2 Weeks At Washed: An Intern's Perspective
Now that I’m a few weeks into my internship here at Washed, I think I should tell you guys a little bit about myself (and why I got a spot on the team).
First off, I’m 5’9, and I weigh in at a beastly 160 lbs. Furthermore, I can bench 185 for an astonishing two reps, and my 40-yard time is (unofficially) the fastest in the office. On the academic side, I graduated from UT Austin with a B.S. in Math (big brain) and a M.S. in Finance. Now, after reading all that, you might be asking yourself, “why the hell is this kid interning with Washed?” That’s a great question, and the answer is simple. I have a full-time job lined up at one of the Big Four accounting firms, but it doesn’t start until mid-Fall. And sure, I could have traveled, maybe learned an instrument, or even just enjoyed Austin for all it’s worth.
But, I really wanted to spend my time doing something productive, and I have always wanted to work in media or at a start-up. And lo and behold, Washed is the perfect combination of both.
Now, to illuminate what it’s like to work here, a typical day for me at the office:
I wake up at 7am so I can get to the office early to clean up any mess
Before the guys come, I run and grab breakfast tacos (gluten free tortilla for Dillon) and pray that I got the right order
When Brett comes in, he gives me all his work so he can scroll twitter and try to go viral
After I finish his work and send it his way, he BCC’s me on the emails and takes full credit
Dillon likes to have his feet up while recording podcasts, so he makes me do bows and toes and uses me as a footstool
After the guys finish recording, Will forces me to sit in the conference room and laugh at his pre-written jokes or else I don’t get to eat lunch
From the minute Dave arrives at 11am, he just starts calling me girls’ names (and doesn’t stop until he leaves at 4pm)
I leave the office last, always with a smile on my face because working at this company is all I have ever dreamed about
Just kidding. I didn’t know who the hell these guys were until a couple of months ago.
Jokes aside, working at Washed has been a really great experience. Heading into my first day, I was genuinely worried that the Circling Back guys would be massive dicks off camera and nothing like their goofy on-air personalities.
But, I’m happy to report that they are actually great. They do an incredible job making me and all of the other interns feel like part of the team, and their real personalities are somehow even goofier than what you hear on the pod. These guys love what they do, and their energy is infectious, which is what makes coming into the office so much fun every day.
However, it’s not all fun and games - they work their asses off too. I had no idea how tedious it could be to work with sponsors and build partnerships, and yet Brett cruises through it like he’s been doing it for fifteen years. And I know you guys are always waiting for more content, but I can promise you that Randy and Adam are glued to their screens 24/7, working to produce the best stuff they can to make you guys laugh (like some new projects coming soon).
Compared to any of my previous jobs, working here is like a breath of fresh air. I’ve had my fair share of internships where you have to dress nice, act a certain way, and talk in corporate lingo so you fit the part.
And those places are fine, but it definitely feels like work. At Washed, however, that’s not the case, because they know that if you are having fun while working, then it doesn’t feel like work. In this and many other ways, I feel like I have learned so much more about business, management, and entrepreneurship than any internship I’ve had before.
To summarize, Washed is a place where you can pitch something and not be scared of looking like an absolute moron. And that’s not just because they are all morons here (TBD), it’s because they value their employees and know that being receptive, thoughtful, and open-minded to new ideas will only help the company as a whole.
I’m grateful for my experience here thus far, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer holds.
Abhi out.