Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sydney Roa. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sydney, 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?

My first internship is actually at my current job right now! I applied for an internship at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre for a co-op program as I am currently pursuing my Bachelors in Arts and major in communications.

During my time as a marketing intern, I learnt how to content create, market events, and attend outreach programs. I gained valuable industry experience that I can apply to my own business called Hello Kollective Media (my marketing agency).

Overall, the most important lesson I learned is to maintain meaningful and authentic relationships. The many relationships I’ve developed have allowed me to grow within my intended field and, of course, in my life. I’ve learned to be personable and empathetic through these relationships.

My growth as an intern flourished as I was promoted to the marketing and communications coordinator role soon after at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre! I am truly so grateful for the lessons I’ve learned and continue to learn!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Initially, I was in university for my Bachelors in Business Administration for accounting. However, I quickly learnt that numbers were not for me and I craved for field that consists of human interaction. Through a club that supplemented mentor support, I was introduced to digital marketing. My mentor contracted me to maintain social media accounts for a small business in management software. After one year experience, I decided this was something I wanted to pursue on the side and Hello Kollective Media was born. I ended up switching my degree from business to communications and I’m grateful for doing so!

I truly believe that the opportunities are endless and when the time comes, it’ll present itself. Stay resilient and believe in yourself! Self compassion is definitely key.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I am still building my reputation, but I’m slowly learning that being yourself on social media is important. Your product or service may be amazing but you are what’s truly behind it. Your product or service is nothing without you!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect in being a creative is when your work is recognized and appreciated. Especially when you are surround by those who have seen you grow your talents. I am endlessly grateful for my support and would not have succeeded without them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sydneyroa.weebly.com
• Instagram: @sydneyroaa and @hello.kollective
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydneyempig