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Wow! Today is the last day of week 4 and time has just been flying by! We have learned so much in this first quarter of the internship and I can’t wait for what’s next. For me, this week was about getting my ducks in a row. There was some serious lack of communication going on between the sales team, so we made a huge effort to get on the same page and begin working as a team. Luckily that effort paid off and we should start meeting goals and seeing results in all future weeks! Go team!

Something else going on is prepping for the mid-term. So far, we have learned about different aspects of accounting like gross profit. Geoff told us that the most difficult part of the mid-term will be lead time. We haven’t learned about it yet, but I’m worried it will be similar to the concepts I learned in my Operations Management class… which was my second least favorite class in history!!! I will be sure to keep everyone updated.

Highlights of my week are that I ordered a nice variety of decks to sell and they will be here next week. Then I will begin visiting skateshops, a part of the internship I am most excited about! I also went to Aspen this weekend for the X Games! And yes, Shaun White’s pants really are that tight.

It is currently snowing like a boss outside, so visiting skateparks will be for next week. Eleven inches plus here in Denver… time for a little urban snowboarding!

I can’t believe it’s already the end of week 4. Time has been flying by. It sure has been fun and at the same time, intense. They mentioned in the ad for the internship that it would be intense and that what part of what drew me to this opportunity. It has been really testing my skills and abilities. It has drawn me out of my shell and got me to interact with people more, out skating, even just out in the city, and has inspired more confidence in myself.

Collaborating with all the other interns has been an awesome experience. Working together has been a blessing and a challenge. The interns have provided great insight and great tools to contribute to efficiency and results. It’s been really hard getting us all together but people have been flexible and worked with their schedules for the best of the group.

We’ve had great weekly discussions. We received a great deal of information and insight into business strategy and bamboosk8’s strategy that has helped immensely to understand what bamboosk8 is all about.

I’ve been adjusting to working with new social media tools and new ways to use social media tools I’ve already worked with. I’ve had problems managing my time efficiently and I have addressed these issues by paying more attention to every task I work on and how long it’s taking me. I’ve also took advantage of having a timesheet with priorities laid out so that I have direction in my activities and know when I spend too much time on a task.

The big bosses have provided great feedback and constructive criticism. Mark has really helped me with how to address interview questions and with great insight into value added activities. They all have been great motivators, they radiant positive energy that is contagious and inspiring.

Overall, this is been the most intense, most amazing experience so far. I already feel that I have achieved much personal and professional growth and am looking brightly at the future 3 months.

It’s all about the bamboo!!

Alameda Skatepark

The street signs in my neighborhood are made with skateboards!! ha

Alameda skatepark (SF in the background)

West Oakland (Town Park)

Another West Oakland (Town Park)

We are already into week 4 of the internship! I have to admit that I did not think this internship would be such a big commitment when I signed up for it.  I am finding it is difficult to meet my 20 hour requirement while also working another job.  It is definitely a sacrifice to do something like this without being paid. With that being said, I believe this internship will pay dividends down the road. The things I am learning about business will make me much more marketable when this internship is completed.  Even more importantly, I am learning more about myself. Since I still do not know exactly what I want to do for a career, I like the fact that I am exposed to every area at BambooSk8 from marketing to sales to operations and inventory. I think working a little bit in each of these areas will help me identify what I do like and what I don’t like so I know what to focus on when I get out of here.

Even though we are only interns, we are definitely not treated like interns. We have access to all their information, facilities, etc. from Day 1. We are held accountable for meeting our goals. The office is super cool too. It is a laid back environment but everyone works really hard! Being connected to the warehouse and getting to see all their products helps even further to understand the Bamboo business model.  And finally, a company wouldn’t be anything without good people.  The mentors here are all dedicated to helping us succeed. On top of that, they are fun to hang out with. Since I work in the office on Fridays, I am around when they make their weekend plans so I got a chance to hang out with the crew for pizza and drinks Friday night, good times!

Yasha Meyer: 2nd place at 4th Southern Slaughter 2012

            On January 29^th, 2012 I attended the 4^th annual Southern Slaughter 2012 skate competition at 3^rd Lair Park in Golden Valley, MN. I went to support BambooSK8’s own ECO TRIBE- Level 3 rider, Yasha Meyer. After battling through day one and qualifying for the final on Sunday, I was there on Sunday to cheer Yasha on. He was riding the NEW 4^th Generation Owl & Cat deck with all the swag in the world. After a long day on Sunday, Yasha was ready for the results. His BambooSK8 Owl & Cat deck served him well and he placed 2^nd in the 13-15 year old finals!

            The event brought out some awesome skaters with a lot of talent. I fell in love with all the kids in the 8 and under age group. The future of skating boarding will be in those kids! 3^rd Lair did such an awesome job for this event. I cannot wait to go back for another event! Props go out to Mark Muller and all the guys down at 3^rd Lair. BambooSK8 is super proud of Yasha and everything he is doing. Check out the video of highlights from the event.

BE GREEN. SKATE BAMBOO. LIVE NOW.

Hello Hello!!
It is week 4 of this internship and it is flying by. There have been a lot of things to do but it’s totally worth it! I can’t get over how much I have learned so far! I’m still pretty stoked about being an intern! Over the past couple of weeks, I have been doing a lot of PR work for BambooSK8!  We are given goals or commitments to reach per week and let me tell ya, it’s an eye opener! I’m learning to manage my time better and that “the devil is in the details.”   Yet in still, it’s awesome!  I love that I get to spread the word about these products to everyone I see, call and email.  Lately, I’ve been contacting different festivals, eco events and magazines that BambooSK8 can be a part of. Time to represent!! 

Oh! how could I forget the Greenwashed Music Ritual? Curious huh? Well…

The Green Washed Ritual II digital music compilation features 10 amazing artists from around the world who have kindly donated one song each to promote sustainability.  For every purchase on the BambooSK8 website, you will receive via email an access code for all 10 songs upon completion of the shopping cart purchase.  As a bonus, you will also get the 20 songs from the first GWR compilation.  Pretty stellar, right?!?!  I mean, who doesn’t like music?

Show some love for these awesome bands by letting your friends know who you are listening to and purchase the bands music!!

With everything going on, I did steal some time to skate a bit….

      to do some luging? 

and sing “With or Without You” by U2 to a lady at work….note the pen microphone! LOL

  She was diggin it!!!

I think overall all of us interns are developing strategies to meet our goals and represent for BambooSK8 in the way should! And we will!! It’ll be really cool to see what the next couple of weeks will bring and what I will learn from this company, my mentors and from the other interns! I’m expecting the best in every situation.

By the way, you want to do your good deed for the day?

“Like” us on FB:   www.facebook.com/BambooSk8

Follow us on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/#!/BambooSK8

Check out the Greenwashed music Ritual:    www.bamboosk8.com/misc/music.php

And last but certainly not  least, buy a bamboo board! Save a tree. Skate green!

Thanks in Advance!!

      ~T

Yo Yo,
It is now week 4 and I have learned so much in this internship already it’s crazy! I am the in-office person for Hook-It, Twitter and YouTube and just keeping up with these 3 is a challenge. I am always looking for a challenge, but I was not expecting the amount of time this internship was going to require. It has taken me a while, but I am beginning to adapt to the chaos and starting to actually enjoy it. Moving forward, I have learned tons of information on the strategy taken by companies to improve their product. It is amazing how you can go about selling the same product in a different way and have it succeed rather than fail. Bamboo has a competitive niche in the market and that is that their boards are lighter; stronger; and most importantly eco-friendly. This gives them the competitive advantage over other board companies. I started riding my first deck last week and I can now tell people what I truly think of the product I am selling. I can only say one thing, they are AWSOME!!! I am never going to ride a maple deck again!

The bosses are really helping me this week when it comes to the different goals and commitments I am working on. I appreciate all of their help, because I know how much time it takes out of their day to help us as well as how much this information will help me in relation to my future jobs. I am also learning a lot about myself, how much I can accomplish and how long it is going to take me. I am excited to start editing old videos and brainstorming new ideas for projects. I am also excited for future contests and events that we are going to hold, because it is good to be involved in the community and give these kids something to get excited about!!! I leave you with a link to the video I made from my trip to Bali in August…

I have been interning at Bamoosk8 for about four weeks now and let’s just say I got off to a very rocky start. I was so excited to start the intern process that when it actually started I got so overwhelmed with everything my performance definitely suffered. It has been really fun learning how to Skype with all of the interns, there is nine of us that have survived the first few weeks. I am also enjoying getting to know Geoff Koboldt the president at Bamboosk8. He has been my mentor the last few weeks and I have really learned a lot from him.  Another highlight was selling my first deck, it was a Bamboosk8 blank pool deck to my friend Jeff he is an old school skater and loves long boards.

Now that I am a few weeks in I have been thinking about what is next, I have been thinking of a few of the top companies that I would want to work for other than Bamboosk8 once I finish my internship. My top choice would definitely be Billabong. I have loved them as a brand for a while now and even have a few friends that I know that work there. They are located next to where I live so my commute would be a breeze which is always an added benefit. RVCA would be my next choice. They are owned by Billabong and are a very strong company. I love what they stand for; bringing art, music, and action sports together is awesome. Hurley would also be a top choice of mine, the company stands for love for the ocean, positivity, with a premium on smiles. All of these things I try and live by in my life. Having the opportunity to work for any of these companies would be great, they all are strong and have a large part in making the action sports industry what it is today.  Now, I just need to stay positive and finish the internship here at Bamboosk8, so I can hopefully work for one of these great companies someday!

Woz up??

We’re now at the end of our first month with Bamboosk8 and lots it’s happening. When I start to think “OK, I’m getting the hang of it” something comes up in my email and a new exciting task is given to us. So far we’ve been put in charge of different sections of the brand with KPI’s that we have to reach weekly forcing us to work hard and come up with new ways to achieve our goals.

Also, this week I’m moving to a new place which makes everything even harder, however I’m very excited to make new friends and spread the word about Bamboosk8. I’ve got some decks coming Down Under soon, so I’ll start skating different spots and get people’s attention with my higher than usual ollies thanks to the greater pop that comes from the bamboo!

Have you ever had to move house? How was it? leave a comment if you want.

On top of that, this week I also lost a friend and it’s been hard to keep positive and keep going through such a hard time. Shaun was a good friend of mine and I’ll miss him, but what I’ll miss more is having a chat everyday about the surf or having a beer on the veranda, while another plane was passing by in order to land. You would have never thought he was ill, apart from rare occasions and he was always laughing. Anyway, that’s a picture of him and I will always remember him as a friend that never asked anything in return for his friendship.

Did you loose anyone in your life? how did you cope? leave a comment if you want.

In the end, it’s been a hectic month, but I’m leraning so much that it cannot be put in text here. I’m in a team working on Facebook (go and LIKE the page if you haven’t yet at http://www.facebook.com/BambooSk8),  we’re working with athletes and followers on Hook it (http://www.hookit.com/brands/bamboosk8/)  and we’ve been learning about how to work in a team, about cash flows, income statements and more.

This internship is a massive learning curve for me and everyone else, I hope you get inspired by our stories and you will apply as well for future internships in your way to get work experience in the action sport industry and to help people learn about the environment buying sustainable brands.

Talk to you soon
Gabe

Well….it is now officially week 4. Things are moving quicker, and we now have our assigned teams. I am working on increasing likes on the BambooSk8 Facebook Fan Page with Gabe and Jamie. I am also working with David and Jamie on increasing unique viewers through Google Analytics. We have a long way to go but I know we can hit our goals.

It has been pretty hectic trying to hit all the deadlines assigned, but it should get easier. So far, I have been focusing on completing my Hookit contacts and the Master Shop List. Next on my list of things to do is get all of my team on board and implementing the many ideas we have come up with! It’s time to hit the ground running and get massive traffic to the BambooSk8 site!!!!

SOOOOOOO..do me a solid and like the BambooSk8 Facebook Fan Page!!! Just click the link!!!

BambooSK8

Promote Your Page Too

Hey, all you peeps!! My name is Ryan Sandru, and I am stoked to be accepted into BambooSK8′s 12th intern class!! I heard about BambooSK8 a while back and was pleasantly surprised to discover the innovative, superior, and eco-friendly skateboards that the company produces. I was born and raised in North San Diego County and I’ve been skatin’ for a long time. I never seen anything like BambooSK8! I am fortunate to be working with such awesome people at a great company.

In 2003, I left San Diego and moved to Pasadena, CA. I studied Illustration at the Art Center College of Design from 2004 to 2006. I quickly discovered that I couldn’t swing the tuition of $15,000 per semester!! I took some time off and finally finished my degree at Cal State Fullerton. I majored in Graphic Design in 2010, and that was that. I missed San Diego the entire time that I lived in L.A. County! I didn’t want to be an actor or famous musician… I wanted to work in the skate capitol that is San Diego. As soon as I could, I moved back home.

Here I am BambooSK8!! Working for a skate company isn’t as easy as it may seem. It is definitely a professional and task-driven environment. But I wouldn’t have it any other way! After all, you can’t learn anything under any other circumstances.

We are currently wrapping-up the second week, and I can wait for future weeks. Nice to meet you all!!!! SK8 the BAMBOO!!!!

When I found this opportunity at BambooSk8, I had recently graduated from college in San Francisco. I took a couple months after college to relax, get my resume together, take a little trip to Florida, and a cruise to Alaska. Once I got some vaca out of the way, I started to get into the swing of things, sending out endless resumes for all kinds of jobs, getting a response very rarely of a phone interview and no return call. I started to think more and more about what kind of company I really wanted to work for and how I can make it happen.

My first thoughts were that I needed to gain valuable experience no matter what, so I focused a lot on internship opportunities. I realized I’d like to work for a company that is socially responsible, or who has a greater cause. Or I’d like to work with a company related to my interests in skateboarding or plants. BambooSk8 was everything I was looking for in one opportunity.

I really started skateboarding when I was about 11 years old, and like Pringles chips, once I popped I couldn’t stop, hehe. Ever since then I’ve been hooked and have continued to go out and have fun skateboarding, especially being in the bay area hitting up fresh spots I didn’t grow up skating.

My interest in plants came from a project I did for fun for my parents, completely redoing their landscape and irrigation. I turned planters of dirt and rot into tropical succulent lush beautiful planters of life. I planted fruit trees, vegetables, herbs, flowers, ferns, succulents, pretty much everything I could get my hands on. Definitely some bamboo, 4 different varieties!!

When I began the internship, I realized it wasn’t all running through fields of bamboo with wind in my face jumping on my board shredding bamboo half pipes. Although, I did also realize that this is going to be an intense program that has the potential to greatly enhance my professional development and help steer me in the right direction towards finding a career path I can walk down with a smile on my face. Also, that it’s up to me to make the most of this great opportunity.

So far, we have been getting used to some of the tools we are going to be using to promote BambooSk8 and to interact with skateboarders. We’ve also been learning all about BambooSk8 and what makes it a great company. We’ve been working a great deal on our own professional development: learning our weaknesses, our goals, and how we can improve our interviewing skills. We’ve done a lot of collaboration between interns and mentors, contributing ideas and sharing lessons, and started to become acquainted with one another.

M future goals are to take what I learn in this internship and to move on to gaining more experience relative to tasks I excelled in during the internship. I want to narrow down a more specific career path and have more specific goals. Once I have my focused path, I will bust my ass to become the best at what I do. I’m looking at the next 14 weeks with the highest hopes and a hungry, determined spirit. Much thanks to everyone at BambooSk8!!

The video links at the bottom of this post (Berkeley, Bobby longboarding) may be glitchy or take a while to load, especially the longboarding one because it’s longer, and don’t view it full screen, sorry bout that.

Makeshift spot right next to the ocean

The infamous hubba hideout on the verge of destruction

One of my favorite spots

Nothing like shredding a mini in the snow - Tahoe

Video Links:     Berkeley                   Bobby longboarding

It’s been quite a ride for me to get to where I am with BambooSk8 today. So I guess I’ll begin with where it all started. I was born and raised in a suburb of Connecticut about an hour outside of New York City. I continued on to Penn State University where I had a great college experience. After college, I followed what I thought was the expected path and took the 1^st high paying job I was offered without really giving much thought to what I really wanted to do with my life.  After 18 months working back in Connecticut with a well known insurance company spending most of my days in a cubicle managing multiple Excel spreadsheets, I decided I had enough. So I quit my job and moved to South Lake Tahoe, CA in December of 2010. I spent the winter working for Heavenly Mountain Resort and snowboarding just about every day. Life was good, but as spring came and the snow melted I knew it wouldn’t last. But what I did realize was that I wanted to work around something that I was passionate about. For me, that was snowboarding, or really anything in the Action Sports Industry. So when I moved in with some old college buddies in San Diego this past July, I got an awesome internship with an upcoming snowboarding magazine called SBX Magazine. I learned a lot about marketing and worked with some really great people. However, I knew that working in the Action Sports Industry was difficult to break into. I just didn’t have enough connections or experience. So I got a job valet parking to pay the bills here in SD while I refocused on my search for a more traditional career. But I did still frequently peruse Malakye (the job listing site for action sports), which is where I found the opening with BambooSk8. So here I am today, trying to give another shot at following my passions by working with BambooSk8!

PS. Attached are a couple photos from my winter in Lake Tahoe, there is one that might give you an idea about how much it dumped last winter!

Hello from Wisconsin!

I am happy to say that I am part of the 12^th class of interns and the first class with out-of-state interns! I am currently living in Menomonie, WI and going to school at the University of Wisconsin- Stout. I am majoring in Retail Merchandising and Management with a concentration in Buying and Product Development, a minor in Business Administration and an emphasis in Apparel Design.

I am going to be very busy these next couple months. Along with this wonderful internship, I have a job with the productions club at my school. I am the Special Events Coordinator. This means I am in charge of bringing a bigger name artist to the Stout campus. In the past we have brought Atmosphere, Ingrid Michaelson, and Motion City Soundtrack. I have a passion for music, art, fashion, and the action sport industry.

I am excited to see all the doors that BambooSK8 will open and all that I will achieve. I am so happy to be part of this BambooSK8 team. I have NEVER worked with such driven people and I am already learning so much. I have BambooSK8 on the brain all the time now and it’s great. Menomonie, WI is pretty far from Oceanside, CA (2021.76 miles), but it is amazing how close the Internet can bring us together. I will be taking Wisconsin by storm and looking to get BambooSK8 all over the state!

I’ve finally started the internship at Bamboosk8 and now I am part of the tribe as well. I gotta admit.. I thought it was going to be an easy start you know??!! Au contraire! We’ve been flooded wit lots of things to do and to set up, which I’m really happy about, because unlike other internships I’m not going around buying coffees for everyone else, but I’m actually working to improve the company results and the tight crew here at Bamboosk8 really welcomed us all with open arms.

I’m working from Australia, which is cool since Bamboosk8 is not known here, so I’m really excited (and the guys in the office are as well) to hopefully expand in the land Down Under.

There’s interns from all over the US and from different walks of life, just stroll around the blog to read their posts as well and see how they’re going and what they think about the internship. It’s awesome to work all along towards achieving our goals in life and on the professional side.

Last Saturday I was lucky enough to go and watch an amateur contest search here on the Gold Coast (Australia), so I took the initiative of taking some footage with my Gopro for you all to see.

http://youtu.be/59RlUmXdChQ

It was great to see so much talent and the vibe was really cool, no barriers or security, so I could actually go and mingle next to the competitors in the contest area and have a prime view of the shredding happening. You know, there might be future flow riders there that haven’t been discovered yet!

Anyway, these two weeks I’ve started learning a lot about myself as a person and how hard it is to actually manage my time between my other job as a lifeguard and the requirements of the internship. From next week things will change again and me and the other interns will start working really hard to get quantifiable results that we can use towards achieving our goals.
My goals for the internship is to learn as much as possible about marketing and the action sport industry, while making leifelong friends and connections along the way.

Keep following my posts every second week to find out what’s happening at Bamboosk8 and how the internship evolves.

Cheers
Gabe

Hello all! My name is Jessi, and I am very excited about being apart of BambooSk8′s 12th internship class. I grew up in beautiful Encinitas California. I am also fortunate to have spent most of my childhood and summers in Jackson Hole Wyoming. So I have had a lot of diversity when it comes to outdoor activities. I LOVE to fish, camp, snowboard, swim and travel. I actually just spend a week in Cabo San Lucas with some pretty awesome friends…

Anyway…The question of the year seems to be what do you do now that you are out of college? To which I answer, I supplement my surgical consulting job with an internship at Bamboosk8. Then I am usually hit with, “Why an internship?”  Well….let me tell you. Having just graduated from Cal State San Marcos (WOOHOOO) I needed a job! However, if you aren’t aware by now, obtaining a super awesome 9-5 that can pay your bills has seemingly joined the ranks of mythical creatures by being IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND! Even though my resume is pretty solid from years of hard work to put myself through college, it is a bit scattered. This didn’t help my job-hunt. So, I thought that finding a credible internship where I can get actual experience and help fine-tune my resume is just what I needed.

ENTER BAMBOOSK8!!!

I found the internship opportunity online at Malakye. Before I applied I looked over their website and found what I was looking for. I wasn’t going to be filing documents and taking out the trash like normal internships can consist of. I was actually going to be apart of projects! Setting and reaching goals, and creating a track record! And lets face it…being able to track your progress and prove that you did something is just what is needed these days to get you ahead in this 2012 rat race.

So. Once I got the internship I started my orientation week. I felt that I was back in college! There are numerous deadlines that I will be accounted for. Documents due every week, and weekly meetings to make sure I can still keep my head above water. But let me tell you!!! I couldn’t be happier! I’m meeting awesome people, getting awesome life lessons, and living my life post college!

Here are some photo’s of my recent trip to Cabo.

Hello Friends! My name is Michelle and I am also part of the first class of “out of office” interns. I live in Denver, Colorado and let me tell you, the weather is not as nice as it is in Oceanside right now. It is currently 14 degrees outside and dropping. I grew up in a small town in Southern Colorado and have been snowboarding since I was 14. I moved to Denver for school and will graduate in May with a business degree in marketing and management. BambooSK8 struck my interest because I hope to have a successful career in the action sports industry.

With my future career goals, BambooSK8 was definitely a step in the right direction. I’m really excited to have the opportunity to work with a company that is innovative, environmentally responsible and very organized. It is absolutely incredible what BambooSK8 is doing for the skate community and I assure you that BambooSK8 will continue to grow in the future.

We are currently in week 2 of the internship program and it has not been easy. This internship is not about getting coffee and stopping at the dry cleaners for the boss (thank goodness). There is a ton of information that needs to be learned and getting all the details perfect is the key to success for this internship. Getting into the swing of things has been tough but I am confident that it will get easier once I find a routine. So far, I have only met and worked with Geoff K (owner/president) and Mark (operations manager) who have been incredibly helpful with the whole process so far. You can tell that we are working with professionals and it is a great privilege to do so. As of now, everyone and everything is great and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next few weeks.

Well that’s it for now. I will leave you with a few pictures so you guys can paint a picture of what life in Colorado is like.

Hi!! My name is Tameka or you can call me Meka. I am part of the first ever “out of state” internship cycle with BambooSK8!!! I’m stoked on it, can you tell? I grew up in San Diego and in Illinois and ride a longboard most every day that I can. (I had a military mom) I will be interning from the great snowy state of Illinois! Wait, I forgot cold, too. First and foremost, I am honored to have been chosen to be a part of such a fantastic company. Before, I ever thought about applying for the internship, I fell in love with the company, its beliefs and goals. There isn’t another company like BambooSK8. They are without a doubt changing the way people look at this industry one bamboo cane at a time. I’m thrilled because I, too, believe in this company.
After I read : “According to the Science Channel (January 2008, Episode 7 – “Invention Nation”), skateboarding has replaced flooring as the #1 contributor to deforestation of maple trees in North America,” I knew I wanted to become involved with BambooSK8, not only, to promote and amazing eco-friendly product but to help educate others on the benefits of bamboo.
This internship marks the beginning of a new year and a new chapter. (How cliché right?) It’s the golden ticket that opens the door to the world of bamboo and the action sports industry. Normally, I am involved with the event coordinating or starting up skateboard ministries. I feel that to become a well rounded intern or employee, I would need to know more about business. I am interested in furthering this knowledge from marketing and/or public relations stand point and learn how a company successfully operates to sustain longevity. My goals during this internship is to become a sponge and soak up everything that I will be taught to gain a better business sense and obtain an event operations or marketing career within the action sports industry. I am looking forward to the next couple months, the people I will meet and the things that I will learn!!
Have a good one,
~Meka

( When its dangerously cold out…too cold to skate or even snowboard, you have to keep yourself busy right?)

Hi my name is Jamie I am one of the new interns for the 2012 spring internship, I am super excited to start working with Bamboosk8 and can’t wait to get started. I found Bamboosk8 online and found out they offered an incredible opportunity for a marketing internship. I graduated college around a year ago with a degree in marketing and really had no real life marketing experience; I knew this would be an amazing opportunity for me to get my foot in the door. I currently am a hair stylist down in the South Orange County area; I have been doing hair for around seven years and love what I do! I am just ready to take the next step in my life. This brings me to what brought me to want to work at Bamboosk8. One of the other things that I am passionate about is action sports, I wakeboard, snowboard, and paddle surf and watch many of the others on television. Bamboosk8 seemed like a good fit for me to learn about marketing while working with people who share the same passion as I do. I also love the fact that Bamboosk8 is a green company; working for a company that is trying to make a difference by helping the environment is really inspiring to me.

I have been at Bamboosk8 for almost a week now and have learned a lot about the company, as well as the products they sell. The company as a whole is great! Everyone seems super excited about the company they work for as well as the products they sell. The use of social media has really brought a huge following for the company; I hope I can help to bring in more followers to help expand the company. Learning all of the different social media avenues is really important especially today. Most everyone uses the internet for either personal or business reasons, so learning how to properly use social media to promote a company will diffidently help me along the way with marketing. I also have learned how well the company has grown over the last few years; the company started off as just a manufacture of decks and now has a team of riders as well as a complete brand for the company. Starting to work with a company who is in growth stage will help me to see what it takes to grow a company from the ground up. It will be interesting to learn how all different pieces within the company connect to inevitably create a profitable lasting company.

Now that you know why I am here and what I have learned so far I thought I would share some of my future goals. In the next 16 weeks I hope to have gained more real life knowledge in marketing, especially in social media as well as knowledge about the skateboarding industry.  In the next year or two I plan on switching careers completely, I will give up my hair styling business and hopefully venture out into some type of entry level marketing job, hopefully for an action sports company if I am lucky. In the next five years I plan on having a secure job in marketing with a company that I am not only am passionate about but enjoy working for. Sometime during this period I would also like to have gone back to school and have gotten my MBA in management. And, hopefully in the next 10 years I plan on either managing a team or maybe even owing my own company, so an MBA would definitely help me.

Hello all, Ryan here!  I have just joined the wonderful Bamboosk8 internship team which I am very thankful to be a part of. As from what I can see this opportunity is going to be just the right, rigorously challenging experience I have been looking forward to take on! At the same time I know it will help me in many ways to grow in the exact direction I am looking for and give me the experience to be successful in the industry I have been interested in since I took my first-step on to that wooden plank with wheels.

I grew up on the west coast of Florida where it is exceptionally boring and skateboarding gave me life. It was not only an outlet from the rough times at home, but also a way to feel connected to something bigger, society. Ever since then my love for boards and action sports grew rapidly. I eventually moved to San Diego to live near family and attend college at San Diego State University where I am currently a student. I have the luxury of living in Ocean Beach where I am close to good surf and the O.B. skate park which gives me ample time to do what I love! It is my ultimate goal to develop my own company some day in the action sports industry, but right now my goals are to increase my marketing and sales wherewithal by working with others to reach maximum output and potential. I now know Bamboosk8 is the perfect place to learn how small businesses survive in this economy and more importantly how they thrive! I look forward to these next few months with excitement!

I leave you with a quote to celebrate the holiday, “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus.” Martin Luther King Jr.

My name is Sam Britt, I am one of several interns for the spring class of 2012…

I recently have had the opportunity to join BambooSK8 for their in depth internship.  Just this last Thursday I was invited to Bamboo’s skate facility for our orientation.  As I approached the office, I realized this was uncharted territory for myself simply because I realized I have no skate experience to bring to the table.  I haven’t a lick of information on why their audience likes Bamboo’s decks over standard competitor decks or for that matter what some of the trick moves are that skaters use with these decks.  All of this ran through my mind as I approached the door to the “Intern Cave” where all interns gather for idea crunching and education.  It was there I was exposed to all things skateboard.  Literally!  There were many different style decks posted throughout the room with various graphics.  The boards cover wall to wall.  From what I gather these decks have been designed by previous intern classes and hung in “The Cave.”   One of our mentors Mark Olson, sat and introduced us to Bamboo’s way of life and of course the syllabus we all will be using for the next 4 months.  For those of you who are considering this as an easy internship, let me just say this is not a position where you can walk in and ride your board and think you can literally “skate by” on this internship.  This curriculum was well though out and planned and requires alot of your personal time in order to be successful at BambooSk8.   What I did realize is regardless of the industry, all businesses have a business model they abide by and Bamboo is no different.  The one thing I look to take from this internship is something in the public relations and social media realm.  BambooSk8 is a unique company and requires a unique tactic to grab its audiences attention.  I intend to absorb any information I can with this company and I am looking forward to meeting all the different individuals involved with BambooSk8.

So long for now….

As I sit here typing my last blog as a BambooSK8 intern I’m amazed that 4 months have gone by.  I think that statement alone says something about this internship.  It was definitely difficult and frustrating at times (what job isn’t) but it was definitely a lot of fun too.  Being busy and having fun makes time fly by.

During the internship I learned about the role that social media plays in a small company, about growing video views on youtube, and about creating press releases.  Through our midterm and final I learned about the income statement and statement of cashflow, how the two relate, and how important they are to a business owner.  I also learned a lot about myself. I now know that if I pay attention to all the little details and am more efficient with my time I can be successful.  I learned a lot in 4 months and I’m definitely proud to be 1 of the final 3 interns.  Now that its over I definitely feel more prepared for a career in marketing in any industry but especially the action sports industry.

I want to thank Geoff K, Mark, Wyatt, Geoff C, and Jackie for all the help along the way and I want to congratulate Kyle and Chelsea for making it all the way through.  Thanks guys for making this such a great experience!

For everyone out there reading this, I’m leaving you with some pictures of the office ugly sweater Christmas party…..

Have a happy Holiday!

People always say that as you get older time seems to go by quicker and quicker as the years go on, I must be getting old then because I have no clue where the last 16 went! It is hard to even describe what has happened in these last 16 weeks but it seems that so much about myself has grown. When talking with all of my friends from college I said that I learned more in my time here than I did during 4 years of college. They would all laugh about this little “joke” they thought I was telling, but it was the complete truth. Leaving college I had a plethora of environmental knowledge and know how but I had minimal real world business knowledge. This internship has allowed me to learn some of the ins and outs of a small action sports company. This being said I am extremely proud of myself and to date I think this has been my biggest accomplishment in my “career” realm.

If you are interested in working within the action sports world this is the perfect stepping stone for you. This is an internship that will push your boundries and your knowledge, but in the end it is all worth it. You will spend hours setting up your excel sheet and studying for the midterm and final, but you will spend just as much time immersing yourself within the culture of the action sports world at events and outings.

There were moments when I thought I was never going to make it out alive but I stuck with it and pulled through in the end. I would like to thank all my fellow interns that made this an amazing experience and I’d like to congratulate Kyle and Tyler for finishing it off with style!

Thank you to everyone at BambooSK8 that made these last 16 weeks amazing!!

Its getting down to it folks, only a few weeks left here at BambooSK8.  All the interns just took the final which was more difficult than I thought it would be.  It taught me a lot about lead time, which basically means I learned about inventory.  A company has a given amount of lead time ( say 8 weeks ) to get new product from the factory (total of ordering and then shipping), if you do not order your items early enough then you will run out of inventory before the new shipment comes. So business owners/companies have to plan ahead in order to optimize their inventory.  Basically the test asked you to look at the big picture and determine when you need to order your next shipment of skate decks.  I actually did pretty well on the test scoring a 47 out of 50 so that felt pretty good.  The final helped me understand the relationship of the income statement and cash flow statement with regards to lead time.  It also taught me that no matter what your area of expertise (marketing, management, accounting, finance) you need to have a basic understanding of the other departments in order to get things done.

On Tuesday I noticed another addition to the warehouse.  We can now take breaks and play ping pong!  Last night after work I beat the other intern Kyle 10 times and only lost once…. kind of a beat down…. but it was definitely fun and brought me back to when I used to play all the time.

Here’s a link to what our ping pong game looked like:

ping pong match

Thursday all the interns had mock interviews with Mark, Geoff, and Wyatt (the boss men).  I kind of sucked.  But the experience was definitely positive.  They were all super supportive and gave great feedback.  Some things I need to work on were exuding more confidence and making eye contact with all the people that were interviewing me.  They also gave me feedback on all of my interview answers so that I can practice them for future interviews and so that I can have more confidence in my answers moving forward.  At the end, they reviewed my resume and gave me some feedback on that as well.  I definitely feel more prepared for the next interview that I get, wherever that may be.

In other news I was up in LA and then visited Venice the other weekend which was a lot of fun.  Venice is a really cool town, with a lot of great skate parks, I attached some pictures because the view from the beach is great.

Venice Beach

View from the apartment I stayed at in LA

Until next time,

Tyler

As Chelsea mentioned there are only two weeks left in the internship, which is hard to believe! The mild Southern California climate doesn’t make it feel like December. Back east its really easy to tell when the seasons change because of the chilly winter temperatures that roll in as the year progresses. Living in Oceanside I find it a little hard to keep  track of the changing seasons. That being said it was unseasonably cold the past few nights as temperatures dipped below freezing.

Luckily the High Tech High fundraiser was last week. This high school used BambooSK8 decks as a canvas for students to create art with. Held at Haggo’s Organic Taco in Leucadia, the fundraiser showcased the finished product of the student’s hard work. The best part about the event, other than the mouth watering tacos, was that a portion of all the proceeds from food sold that night went back to supporting the arts program at the school. The BambooSK8 crew showed up in full force to support the arts and fill up on one of the best tacos in San Diego county. The assignment for the students was to paint something to do with sustainability, activism, or social responsiblity. One of my favorites had to be the deck depicting a whale getting revenge on a Japanese whaling vessel. If you are ever in the area Tuesday-Sunday around lunch (11-3) be sure to support the good folks at Haggo’s.

Last week we also took our final exam. Although taking a four hour final was not as fun as eating tacos, it was great to find out that all of the interns did really well! This week the interns have been focusing on trying to get all of our commitments completed. We also had a mock interview with Mark, Wyatt, and Geoff to try and hone in our interviewing skills. On top of getting work done this week we have been playing ping pong and getting good at the extremely addicting traditional Japanese toy, Kendama. If you’re unfamiliar with it check it out on YouTube. I leave you with a picture of us grinding out work in the cave and the office Kendama.

**Please be sure to answer questions at bottom of job description**

BambooSK8 is an ecologically-based skateboard brand and manufacturer of high quality skateboards made from sustainable bamboo from managed forests.  We are social entrepreneurs who believe that giving back to our communities is as equally important as profits.  We service core shops, brands and individuals around the globe while providing a solidified partnership and unique experience with each.  We have been a part of action sports and skateboarding our whole lives and now passionately hope to inspire others to take actionable steps towards the preserving of our natural environment.  BambooSK8 is a division of BambooBuddy LLC but has the same owners.

If you are ready to make a difference in the world, work super hard without whining and get some killer real-world experience – then we are happy to meet with you.  By all means, please visit our website and read the “internship-in-training blog” to gain insight on what is all entailed, as our program is designed to be intense and kick your butt a little bit.  Internship will start the first week of January 2012.

We are currently seeking:  Marketing Interns-in-training (non-paid) for both in-the-office and out-of-the-office

In-the-office:

• Oceanside, CA working directly with the Operations Manager, Warehouse Supervisor, CEO and COO

• A minimum of 1 day per week (8 hours) in the office is expected but the internship requires nearly 20 hours per week total, for 4 solid months.  2 days per week is highly recommended to maximize ones learning.  If you aren’t financially stable and can’t realistically fulfill these requests, then please do not apply.  Also, if you are using the internship as “filler” until you find a job, then please don’t apply.

Out-of-the-office (limited to only 5 interns who live out of the state of California):

• Online working directly with the Operations Manager and COO

• A minimum of 20 hours per week total, for 4 solid months

Internship is graded on 400 total points involving weekly duties such as managing your commitments/goals file, writing weekly blogs, weekly Skype calls, updating your MPS philosophy, providing mentor feedback, intern matrix grading other interns, mid-term exam, final exam, communication with COO, etc.  The internship is broken down into categories:  sales, pr, marketing and social media.  Each month a minimum number of points is required in order to continue in the program.  You will have a new mentor inside the company to work closely with each month which includes having 1-on-1 weekly meetings. The last month of the internship is devoted to improving your resume, interviewing practice and other key actions  to maximize your opportunities for job growth.  Past interns have gone on to work for Fox Moto-X, Sole Tech, Action Sports Group, BambooSK8, Dark Horse Distribution, HARO Bicycles, Rock Star Energy drink, etc.

Responsibilities:

• Assist with marketing campaigns – print and digital; viral-focused

• Assist with generalist duties – organizing/filing emails, making phone calls, etc.

• Assist with public relations – updating database of contacts, writing press releases, finding positive publicity

• Visit skate shops, skate parks, attend industry events (X-games, Vans Warped Tour, Maloof $ cup, Tampa Am, etc.)

• Assist with social media (Facebook, Hookit, Twitter, Digg, Stumbleupon) and Internet presence – top blogging sites for skate and environmentalism

• Learn fundamental business concepts across a myriad of disciplines (marketing, production, sales, strategy, etc.)

Internship-in-training Requirements:

• Applicants should be active participants with a thorough understanding of the skateboarding, surfing and snowboarding youth culture; prefer skateboarding-focused.

• Applicants require a minimum of 6 months experience in an action sports related generalist position

• Applicants should be outgoing and personable with good social and conversational skills

• Must be analytical, process driven, detail oriented and be trusted to get the job done

• Must be able to manage your time with outside life, work, etc.

• Must be a leader and a self-starter…but also maintain the ability to work independently

• Prefer college graduates, but others can receive college credit

**Your resume should be molded to fit our needs and be focused on action sports; no cookie-cutter resumes**

***No cover letters please!*** –  Remove them entirely when submitting.

Failure to answer these questions automatically disqualifies you.

1. What are you looking to get out of an internship in relation to your future goals?

2. What do you feel makes you a qualified candidate?

3. Why have you chosen BambooSK8?

4. What days of the week are you available to come in and work a full day?

5. Are you financially stable to ensure that you can do an internship up to 4 months unpaid?

Please submit your resume and answer to the questions to info@bamboosk8.com