Behind the Seams: Summer Shoestring Lessons

Sadly, the summer is ending for this Shoestring marketing intern. I went into this process thinking that I'd maybe learn a couple things about social media and affiliate marketing, and of course boost my resume a bit. Fortunately, I've learned a million more important things and even made some new friends along the way.

Most importantly for me, I've fully adopted the "champagne on a beer budget" lifestyle that Melissa spoke so highly of attaining from the very beginning of my time at Shoestring. I turned 21 during my summer internship here and have definitely used some Gumshoe expertise on cheap bubbly and bargain beer selections while making my first trips to the "packy." But there's more than the literal.

I learned to use private sale sites and social shopping sites to an absolute advantage for getting designer goods at deep discounts. There are so many cool things you can get from sites like Gilt and Rue La La and Groupon, and I now check them on a daily basis. (You might say I'm addicted.)

As for writing, I had no idea how to mesh creative flair with a professional-sounding piece on something like an iPhone app or how to create a budget home gym. Through extremely thoughtful editing and guidance from Melissa and our lovely editorial intern, Alexa, I've definitely crafted a much stronger voice for myself online and am excited to continue blogging about budget theater and fun, free, eco-friendly events from my apartment back in DC.

Hands down, the best thing I've learned during my time at Shoestring is the importance of building strong relationships. Not only have I been so blessed to be able to learn from my Shoestring teammates (and hopefully pass on a few bits of theater knowledge to them ), but I've also made two very great friends. At the risk of sounding sappy, I'm definitely going to miss my trips to Somerville, "the Brooklyn of Boston," because — despite my loooooong commute — spending time at Shoestring was the absolute highlight of my last summer before heading into the "real world."

Thanks to Melissa's never-ending tips and knowledge about how to effectively use social media, I've probably tweeted about 500 times more than I would have otherwise — so, of course, I'm completely converted. As Melissa always says: Once a Gumshoe, always a Gumshoe, so follow me @eam45 to keep in touch!