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Well, It’s only Tuesday and this week is already one for the books! Today I finished the FINAL EXAM! Holy crap was that hard! I’m crossing my fingers and hoping that I did well. I can honestly say that I took bit sigh of relieve once I hit send on that email. Then quickly took some Excedrin!

Anyway, last week was intense. On top of studying for the final and getting all of that in line my team and I needed to really push to hit our goals. Currently, the marketing team is falling behind but I know that we have it in us to turn that around quickly. Actually, as of today we are starting a new sweepstakes on Facebook to see if we can get the Bamboosk8 fans to help us out. If our fans help us reach our goal of 4,430 likes by Monday April 2nd we will randomly select a fan to receive a free deck. So fingers crossed it works!

On top of all of that, this week has already been a blast! Both Geoff C and myself donned the panda suit and filmed some pretty epic skits for the social media sites. We also had an awesome photo shoot with some of the bamboo laying around the warehouse. I think we hit a comedic goals mine with these video’s. Now we just need to edit them so they can go live!

Till next time folks!

-JB

 

PS-Here are some of the shots we took with the Panda Suit.

We reached the end of month 3 in this hard but amazing internship. What can I say…every day I’m learning something new! If it has to do with going to skate shops and get them on-board with our awesome decks, like I did this week or if it has to do with making sure our riders on Hook it are doing their part and respecting their contract’s duties, it’s all happening here at Bamboosk8.

Personally, this last two weeks I’ve visited a shop on the Gold Coast and they’re so happy, maybe we’re starting a distribution in Australia. They love our decks and my sales rep abilities made it all possible (aahahahh, I’m a genius!!!). At the Hook it team, we’ve been working on competitions and bringing more people active to interact with us with emails, comments ect. The latest competition we’ve created is bringing a lot of action to the website and our brand, it’s called the Bamboosk8 Treasure Hunt and kids have to find clues hidden in other sites of ours and the first to find the clues win a prize.

 

The crew residing in Cali was fortunate enough to participate at the Clash at Clairemont, but were unlucky with the weather since it rained all day and no demos went on, but Bamboosk8 stayed there to the end supporting all the kids and fanatics around.

Time is flying by now and if everything goes according to plan in 4 weeks’ time we all graduate from the internship with enough points to move forward with our careers. This week also we have our final exam, daunting but very important to teach us about lead times and shipping costs together with understanding how a business stays profitable over the course of a year. Last time I did well, but this week I really want to go the extra mile and get maximum points.

We have been also interviewed on all the questions we are given during the internship, to see our changes to responses and to see if we are learning to use the STAR format. A very useful way to be prepared and kick it at future interviews. We’ll have another one in the coming weeks as a final one before the end of the internship, but this one was good because I gathered a lot of feedback on what to improve.

Well, I guess that’s enough of me for this time, let’s go out there to shred in Bamboosk8 fashion!

Thanks for reading

Gabe

 

Hey Everyone!!

I would first like to point out that there has been sightings….( Cue scary music) Sightings of a big blurry monster roaming the countryside…wait…wrong animal…my bad. But really, BambooSK8 has a panda suit that I feel I am destined to wear! Although, I may have to thumb wrestle Jessi to wear it, I’m going to wear it!

The internship is coming to a close faster and faster. Its bittersweet because I truly dig the PR and event coordinating that I have been doing. The BambooSK8 family and my fellow interns are awesome! Enough with the emo stuff….

So here’s whats going on next…We will be hosting a charity event to an incredible organization called Grind for Life. Its an organization that provides financial assistance to cancer patients and families as the travel for miles to get to treatment centers and hospital. This hits close to home because my beautiful mom is a cancer survivor. We’re having it a Hensley’s in Carlsbad and you are all invited!!! There will be a silent auction, food, awesome bands (The Short Eyes, Barbarian Overlords, and The Warned) and possible panda sightings!!!

Check out the the event link for details:

https://www.facebook.com/events/327281973987746/

Its going to be  pretty stellar event!!

Alissa ( another intern) and I will be repping BambooSK8 at the Ride the Beat Tour on March 31st! If you’re in the Milwaukee area, we’d love to meet you. We’ll have some boards with us so if you want one or 17, we have them!!

https://www.facebook.com/scionridethebeat

So what been up with me in the Midwest?? 84 degree temp that’s whats up!! Finally we have nicer weather than my Cali counterparts!! Eat your heart out!! I, also, decided to visit a ton of movie locations in Chicago. I love John Hughes so I went to the “Home Alone” house, Cameron’s house from Ferris Bueller and the football field from the Breakfast Club.  I got to cross some stuff off my bucket list…It was the stuff dreams are made of…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Catcha later,

T

 

 

It’s easy to think “oh yeah I have to be efficient, no problem.” Although, when you are hit with a bunch of tasks to tackle, it’s not always as easy as it seems.

Luckily, we have a sweet system set up to monitor our efficiency and help us manage our workload. The timesheet has been a challenge to stick to and it has been difficult to figure out how to make improvements but it has been a big help.

We had an awesome time at Clash at Clairemont 6. Despite the bad weather, a ton of people came out to support Grind For Life.

This program has been a blast and a big challenge for me to learn how to bring results and develop professionally. I look forward to every second of the rest of it.

So, we have this thing called the MPS (Management Performance System) at BambooSK8. It allows us to set, measure, and track to goals both individually and as a team. This has been instrumental in helping my personal progress throughout the internship. For one, I never consistently set specific goals and frequently checked my progress toward them. With the current system we have in place, I am forced to stay on top of my goals. Every week, I am working toward a weekly goal that eventually cumulates in a monthly or semester period goal. Using this system, I am constantly aware of where I stand in relation to my goals. Additionally, when I begin to add numbers to this to track my success, I am able to see areas I can improve upon to better reach my goals. Overall, it has really helped to contribute to my success while in the internship program with BambooSK8.

Beyond the MPS, I am learning tons of information from the big bosses at BambooSK8. Through constant feedback and constructive criticism, I am gradually becoming stronger in areas such as attention to detail, focusing on effective communication, and how to lead a team. We can also learn about life at BambooSk8. Our CEO has a fresh, insightful outlook on life, which I am beginning to apply to my own.

Cheers!

Just a few more weeks until this wonderful experience comes to an end! It is so crazy how time flies when you’re having fun and working hard! I am part of the sales team and one of the things we are in charge of is visiting skate shops and getting new clients. Easier said than done. I have realized very quickly that getting sales isn’t as easy as I thought it would be. What works for some shops doesn’t work for others, and some people just don’t want to deal with you. The key is persistence and staying stoked on BambooSK8.
If any of you readers are considering this internship in the future, you need to be ready to work hard and learn. Our executive team is composed of some real action sports ballers! I have been working with Mark over the last month and he’s taught me a thing or two about being confident when visiting shops and also being confident in interviews. This internship is more than just gaining experience and also about growing as a business professional.
In other news, everyone is getting ready for the Clash at Clairemont event! I hear it’s going to be super awesome! Schwag, skating, pros… what more could you ask for! Unfortunately, I will hanging out in Colorado on my Spring Break! Not too unfortunate, but I would definitely rather be hanging out with the BambooSK8 crew at the Clash. It’s okay, maybe next year.
Until next time friends! The weather is getting super nice out here! Spring has arrived and skate season has started. Also, have you guys been playing Draw Something? It’s like the biggest thing since sliced bread. You should probably download it and start playing with your friends now!!!

 

Week 10 is filled with adventure for me this week! I will give you a break down of my week in this blog. Out-of-office intern Alissa became In-office intern extraordinaire! I am on my Spring Break and I got to travel around the sunny state of California.

Saturday 3/10/12: Traveled from Chicago, IL to Los Angeles, CA and traveled to San Bernardino

Sunday 3/11/12: Caught some rays at the pool at California State San Bernardino  

Monday 3/12/12: Walked around the campus and visited an awesome skateboard exhibit in a gallery

Tuesday 3/12/12: Traveled to Oceanside on the 4:48am MetroLink 

Wednesday 3/13/12: Visited the BambooSK8 office!

Thursday 3/14/12: Went into the office again and met some more lovely interns!  

Friday 3/15/12: I travel to San Diego and visited the San Diego Zoo.

Saturday 3/16/12: I will be traveling back to WI.

          

I had such a wonderful trip. I got to visit a friend, go to the BambooSK8 office, make some memories, and sit on the ocean. I really could not have asked for a better vacation. I know that this internship is helping me grow more as a person inside and out. These friendships I have made will last me a lifetime. Thank you to everyone in Oceanside, CA. I appreciate you all SO SO much!

 

How  are you little leprechauns????

St.Patrick’s day is coming this weekend and we got so many things happening at Bamboosk8.

The internship is going really well and we’re all putting in a lot of effort in making it as successful as the others. This weekend we have the Clash at Clairemont event where we’ll have a booth so don’t be shy and come say hi. You can meet most of the interns making the pilgrimage to Cali and you can try and buy our decks, new graphics and new apparel clothing!

We are striving to reach time efficiency by using our MPS system and the time-sheet  to record how much time we spend on assignments and duties and how we perform compared to previous weeks. using a time-sheet is also really helpful to assign things to do to different days of the week so that we’re more efficient and we can have more time to put toward other commitments.

Learning first hand how the action sport business works I can say that it’s a 24/7 job. You never rest and everything is going on anytime, but when the results come in is very rewarding.

I hope to learn more during the next few weeks so that I can use the information and experience to find a job sooner than later.

Thanks for reading

Gabe

I can’t believe it is already week 9! Time fly’s when your being eco-friendly I guess. So far I have learned great things from my internship here at BambooSk8. The Management Systems that the company has in place really helps with organization. We also are required to fill out weekly time sheets that show everything we do, and how long it takes us to do it. I think it would be quite a feet for there to be a disorganized intern in this program!!! However, all of these tools are essential for entering the work force.

This week we are gearing up for the Clash at Clairemont. This event takes place on St. Patricks day, and I am SO EXCITED for it! Geoff K bought a panda suit for the event, and I can’t wait to see who we get to wear it. Things are pretty busy in the office, there is a lot of planning that goes into these types of events. After all, we want to make it great for everyone!!!

Other than the Clash event, things are running business as usual. I have been working hard with my team to get our Facebook and Analytic numbers where they need to be. I have also been spending a lot of time on Hookit to try and help our numbers there. We have some really great contests running at the moment, and we have another St. Patty’s day one about to be announced as well. Tameka, Mark and myself have also been working very hard at planning the fundraiser for Grind for Life. So far it is lining up to be pretty awesome!! The venue, Hensley’s Flying Elephant, is awesome!!!! We also have some pretty incredible bands lined up to play. The main goal right now is to get donations from other companies. So Jackie created a flyer for us to send out, and let me tell you, that girl is a genius!!!

On top of all of this, Jamie and I are helping some students up at the Oasis Skate Factory in Toronto with their deck designs. I can’t believe how amazingly talented these kids are. Their project is to create a deck design for a Bamboo deck that sends the message of sustainability. These designs are so good, I wouldn’t have thought they came from kids at all! Jamie and I are beyond excited to see what their final designs look like! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK GUYS!!!!

Below is some of the amazing work that the kids at OSF are doing!

The internship at Bamboosk8 is moving along quickly I can’t believe that it is already week 10. There has been so much that I have learned and got to do since starting the internship. One of the side projects that I have been working on is to work with high school kids that live in Toronto, Canada. They are a part of a program called the Oasis Skate Factory (OSF). They are working really hard at designing a Bamboosk8 skateboard deck. The entire class is competing to see who has the best idea. The kids are trying to design decks that have something to do with sustainable energy, and being green. I have been emailing back and forth with them for a few weeks now, and giving them feedback on the designs they have come up with so far. They are so good, I was completely blown away when I started to open their files and see their designs. What amazing talent! All of the kids get to keep their decks at the end of the contest but the lucky winners get to have their decks displayed at the Bamboosk8 factory. I cannot wait to see what the finished products look like and who ends up with the winning deck!!!

 

 

 

 

Another fun and upcoming event that I will be assisting Bamboosk8 with is the Clash at Clairemont. This is a skateboarding event to crush cancer held at the YMVA in Mission Valley, San Diego. They will have some of the top skateboard riders including Andy Macdonald, Tony Hawk, Bucky Lasek, Pierre-Luc Gagnon (“PLG”), Simon Tabron, Mimi Knoop and many more! All of the proceeds from the event go back to the YMCA and the Grind for Life Foundation. It should be a great day and event, can’t wait!

 

 

 

 

This internship is incredibly fun yet challenging at the same time. We just got passed our midterm exam this week! Income statements, cash flows, gross profit margins! Sounds like Accounting101 right? I know this isn’t supposed to be school, but the concepts covered in this exam (which are continually built upon in everything we do is truly valuable to running a business) sure makes it seem like it!

 

Beyond all the hard work put into this internship, I have to say that working in the action sports industry is definitely as cool as I pictured it. The people are awesome, from the interns and mentors at BambooSK8, to all the shop owners and industry leaders I have met throughout this experience. People working in this industry work here for a reason, because they love what they do! The love for what they do is reflected in the amount of dedication and professionalism that each one of them puts into their work. Looking forward to the 2^nd half!

Half way done!! Oh my, this week was absolutely insane. First, I am learning how to play the piano in school, and it is definitely my greatest challenge. Learning an instrument past 20 takes far more effort and commitment. It is really teaching me to be patient with myself and accept that I’m not the greatest at everything I do (haha ).

Another crazy part of the week was the midterm (yikes!!)!! I had been preparing for weeks and weeks, hours and hours for this thing, and you know what happened?? I messed up one thing and it screwed up all of my answers. Lesson learned, pay attention to details and make sure you use every resource you have when studying (as in ask your fellow interns for help in addition to the executive team). I didn’t do as well as I was hoping, but now that I know what to do next time and I should be able to rock the final!

Overall, the internship has been a blast. Everyone is super cool and very helpful. We have been busting our butts as a team to increase facebook likes and twitter followers, and it looks like our hard work is paying off! If you guys haven’t already, please follow us on twitter, and like us on facebook. We give you the DL on the latest cool news! Also, special shout out to Gabe, who has been doing an amazing job managing Hookit!

It snows, and then it’s warm. It snows, and then it’s warm. I wish Denver would make up its mind!! Cheers!

Spring 2012 Style Preview

Must haves:                                                                   

                                                                 Tank Top                                                                                       Crop Top

What do I wear with my cool shirt?

                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                       

Now you are looking good!

Style is a way for all of us to express ourselves. Fashion is ever so prevalent in our everyday lives. If you are a skater you know that you want function and style in your choices. Check out BambooSK8′s merch section on the website to get some cool swag! http://www.bamboosk8.com/store/index.php?cPath=21_23

Spring will be upon us soon. I have one more week and I will be offically on Spring break. Look out for a blog during week 10! During week 10 this Wisconsin dwelling girl will be an in the BambooSK8 office! I will be reporting about my Spring Break 2012: Operation Cali Fun Time. I am very excited to meet the people I have been working with for the past 2 months! I will be breaking out my best spring gear no matter what the temperature will be in Oceanside.

Make sure you are ready for Spring and Summer 2012! Get yourself some BambooSK8 Merch today!

*BambooSK8 does not carry any of these products. Is is an informative blog of current fashion trends.

 

 

 

At the halfway point in the internship, I feel like I have learned so much already and I am very excited about the next 2 months. At the beginning, I had a lot of room for personal and professional growth and I feel like every week I have experienced consistent improvement.

I don’t have only one good thing to say about only one intern because I feel very positively about the entire team. I feel like every single person has contributed a ton of valuable input to our team and I feel lucky to have had the chance to interact with them all.

So far the internship has been both fun and intense. It has pushed me to get out to new spots to skate and interact more with my fellow skateboard people. It has also pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me push myself to the limit. I have learned to take more ownership for my actions and to be more assertive.

One roadblock I’m facing is pushing myself more on sales. Also, 2 out of 3 of the marketing teams I’m on have not been reaching their goals so we really need to push to come up with great ideas and lead the team to success.

The big bamboo bosses have been giving me great insight into how to best utilize various forms of online marketing and sales. We’ve also just received a great lesson on finance that opened my eyes to the world of ordering skateboards.

So far this program has been one of the best experiences in my life!

Hi all Bamboosk8rs fans and readers of other people’s blogs!!

We just had a week from hell with a financial exam and everything else going on. This internship is redefining the meaning of “busy”. I truly have admiration for Gavin and Jessi who always seem in control of what’s going on, but I guess being in the office helps a big time. All the interns though are putting so much effort to get everything going and results are coming in.

This week we’ve been working on Hook it, Facebook, Twitter, Movie Maker Xtranormal, an event in Cali, auctions in Last Click, work on Seshday, Survey monkey on different things and the exam on how to create Income Statements and Cash Flows.

We’re also running multiple events on all platforms. Check our websites for what we’re offering our followers and trusted customers,

Twitter: who tags the most @Bamboosk8

Facebook: Are you the chosen one? enter team video to win

Hook it: How green are you contest, posting pictures of how to be green recycling ect..

Bamboo we: Bamboo bonanza code to buy and then enter sweepstake

I mean what else can we do?

Wait and see our next blog to find out what’s coming at you.

We’re so proud of making so much difference already and another 2 months ahead of us!

Bye Bye now!!!

Gabe

 

WHOOOOOA….WERE HALFWAY THERE!!!…….(Sing it with me)  WooooooOOHH…..LIVIN ON A PRAYER!!!

All I can say about this week is that it has been BANANAS! ( Is it bad that I hear Gwen Stefani in my head every time I spell that word?) We have all been in study mode getting ready to take the midterm which I must say was  brutal!

Just a side note for the interns after us….STUDY STUDY STUDY and help each other out as much as you can! It taught me a lot cash flow statements, shipping, revenue and all things accounting. While I’ll be the first one to admit that I am sorta of a information junkie (or nerd whichever you prefer) who wants to learn everything, I’m glad I was introduced to it all and glad the midterm is OVER!! Whew!

I got to spend a week at home in San Diego with my mom and family which was pretty awesome and I totally needed a break from the cold weather in Illinois. I, also, got the chance to stop by the BambooSK8 office in Oceanside and meet my Oside fam!  Jessi ( who btw is the internet queen of the world and freaking hilarious) and Jamie (who is equally as funny and has been a huge help to me ) were there hanging out in the intern cave/dungeon/ coldest place on earth. It was really cool to get a chance to meet them outside of Skype calls. P.S. Geoff C is one of the busiest people ever and he has media gadgets galore. He keeps saying hes going to make a sweet “Rambo Media BELT” to accommodate for his “iArensal.” I was expecting to see if when I got there but sadly, there was no belt and I think I cried a little.

While I am on the topic, can I just say that ALISSA,GAVIN, GABE,DAVID, MICHELLE, JESSI and JAMIE are on top of their game! I am proud to be apart of a team that is so well rounded, creative and determined. Everyone brings something different to the table and  I appreciate all of you! Keep up the good work guys!!

So whats next? Well, Ive been doing a ton of PR work…talking to event coordinators, booking bands for events, creating events for BambooSK8 and Bamboo Buddy to attend and getting our name into as many publications as I can. I must say I DIG it! I love everything about what I am doing right now! I’m looking to continue doing public relations within the action sports industry. (Wink Wink)

I am pretty stoked about what I have learned so far in this internship and how much it applies to every aspect of life.  We are currently working out the details of hosting a fundraiser event that will be held during Earth Week! There’s talk of a Panda Suit….at some point during the night….I will probably be in it!!! LOL

Also,  I will be attending my first event for BambooSK8 in Milwaukee at the end of March!  Alissa and I will be ‘boo swaggin” it out at the Ride the Beat tour hosted by Bam Margera!  If your in the area, we’d love to meet you!

Now that I’m back in cold Midwest, I guess I’ll bundle up…..IN MY ONEZIE PAJAMAS!!

 

 

 

 

or just hangout in the dryer and watch some tv

 

 

 

 

Catcha later,

T

This week we had are BIG midterm, man am I glad that is done with. I never realized how hard cash flow and income statements were to understand until I had to deal with this midterm. Now that it is done I can say that it was a great learning experience, and it was worth all of the time and effort I put into it. I now understand how and why a lot of things are done in a company. Thanks to Geoff C. for helping me with my excel sheet without him I would have been totally lost and probably ten times more stressed out. I also want to give a shout out to Tameka; you are doing an awesome job handling all of the PR stuff for Bamboosk8, keep up all your hard work!!! Now that the internship is half way over I can say that all of my stress and hard work is now beginning to pay off. I am learning lots especially how hard it is to get new customers and sell skate boards. That alone takes a lot of time and energy. Are sales team is doing a great job of accomplishing this keep up the great work guys. I have also learned how to use social media to its fullest potential. I don’t think I have ever been on Facebook as much as I have in the last few weeks. I have learned a bunch of different things you can do on Facebook such as the reveal tab which makes followers like us they can view are page. Thanks to Jessi we have some amazing flyers that have been getting posted on Facebook, Twitter and Hook it. Thanks Jess you do a great job at creating these. The experience so far has been great can’t wait to see what the next few week hold!!

THIS WEEK WAS INSANE!!!!!! I think I heard a collective sigh of relief from all the interns once the midterm was completed. I don’t know about anyone else, but I took a couple of shots of Jameson to take the edge off after that exam. It may have been very difficult, but the knowledge I gained from the experience was undeniable. I will carry this information with me throughout my career for sure.

Now, on to the good stuff. The marketing team and myself have really been working hard at reaching our numbers lately. We have lined up a lot of contests for Facebook, Hookit, and Twitter. All of this has been with the help of BambooSk8′s graphic guru Jackie! Without her, our contest flyers would look pretty busted. David has utilized a program that will automatically post to Twitter, so he is really moving on that end! I was able to get the new Facebook Reveal Tab added to Google Analytics so we are seriously moving on our goals!

On top of all the awesomeness that is just exuding from the interns, a few of us in office interns got to meet TAMEKA! She came into town and hung out with us in the cave. It was awesome to put a face to all those emails! The next intern scheduled to visit us Oside Riders is Alissa. She better get her game face on for beer pong!

Till Next Time!

-JB

Well, ladies and gents, this internship is moving right along and its really an eye opener. Seriously, I have been looking at details more than I ever have and organizing my time….well trying to anyways. Normally, we get free range of our blogs and what we would like to share with our readers. Hence, all the goofy pictures of me on my boards.  You know what? Being in the action sport industry as an intern, isn’t all skateboards and competitions, it a lot of business. I can say that I have learned a lot about business in a short amount of time.

Firstly, I am learning to receive constructive feedback.  Lets be honest, no one wants to be told that they are wrong. Since we are being honest, I used to have this bad. Ugh, my pride would get me into SO much trouble!! You couldn’t tell me anything! Needless to say, I was humbled over and over again until that pride thing was broken. Now, I’m not saying that it doesn’t make a cameo every now and again. The difference is, is that I don’t let it win. Business is something that is fairly new to me. You have to have a very thick skin  to be in  business and sometimes you will be given feedback that you don’t want to hear. Believe me, I know!

Ultimately, the feedback isn’t intended to make you cry or upset you but it does. The trick is to turn it into something positive. Take that feedback and implement it into your life or your career. It will make you a better person and employee if you let it.  But of course, you have to let it.

Overall this internship is a learning experience that can be applied to my life. This is new territory, new industry and responsibilities. I am surrounded by intelligent, focused people who are very efficient and love what they do. I love it! It challenges me to step up to the plate and chart this uncharted territory. I’m stoked on it!! I live in a very small town where the stars are insanely bright but  not everyone is  reaching for them. I want to reach for them, I am reaching for them. I am motivated and driven to do the best that I can to become a better person and a better employee. BambooSk8 is an amazing company and I will do everything i can to spread the word  about  what they stand for.

 

This week in the cold I caught up on some Netflix….. oh yea, they DO have shark week….STOKED!!

 

and….made a new friend……

Hurry up, summer! Winter is so hurtful and mean!!

 

 

Catcha later,

~T

 

We are ending week 6 and I must say, this has been the best week so far! Wyatt, the CEO and owner of BambooSK8, was here in Denver on Saturday and it was really great hanging out with him. We were able to check out a couple of shops here in Denver and he gave me some really helpful tips for dealing with sales. It was also Valentine’s Day this week, so I hope everyone enjoyed it! Or at least indulged in all of the chocolates on sale at our local grocery stores (I know I did)!

After getting well into our commitments this week, I finally feel very confident that I could have a good, long career in this industry. This internship has really started to challenge me and show me what it really means to be a leader and a self starter. Those two characteristics alone will make or break you right now. My time here at BambooSK8 is not only teaching me about the industry, but teaching me a lot about myself. I’ve been working on “what needs to be done daily” as a part of my philosophy items and have learned that this doesn’t mean “how many things can I do today” but really what needs to be done that will make the biggest difference for tomorrow. This has really motivated me to get started on planning for the next few months, as I will graduating from college and would like to have a plan for when that time comes.

In the mean time, it is finally warming up here in Denver and the skateparks are just about dry. So in my next blog, be ready for many pictures from future adventures at skateparks and roadtrips for BambooSK8 related tasks. Check out the hoodies I made for repping at parks, they came out pretty good.

Enjoy the rest of February!

                                                        

        The Green movement is officially upon us. BambooSK8 is a leader in the eco-friendly movement in skateboarding. BambooSK8 is passionate about teaching skaters about this one world we live in.  The time is NOW for us to save it. We all are responsible for this earth and you can take small steps to promise a bright future to the next generation. Here are a couple tips:

1)      Turn off computers at night

2)      Take a shorter shower

3)      Wash clothes in cold or warm water

4)      Pay bills online

5)      Recycle old cell phones

       Have you ever googled recycled art? You would be amazed at what pops up. My friend, Evan Grybush, took his love of skateboarding and passion for design and made something beautiful. He is majoring in Industrial Design at the University of WI- Stout. For one of his industrial design classes he made these lamps. His old skateboards will continue to be used, not for the original purpose they were intended for, but to now light up his room.

Take a step back this week and think about your life. Is there a small step I could take to help save our planet? We are in a green movement so let’s make the most of it people!

                                        

Photos courtesy of Evan Grybush

I am learning a lot with BambooSK8. When it comes to business, it really is amazing to see how a company works. With BambooSK8, you have the ability to see it very clearly because it is such a small company. I am able to quickly recognize the tremendous value each employee adds to the company, even the interns! Once again, since it is small, all the employees wear multiple hats. One day you can be working on sales, another marketing, and the next managing how the company operates. Being able to see and experience all these different roles first hand has also allowed me to learn what I do like and what I do not like. One example of something I learned about myself is that I can be salesperson. I never really considered myself a person with a sales mentality, but I have gotten a chance to learn this skill with BambooSK8. I have found that not only I can do it, but also I enjoy it. I enjoy the aspect to it of building relationships with people. It is also interesting to me to see how sales affects and adds value to a business firsthand.

Trying to manage all the different tasks with the various roles I mentioned above is not easy. That is why the leadership at this company is crucial. The president of the company, Geoff, does a good job at this. When he shows us the importance of what we are doing and stresses that what we achieve here will ultimately determine our next jobs; this helps to keep me on track and motivated. It also spurs on myself and other interns step up and assume leadership roles. This internship is 16 weeks long. Six weeks are in the books with ten now to go. Leadership will be critical to ensure we meet our goals in these remaining weeks.

So far I have been learning a great deal about taking ownership, I feel like I was too used to everything being laid out for me in work and in school and in this program, you need to step up and make it happen. This is an important attitude to have in life in general, you have to go out and seek and find whatever you’re after relentlessly.

 

 

Leadership is what holds everything together. Our leaders have presented us with challenging tasks, opportunities for experience, great feedback, great ideas, and guidance. By taking ownership of our tasks and by leading and working with each other, we have all been more driven for success and driven to collaborate and push each other to help reach our goals.

Josh East Oakland Park (Click link to play video)

Wow, I’m already in week 6. Time is going by so fast and with all the things we’re doing, I didn’t even realize that the halfway point in this internship is coming.

In the last few weeks, I’ve learned about using the feedback from my mentors and bosses here at Bamboosk8 to improve how to get my commitments done, reach goals and be a team player. I also learned about being a leader with my groups to get things done properly and efficiently regarding Hook it and Facebook, while helping other leaders of other teams with their goals. Receiving positive and negative feedback I can grow as a person and as an employee. It’s funny because when we started, I thought I was good at this and that, while now I know that I’ve got so much still to learn and at the same time I’m making gigantic steps. The feedback is always relevant and when I follow through with it, I see the difference in my speech at meetings, while writing with my fellow interns and when making sure projects are handed in at the right time.

There are so many tasks to do each week that motivation is not hard to come by generally! If you stop you fall behind and possibly out of the internship, however the staff is always there to guide us and make sure we work to achieve the weekly goals. We are all leaders in different groups and meetings, which is an invaluable experience in the real world. Tasks keep pouring in each week, so we keep motivated and we understand how to work under pressure and in a timely manner by using a spreadsheet with all our weekly duties.
To stay on the internship we constantly have to reach KPI’s each week, which are rewarded under the form of points, the backbone of what keeps us going forward in the stage and it’s like a recognition of our efforts since our final grade will determine our recommendation.

If you look for an internship in the action sport industry and you want to make a difference in real life to other people and the planet, this is it. Bamboosk8 will take you beyond what you think it’s your limit and you will discover how much potential you have.

By the way, I’ve just received my 10 decks from Bamboosk8 and now I can’t wait to show you all my fantastic skills on a bamboo made skateboard, while all the other people in Australia wonders with their jaw wide open at what I’m riding and where to get one!

Wow. I can’t believe its week 6! Time flies when you’re working your butt off!!! We have some big things in the works. All of us interns are really pushing each other to hit our goals; and let me tell you, IT’S HARD!!!

I came into this internship hoping to refine my marketing skills, and I have definitely been successful on that endeavor. What I didn’t realize was that I would be learning about myself. I am learning how to handle different situations that arise, and how to handle criticism. This internship has helped me realize that there are aspects of business that I thought I was good at…. but boy was I wrong!

Now, on to the good stuff….. WHAT HAVE I BEEN DOING?!

Well, it’s so good of you to ask…and it can be summed up in 1 word. CONTESTS!!! My team and I have been creating and implementing contests! Not only are they great for promotion but they also help to push sales. We are on our way to hitting social media goals with just 1 contest in place. They can be utilized across the social media board! Our Slap That Sticker contest is being pushed through Facebook, Twitter and Hookit!

I also spent time creating a reveal page for the Facebook Fan Page. I’m not gonna lie, I’m pretty excited about it. Jackie, the graphic designer here at Bamboosk8 did a killer job at creating the graphics for it! It is still a work in process but it has already increased our Facebook “likes” immensely!

On the Analytics front, we are working to implement this on Facebook. I actually found a way to link Google Analytics to the Facebook Reveal tab that I created. That is something that I am stoked about because it’s killing 2 birds with 1 very well crafted stone!!!

I’m excited to be working so hard and seeing those projected numbers rising!!

If you haven’t already, help us out and like us on Facebook!!!

www.Facebook.com/bamboosk8

Till next time folks…