"Make a friend, before you need a friend"

The day my boss came back from her retreat to Kerala I was enthusiastic to begin working solidly with her again and anxious to present to her a couple of projects I put together whilst she was away. It was the usual for me to feel anxious about any projects that I had produced for Journeys of the Spirit, but no matter the outcome I felt I had thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity. From what I have learnt working in a partnership is that it you should allow yourself to feel comfortable to create ideas and develop projects using your own initiative, despite what you think they might say or do about it.

"Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts and never hope more than you work." (Rita Mae Brown)

Putting in the effort to help accommodate the business and showing that you have a true interest in what you do is probably the best advice I can give to those beginning their internship or for those who will be in the future. Although you may be unsure of what it is you are doing, you have been disappointed at an outcome of a task or failed at a challenge, keep trying. This is what I have learnt working for Journeys of the Spirit.

"The secret of life....is to fall seven times and to get back up eight times." (Paulo Coelho)

We have missed opportunities to get our business in the media, but we have had offers from the West Australian Travel editor (This is one of our biggest PR achievements! They came to us, not us going to them.) We have had time management difficulties associated with article distributions but we have managed to come up with other solutions. (The Post article that I had produced a few weeks ago for their Travel Feature clashed at a time my boss was heading to Spain for a retreat.) There are always other possibilities!

The biggest lesson I have learnt from working with my boss Julie is that no matter whether she is talking to her clients or creating a strong network within the media is that you should "make a friend before you need a friend." A business always has the marketing strategy "what's in in for me?" playing in the back of their minds. But if you connect with contacts on a personal level, get to know them and have a friendly conversation - people will remember you and in the future may offer you great opportunities. This is a skill i think will take a bit of time to develop, but with Julie as my boss and a mentor at that I think I will learn how to create a stronger network.

I wish everyone all the best with your internships! Stay safe over the easter break =)

Below is the link to the Journeys of the Spirit website -  we hope to have it updated in the near future!

www.journeysofthespirit.com.au