My Top 3 Pieces of Advice and What I’ve Learned from a Summer at RSP

Guest Blog Post by RSP Intern, Eli Kramer

This summer, I started an internship at RSP and the amount I’ve learned has been enormous. Earlier, I talked about my first month at RSP and some of the things I had done. Now that the summer is over and I’ve started the school year, I wanted to take some time to recap what I’ve worked on, what I’ve learned, and how the experience has changed the way I think about my future.

One of the biggest projects I started this summer was my capstone project. Essentially, I am building my own version of RSP designed for high school students. The idea is based around helping students explore their options and get a better understanding of what they could do after high school. I started with a pretty simple idea, but I quickly realized how much actually goes into turning an idea into something that could become a real business.

Just getting started on my capstone has taught me a lot. I’ve explored brand archetypes, created a name and logo, worked on branding and design, looked into websites, collected data, and thought about what products or services would actually be useful to high school students. I’ve also had to think about things like pricing, what the brand should look like, and how I would explain the idea to someone who had never heard of it before.

Another large part of my internship was my networking meetings. I met with over 30 professionals in over 15 industries. I averaged more than one meeting every two days. I took away so many lessons and heard lots of valuable information from experienced professionals. Some of the lessons that stuck with me the most were and my top 3 things I learned this summer were:

1. Explore instead of deciding too early, get as much experience as possible, and recognize the importance of networking. In other words, take the time to try new things and see what you like 

2. Take as many opportunities up as you can. Whether you enjoy an experience or not, the experience and figuring out what you like is still so beneficial.

3. I also learned that networking is key, especially in the sports marketing industry. As lots of the people I talked to got their current jobs because they knew someone there.

One of the harder parts of the internship has honestly been the creative side. Coming up with a name, colors, a logo, and an overall look for something from scratch is harder than it sounds. It really tests your creativity because there isn't always a right answer. Trying to make all of these decisions in the hour and a half I have each day can be a challenge, but it has also been one of the most interesting parts of the internship. It gives me a chance to explore something I might not be good at and challenge myself.

Beyond my capstone and networking meetings, this internship has also helped me develop skills that I can use in the future. I've had the opportunity to learn new platforms, experiment with AI, build a LinkedIn presence, and get more comfortable communicating in a professional environment. A lot of these were things I hadn't spent much time doing before this summer. Before my networking meetings, I really had no idea how to act in a professional setting, and now it feels like I'm ahead of the game.

Overall, this summer has been a huge success. I’ve learned so many important lessons, how to use new online tools, how to put together a business, and so much more. I’ve enjoyed my job and how well it fits in with my schedule. I’m very grateful for the opportunity I’ve been given and how much I’ve learned. I’m looking forward to the rest of the internship and continuing to work on my capstone.