With butterflies in my stomach, I remember getting ready for my interview at Schifino Lee, an advertising agency in Downtown Tampa. This opportunity was what I had been hoping and praying for all of last semester. I walked in and met with the copywriters and Creative Directors in the office. I was so excited to get to meet creative advertising professionals. We went through the interview and looked over my portfolio and I remember at the end of it thinking if they did not offer me an internship then at least I got great portfolio advice and the chance to meet and network with them. However, I was so excited a few days later to see I was offered a spot as a creative writing intern for the summer. My very first day I remember getting to go on a discovery part of the advertising process. This means going to the client and learning about them through interviews and seeing the site in person. This was so helpful because this client went through a whole re-branding process that I got to be a part of and saw from start to finish. I was also tasked to come up with headlines for the Tampa Museum of Art. I was very excited, but also a bit intimidated by the pressure to impress. I remember reading old headlines copywriters at the agency had written and I thought they were so good, I didn’t know how I would be able to produce something so witty. I started to write out the first few things that popped in my head on a notebook. And before I knew it, I had the first round of headlines ready to be reviewed. This process took a lot longer than I expected. I realized I had to challenge myself and not just be satisfied with the first thing I produced. Now see the value in the creative process, because I was able to produce work I did not know lied within me. I also noticed that writing in advertising will not always be for an exciting and lively client. It will sometimes be for a battery or contract agreement company. Sometimes the message you need to send is direct—but often you get the chance to add creativity into something that people wouldn’t expect. Which in my opinion is what makes advertising great! As I look back on my experience so far I am so grateful for everything I learned and the challenges I faced. Now I am down to my final day at Schifino Lee. It’s such a bittersweet feeling. I am truly so thankful for getting the opportunity to see what an advertising agency gets to do, first hand. I had written headlines and copy before for assignments and on my own, but never for actual clients. It’s such a rewarding feeling knowing that my words are out there in the real world, being read by real people—go figure! Summer flew by, but I am excited for what is next. I’m so grateful Schifino Lee gave me this experience, which confirmed my desire to work for an advertising agency. After my internship this summer, I definitely have a new found love for peanut butter pretzels, animal crackers and pistachios! Morning coffee and snack breaks were some of my favorite little motivations in the day. However, most of all I will miss the people. I really felt like I got to know the creative team and see how they work and motivate one another. Whether it was nerf gun fights from one side of the room to the next or laughing over a random image on an email chain, I loved the culture and sense of unity Schifino Lee had. Not to mention, the office overlooking Bayshore Blvd. was also a great motivator. I am now motivated more than ever to pursue a career in advertising! I'm leave my internship, but also excited for what lies ahead. To write authentically - To share joy, L
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It was Christmas in Florida—which means it’s still hot. December of 2016, I was shopping at the mall with my mom. Serious shopping can be exhausting, so my mom wanted some Starbucks coffee. I really thought coffee was gross and thought it was a bitter, dark and unpleasant adult drink. But this day, Starbucks had their holiday special, buy one drink—get one free. So I had to get something, it was free (and who doesn’t like free?) So I tried something I thought sounded pleasing, the Caramel Brule Latte. As I started drinking it, I thought to myself, “not too bad” and finished the whole thing. Little did I know, this is where my coffee addiction would take root. It was finals week when I went back to my university. I remember being overwhelmed with all of my due dates for assignments approaching. I thought, wow I should get a Caramel Brule because I know I like that and it will probably motivate me to finish all this work. So I went ahead and ordered one – I did this for the rest of the week. When I decided “okay, I think I’m going to take a break from coffee” is when I realized how badly I needed it. I started to get a headache without it, something I remember my mom saying if she didn’t have her cup of joe by a certain time. Although to some people, this may seem like a bad thing, I was kind of excited. “Now I always have to have coffee,” I thought to myself. So ever since this day I have had coffee everyday – and love it! A whole new world opened up to me. I started to notice a lot of people drank coffee and you can get creative with it. A love for coffee shops blossomed within me and I found myself wanting to go to them all time. This is now one of my favorite hobbies. Even better is when your friends love coffee too. My ideal hangout is just spending hours at a coffee shop with small-talk, writing + reading and of course caffeine. So if you haven’t caved in yet and tried coffee, I recommend it—there are so many ways you can have it. Lattes, Americano, cappuccinos, French Press…but beware the Starbucks holiday sales. Those will get you. Consider yourself warned. To Write Authentically – To Share Joy, L
Summer is in full force, especially here in the Florida heat. I have a passion for making playlists on Spotify for everything, whatever I’m going through in life – seasons, events, moods – you name it. If I could add this to my special skills or make this something I get paid for, I would do it in a heartbeat. I’m always on the hunt for new music, but the free time that comes with the summer is really giving me a chance to learn new artists and express my summer vibes through music. I love the way Spotify lets you personalize your playlists on the desktop and give them a catchy name, fun picture and short bio. It makes the whole experience so unique, in my opinion.
Discover Weekly, Release Radar, and New Music Friday are some awesome outlets that Spotify offers based on the music you like. This mixed with Shazam whenever I hear a good song are how I build my playlists. If I’m being honest, I don’t even listen to the car radio anymore. It’s also great because as a student, Spotify offers half-off on premium. Anyways, what even is Apple Music? So if you haven’t hopped on the Spotify train, I highly recommend it. If you’re looking for some good music to listen to this summer, check out some of my summer playlists below. It features some songs by artists like Hippo Campus, A R I Z O N A, LANY and more. Let me know what you guys think. To Write Authentically – To Share Joy, L
Check out my Spotify profile!
https://open.spotify.com/user/1272136299?si=3Wq9sPkIRdWi3Pfa8j6YPA
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