By Justin Goldstein; Summer Marketing Intern Extraordinaire
Let me start off by saying that the weather in Texas never ceases to amaze me. Going to school in Indiana makes me forget how one day it can literally be 106 and sunny and the next day it’s in the 70s and pouring down rain.
Over the course of the past year at school, I was nervous at the idea of finding an internship. It was looking bleak until I found out that I would be interning with Sweet Leaf Tea. Although I had tried Sweet Leaf a few times, I was really unaware of the product and the culture that it encompasses. While some of my friends set off for different parts of the country for their internships, I returned home to Austin and reported to my first day of work unsure of what I was getting myself into.
As a 21 year old, I have held my fair share of jobs. While some were good, most just taught me to suck it up and work hard at school. These experiences didn’t exactly help me prepare for the awkwardness that is the first day at a new job.
My first day on the job was the first time I had been to 515 S Congress. As I sat on the couch waiting for Adi to appear I had the chance to read over the company mission statement which is conveniently painted in huge letters on the front wall. It really struck me how powerful such a simple statement could be. Lines like “We create our own opportunities” and “The journey is just as important as the destination” really stood out to me. I thought to myself, “Maybe this internship won’t be so bad after all.” What I would soon find out is that not only is Sweet Leaf Tea a great product, but it’s a great company with an even better following.
The life of an intern is a life of uncertainty. Each day is something new. I found myself waking up each morning ready to go to work. Whether my day included doing menial office tasks or researching colleges for our planned expansion, I felt like I was contributing to the team and making a difference. However, my first demo really changed my perspective on the company.
I was scheduled to go to HEB Central Market and sample product. When told I would be sampling product, I wasn’t very thrilled and I sure didn’t think I met the stereotype for the grocery store sample giver. I sucked it up and woke up early that Sunday morning not knowing what to expect and not very excited. What I found over the next few hours was that Sweet Leaf has amazing customers. There was a nonstop flow of people. Those who have had our products in the past fled to our table. We scrambled to keep the samples coming while listening to people rave about the product. We went through our entire load of product with an hour to spare. Being able to hear and see the reaction from our customers about our product was very enlightening. I was able to really experience the relationship our customers have with our product first-hand.
There have been more demos since that first one and have attended other events as a Sweet Leaf representative. The one thing I love more than anything is having people come up and tell us how much they love the product.
I still have another month left in my internship. However, I am more excited than ever to come to work each day. I know that the work I do is for our customers. Whether it is someone who has been drinking Sweet Leaf Tea for years or someone who is trying it for the first time, I raise my bottle of Mango Green Tea to you and say, “Thank you for making this internship a great experience.” I am pumped to see what the next month will bring and hope that it will be as good as this first month.
Justin Goldstein keeping it real with Mango Green Tea
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