Teraé Austin supported Luxe Beauty Academic with her management and graphic design skills while also gaining insights on her entrepreneurial journey.
Why did you choose this internship?
I chose to intern at Luxe Beauty Academy because of its unique ability to provide me with valuable information that I could use as an asset to my own personal entrepreneurial journey. This internship was also a remote opportunity, so I was able to maintain a flexible work schedule while also mothering my newborn baby and establishing my ministry. This internship is one that embraces the vulnerability of new business owners because it supports and provides assistance to women who are desiring to start their own business. I felt as though this would be the perfect place for me to work so I could receive insight on the behind-the-scenes process of entrepreneurship and support the mission of the organization.
What kind of work did you do throughout your internship experience?
During this internship, I assisted in creating presentations that would provide the students with the necessary tools and resources to efficiently start their organizations. This mainly included information about business credit, Artificial Intelligence, testimonials of other clients, and much more. I also assisted in planning webinars and e-books with my team to contribute to the academy and support the students. Lastly, I would help organize tasks and create plans with my team members so we could have a smooth workflow for the day.
What new knowledge did you learn in this internship?
I gained knowledge from the financial advice provided to students of the academy, such as how to best utilize debt when in the entrepreneurial industry. This allowed me to educate myself on the resources that I would need to support my business. I also developed the skill of adaptability. This skill was a very important skill that I gained throughout this internship because I learned how to be flexible and adequately adjust to new circumstances as they arose. I feel as though this is such an important skill to have because it allows you to be able to provide quality work even when priorities shift or circumstances change at work.
What was your favorite part of your internship?
The most satisfying part of the internship was actually when I interviewed my site supervisor for one of the PAH 493 Internship course assignments. This was the most meaningful part of the internship for me because I was able to get personal insight into the struggles that my supervisor encountered on her entrepreneurial journey. I was able to get an up-close perspective of how difficult it is to establish a business, while also seeing the fruit that develops from hard-work. I have a newfound understanding of entrepreneurship because I was able to see my supervisor in her element while also learning the background struggles that not many people are able to see. This is also why I felt that interning for a small business would be very helpful to the journey that I am on as an entrepreneur myself.
What did you find challenging about your internship?
The most challenging aspect of this internship was learning how to adapt when priorities changed or deadlines were tight for certain projects. In these instances, I had to learn how to properly communicate with my team members when providing feedback or delegating tasks. Sometimes I would be provided with a new task that would be due the same day or within the next 24 hours and I would have to communicate a plan of action with my team members. I had to practice communicating while feeling frustrated without seeming as though I was acting on emotions. Eventually, I did learn how to adequately communicate clearly even in stressful situations. Also, my fellow colleagues were very open and friendly, so I never felt a moment of insecurity or inadequacy while working with them and it made it easier for me to communicate with them when conflict did arise.
What was the most significant contribution you made?
I honestly believe that the most significant contribution that I made during this internship was the utilization of my graphic design skills. I did not expect to exercise this skill as much as I did, but I realized how helpful it was to my supervisor once she continued to ask me to design her presentations over the course of the internship. I am really grateful that I was able to use a skill that I have gained on my own in order to become an asset to the company in a way that my supervisor had not anticipated. Because of this, I was able to completely rebrand a lot of her presentations in order to make them all flow together and look more professional.