rewarding. It simply doesn’t feel like work because I am doing what I love. I enjoyed going into the office a few times each week because I was in an environment where everyone loved music and was just as passionate about the industry as I was.
I am truly going to miss Olivia Management, but I am so thankful for all that I have learned. I will surely use this knowledge in various positions moving forward, and I couldn’t have asked for a better first internship experience.