We were lucky to catch up with Leko Ritchie recently and have shared our conversation below.

Leko , appreciate you joining us today. Looking back at internships and apprenticeships can be interesting, because there is so much variety in people’s experiences – and often those experiences inform our own leadership style. Do you have an interesting story from that stage of your career that you can share with us?

After working at a few start-ups and small organizations during my freshman and sophomore year of undergrad, I was given the opportunity to experience 3 life-changing internships during my junior and senior year: Nike European Head Quarters, Laundry Service (Wasserman) in NYC, and TBWA/CHIAT/DAY LA.

Nike EHQ Internship:
I set out to live in Amsterdam, Netherlands, for one year during my undergrad to pursue a Nike internship in EMEA.
Through my time, some of the biggest things I’ve learned was:
+ The perspectives for what life entails are infinite, and that living is not all about hustling, which was the type of message I grew up with being raised in America. I learned that life is also about experience and breathing, which was a common POV that I had felt when I was there. And I needed that.
+This experience being the first time ever going to Europe and living abroad alone, I discovered that I love purposefully putting myself in uncomfortable situations. After being in California for pretty much my whole life (21 years), I’ve never had the chance to get out of my comfort bubble. By living in a different continent far away from everything I was familiar with, I learned to find trust and confidence in myself and fall in love with the unknown.

Laundry Service Internship:
While this was a remote internship, I decided to spend a month in NYC as I wrapped up school to work hybridly out there.
+ This was my first internship experience in creative strategy in the ad world, and I truly fell in love with the work. The risk-taking energy and passion for people and culture felt that it aligned with who I am, as well as with the need to constantly change and adapt as things change.
+The pyschological and athropological aspect that comes strategy is my favorite part of the work, being able to dig deep into insights and understand what motivates different people around the world.

TBWA CHIAT DAY LA Internship:
During my last summer of undergrad, I bnbed in LA while working on the Gatorade account at Chiat Day LA.
+I learned that maybe LA isn’t for me. I hate driving and I love to aimlessly walk and take public transpo around the city which I felt was difficult to do in Los Angeles.
+ I discovered my 2 biggest non-negotiables for every job: The people I work with and the work I do are the most important things. The motivation, passion, support, and acceptance that my team embodied, as well as the meaningful work that adds or changes something in culture for the better truly made this experience for me.

Leko , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Leko Ritchie is a junior creative strategist and content creator, as well an aspiring Creative Director. Her expertise lies in creative strategy, brand narrative, creative direction, and social strategy. She has worked at Nike EMEA, Laundry Service, TBWA/CHIAT/DAY, Cymbiotika, and startups based in NY throughout her undergrad. She is also a self-growth & lifestyle content creator, building a community and collaborating with brands such as Headspace, Athletes Against Anxiety and Depression, Urban Decay, Ami Cole, and more. Her work is fueled by her purpose to understand what makes people tick and to turn those insights of behavior into ways one can reach their highest self.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

A goal that drives my creative journey is to understand the WHY to get to the deepest human insight.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Staying true to who I really am and the work that I do and not letting opinions or societal expectations change me.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lekoritchie.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lekoritchie/?hl=en
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lekoritchie/

Image Credits

Noah Fayyazuddin