Jordan Yozwiak took the opportunity to use her internship requirement to expand her business, Yoz Vintage.
Why did you choose to pursue an entrepreneurial internship?
At first, I didn’t even realize it was an option until another student came in as a guest speaker in the PAH 383 Pre-Internship: Building Career Readiness class and shared about their own business that they pursued for their internship. It inspired me because I have had my own vintage clothing business since 2020 and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to grow it and set new goals for myself. I was also struggling to see myself finding another job on top of the work I already do, since I enjoy working for myself so much and want it to be my main priority. I love the environment and reducing waste, so sourcing vintage clothing is the best way for me to feel like I’m making a positive impact.
What kind of work did you do throughout your internship experience?
My work started with sourcing new vintage inventory at thrift stores and the Goodwill outlet. From there I would photograph items, take measurements, write up the online listings, package and ship out orders, vend at local vintage markets, create posts on social media to promote my clothes online and in-person, and wash / fold / organize and tag new inventory to ensure I was ready for pop-up events. I usually had a pretty regimented schedule for when I would complete those tasks. For example, I would source inventory on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and make content on Thursdays.
What was your favorite part of your internship?
My favorite part of my internship had to be vending at local vintage markets. Since it was summer in Arizona, the only markets I did were inside at the Park Place Mall, but they happened consistently. I love doing markets because it gives me the opportunity to talk to so many different and new people who also love fashion and vintage as much as I do. I love seeing people’s reactions in real time when they find a piece they absolutely adore. I was also able to network and become better friends with the other vendors. At the end of the day, even though packing up can be a pain, it was so rewarding to have all these face-to-face interactions, and to see exactly where these beautiful clothes that could have ended up in the landfill went instead.
What did you find most challenging about your internship?
What I found most challenging about my internship was making sure I was holding myself accountable to list items online consistently and to post enough on social media. Since I was my own boss, it was easy to only focus on getting ready for a pop-up and not posting anything online or vice versa. I learned that I had to find a good balance between the two responsibilities. I did this by dedicating a certain week to either a market or to online listings. And for posting on social media, it was the same thing: I decided Thursday was the day that I was going to make a new post and if I had any extra time throughout the week I would create additional posts.
What is the impact of your internship experience?
I think there are two main impacts of my internship experience: environmental impact and uplifting people’s personal image. The environmental impact is because when customers are buying secondhand, they are actively reducing the amount of clothing pollution in the world and taking money away from fast fashion companies. These companies have a reputation for keeping their prices low by using underpaid or unpaid slave labor and promoting overconsumption with accelerated trend cycles. Additionally, I found that I was helping people feel more confident and find their personal styles. Especially since doing the Park Place markets, I have noticed more repeat customers who come back saying how much they love my clothes. I also get online reviews with people saying they got so many compliments on the item they purchased. It feels so good to know that I am contributing positively to people's self-image and to the environment at the same time.
How has your internship experience influenced your plans for your future?
My internship gave me some insight into what it will be like to pursue my business on a larger scale once I graduate. Since this was over the summer, I had more time to focus on sourcing more inventory than usual and to enhance my digital marketing. This experience has shown me even more that I want to continue growing my business after I am done with school, and that I am capable of turning it into a full-time job. And who knows, maybe I will even eventually open my own brick-and-mortar store.
What advice do you have for other students as they search for their internship?
As someone who didn’t have a traditional internship experience, I think it’s important to consider that there are so many options out there for you. If you have a business idea that you think could be cool, consider designing your own internship! I think when people think of entrepreneurs, they think there has to be this fancy start-up with investors and a new idea that has never been thought of before. But I’m just selling secondhand clothes by myself and that’s good enough for me. And it may seem scary to pursue your own thing, but there are more people out there that will support you than you could expect or imagine.