From Halle to Huron

I have been in the new space for less than a week and I already feel right at home. Of course I’m not surprised as LS employees have a way of making you feel at home in any situation.

Monday was entirely devoted to unpacking and setting up the office, thus I was initially more comfortable on the freight elevator than in my own cubicle. However, after all (err most) of the work was done, it felt good to know that I had a hand in setting up a space that will house Liggett employees for many years to come. Best of all, our efforts were rewarded with delicious pizza and sandwiches for lunch!

While Tuesday was more of a normal day (no more wearing jeans to work L) there still was, and continues to be, a bit of upheaval from the move. Yet I have found this to be a learning opportunity as it teaches us how to work around the unexpected and to deal with limited resources. For instance, I have learned to substitute my morning coffee ritual with green tea until the coffee stations are back up and running…

All jokes aside, the Liggett community as a whole has gone above and beyond to help keep the ball rolling despite the rocky terrain. Yesterday, Morgan and I helped assemble press kits for rush delivery. Despite the time constraints, the six of us were able to get them out on time. We also got to practice using the new space’s workstations while we were at it! Everyone has been helping to locate and deliver items around the office when needed. It feels good not to be the only ones who don’t know our way around anymore. It feels even better to be involved in a learning process with everyone here at Liggett.

Today I look forward to toasting to the new space and all the hard work that went into it at a Happy Hour celebration in the area newly dubbed “The Mezz.”

Bonnie C.

Brand Management Intern

Back to the Grindstone.

It’s hard to believe that we have now officially moved into the new space! It was such a whirlwind. It even made the headlines in Crain’s Cleveland Business Daily Alerts

Yesterday was a day full of locating, moving and unpacking boxes. To some, moving is exciting yet grueling at the same time. However, it was actually a nice transition into the new space. I have quickly found my way around the office and hopefully will not get too lost from this point on. Today, on the other hand, it is back to the “normalcy” of the typical Liggett workday.

As the financial intern, I am currently in the process of distributing and collecting benefits forms to and from the agency. I have also been thrown into the world of invoices and accounts payable. It is really interesting to be able to see how the agency bills clients and the process they take when dealing with an incoming invoice. I have been given so much responsibility already. It is nice to know that the financial department, especially Steve and Monica, have already entrusted me with so much. Because of the welcoming nature of all the employees here, I have quickly felt as though I have always been part of the Liggett family.

On the more creative side, our intern class has been hard at work. We are currently trying to establish a theme for our t-shirt and poster. We are incorporating the move into the theme. It is nice to be the first class in the new building; it gives us a lot to work with.

We are also working hard to get our first FunDay activity ready. Although its theme is currently "under wraps", I can tell you that a chocolate fondue fountain will probably be involved.
Is there anything more delicious? I think not!

Danielle E.

Financial Intern

Learning by Doing

As an intern at Liggett Stashower, I’ve already been able to do some pretty cool things. For one, I was able to get a glimpse into the future last Tuesday during our fieldtrip to The Plain Dealer. No, I’m not referring to some all encompassing philosophy or piece of machinery that the historic Cleveland newspaper has suddenly adopted to guide its operation into the next decade. I’m literally talking about a sneak peek into the next day’s news, before just about anyone else! OK, what I’m really talking about is the packet we were given during the editorial meeting we sat in on which outlined the topics that were to be covered in the next day’s issue. It wasn’t exactly stepping into a time machine, but it was pretty close. It’s not everyday you can go home and tell your dad what will be on the front page of the newspaper the day before it is even printed.

Needless to say, our visit to The Plain Dealer is just one of the many things I’ve enjoyed since I started my internship. The very first day I was here, I was handed a creative supplement for a client that involved some investigative-style web research. The next day, I found myself calling users of a client product in order to acquire and compile their testimony. Since then, I’ve been involved in various client-related scenarios that will use my contributions to create the final product. It certainly is rewarding as an intern to have a chance to become this involved, this quickly.

My fellow interns and I got the chance to become a part of the spectacle that is the annual Duct Tape Festival in Avon, and to label those in attendance as enthusiastic about the sticky, multipurpose adhesive wouldn’t be going far enough.

To say everyone here is friendly and accommodating would be an understatement. The internship program here is very well organized and set up in such a way that I was able to feel comfortable from day one. The best part is, I haven’t even had to do any of those stereotypical intern chores, such as making copies and pouring cups of coffee. Not that I would oppose taking on any of those “assignments”, it’s just nice to know that my time here as an intern is about so much more.

Patrick B.

Creative Intern

Moving Out!

I have been here three weeks and finally know my way around. I can find offices, conference rooms and even extra paperclips. Unfortunately, this knowledge is useless because we are moving this weekend! So Monday morning I will have to begin the process again. What can I say, at least I am always learning!

The first few weeks have flown by here at Liggett. It feels like yesterday I was given the grand tour and was introduced to everyone. I have experienced a great deal since that first day. I have sat in on brainstorming sessions, worked on revisions, helped at the Duck Tape Festival and toured The Plain Dealer. Just yesterday, I had the opportunity to assist a photographer on a photo shoot. There, I learned that dynamic movement, detail, and unique angles create an interesting composition.

The mentor program is one of the most rewarding elements of the Liggett Internship. It is refreshing to have someone you can go to with any question or concern. My mentor, Wes, is always willing to stop what he is doing and listen to any question I have. Also, he knows what I am going through as a young designer. To improve my concepting skills, Wes has assigned me a side project that consists of researching and concepting for a logo. The process he taught me to go through has given me the ability to get a lot of ideas down quickly.

As the Fourth of July weekend approaches, I sense the office eagerly anticipating the first day at the new space. While helping move boxes, I have seen our new office and I can tell it is a space that will SPARK great ideas.

Abie M.
Graphic Design Intern

"Miss a day. Miss a lot."

Although it has become easier, quicker and, many times, more convenient to access the latest news stories through the Internet, I cannot deny the fact that there is something special about holding an actual newspaper in my hand.

But, with that being said, there isn’t any doubt that there is a shift not only in the way that news outlets are disseminating their stories, but also with how individuals are retrieving that information. The widespread use of handheld devices and computers has forced the news industry and its journalists to transform the way they provide information to the public.

All of these thoughts were reinforced by the field trip that the intern class took to the to The Plain Dealer (PD) this afternoon. After Ted, PD’s Reader Representative, welcomed us, we began our experience by having the pleasure of sitting in on one of the main news meetings that occur each and every day. These specific news meetings are a time when all of the section editors can come together to discuss the topics that will be addressed in the next day’s newspaper. This meeting provided us with a glimpse into the daily processes at a large newspaper as well as an opportunity to personally interact with the editors.

After the meeting, Ted took us on a quick tour of the building, giving us a little more information on the roles of the different editors and writers. It is inevitable that newspapers around the world are beginning to restructure themselves in order to accommodate current changes within the newspaper industry, such as those mentioned above. Ted told us that the focus of many newspapers is their financial struggle, which has stemmed from decreasing advertising sales, and not due to a decrease in readership. The way that the PD is dealing with these issues is by trimming down on the number of employees and the number of pages in their newspaper. Ted mentioned a very good point - it is important to note that people around the world are still as intrigued, influenced and interested in reading the news, regardless of the outlets they use to retrieve the information.

As a Liggett intern, I really appreciated the opportunity to visit the PD and better understand life within a newspaper. Throughout the first two weeks of this internship, I have begun to see why this summer experience will be so beneficial. While interning at Liggett, we have the chance to not only work on a wide variety of projects, but also take informative field trips around Cleveland – all of these things will help to provide us with a well-rounded experience at Liggett this summer. I’m looking forward to the upcoming field trips, projects and moving into our new building next week.

Rachel Z.
Connection Planning Intern