IGA, INC.’s Post

My #internship ROCKED! A commercial shoot in the Bahamas, Nascar Award Banquet in NYC, and even a company party on Fire Island. #nationalinternday And while all of that should have been the reason it rocked, it wasn't. It was because it set the stage for my career. I interned at INTERNATIONAL HOME FOODS COMPANY, a private equity-owned holding company of iconic brands like Chef Boyardee, Crunch n' Munch, and Gulden's Mustard. That summer was the opportunity of a lifetime to not sit on the sidelines but actually participate and contribute to the business. I learned the basics; how to select markets for an FSI, how to run a consumption model, how to evaluate cold canned ravioli at 9 am in the morning. I loved it all, but few things have stayed with me longer from that time than the names of every newspaper in America, and they are: 💡 Smart and nimble teams are powerful.  Surround yourself with great people, not politics. You’ll achieve more than you ever could with even the largest team. 💡 The true definition of marketing is problem-solving. Marketing isn’t magic, it's solving your consumer’s needs,  your customer’s needs, your margin challenges, and your R&D impasse. The best marketers are the ones who listen and solve the real problem, not necessarily the one that was stated. 💡 As a marketer, you are responsible to those who use your products. Great, not-so-great products, your job is to make people believe in them; if you are good, they do. Take that seriously. Not everyone can work on the best products, but we can all do our part to raise the bar. Endless thanks to David Roe, Pat McAndrew, Becky Brandt, and Erika Papp for sharing your passion and expertise with me to inspire my career.  Wishing well to my former #interns today Dennis Wang, Reed Edwards, Lee Kuykendall, and Abigail Vincill, who each taught me as much as I did them. 

So happy to have been able to coordinate this experience for our Cohort 3 interns! It’s such an integral element of professional growth in an organization, to be able to experience and to understand the processes and runnings of every single department and section of the business. Only then can one make informed decisions. #professionalgrowth #HR #MassyStoresTrinidad #MSTT

Firsthand Revelations and Thoughts during the second week of my Internship: 1. Knowing how to ask questions is an art. There's a lot of difference between asking "Do you like our product?" and "How do you like our product?" Unless we have established it to a certain degree that the respondent likes our product to some extent, we might not get an accurate answer to the latter as it might create a pressure of answering even if there's nothing they like about it. 2. I used to think, "Why should I smile looking at someone I don't know?" No. Smile always works. A "Hello" smile. ALWAYS. 3. I wonder if we are all associating purple color with chocolate. What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you see a purple color packet? If that's Dairy Milk by Cadbury UK then imagine how successfully they have positioned their products in our minds (like it happens to me! Also because I love eating chocolates). 4. Retail stores are an important part of our grocery shopping routine. So much that, when we think of "buying", we think of the scenario of asking for the product in the retail store in our minds. How long until there's change in this 'autopilot' thought? 5. I spoke to few people who belong to the 'Millennials' category who described the below package as 'Clumsy-ish' which, the 'Gen Z' referred to as 'Attractive'. So, is Millenial's 'Clumsy' attractive to Gen Z? If you have anything to share about what I am thinking, you are welcome! #Thoughts #MyLearnings #SummerInternship #ConsumerBehavior #SalesAndMarketing

During the four weeks of my internship, I have worked in receiving and processing merchandise, performed a flow of merchandise, and assisted in conducting inventory. Three times a week we receive new merchandise that must be processed and tagged. The flow of merchandise entails moving merchandise to expand spacing and ensure proper flow. This week we conducted inventory which allows us to track stock for documentation purposes. Through these processes, I have learned the importance of accuracy and efficiency. 

👩💻Join me on my exciting journey at My Unleashed Life—an outdoor apparel company for dog owners and their beloved pets—as I dive into Week Seven of the Digital Summer Clinic. 🐾 From preparing for our successful website launch to driving engaging product promotions, this internship has been an incredible learning experience. Click the link below to read all about how this week went in my latest blog post! #ProductPromotions #OutdoorApparel #WebsiteLaunch #SocialMediaMarketing #ProfessionalGrowth #InternshipExperience

"Thrilled to successfully wrap up my internship project with Digital BHEM, where I tackled the complex world of sales forecasting for Walmart! 📈💼 This experience has sharpened my analytical skills and provided invaluable insights into the retail industry. Grateful for the opportunity to contribute to data-driven decision-making. 🛒💡 #InternshipSuccess #SalesForecasting #RetailAnalytics #DigitalBHEM #Walmart #DataDrivenInsights #ProfessionalGrowth #LinkedInLearning"

🚨 Why did I work in the Food Industry? Let's set the record straight: Working in the food industry wasn't initially on my career radar. 🤷♀️ Here's the backstory: ⬇ To fulfill the requirements of my business school in France, I needed to complete a minimum 6-month marketing internship. Initially, I aimed for roles in the sports or luxury sectors. But life had other plans, leading me to an internship in the food industry. And you know what? I LOVED IT! 🙌 As a self-proclaimed foodie, I've always been intrigued by the intricacies of food production. There's something exhilarating about witnessing the journey of the food we consume daily. From bustling innovation labs to bustling factories, packaging facilities to raw material suppliers. I've experienced it all! And that's how my journey in the food industry began. 🤘 What was it like for you? Did you do what you thought you would?

This week I worked a total of 3 hours on Tuesday and Thursday. During my internship at Maverick Chocolate this week I learned more skills relating to my entrepreneurship course, as well as skills that I can use to help out at on-site. To start helping the business in more ways I learned how to de-mold the chocolate bars to prepare them for packaging. By doing this I was able to help get all of the prepared Ruya and Prohibition bars de-molded and ready for packaging. Relating to the current topics of the course I had the opportunity to discuss revenue models with Mr. Picton. I learned of the purpose of forecasting revenue/profits as well as how they effect the process of planning for the future of the business. What I can takeaway from this week is that by having the statistics necessary to forecast a revenue one can plan on how they will develop. I can apply this to my current and future endeavors by adapting my plans based on the data that I gain through my development. #TheBusinessLaunchExperience @TheLaunchBusinessExperience

So many opportunities to grow in a caring and innovative culture.

As my internship with Albertsons Companies / Safeway draws to a close, I've appreciated the opportunity to learn some important business- focused lessons.         1.      It Pays to Embrace Sustainability! While the primary focus of any company is revenue generation, in this era of corporate social responsibility, sustainability shouldn’t be viewed as merely an aspirational goal unrelated to business success. Sustainable business practices can generate opportunities that fit with the business goals of driving revenue and increasing earnings, for example by minimizing waste and loss. I spent much of my Safeway internship working in the Asset Recovery Center (ARC) of its Northern California distribution center. The ARC is a department dedicated to revitalizing materials used in the distribution process, by collecting and repurposing materials like cardboard and plastic from stores that can be sold on to buyers. During my internship, I successfully identified and connected with a buyer for a specific material that hadn't previously been repurposed by the ARC. This new connection is projected to contribute around $220,000 annually to the distribution center's earnings. This impact goes beyond financial gains—it plays a role in making the world a better place.         2.      Taking Initiative Matters.   When I began as an intern, I found myself repeating phrases like "I'm just an intern; I can't…" or "I don't want to interfere…". I quickly realized, though, that this wasn't going to get my job done. Change and growth demand stepping out of one's comfort zone. I began to actively pursue the answers I needed to achieve my project goal, engaging with company leaders, volunteering for tasks that my superiors needed help with, and establishing connections with vendors crucial to the distribution center. My intention was not for my internship project to remain theoretical; I aspired to leave a tangible improvement with Safeway and the distribution center. I look forward to applying this sense of initiative to my future career, and deepening of my understanding of sustainability. This internship opportunity has been an invaluable experience- one that I wholeheartedly recommend to prospective university students with an interest in the realm of supply chain management.