A LIFE Changing Internship

A LIFE Changing Internship

Internships. Immediately, the mind darts to hectic mornings grabbing coffee, filing a mountain of papers, and traversing into the depths of that storage closet to organize a shelf that hasn’t seen human life in years. We’ve all thought it. We’ve all seen movies and shows depicting internships in a way that make us horrified to ever think the word internship again. Truth be told, internships are portrayed as a discouraging experience, where interns do the same insignificant work every day, get ordered around by the power hungry boss, and aren’t good for much except retrieving coffee on command. But, SURPRISE. Internships in the real world are not like this at all (unless you work for Miranda Priestly).

Although I’ve only interned with Lifetherapy, LLC for a short period of time, I can easily say that my experience has been the exact opposite of the description above. First and foremost, I work with the two most wonderful and empowering women. Lynette Lovelace, founder and CEO of Lifetherapy, and Christina Tarrant, director of brand development, brought me on the team in early March. Since then, I have gotten to know and developed wonderful relationships with these two women. I absolutely love coming into work every day solely because of Lynette and Christina, who are so kind, fun, supportive and genuine. To be surrounded by their hard work, dedication and enthusiasm each day, as well as to learn so much from their extensive experience is incredibly inspiring to me as an intern. I consider myself so lucky to be able to come into work and immediately be encompassed in an environment of positivity, support, and liveliness.

Aside from having the best bosses EVER, I also am able to participate in projects and work on tasks that will actually positively benefit Lifetherapy. While interning at Lifetherapy, I rarely find myself doing the same thing twice. Aside from daily operational tasks such as processing and sending out orders, I work on a diverse range of projects. Every day brings a variety of new assignments that keep the work interesting and fun! We all know how boring it is to work on the same thing over and over, so I’m thankful that each day is a constant surprise. And yes, sometimes filing, organization, and reshuffling happens. But those tasks are no big deal when you work on something new and different every single day. To see the work I do directly impact the organization is one of the most rewarding aspects of interning for Lifetherapy!

Internships are all about learning and gaining experience. As a supply chain management and logistics major that has an interest in entrepreneurship, this experience has been incredibly valuable to me. I have learned so much about small business operations, attention to detail, customer service, and much, much more. However, what I didn’t expect to grasp so quickly was the sole mantra of Lifetherapy. Being the student-athlete, intern, baby-sitter, and volunteer that I am, I barely have time to breathe some days! By interning at Lifetherapy, I have learned the importance of taking time each day to slow down, relax and think positively. Prior to joining the team, I was clueless to the immense benefits of color and scent therapy to uplifting our moods and emotions. However, I can honestly say that this lesson has been a life saver. No matter what we all go through each day, knowing that we have the power and control to choose our mood and attitude has been the most empowering reminder of all. Taking the time to just breathe in a soothing scent, surrounding myself with fun colors, and focusing on happiness has transformed me from a stressed out college student into a person that has control over my attitude. Out of all the things I thought I would learn from an internship, I never guessed it would be the importance of self-care.

So, internships aren’t that bad after all right? J Maybe my experience is unique, or maybe there are countless others out there with similar experiences to share. No matter what the dynamic, the lessons you come away with, the valuable work experience you gain, and the incredible relationships you create through internships make every single second worth it.

~Ani