Things I Learned From My Internship, Part Eight (or Holding On with All Ten Toes) + More Adventures

Things I Learned From My Internship, Part Eight (or Holding On with All Ten Toes) + More Adventures I'm sure you've had the friend who tells you the horror stories of his menopausal boss, or the boss that loads them down with work on a weekend, or the boss who constantly sits right behind them and criticizes everything they do. Or, you know, the boss who tries to seduce you while acting like a chauvinistic pig, or the unfulfilled pay promises, or the crappy job assignments meant to 'put you in your place.' You get the idea. I'm here to tell you that, though they may be slightly embellished and/or overly talked (complained) about,  it is highly likely that most of that story is true.  Consequently, if you find yourself in a happy work environment hold on to it with both hands and all ten toes.

Horror situations like that do; however, make you that much more appreciative when you do land an awesome workplace with awesome coworkers (they also lower your standards so you are in a much more appreciative mind frame to begin with). Martha was a place of mostly happy people, enjoying what they do and enjoying the people with which they were doing it (at least that's how it seemed to me).  Martha the homemaker is clearly also Martha the maker of happy workplaces (maybe even more so).  Let's face it, a picture of her giant chow, Genghis, will put a smile on your face any time you see it (and I saw one at least twice a week).  I'm convinced Genghis Kahn is her secret plan to take over the world.  I mean, he did win best in show at Westminster. He also is allowed to eat at tables, in fancy restaurants:

But anyway, the Moral of the Story is: Be thankful for an awesome work environment because not all companies are full of genuinely happy people who not only enjoy their jobs, but also the majority of their life (all because of Genghis Khan).

Take note of Martha holding puppy Genghis, clearly world domination is being planned:

In other news, I promised more Adventures of Mumsy, Naught Nicki, and I.

Later on in the afternoon, after the horrible waitress incident, I got to take my mother to the other Little Town NYC location by Union Square. With a LivingSocial coupon of course.  The Union Square location was just as wonderful, though the ambience was not quite as awesome as the Hell's Kitchen location (that one was two stories, with a net above the bar so drunk people couldn't throw things at innocent bartenders).

We rolled on in (or my mum did) and got a table by the wall (so my mum could lean on it., Okay I did too) AND THEN we had beers!  Let me just point out from what kind of selection we could choose.  And THERE WERE MORE THAN THAT. I had a White IPA which I encourage everyone to try.  It was fantastic. My mum had some sort of light wheat thing, which was also good, but she is clearly a pansy beer drinker.  My brother and I try to teach her and fail.

And then we had TWO DOZEN oysters. Which were pretty awesome.

Once we had finished our delicious oysters, our two beers each, and one (non couponed) bag of chips and bleu cheese dressing; we went on our way to a Trunk Magazine 'Special Exhibition' to meet and greet with Trunk Mags Photographers.

But backing up to us being on our merry way.  We our strolling (or rolling as the case may be) down the street, me pushing my mum a bit so her "calf doesn't get too tired" and so we can make it there before 2013. We may have gotten a little too ambitious, speed wise, and Naughty Nicki was not having it. We hit a bump and almost bit it. The both of us and Naughty Nicki.  Luckily, Mumsy and I are both quick on our feet (her slightly less so obviously) and we managed to not make a spectacle of ourselves on the sidewalks of Union Square.

We eventually made it to The Conran Shop (which makes you want to buy EVERYTHING) and down to the Exhibition where we met up with one of my photographer friends. Yes I do have friends in NYC.  Three of them. So there. The event was interesting (i.e. photographs and free alcohol), but there was only about ten photographs, which was slightly disappointing. To be fair, they were awesome photographs.

So we are mingling. Eric and I are trying to get to know people (we are both new to the city and need to know everyone). Eric points to a guy and is like 'I think that guy is one of the photographers,' but he wouldn't get his ass in gear and go talk to him. So I took matters into my own hands.

For those of you who are unaware, I came to NYC and became much more outspoken.  You have to be.  But I also grew up in a household that rid me of most of my shame (in a good way).

Anyway, I sidled up to him and said "You're one of the photographers right? My friend over there wants to meet you, but he's being a pansy, so I'm shaming him into doing it."  I know, I'm a horrible person.  Turns out the photographer was David Cicconi, the founder of the Magazine and the Creative Director.  Pretty Awesome.  And he remembered my name later, which is always a good sign.

That's something to add to the Intern Manual, Be Memorable. Perhaps that will be the next post?

Part Seven

Things I Learned From My Internship, Part Six (or God's Gift to New Yorkers)

Things I Learned From My Internship, Part Six (or God's Gift to New Yorkers) Multitasking is God's gift to New Yorkers. They get excited about it in their own little ways, whether that is complaining about everything they have to do at once or rejoicing in the fact that they are so busy and have so much work.

If you can also do these things, and do it with a smile on your face (as talked about previously) you are set.  "Wearing different hats" (as one interviewer I talked to put it) is like gold.  Employers, whether at a real paid job or a fake job (as I like to call internships) want you to be able to do everything and anything and do it with pizzazz. This talent makes you eminently more marketable.

And it likes up the frenzied, crazed faces of your bosses.

In Other News, my mum is coming in the morning! This is exciting because a) I do not have to go to my real job for the next five days and b) MUMSY.

We are going to have tons of fun (even if my mother is currently gimpy cause she's done something crazy to her knee). We are going to try to go to a musical! and an art gallery opening! and the same bar/restaurant my cousin and I went to last night (LivingSocial is my jam).  And we will be doing it all on a kneewalker (you can legitimately rent the things for a week)! Well she will be, I'll just be in the background being jealous.

And taking pictures.

No seriously, there is a kneewalker photo contest.  I am going to take tons of pictures of my mother knee walking about New York and win that money. There will be knee walking in bars, knee walking in galleries, knee walking in Trader Joe's, knee walking at the Eiffel Tower (oh wait, wrong city).  I'm sure you get the picture though. (PUN!!)

Last night, was also awesome. I met up with the lovely Camille, which is always dangerous, and we painted the town red. Which means instead of going to a real dinner we went to Sweet Revenge, a cupcake and wine bar. A CUPCAKE AND WINE BAR! I got the Dirty Cupcake (because why wouldn't I), which is all chocolate all the time and paired it with a Guinness. Pure deliciousness. Camille partook in the Crimson & Cream with a glass of sangria because she is more classy than I am. Both were amazing and I will probably go again. Simply because it is a CUPCAKE AND WINE BAR. Enough said.

We then pranced on up and over to a gallery opening called Quiet Beauty: A Portrait Series, which was pretty awesome. Braden Summers takes some great photographs and looks good in a teal bow tie while he shows them off (let's be honest, I will pretty much instantly love anyone who wears a teal bow tie).  If you make it to NYC before May 10 stop by the Wonderland Beauty Parlor and take a look at them.

To end, here is a quote that one coworker said today. She doesn't know where it came from and nor do I, but everyone should ponder on it and use it to their benefit:

"Do not look backwards, as you will trip going forwards."

Things I Learned From My Internship, Part Five (or Stop Crying on the Inside and Do Something about It)

Things I Learned From My Internship, Part Five (or Stop Crying on the Inside and Do Something about It)  Do not be shy about communicating what you would like to learn and work on.  Obviously, do not bring it up at inopportune times, but do not sit in a corner doing whatever your coworkers give you and crying on the inside. If you do that then you will not learn all of the things you want to learn.

I learned this fact the hard way.  I did not push hard enough for working in the studio and I only had time to be in the studio once, on my last day, with an awesome location shoot off in the future. Granted I did speak out about wanting to go on shoots, but my coworkers were entirely too awesome and they wanted me to go on a cool shoot (the location shoot in the future) not just an everyday product shoot, which I do appreciate immensely.

It is possible, however; that had I spoken up about wanting to be on photo shoots before I had been at Martha a month, I would have gotten to go on an awesome location shoot (I'm pretty sure they do not pay for interns to take trips across country though).

Lesson Learned.

I would also like everyone to actually stop crying on the inside and do something to fix whatever they are crying over.  I mean it. It makes everyone's life better, even yours.  I, for one, am going to try to employ it more often (cause I know sometimes I can be a bit of a pansy).

In other news, I had an awesome weekend with my cousin. We explored Hell's Kitchen as well as East Midtown (which is a ton of walking). We also tried out a restaurant for brunch, and then came back five hours later for happy hour. It was just that good. This is the restaurant, Little Town NYC:

Proof we were there:

In fact, going back this week with my mum for oysters (and probably beer, maybe). WOOT.

Things I Learned From My Internship, Part Four (Nepotism Works)

Things I Learned From My Internship, Part Four (Nepotism Works) Let's be honest with each other, Internships are all about networking; and making impressive new contacts. This is how you get a job in New York City. Nepotism is alive and thriving. You want that system to work for you, so you better work for it.

It was a hard choice between this picture:  and this one:, so I decided to just include both. But let's face it, the incest one is a lot more relevant.  And I am for it (you know, in a corporate sense).

There you go, Short and Sweet.

On a lighter note!

Today starts my long weekend away from my job.  This is pure awesomeness.  It is sad; however, that I do not get to see the family and extended family on this Easter weekend.  So my cousin and I (as we are the only two North Easterners) are consoling ourselves by spending it together.  There will probably be beer involved, perhaps a mimosa or two, and green bean casserole (my cousin has a thing for green bean casserole). She legitimately owns this dish:

Should be a good time.

Part Three