As usual, I come into the office never really knowing what to expect. Last Monday, the unexpected included Lisa letting me tag along on a spontaneous adventure to Downtown Easton (which I am loving more and more as I increasingly explore it) to a new juice bar. Upon entering Greenmouth Juice Bar and Café, I was transported from the streets of Easton Pennsylvania to an earthy-chic beverage destination that seemed as though it belonged in a beach town in California; a welcome escape from office life. Co-owner Ben Forsee was more than welcoming and even made our drinks himself.
What happened next answers a seemingly simple question recently asked of me by a friend: What am I learning at my internship? It was harder than I thought to pinpoint a particular skill or lesson I have learned since joining the LVS staff a few weeks ago. But my impromptu trip to Greenmouth with Lisa provided a viable answer to my friend’s query.
Lisa and everyone else at the LVS office have taught me the importance of personal relationships. At other places it might be uncommon for an Editor-in-Chief to take time out of her day to personally meet and chat with a possible client or story subject. My father always stressed the value of a person’s time and Lisa demonstrated that advice to me during our trip. I saw that her taking time out of her day to converse with local business owners forges powerful relationships, shows that she truly cares and is interested in these people and that surely contributes to the success of the magazine. It is crazy the kind of reflection a Strawberry Cheesecake smoothie made by Ben Forsee can inspire.
Lisa and Ben’s conversation, although to which I was more of an observer, reminded me of the reason I was attracted to journalism in the first place. Ben, like so many other local business owners, has this amazing story, filled with visions and dreams that he made a reality. I look forward to meeting many more interesting people during my journey in the journalism industry and building personal relationships of my own. Each experience I have at LVS makes me more and more thankful for my summer internship and the role models I’ve been introduced to as a result.
