When Jessie assigned me to write up a piece encompassing everything I did this summer; I honestly couldn’t even believe we were already at the end of the summer. Eight weeks, six cities, late nights, early mornings and washing many loads of laundry from our hotels. Somehow this summer has flown by but looking back, I can say with full confidence I’ve been able to work alongside some pretty incredible people and make some amazing friendships along the way.
When I originally saw the ad for the Sure Champ® internship opportunity, I immediately knew their company and motto “Care that Comes Full Circle” was something I wanted to be a part of. Growing up showing goats and a few steers, my family has always believed in their products and uses them religiously in our barn. So, I knew that with my previous product knowledge, promoting something I’ve used and loved for years was no task. But what I was really drawn to was how much Sure Champ capitalizes on the marketing side of things and the opportunities they provide to the young people of this industry. For example, the brand provides judging classes kids can use to practice their skills or each article that gives them a guide on how to just be a better person, employee and stockman, even after graduation. Even amidst the pandemic, it was very noticeable that Sure Champ was trying its hardest to give kids those opportunities and keep them involved during unprecedented times.
So, after my acceptance eight weeks ago, I hopped on a plane from College Station, Texas to St Joseph, Missouri, and the fun only started there. We spent that first week at BioZyme Headquarters, where we received extensive training of all the products, the company and the famous Amaferm® that is in every product BioZyme sells, with the exception of Joint Juice ;). We also got to pick up any and every clothing item from the merch store… and I’m glad I took advantage of that because if not, I would have been out of clean clothes to wear really fast. During our time at HQ, Tyler & I got to tour the mixing/supplement production facility, and the fermentation plant where the Amaferm is made. Which was extremely impressive by the way, because guaranteed if you tour any other plant, it’s not near as spotless and well run as the one at BioZyme.
Once training week was over, we packed up the VitaFerm® trailer full of t-shirt boxes, product, decor and fun things for the booth, and we were off! We spent this summer traveling all over the country starting out at The Exposition in Indianapolis, Indiana, then to Maine/Chi Junior Nationals in Chickasha, Oklahoma, Simmental Junior Nationals in Grand Island, Nebraska, Hereford Junior Nationals in Kansas City, Missouri, and finally (back in my home state) at the inaugural Show Steer Junior Nationals in Abilene, Texas.
It’s been an absolute blast and throughout our time at each show I’ve been able to network and connect with relevant faces in the industry, learn more about what it takes to be successful at the marketing level (a lot more than you’d think), and make memories with kids and their families across so many different states. I’ve always said the people of this industry are the greatest, and I can’t think of a better way to have spent my summer than to be surrounded by them in various locations. But I’ve also learned so much more about what BioZyme does as a company and its products than I would have ever known, if I hadn’t taken this internship.
I cannot think of the words to describe how thankful I am to have gotten the chance to take on this internship. A great deal of thanks is due to Jessie Judge for dragging Tyler and me around all summer. She allowed me to constantly pick her brain about anything and everything, take on new challenges and projects and even utilize skills I had to bring more to the company. Thank you to the whole marketing team for allowing me to grow as a creative and be an integral part of certain tasks throughout the summer. And of course, thank you to Bob and Lisa Norton for allowing me to be a part of the internship program and stay in your home. And to anyone and everyone in between who helped this summer be the best it could have possibly been – I appreciate you more than you know.
I’m a big motivational quote girl, so I’ll leave you with this simple one: “God placed the best things in life on the other side of fear.” So, don’t let your mind talk you out of things. Capitalize on others’ half efforts. Invest in yourself because your future is absolutely yours for the taking. Get out of your comfort zone. Make big goals. And above all, never settle for mediocrity.
