Sup, friends!
Welcome to the Tellwell Plog! We have a very special edition this week, as I, intern extraordinaire, will be putting together my last Tellwell Plog for you. As my internship at Tellwell is coming to a close, I wanted to share with you the knowledge I was able to gain through working here these past 6 months. Of course, this will be with the help of Tellwell’s trusted writer, Katie Beedy, to ensure that I sound smarter more intelligent than I really am.
Listicles hold a special place in my heart. I would be afraid to know the number of hours I have spent reading the casual top 10 (fill in any pop culture reference here). Whether in school, right before bed, or sometimes even at work, (please, don’t tell Max) I can always find quick comfort in these articles.
Because of this, I will be bringing you one of my own guilty pleasures!
… Drum roll, please…
Kevin’s Top 4 Takeaways From Tellwell
#1 Growing is a Choice
In most listicles, which start from the bottom, I find myself losing interest before making it to the grand finale of the #1. So I decided to hit it on the head right off the bat. Growing is a choice. It is easy to read that and think to yourself “well, duh.” However, it is easier said than done. Growing is painful. It is admitting to yourself that you are not where you want to be. For the sake of transparency, coming into this position, I found myself over-confident, thinking I knew exactly what I was doing and naturally, it took me longer to accept the unenviable need to learn. You cannot succeed until you accept where you are now. As a student, I looked into the future of being finished with school rather than the journey I was currently on. Turned class into a chore rather than an opportunity. I am glad to see that change in heart through my time here at Tellwell. The desire to learn is on each team member. There is never a time where we cross the finish line of growth. If you wish to succeed, you must put yourself in a position to learn.
”You cannot succeed until you accept where you are now.
”No matter how talented, creative, and skillful you are, you only have two eyes. With those two eyes, you only can produce one viewpoint.
#2 This Truly is a Team Game
The “open-door policy” has meant several different things throughout the years. In the early 20th century it was a big deal in foreign trade affairs. In 2010 it was a very serious rule during my highschool choir trip at the hotel. At Tellwell, it is not a rule, rather a lifestyle the entire team plays. Tellwell has eight well-crafted and followed-through Core Norms. Of the eight, six of them are entirely centered around teamwork. With my history of team sports, you would think that adjusting to a workplace such as this would come easily. It did not. Even the phrases “I did,” or, “I worked on,” come across as taboo here. Every project leaving our office is a team effort. From this culture, I learned a very valuable lesson: No matter how talented, creative, and skillful you are, you only have two eyes. With those two eyes, you only can produce one viewpoint. As a team, not only are you held accountable to put forth your best work, but there are helping hands all around you to ensure that it stays that way. I believe understanding the importance of teamwork in the workplace will play a significant role in my future.
#3 Shoot Your Shot
If the point of an internship is to gain experience in the desired field and there is an understanding that an internship is for a short amount of time, then it is crucial to take in as much experience as possible within that time. Tellwell was the perfect spot for me to accomplish this, this based on the amount of different media platforms they excel in. I wanted a position here, yet how? At the time, a position for an internship wasn’t available. As you can assume from my title of this takeaway, I shot my shot regardless and sent a self-referred “hail-mary” email to the CEO of Tellwell. Max, with little to no expectations of an internship starting, agreed to meet. One beer at Drekker later, and here I am, 6th months later, finishing up the internship that didn’t exist.
The “shoot your shot” mindset didn’t end there. Matter of fact, I was excited to see that methodology carry within Tellwell as well. It is especially apparent with the expertise you find within the creative work. A large shout out to our lead creative and videographer, Noah. Although he has proven his talent through his, he is constantly trying new things to increase his expertise in each field. I believe each member of this team carries this mindset with them, and it stems from a lack of fear of failure. #shootersgottashoot
Speaking of not fearing to fail…
#4 Fails are Opportunities Too
As the youngest of three brothers, I learned the art of competition at a very young age. Also, as the youngest, I saw several failures in those competitions. I could never beat them in basketball, I never was the first to get shotgun in the car (regardless if I called it first), and I was certainly never the one to get the last Poptart. I hated it. I grew to take failure as not an option.
To my dismay, It is impossible to live a faultless life. The struggle is, when failure comes, how will you react? A natural reaction to failure is to ignore it, expel it, and move on. Tellwell has a different method. SHARE IT. Each Friday we share our faults, not as a failure, but as a learn. Rather than moving forward without addressing them, we use our failures as opportunities. Opportunities for what, you ask? Well, If you are starting to see a trend in this listicle, it is an opportunity to grow. So that failure isn’t to be feared, rather accepted as a chance to become a more successful person in the future.
P.S. Eventually, I grew to be bigger than my older brothers, but that’s another blog for another time.
Final Thoughts
As I write this listicle, it helps me conclude on my time here at Tellwell. Meditate on and truly think about what personal growths stemmed from my time as an intern here. I am surprised that rather than thinking of the individual failures or successes during my time, I have been thinking about the great stories that we’re shared and the memories that we’re produced from them. I believe each #TeamTellwell member played a role in my growth professionally and personally and I am proud to say that I was a part of this group.
Last but not least, as I can hear the music being played to get me off the stage, I want to finish with a few “thank yous”.
Thank you, Max. You had no business meeting with me at Drekker, but you did it anyway. In your own words, “I was probably gonna be getting a beer anyway, why not meet with you?” I can’t say I have seen a leader care more about his team than you.
Thank you, Aaron, for your genuine desire to help me grow within this team. One of these days I won’t ghost you and actually show up to tailgating.
Thank you, Katie. You are an incredible writer. I know this because If anyone can make my words sound good, it has to be an expert. Don’t be afraid to speak your voice more.
Thank you, Noah. Simply through your work ethic, you showed me that an expert in a field is never done learning and growing.
Thank you, Jayme and Mindy. I gave you little-to-no wiggle room when I came in and added a third person to your tiny office. You still showed no hesitation bringing me along on the journey, answering my questions, and helping me take on this internship to the fullest.
Marisa, Riley, and Rich. Just because you three are bundled together doesn’t mean this appreciation is less warranted. Thank you for welcoming me into the team and, regardless of the title of “intern,” still treating my opinions with respect, as another member of the team.
It really has been an honor to be a part of this team. I am excited to see what the future holds and greatful that there is always a place for a Tellwell Alumn.
For the last time from me, thank you for checking in with us!
#TeamTellwell
