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You Get What You Work For
By now, you know of my my affinity for Pinterest. I pin recipes, workouts, adorable puppies, sarcastic e-cards, and inspirational quotes. I’m all about those inspirational quotes.
What you might not know is my eagerness to jump start a career in sports marketing. Over the summer, I spent my lunch hours in the office researching Sports Marketing Masters programs in universities throughout the country. Over spring break, I bought myself a copy of The Dream Job by Melvin Helitzer. The first chapter proved that I’m in the right place. Sports marketing has elements of the entertainment industry, competition and athletics, business and strategy. Yet it’s very open for creativity.
My next step: look for internships.
Small problem…I’m a full-time college student in a small mountain town with no major (or minor) sports teams. My university doesn’t currently offer any sort of internship program for sports marketing.
…….Yet.
After my enlightening trip to see Warren Buffet last month, I was inspired by the resumes of my peers. So inspired, in fact, I did some proactive work to kick start my career.
What better place for a sports marketing internship than my own university’s athletics program?! I’m already very familiar with the department, being a student-athlete myself for three years. I already had contacts.
I just needed a killer resume and persuasive proposal to send for their consideration in “creating” an internship for me.
After sending off my resume and a proposal to create an “Undergraduate Sports Marketing Internship,” the athletic director helped set up a meeting between the external relations director and myself.
I watched Sports Center while curling my hair to prepare ;) When the interview started, I was asked what exactly I hoped to get out of this internship. This position didn’t exist yet so I explained my expectations to learn about the “behind-the-scenes” aspect of the sports industry.
We talked about my qualifications and skills.
We talked about the different functions in the department that I could assist with.
We talked about ideas to improve student attendance at home games, and building more support from the local community.
Not to keep you in suspense, I think you can predict the outcome.
I’m so grateful to the university athletic department for considering my request and giving me this amazing opportunity. I am now the Undergraduate Sports Marketing Intern for an NCAA Division I athletic program. If I hadn’t have approached the athletic director, it never would have happened.
Next to my bed, I have more inspirational quotes framed on the wall. One reads: All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them. -Walt Disney.
I think it’s important not to settle for ordinary. I wanted an internship that didn’t exist. With a little effort, now it does exist. That’s something I can be proud of. :)
I’m thrilled to begin working in the athletic department next semester!
If this is finals week for you….GOOD LUCK FRIENDS. We can do it.
My best friend and I were feeling a little dramatic about finals week and declared this it’s theme song:
;)
A Date with Mr. Warren Buffett
Okay, not a “date” exactly….
Rewind a bit.
Coming off of spring break was no joke. Exams, travel, freak snow-storm, 6am workouts, lunch with Warren Buffett. No big. Wait whaaaaat?
Last semester, I applied for a trip to Omaha, Nebraska through my university’s college of business. Our school was one of the few selected by Warren Buffett to travel to Omaha, tour three of his Berkshire Hathaway companies, attend a Q & A session with Warren himself, followed by lunch with Mr. Buffett at a local Omaha restaurant. For a business student, it was the opportunity of a lifetime. And after an application, essay, and interview process…I was one of the 20 students selected to go. :)
(If you don’t know who Warren Buffett is, don’t worry. I didn’t either until my first semester in the business college. Mr. Buffett is a self-made billionaire/legendary investor/genius businessman. Berkshire Hathaway’s subsidiary companies include Dairy Queen, Geico, Pampered Chef, Heinz, See’s Candies, and Oriental Trading Company.)
Last Thursday was a travel day, and Omaha greeted us with grey dreary skies. We explored downtown Omaha & ate dinner at a local brewery.
**Eating clean on this trip was a struggle. I knew I’d have to pack some of my own snacks so I came prepared with apples, bananas, almonds, walnuts, quest bars and oatmeal. But dinners with the group would probably require some sacrifices**
Coming into the trip, I didn’t know any of my peers. We might have had a class together, but for the most part we were strangers. Our first night was free to explore downtown Omaha and the Old Marketplace. I found a mostly healthy menu item: Raspberry chicken with feta & pine nuts, vegetables and wild rice.
Friday was the big day! We dressed business professional and I felt like newscaster in my three-quarter sleeve blazer and high-waisted pencil skirt. We were instructed to dress “conservatively” which in my mind equates to “frumpy.” There are SO many adorable options for dressing professionally and feminine, but I guess I’ll be saving those for my big-time sports marketing days.
I am so grateful to have been selected to attend this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Mr. Buffett answered our questions for two and a half hours before treating us to lunch at a local restaurant. Afterwards we toured the Oriental Trading Company’s fulfillment plant and talked to the CEO (who did an episode of Undercover Boss!).
I most enjoyed what Mr. Buffett had to say about passion. He is 83 years old, perfectly capable of having a more-than-comfortable retirement. Yet he continues to come to work everyday because it brings him joy. He loves what he does! I want that. I came home from the trip more excited than ever to kick-start my own career (starting with an impulse buy of sports marketing textbooks….never thought I’d be spending my “fun money” on textbooks!).
I will say though…this trip really threw off my schedule. Waking up extra early, no gym time, little physical activity, relying on restaurants for meals, skipping normal snack times. Because I’m following the LiveFit training program and clean-eating nutrition plan, this was alittle quite stressful. It’s only three days, but I like my routine! Straying from my workout schedule and diet plan brings me such anxiety and I realize it’s absolutely ridiculous. I should be focusing on the amazing opportunity I am presented with instead of how I’m going to burn off the extra cheese and rice I had with dinner. It’s something I continue to work on.
Time for this girl to crawl in bed. My alarm is set for 5:02am. Early riser = early bedtime! I do love my morning workouts. The gym is wonderfully empty and sometimes they even play country music. Goodnight Friends <3
Strong Like My Coffee 