Social Ape is excited to introduce our Summer 2019 Intern, Grayson Bigelow! Grayson is a sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, majoring in Advertising and Public Relations with a minor in French. Grayson is from Columbus, OH and a recent North Carolina transplant who has already fallen in love with Charlotte! She is loving her time here at Social Ape this summer and is busy soaking up as much new knowledge and expertise in her last few weeks on the job. Grayson still has a few years to go but is already excited to make a career out of her love for social media and all things PR when she finishes up her studies at Chapel Hill in 2022.
Get to know Grayson a bit better by reading her responses to our questions below!
What are your favorite things about Charlotte so far?
I live a bit further away in the Mooresville area so I don’t get to spend a huge amount of time in Charlotte during the week, but I love to explore with friends on the weekends or try one of the many delicious restaurants in the area after work. I’m not the biggest sports fan (don’t tell my fellow Tarheels!) so I love that there’s always a ton of other exciting things to do when I come down to Charlotte, whether it’s seeing a play or going to an amazing street festival.
Why do you love social media and marketing?
The industry is constantly growing and evolving which means that there’s always something new and exciting for me to learn! I love how varied and fast-paced working in marketing can be because I know that each day on the job will be different. I’ll never be bored or risk falling into a rut. However, getting to communicate with so many different people, whether they’re my awesome coworkers, clients or even social media users at the other end of a social media post I’ve written, is what really fuels my passion for social media and marketing.
What do you do at Social Ape Marketing?
I help create our weekly newsletter, play a part in creating content for one of our clients as well as the Social Ape Instagram account, provide research assistance for various clients and internal operations, and recently have been sharpening my PR skills by writing pitches for different media outlets.
If you could give advice to people who want to enter this industry what would it be?
It’s never too early to start getting experience and building your network, so say yes to every opportunity and make sure you get everyone’s contact info! Even if you don’t feel prepared to take on a new role or responsibility, give it your best shot and learn from your successes and failures. You’ll probably surprise yourself with skills you didn’t know you had.
What do you like to do when you’re not in school or at your internship?
I love to stay active during my downtime (with the occasional lazy Netflix day thrown in the mix) so whenever I have time I like to hit the gym, try a new fitness class or plan a weekend hiking trip. I also enjoy hanging out at home with my pets, trying new recipes (especially for Italian food) and going to the theatre.
We have loved having Grayson on the team over the past few months and are eager to see what her future holds!
You can follow Grayson on Instagram at @grayson_bigelow.
