Fresh Perspectives: Insights from the Interns

Our interns have been hard at work this season, diving into projects, sharing their perspectives, and bringing fresh ideas to the table. In this special feature, we’ve gathered their recent blog contributions into one place—highlighting the unique voices and valuable insights they’ve brought to the BRND team.

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Scaling My Skills from Campus to Clients

Rachael Kim

As a Communication Studies major at Northwestern, I’ve always been drawn to the intersection of strategy and creativity that drives marketing. My time with ISBE Mark, Northwestern’s student-run marketing organization, gave me my first real-world marketing experience: working with peers to build campaigns for small businesses in Evanston. Balancing student life with the swift process of designing graphics, drafting digital content, and collaborating with local microinfluencers wasn’t always easy, but it was the ultimate kickstart. Little did I know, those late nights in student meeting rooms turned out to be more than just practice – they were laying down the foundation for something bigger.

Enter: BRND House.

At BRND House, I’ve taken that experience and scaled it up. Working on multiple clients at once, I’ve expanded my marketing palette – learning to switch between different brand voices and visual styles. One moment I’m creating bold, gritty Instagram stories for a restaurant, and the next I’m creating clean, elevated feed posts for a more upscale brand. No two projects ever feel the same, and that’s what keeps it exciting.

Through all this variety, what has stood out most during my time at BRND House is how intentional design shapes perception. With a background in fine art, I’ve always loved creativity and self-expression, but the experience of designing various types of social media content has pushed me to think beyond the personal and into the digital. I’ve learned to think beyond aesthetics, focusing more on how to translate a brand’s voice and values into design that’s not only visually strong but strategically aligned. It’s expanded my canvas and has helped me recognize how creativity can connect meaningfully with an audience.

Ultimately, this internship has truly deepened my love for working at the intersection of branding and digital design. I’m leaving with improved skills, clearer goals, and a better idea of the kind of creative environments I want to be part of as well as the type of visual storyteller I envision becoming.

To incoming interns: never be afraid to ask questions, take notes, and accept new challenges. There’s a lot to learn at BRND House – and a lot of room to grow.

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From Graduation to Growth at BRND House

Mabry Slage

After graduating from the University of Mississippi with a degree in Integrated Marketing and Communications, I joined BRND House with the goal of gaining hands-on experience and putting my education to work. What I found was an internship that challenged me, taught me, and helped me better understand where I want to go in my career.

Throughout my time at BRND House, I was able to apply much of what I learned in college. Courses that focused on campaign development, audience analysis, and digital media strategy directly aligned with the work I was doing on a daily basis. I created content for client accounts, gathered content to support brand engagement, and assisted with research that informed campaign performance and strategy.

What made the experience even more meaningful was the team around me. The people at BRND House made a real impact on my development. From day one, I felt supported and encouraged to ask questions, try new things, and think critically. Everyone I worked with brought a unique perspective and a strong sense of creativity that made each project feel exciting. Their energy and drive were contagious and constantly reminded me why I chose this field.

The experience also gave me a clear look at the realities of agency life. I learned the importance of adaptability, clear communication, and strong internal processes. It confirmed that I enjoy working in an environment where creativity and strategy intersect.

Looking back, my time at BRND House was a natural next step after graduation. It helped bridge the gap between my academic background and the professional world and gave me clarity on where I see myself contributing long-term in the marketing space.

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Lessons That Didn’t Come from a Lecture

Kate Thurman

I started looking for an internship because someone told me I needed one on my résumé. The plan was simple: check the box, get the credit, move on. Then I landed at BRND House, and the plan changed. College has given me a strong foundation: structure, time management, and the understanding that some of your best efforts take time to pay off. BRND House built on that foundation and showed me what marketing looks like in motion: alive, hands-on, and full of creative problem-solving.

I began to see how much strategy hides behind what looks effortless online. Every post, every caption, every brand moment is the product of careful thought. I learned to take creative direction and collaborate, blending different ideas and styles until they made sense as one cohesive vision. I learned how to really listen; to clients, to feedback, and to the subtle details that make a brand’s tone feel authentic. Designing grids and stories in Canva pushed me to balance my own creative style with the client’s voice. On shoots, I experimented with ways to capture content that feels natural while still grabbing attention. And maybe most importantly, I stopped hesitating and started saying “yes,” trusting myself to figure it out every time.

To the BRND House team: thank you for giving me room to grow, encouraging me, and mentoring me through this process. Your trust and creativity made this internship a meaningful step in my professional growth.

This experience didn’t replace what I’ve learned in school, it elevated it. And it gave me a clear sense of direction for the career I want to build.