A piece by intern Briette Brightman
As summer of 2021 was approaching, I found myself a little bit lost. I was going to be a senior in college—where I was doing well—but outside of that, I had only ever worked in restaurant and customer service jobs. Most of my friends had internships lined up, and I was feeling behind. Nevertheless, I trusted that the right job would find its way to me.
Time went by, and by chance I was introduced to Smedley Events through a mutual connection. The job application, for a paid marketing and events internship with the company, was narrowly approaching its deadline. I hopped out of bed and submitted my information as quickly as I could, as events and marketing was a field I had been eager to work in.
A few days later, I was elated to be offered a Zoom interview with Lara Smedley, owner of Smedley Events (and at the time, the sole force behind the entire company). I said yes, of course, and not-so-patiently awaited the day.
The interview rolls around, one cloudy morning in May. This particular morning, I was exhausted. I had essentially been a stay-at-home nurse for the past week to my boyfriend who was recovering from ACL surgery, and on top of that had begun to feel a cold coming on (which was kind of a big deal, considering COVID’s grip on the community at the time). Stressed, tired, and congested, I put on a nice shirt and began the interview.
Now I honestly thought that this interview was not good. I was just disoriented, feverish, and did not feel like myself. I didn’t expect to hear from Smedley Events again, and I had resigned myself to the continued job hunt.
Only a few days later I was floored to be called back for a second interview. I (obviously) said yes, and met with Lara soon after. I had physically recovered at this point, and made sure to be on my A-game for this meeting. I succeeded. Maybe a week later, I got called in to do the final interview: in-person.
I was nervous. Like, I had never purchased business clothes, I had only ever worked in the restaurant industry (my most recent job being at Einstein Bros. Bagels), I was unsure if I had mastered the level of professionalism that this job seemingly required. But I was determined to do my best, so I brought my best friend to H&M and had her help me pick out some business-appropriate outfits to wear for the big interview.
The day finally approached, and I drove myself down to Lara’s beautiful property (and the headquarters of Smedley Events). I was floored by the beauty of this place (I later found out it’s called Sumac Hill Farm and has been with the Smedley family for decades) and made sure to let Lara know that when I arrived.
Despite my nerves, I went in and made an effort to be my honest self. I was up-front with Lara that I did not have prior experience in events, but that I was a quick learner. I told her about how I didn’t really know the ins and outs of the business world, but that I was more than willing to acquire the skills necessary for the position. By the end of the interview, it had become a meaningful conversation between the two of us, and I felt confident that I had portrayed my best self.
A few days later I found out that I didn’t get the job. While I was bummed, I knew that I couldn’t and wouldn’t have changed anything about how the interview went. I was honestly really proud of myself, and I didn’t view the rejection as a reflection of my character or anything even having to do with me. I politely thanked her for the consideration, and carried on with my life.
I ended up getting an unpaid internship with a different company later that month, and began working at a liquor store to make some money at the same time. Life was good, and I was happy making some money and gaining internship experience. Then I got an email from Lara Smedley while on vacation with my boyfriend’s family.
After a long day of jet-skiing on the lake, an email from Smedley Events was the last thing I expected to see. I had no idea what the email would entail, and opened it up to see that she had realized she needed more help with the company, and was offering to hire me! I was so excited, I told his whole family about it (despite that being my first time meeting them). I eagerly responded a big YES to Lara, and promptly quit my month-long job at the liquor store (sorry Morgan’s). They still give me the employee discount a year later though so we ended on good terms.
I got back from vacation and met with Lara. She told me she had also really enjoyed our meetings, but due to my lack of experience she ended up hiring someone else. She was thrilled that I said yes to the job despite the initial rejection, and I was just happy to have gotten my dream job offer.
Now this was all back in July of 2021. In the year that’s followed, I’ve gained invaluable experience in marketing, leadership, communication, event planning, and made plenty of new friends. The connections that I’ve fostered through my time with Smedley Events and the professional confidence that I’ve gained have had profound impacts on my life, and ultimately ended up helping me secure my first salary job post-grad.
I can’t thank Lara enough for teaching me not only how to become a better young professional, but a better person overall, and having patience with me as I navigated my first real job.
Thank you,
Briette