Hi … me again! MSBA so far in a nutshell: five jam-packed weeks, 47 inspiring Speakers, 10 incredible Office Field Trips, seven insightful Career Workshops, two huge Mentorship events, and one hell of an internship. Yet every day I’m presented with a new, fresh perspective on what else this industry has to offer. Every day gets better than the last, and just when I thought I’d received every last piece of advice I could imagine, the visit to Bleacher Report quickly proved me wrong.
Today was MSBA’s first ever Field Trip to B/R, a digital sports media powerhouse that tracks the trends in sports and pop culture, evaluates how they can merge the two, and creates original content that organically reaches the largest audience. Josh Fendrick (Manager, Video Programming) and Oruny Choi (Social Media Programmer and MSBA 2014 Alum) welcomed us with an exclusive tour of their brand new, two-story office, featuring a basketball court, professional control room/recording studio, “floating” conference room, and ping pong table – just a few of the highlights of what was undoubtedly the coolest work environment I have ever seen.
“MSBA has instilled in me a “no fears,” “get after what you want” attitude that I truly couldn’t have developed in any other type of situation. Trusting the process is easy after this summer – I have an extensive, yet tight network of people who are willing and wanting to help me along my journey.”
After a tour that left all of our jaws on the floor, we heard from an excellent panel of Speakers. Each person who spoke spearheaded a different team within the company, which gave us a complete 360° understanding of all that goes into making Bleacher Report the success that it is. Oruny is a textbook example of the power of this program and what it can do for your career. He reminded us that our journey will “go left, right, and then left again,” but that we should keep an open mind and take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself, regardless of whether or not it follows the path we think we should be on.
“Be like water.”
Jozen Cummings (Senior Manager, Snapchat Discover) emphasized the importance of being like water when it comes to your career: fluid in capitalizing on all opportunities, fluid in ideas, and fluid in open-mindedness. I had no idea what direction I wanted to go in coming into MSBA, and while I’m still narrowing it down, being fluid and open to all of the possibilities coming my way has been of utmost importance and will allow me to identify my passion points easier and with more assurance.
Nicole Luber (Director, Promotions Marketing) and Nyerr Parham (Director, Branded Content Partnerships) gave us insight into the difference between Branded Partnerships and Sponsored Partnerships, and everything that goes into creating unique branded content that champions B/R’s voice. As a Brand Partnerships Intern myself, I’m always eager to learn more about how I can be of better value in my role at Whistle Sports. After hearing from Nicole and Nyerr, I couldn’t think of two better people to learn from. In a typical B/R branded content situation – merging a partner with another brand voice to create something meaningful – fluidity is key, and an essential characteristic that will help me navigate the extensive amount of paths into the industry.
Some fears I had while applying to MSBA: I am majoring in Cognitive Science and I have no experience working in the sports industry. Both of these are long gone, and have been replaced with a newfound drive to use my background and skills I have built up over the years to differentiate myself and apply what I know to whatever opportunity presents itself. Maurice Peebles (Deputy Editor, Trending) explained to us that (1) he majored in Journalism and had minors in Music and Political Science, (2) his previous work experience was in selling tech equipment, and (3) the majority of Bleacher Report’s focus right now didn’t exist when he entered the workforce. The market is constantly shifting, but if my classmates and I are fluid and open-minded on our journeys, we can follow and achieve those dreams that didn’t always feel attainable.
“Create Moments.”
Jeff Johnson (Editor, Social Moments) is a master at this craft. An important reminder is that we – as interns in this industry – are the token millennials, the culture leaders, and the trendsetters. Every new opportunity that presents itself to us is a chance for us to prove ourselves to a new audience and to do something unique for an established company. This whole summer is one big moment made up of smaller ones, and I’m going to use these moments to open new doors and forge my own path.
“Trust the Process.”
A saying that I’ve heard thousands of times but now means something completely different to me. Trusting the process seemed nearly impossible when, two months ago, I knew what my passions were but wasn’t pursuing them. MSBA has instilled in me a “no fears,” “get after what you want” attitude that I truly couldn’t have developed in any other type of situation. Trusting the process is easy after this summer – I have an extensive, yet tight network of people who are willing and wanting to help me along my journey. I have all of the confidence in the world that being like water, creating moments, and trusting the process will ultimately lead me to where I have always wanted to be.