323: Inside the Leading Ladies Internship with Paige Burgess and Dylan Ulehla

Hi there. You’re listening to the Leading Lady podcast. I’m your host, AliceAnne Loftus, and I’m a certified professional coach specializing in leadership and work-life balance. I work with clients to shift their limiting beliefs, insecurities, and self-doubt. This podcast will be filled with tools and strategies to help high-achieving women like you feel connected, empowered, and in the lead of your life, both personally and professionally. Let’s transform your life, starting now. Lead yourself. The rest will follow.

Hi there, leading ladies, and welcome to today’s episode. This is always one of my favorite episodes to do. It’s come to the point where our interns are wrapping up their session with us, and we are having to say goodbye to our two lovely summer interns. So they are with me today, Miss Dylan and Paige Burgess. They have interned with us throughout the summer. They’re getting ready to go back to school. I’m so excited to chat with them and hear about their experience with the internship and what their next steps are as they go back to school and go out into the world and do all the fun things that, you know, young people do. So ladies, thank you for being here with me today. I’m so excited to chat with you, and let’s get this started.

Paige: Yes. Thank you so much for having us.

AliceAnne : Yeah. Paige, go ahead and introduce yourself, and then we’ll give Dylan a moment.

Paige: Okay. Yeah. So my name is Paige Burgess. I’m a rising senior at James Madison University. I’m studying communications with a concentration in public relations and a minor in French. I’m the director of finance for Public Relations Student Society of America, and I’m also a member of Tri Delta.

AliceAnne : So amazing. Yeah, amazing. And alongside Leading Ladies internship, you had another internship this summer, right?

Paige: Yes, I did. I worked at the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel as a communications intern, so it was kind of fun getting a different balance with Leading Ladies and also the other internship, which was super fun.

AliceAnne : Awesome, awesome. Dylan.

Dylan: Yeah. Hi, everyone. My name is Dylan Ulehla. Um, I’m a rising junior at Southern Methodist University where I’m majoring in finance and specializing in artificial intelligence. On campus, I’m pretty busy. I’m a member of Pi Beta Phi, Women in Business Club, Alpha Delta Sigma professional fraternity, in the BBA Finance Club. So that’s just a little bit about me. And professionally, I’m looking forward to pursuing a career in finance.

AliceAnne : Amazing, amazing. So you can see these ladies are very, very busy. Right? Awesome. So I know how you found Leading Ladies for your internship. Love that we connected that way. But what drew you to apply to be interns with Leading Ladies?

Paige: I would say so. I heard about this internship through Elizabeth Harris, and she kind of told me the experience that her daughter Scarlett had with this internship and how awesome it was. So then I kind of was going on researching Leading Ladies, and I really just admired, like, the values that you guys have, empowering women, creating all the awesome connections. So I just really wanted to be a part of this community. So I thought it was awesome.

AliceAnne : Yeah. Thank you. How about you, Dylan?

Dylan: Yeah. I had a similar connection between the Harrises. Scarlett’s one of my best friends, and she had told me about her experience last summer and how she absolutely loved it and the environment. And I thought that that was something that I could fit into and that I could grow from.

AliceAnne : So we’ll have to dig up Scarlett’s podcast interview and I’ll put that in the show notes. So if anyone wants to listen to Scarlett’s interview from, I guess that was a year ago. She was a lot of fun. And so when she referred you both, I thought, oh, Scarlett was amazing. I know that these ladies are going to be great as well, and I miss her a lot. She brought a lot of giggles and happiness to the office. Very similar to you guys.

What Stood Out About the Leading Ladies Community?

AliceAnne : So speaking of, like, the Leading Lady values, you know, if you did your research on Leading Lady and you came into it, what do you think really stood out to you about being kind of immersed in the Leading Lady community? What stood out for you personally?

Paige: Yeah, I would say definitely, like, the work-life balance, which I think is super important, especially these days. Everyone has such a busy life, super hectic. So I think it’s super important to have both, whether it’s in this office, to, like, having serious conversations while also having fun, laughter, jokes. So I think, again, it’s super important to have a balance with work life and also having fun and being serious. So I think Leading Ladies did a great job at that.

AliceAnne n: Yeah. Is there anything that you think you’ll carry forward? I mean, you’re a very busy lady at school and the things that you do. Is there anything that you think you’ll implement?

Paige: Yeah, I definitely would say bringing my confidence with me and my career. My next steps. I feel like I definitely grew my confidence and kind of just communication skills, my public speaking skills, that’s for sure. Especially that’s very important in public relations. So I think that’s definitely something I’ll carry with me.

AliceAnne : Yeah. Love that. How about you, Dylan?

Dylan: I would just say the support and the friendliness that everybody I met really had sitting throughout those meetings and just hearing from each and every single lady and how they would just try and help one another to really grow their businesses. I thought that was a very special thing, to just have that support group and someone to lean on. So I thought that was super important and special.

AliceAnne : Yeah, I would say that that’s 100% true about the women in the Leading Lady community. They are so eager to support one another. And I know that when they get to meet interns, they’re so excited to learn about what you’re pursuing, what experiences you want. They’re happy to share their paths. And I hope that you saw that. So many of our paths as entrepreneurs, the success is not linear. You know, we had a lot of detours and a lot of pivots, so to speak, to get to where many of us are today. So I hope that you were able to pull some nuggets of wisdom from that.

Seeing Behind the Scenes of Entrepreneurship

AliceAnne : Is there anything that surprised you about women entrepreneurs getting to see the behind the scenes? And don’t worry, you can air my dirty secrets.

Paige: I guess I would say, like, kind of seeing the behind the scenes of everything. Like, I feel like you guys really do so much and put a lot into working with your business. So I would just say, I think you guys really do a lot. And some people might not see that, especially because they don’t know what goes on behind the scenes. But working in the office and seeing the collective and seeing all the different meetings, just that you guys do a ton, and I think it’s awesome.

AliceAnne : Yeah. And I think that is a misconception. You know, a lot of small businesses, many of us are solopreneurs. Some of us have large teams. Some of us have lots of employees. Some of us are the marketing coordinator, the bookkeeper. You know, we’re wearing the hats of many people in the business, even in just the small group that you were able to see. And roles in business vary so greatly in that.

Paige: Definitely. Yeah.

AliceAnne : Yeah. Dylan.

Dylan: Yeah. I would just say kind of the same thing. I haven’t really ever been around, like, that many entrepreneurs. And it’s so interesting to hear and see from every single one of them. Obviously, you guys are all tackling different kind of things and asking for help about different things. But within all of that, just really realizing that you really do do basically everything and everything runs through you.

AliceAnne : Yeah. Yeah. It’s a lot of juggling and—

Dylan: Exactly.

AliceAnne : Prioritizing. Yeah. Being that your summer interns, my summer schedule slows down a lot. So I felt like every day that I saw you, I was like, why am I working? Why am I here? I promise we’re not always like that. Well, maybe sometimes we’re a lot like that, but it’s a lot. Definitely a lot of juggling. Where do you think you grew the most in your confidence this summer?

Growing Confidence Through the Internship

Paige: I would say kind of coming back to what I said before. I would definitely say my public speaking skills. I feel like sometimes I definitely get a little bit nervous speaking in front of a crowd. So I would say definitely the quarterly networking event. That was definitely a big growth for me. Kind of speaking in front of all the ladies. So doing—

AliceAnne : Your presentation.

Paige: The presentation about who we are, what we learned during the summer. So I would definitely say my public speaking skills and also I would say my teamwork skills. Working with Dylan, which was super fun and kind of being able to use both of our skills to complete the tasks.

Dylan: Say something similar. I was just going to say, like, my networking skills. I remember that first event that we had with M&T Bank. I remember just, I mean, I was, I would try and, like, engage in conversations and it was definitely very helpful to be there. And then by the networking event, the quarterly networking event, I felt like I had grown so much and I was so confident in going up to different people and just introducing myself and just getting to know them and them getting to know me. So that was definitely very helpful.

AliceAnne : Yeah. And then you saw someone, like, out in the wild. Yeah. You introduced yourself again. Yeah. And she was so impressed by that. Number one, she was impressed that you remembered her from the event. And then number two, she was impressed that you spoke up and said you remembered her. That’s not something that I think most young women would feel confident in doing.

Dylan: Yeah, exactly.

AliceAnne : I really want you to, like, celebrate that for yourself because that was brave. I mean, how many times have we seen people out in the wild? And we’re like, I think I know them. Yeah. Should I say something? Should I?

Dylan: Yeah. Now I feel like I have the confidence to just say it.

AliceAnne : Yeah.

Dylan: Yeah.

Yeah.

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Projects That Connected to Their Studies

AliceAnne : What was the project that you worked on that you felt most aligned with what you’re studying in school?

Paige: I would say kind of working with the We Lead conference. I feel like Dylan and I did most with that this summer. We did a lot with, like, the sponsorship packages, working with Jen Osterhaus, which she was super awesome.

AliceAnne : She’s amazing. She is, she’s great. The best person to work with because she’s so kind.

Paige: And yes, she was so sweet. And then also with that, to kind of interviewing, I got to interview as past sponsor and attendee of the conference and they were great. This also helped with my public speaking skills, kind of speaking with them. That was awesome. I feel like just working with different projects for this conference coming up in November definitely helped with my communication skills, organization skills. So I thought that was great.

AliceAnne n: Yeah. And the feedback I got from the women that you interviewed was that you handled yourself with such poise and professionalism during those interviews. They thought, wow, has she been, like, trained to do these interviews because you did them so well. So in the next few weeks, you’ll start to see these press releases and interviews being released. And we’ll definitely give you a shout-out that page you worked on those.

Paige: Thank you.

Alison: Yeah. How about you, Dylan?

Dylan: For me, I mean, creating those two different budgets was probably the most thing that aligned with my major. And that was super helpful for you. Like, for me—

AliceAnne : For me, it was very helpful.

Dylan: But for you to ask me for help because I had never really done that. I mean, a little bit in, like, my classes, but I mean, this was, like, kind of like a real situation that I was put in.

AliceAnne : So it’s a very real situation.

Dylan: Yeah, exactly. So that was definitely the thing that aligned most with, like, my major. And it was very helpful for me to actually be able to create that budget and see what goes into all of that. But then also that podcast organization and kind of, like, managing your podcasts and going through that, that really helped me with some of my specialization now being the artificial intelligence, kind of leaning on that and playing around with ChatGPT and Claude, and just kind of getting to know all of the different tools that it can provide me. So that was very helpful. And it’s also kind of funny now that I’m on a podcast, after I just went through and kind of organized yours for you.

AliceAnne : Yeah, you definitely helped me see some, like, areas of growth, some holes that I had, you know, in all the different topics. And so ladies, as you hear the podcast episodes roll out for the remainder of the year, just know that Dylan helped pick the topics and areas that we needed to focus on.

Learning From the Numbers

AliceAnne : Yeah. So I’m going to stay on Dylan for a minute. What was the challenging part? Or maybe an eye-opening thing that you learned looking at the numbers of a business? Or again, I have nothing to hide.

Dylan: I would just say just kind of seeing, like, everything that goes into it, like, with all of the expenses, but also with, like, you have to factor in, like, the rent, like, because you were thinking about expanding.

AliceAnne : Mhm. So thinking about all of that, like, you already have, like, thinking about the rent and everything going into that and just seeing, like, the revenue and the income coming in, just kind of seeing it all together as one.

AliceAnne : Yeah. Like, to do a build-out. You do have to think about, do you have a place to grow your revenue to sustain that?

Dylan: Yeah.

AliceAnne : Yeah. And you asked some really great questions. I mean, for you to come back and be like, okay, what’s the operating expense of this? And how much does this program—

Dylan: Exactly. Just really seeing everything going into it.

AliceAnne : Yeah, that it wasn’t just, oh, I’ll just knock these walls out and expand a little bit. Like, you actually have to think about the sustainability of that.

Dylan: Exactly.

AliceAnne : And I really appreciated how, like, granular you went on that. And I hope that what your takeaway in that when you move forward and maybe you’re even doing this for your own business, is that before you take big steps of growth, that to be measuring the sustainability of that and exactly realistic numbers of that.

Dylan: Yeah.

AliceAnne : I love that. That was your takeaway from there. Paige, how about you with the interviews and the writing, all the things? Like, was there anything that surprised you or challenged you?

The Importance of Brand Consistency

Paige: I would say, like, especially for PR and communication, like, something that was really important is maintaining the brand consistency. All social media platforms, like, through all the channels, which I knew, but I feel like during this internship, I found it was super important. Like, for example, like, all the colors, all the fonts, like, it all needs to stay the same and kind of keeping an eye out of that, like, I think was super important and knowing that on all the, like, social media, Instagram, LinkedIn, just kind of keeping it all the same, I think is super important for the listeners, the viewers. So I think that was something that I definitely will be taking away with me as well.

AliceAnne : Yeah, I can’t remember. I’m sure I shared with you, like, my brand kit and brand guide. A lot of businesses don’t have that. And I know in my early years of business, like, with my first business, I’d be like, green is green, yellow is yellow, you know, use this font, this font looks good with that. And when you finally have a brand guide or a style guide that helps you with that consistency across the board. And like you said, on all platforms, it just makes it so much easier and people can recognize you right away. And I find that even that style guide, it kind of keeps the values and the mission consistent through it as well, because you’re continually brought back to the brand.

Paige: Definitely. I also remember when we were working with Jen Osterhaus, she was saying to, like, make sure to keep kind of the sponsorship packages like branding with Leading Ladies. So that was also a good reminder to working on that, which, yeah.

AliceAnne : That it’s not just the outward-facing stuff, it’s the stuff as well. Right?

Paige: Yes, exactly.

Advice for Finding a Quality Internship

AliceAnne : Yeah. Oh, I love that, I love that. So as you’re headed back to school, I think each of you have, like, just a couple of days before you head back. And when this episode releases, I’m sure you’re already going to be in class and doing all the things, and Leading Lady will be a distant memory. So what advice would you give to students who are not even students, but young individuals that are looking for a quality internship program?

Paige: I would say definitely be open-minded. Looking for internships, I know, can be super hard and challenging, but I would definitely say, yeah, have an open mind and be positive even if it’s hard. Like, I think just, just be open-minded. I feel like that’s kind of how I was. And this opportunity was seriously amazing and I learned so much. So yeah, I would definitely say that.

Dylan: Yeah, I would definitely agree with staying open-minded. I mean, I heard from Scarlett, but I didn’t ever think that, oh, maybe next summer I could be doing that. And then when I was looking for what to do this summer, I asked my friends. I was like, so what did you guys all do last summer? Kind of. And then she reminded me about Leading Lady. So I would just say just kind of leaning on your friends and your network to—

AliceAnne n: Oh, so important. Yeah. And what’s crazy is Scarlett’s internship was completely different than what your internship was like. You know, the ambassadors were working really heavily with Scarlett and the other two ladies that were in her cohort, where you guys were on totally different tasks and projects to work on. And so you never know what will open up for that.

And I think for me, I always wanted to make sure that our internship program was valuable and provided value and real experience that you can use to build your resume, to maybe practice the skill in a safe way. And I tried to impress that, like, there’s literally nothing you can do wrong. Just, just try, and if it’s wrong, we’ll fix it. But it’s like there’s no mistakes here.

And I think internships are a great place to practice those skills in a safe setting, with mentors, with people that you can ask questions. It’s meant to build your confidence, and it’s meant to give you real hands-on experience for whatever you’re moving towards next. So I’m glad that that was a good experience for you both.

Parting Words and Shout-Outs

Alison: So as we close this episode down, like, is there anything, any parting words you want to leave with anyone, any leading ladies you want to give a shout-out to?

Paige: Um, yes, I would definitely say Jen Osterhaus was so amazing to work with again and Elizabeth Harris too. Like, I just really appreciate her connecting me with you. So yeah, see you soon.

Alison: Thanks, Paige.

Dylan: Yeah, I would just say the same thing to Jennifer Osterhaus. I mean, she helped Paige and I a lot with creating that sponsorship package. So she has a lot that we can learn from and she was super helpful. So thank you, Jen, and obviously thank you, Allison. It was a great summer and I learned so much and did a lot of different things. And I am just so happy that I got to work with you.

Alison: Great, great. So we’ll stay with you, Dylan. What’s next for you? I know you’re going into your junior year, but what are you most excited for this coming school year?

Dylan: I’m kind of excited to get into my classes. These will be my core classes for my finance course. So really getting to dig a little deeper into all of that. So I’m super excited to learn more.

AliceAnne : Awesome. And how about you, Paige? You’re a senior. It’s a lot of first laughs.

Paige: One more year. Yes. So I will be graduating in May. And then after that I’m hoping to work in PR, ideally in New York City or D.C., so those are kind of my next steps. Looking for jobs and PR. So exciting, but a little stressful at the same time. But I’m excited.

AliceAnne : Such an exciting time. So I will drop their LinkedIn profiles in the show notes. Ladies, feel free to share this episode. Add it to your portfolio. If there’s anyone in the Leading Lady community that you want to be connected with or you’d like to have reach out to you, don’t hesitate.

I’m so thankful for this summer with you. You brought such a warmth and a great energy to the office in the months that you were with us, and I wish you the best.

Paige: Thank you so much.

Dylan: Thank you.

Okay. Until next time, take the lead.

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