Behind The Scenes: My Summer as a Wave Intern

21 Sept

Howdy!

My name is Zaylee and you are here to read all about my summer as a wave intern… but I figured I should introduce myself first. I am a student at the UMKC Bloch school studying finance and marketing. I am a KC native and absolutely love my hometown (go chiefs!). Some things that fill my cup are paddleboarding, reading, and spending time with my family. I have a 2004 toyota 4runner and she is my favorite thing ever. That’s just a little bit about me. 💫

Last but not least- I got to intern with Wave this past summer and I can’t wait to tell you all about it! Let’s dive in 🌊✨

🎯How I landed the internship

Mandy (one of Wave’s amazing co-founders) likes to say that I “told” Wave to take me on as an intern… and she’s not wrong.

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I met Shaila (another amazing co-founder) in the fall of 2023 at a UMKC networking event. We connected and met up for coffee, that coffee chat turned into a shadow day, that shadow day turned into getting lunch, and that lunch turned into my internship this past summer! Shaila went above and beyond to teach me about the industry, her career, and what high level marketing looks like.

The day we met for lunch, Shaila and I set a time for me to hop on a call with her and the other two Wave co-founders, Mandy and Rach, where I would pitch myself as a prospective intern to the team.

Psstt. If you are a KC local, we met for lunch at True Food Kitchen. 10/10, SO GOOD, definitely worth checking out 🙃

I presented a slide deck to the team introducing myself, explaining why I was so eager to intern with wave, and where I hoped to add value to the team. Fast forward a few days, I got the acceptance email, did a happy dance, and started my internship on May 14th! 💃

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📝What I have learned

Honestly, where do I start?? This summer gave me a raw look into the professional dynamics and processes at play in the world of marketing. My goal for this internship was to gain exposure and see how the professional world really works. Wave allowed me to sit in on meetings, both internal and external. They sat with me and detailed their individual niches and roles. They gave me tasks and invested in my education and knowledge. This past summer has accomplished my previously mentioned goal and exceeded my expectations. I could gush for hours about how much I have learned… but instead I will list my top three takeaways. 😊

Takeaway 1️:

💡PROCESSES ARE KEY.

This was something I noticed right away. In order for Wave’s team to be successful, and I assume any team, there had to be processes in place that kept each team member aligned. It took me a week or two to get used to keeping an eye on slack, checking my google calendar, and staying familiar with ClickUp. Learning how to communicate and adhere to the processes in place served as a crash-course for me in remote work. Shaila told me at the beginning of the summer, “remote work is a genuine skill these days” and this past summer was an opportunity for me to learn and hone that skill. In summary, I learned that at the center of any team, especially remote teams, are processes. It quickly became clear to me that processes are key and only better the efficiency and alignment of that team.

Takeaway 2️:

💡THE CLIENT JOURNEY IS EVERYTHING.

This was the central concept at the core of every internal meeting I sat in on. Shaila, Rach, and Mandy really care about how they present their work to their clients and the results they drive. On top of that, Wave really cares about delivering a cohesive customer experience to their “client’s client.” I got to see the results of this first hand over this past summer. I listened into the Wave team internally design a campaign, deliver that to their client, and help their client execute campaigns for their customers and prospects. It was such a cool process to be a part of. Additionally, seeing the wave team care as deeply as they do for their work and clients was amazing to witness. I don’t say this lightly- it was inspiring to observe a team of women care as deeply for their work as wave does AND see a team of women drive real, tangible results.

Takeaway 3️:

💡PRACTICAL SKILLS

While I learned about broad concepts, professional decorum, and company values this past summer, I also got to learn some pretty cool skills and unlocked some new features. 😎

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I became hubspot certified at the beginning of this summer!! After a couple weeks of videos, quizzes, and notes (so many notes), I passed the test and am officially certified in digital marketing.

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Look, I can prove it!

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I thought it was so cool that Wave invested in my personal growth and knowledge. This course gave me a baseline knowledge of digital marketing and helped me get the most out of my internship. New level unlocked 💪

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Alsooo….. I wrote and sent an email for a client this summer! It might seem preliminary but I had never done that before and had no idea how emails were designed and sent! It was such a fun process and tangible way to put my new skills to use.

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Yup, there's more.

I learned how to ethically use AI, write blog posts, communicate with a team regarding that process, and upload blog posts to our website. I have a whole new appreciation for how much time and effort it takes for just one blog post to be created and posted. Holy moly, blogs are not for the weak! (I also learned about how blog posts are PURE GOLD for upgrading your seo and search rank status. Yeah… I know what those terms mean 🤷‍♀️)

💭How It’s Been!

Currently? Sad that my internship is coming to a close. 🫠

Generally? I feel like I have gained so much confidence over this past summer. Trying new things is always a little nerve-wracking, but the exposure and experience I’ve gained over the past summer has quelled those nerves. I feel confident in a zoom meeting room, I feel confident speaking up and asking questions when I need to, and I feel confident making mistakes and asking for feedback. Wave was an environment in which I could truly learn. There was no pressure to get everything perfect or to know exactly what I was doing. That company culture made this past summer both educational and enjoyable.

🤝What I have enjoyed

The Wave team is spread out across the country. Rach is holding down the fort in sunny Los Angeles. Mandy is up in good ol’ Philly. I had the pleasure of working directly with Shaila right here in Kansas City. I have to say- I really, really enjoyed my in-person days with Shaila. Working from office spaces, cute cafes, and coffee shops was truly a highlight of my summer.

I’ve also genuinely enjoyed the work. Marketing is such a broad term and covers so many niche areas of the industry. Wave is a growth collective that helps brands scale, grow, and drive real results. All the work that goes into those tasks is beyond fascinating. It forces you to flex different muscles, including creative thinking, resourcefulness, and analytical processing. I really enjoyed that variety. This past summer will play a HUGE role in my career decisions as I get close to graduating.

📣Advice for others

Intern with a company you admire. One of the most enjoyable aspects of my internship with Wave was the company culture. Rach, Mandy, and Shaila are all so kind, driven, inspiring, and talented. I had the privilege of working with a group of women that I can genuinely say I admire this past summer.

Shoutout to Brooke too! She joined the team in the later half of my internship but she is an amazing addition to the team. She is proof that good companies attract good team members. 💫

When searching for your dream internship, make sure you click with the leadership! Do your values line up? Does the team seem driven and happy? Do you like the culture? My best piece of advice for students on the hunt for their perfect internship is to intern with companies that check all those boxes.

Also, bring a fun drink to work with you! My personal recommendation- cream soda olipop 🤌

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And that's a wrap on my summer internship with Wave!