Penske Internship -Day Seven

I finally made it to the big time, the cream of the crop, the little nuts on top of a hot fudge

sunday... “Carpet-land”! I was so excited to finally do something productive, and be able to be
apart of the serious game-making of Penske Racing! I was going to get my own office, but some
guy named Greg thought that he should get the office instead of me (he has been working here
for over two years, but come on now, everyone knows the summer intern definitely deserves
her own office!), so I got a cubicle haha. It is comes complete with a desk, a rolly-chair, a
phone, a desktop computer, and something that connects my laptop to the computer (super
high-tech here)! The only thing that was missing was a trash can haha.

My day began with getting all my stuff set up, you know, gots to make it cute. Then I proceeded
to ask Sasha, my advisor for the week, what I needed to do. She said that I could sit in on the
Merchandising meeting, and then I would be typing up receipt numbers into a spreadsheet. The
meeting proved to be really interesting, I never realized how much it takes to sell stuff in a store,
online, and in a trailer. They have to count everything a billion times, and they are constantly
having to update prices, look at what is selling, and search for new products. It’s a lot to handle
my friends.

After the meeting, I sat around waiting for the receipts until lunch time, and put in dividers and
labels for the 2012 Graphics Book. These are pretty much just for the sponsors so they can
see how all of their logos are displayed on the cars, drivers, and pit crew.

Then came time to type up the receipts...this was pretty much the most mundane and tedious
thing in the world. It took me like 2 hours to get all the numbers typed in, and when they all didn’t
add up properly, I had to go spend another hour to re-check all the numbers. So. Boring. By the
time I was done, I could barely open my eyes, and my voice sounded like I just turned 97.

Once I finished, I showed Sasha, and we both agreed that receipt balancing is the worst thing
ever. All in all, it was a good first day in carpet-land!

Confess the Dress

I have to say that dressing for work was probably one of the parts of my Internship that I was most excited for!  I have looked forward to dressing in business attire ever since I can remember.  So, pre-internship my mom and I hit up the more professional stores and we bought pencil skirts, blouses, slacks, flats, and heels! Ahh my dream right there!

DAY ONE

So, my first day of work was a huge deal. I was going to debut my style to the entire office (and garage full of guys), and it was going to tell everyone at Penske what they were in for.  I emailed my boss to check with the dress code, and he simply said "business casual"...umm can we be a little more vague?  Are dresses a no-go? Should I wear heels? So many questions going on in my head.  But I finally just decided that I was going to go with something I was comfortable in, and something that would say "Yes. I am awesome."This combination turned into this master piece below...

From top to bottom:

-Orange Blouse (tjmaxx)

-Kaki Pencil Skirt (Banana Republic)

-Brown Belt (Goodwill)

-Nude Pumps (Target)

-Gold Oval Earrings (Gift from Nana)

-Pandora Bracelet (Gift from Aunt Weezie)

Sadly, this work of art was only worn for half a day because I turned out spending my first day working in the warehouse stacking boxes.

DAY TWO

Since I was going to be working in the gift shop for the rest of the week, I was going to have to hold off on my heels and pencil skirts and stick to slacks and flats.  But is that going to stop me from barging through the fashion frontier? I think not!

Top to Bottom:

-Coral Scarf (Stolen from Callen's closet)

-Navy and White Striped Shirt (Forever 21)

-Black Ankle Length Slacks (Target)

-Gold Skinny Belt (J. Crew)

-Nude Flats (Target)

-Pandora Bracelet

DAY THREE

It was finally time for me to get the official "Penske Logo Work Shirt".  I just had to stick the the uniform for the remaining week in the gift shop, but of course I was going to add my personal touch.  

Top to Bottom:

-Penske Logo Work Shirt (complete with a half-zip at the collar!) (I-ZOD)

-Red Ankle Length Slacks (Gap)

-Chetah Print Flats (Target)

-Gold Oval Earrings (Nana!)

So, this was pretty much the standard outfit for the next two days as well.  Woot woot for uniforms!

DAY SIX

Today was the day I was moving to "carpetland"(aka office spaces), and I was back to my business casual!  I wish the camera on my computer could capture the awesomeness of my pants, but sadly it doesn't.  They are high-waisted ankle length HOT PINK pants! So awesome haha.

Top to Bottom:

-Light Pink Silk Blouse (J. Crew Factory)

-Cropped Navy Blazer (Forever 21)

-Hot Pink High-Waisted Ankle Length Slacks (Banana Republic)

-Nude Flats (Target)

-Creamy Colored Shell Earrings (H&M)

-Pandora Bracelet

DAY SEVEN

This is the projected outfit for tomorrow. We have had some major rain, and so I figure that it was time to break out the boots!

Top to Bottom:

-Navy Blazer (Forever 21)

-Collared Blue Button-Down Dress (H&M)

-Brown Belt (Goodwill)

-Brown Zip-Up Boots (Target)

Penske Internship- Day Four

Today I was in the gift shop pretty much allllll day. There were so many people in today! We had over 300 in the store, so that was really exciting. Also, A.J. Almendinger came in the shop today for some reason, and just talked to some of the fans for a while. He was really nice, and actually pretty cute too, im not gonna lie (too bad he is married to a model haha).

There was another exciting moment when I got the honor to go get lunch for everyone today! It actually took a little bit longer just because there was so much traffic from all the fans and other lunch-goers. I went to subway for April and Mrs. Cathie and then went and got a smoothie from McDonalds for me! This is the first day I have eaten something other than what I packed for lunch, and I think Mrs. Cathie and April think I’m kinda crazy for it haha. Mrs. Cathie always asks what I brought, and when I tell her peanut butter, celery, and apple, and a granola bar, she just can’t believe it haha.

Oh and just so you guys know, I got my official Penske employee car today! They spelled my name AMason Burril though...so I’m not sure if its a typo, or its something for interns haha. But at least I’m on the records somehow!

Penske Internship- Day Three

Today was a big day because I had my new employee orientation! I learned all about hazard communication, and I even took a quiz. Hopefully I passed! Other than that, I also got my picture taken for my id badge, and my finger scanned to clock in and out. So, pretty much, I am totally legit now.

In other news, the gift shop was busy again today. I learned how to work the cash register, and I restocked the floor with new merchandise! I am finally getting acquainted with all of our products, so I am more of a help when customers are looking for specific items.

For lunch today I packed a grilled chicken wrap with green peppers, mushrooms, and hummus that I made last night! Yes, my dears, I am becoming quite the little chef over here in Mooresville. George Foreman and I are hitting it off smashingly. In fact, for dinner tonight, I marinated a chicken breast in italian dressing, then grilled it, and topped it off with a smoked mustard sauce; and for the sides I cooked up some mushrooms and broccoli on the stove. Mmmmm so tasty!

Penske Internship- Day Two

Today, I woke up with a lot less anxiety, mostly because I knew what I was getting into for the day. Jonathan told me to walk straight into the gift shop, and just spend all day there. Pretty simple.

So, I got up around 6:15. I was a little tired because I couldn’t resist staying up to watch the Bachalorette. I told myself it was a useful thing to watch because Emily, the Bachalorette, wanted to film in Charlotte (20 minutes from where I live). Then after I was dressed and ready, I grabbed my coffee and headed to work. I got there around 7:50, and from there I helped Mrs. Cathie set up the shop.

Since there is a race Saturday, there is a big influx of racefans in town this week, and so our store is especially busy. Today we had around 200 customers (normal is around 20 haha), and there were some serious characters.

Most of the people that come in are here for the week, and so they are hitting up all the race facilities (Hendrick, Kyle Busch Racing, and some others that I can’t remember the name of). Anyway, these customers just love racing so much and they will spend at least an hour going on the “fan walk”(a catwalk in the garage where fans can watch the guys work on the cars), and going over every piece of merchandise in the store. That part, watching them get excited over a little plastic racecar, is actually really fun for me. I love watching people get excited, and I love seeing people happy, so that is one of the best parts of this job.

Some of Brad Kaslowski’s family actually came it today, twice, and they were great! They were so excited to see Brad’s name on everything, so they pretty much bought everything with his name on it, which is like half our store haha. They were probably in our store for over two and a half hours. That’s family pride right there haha.

Anyhoo, I had a better day than yesterday because I didn’t have to go home at lunch and change!

One of the bad parts about moving is being lonely. This is my fourth night alone, and it’s kinda getting old. I am definitely missing my friends and family. After work I don’t have anything to do, so I just go to Starbucks to use the internet for a while, then I come home and cook dinner for myself. So, if anyone has a free night and wants a home-cooked meal, come visit me!

However, I know that this internship is going to help me learn a lot, and I can’t wait until I get to be in some of the real action! I really am lucky to work with such kind people, who put up with my incessant questions all day long haha.

Penske Internship- Day One

Last night I stayed up until around 11:30 picking out my outfit, packing my lunch, and getting all of my materials together. The most nerve racking part about this internship was not being prepared, and going in without really any racing knowledge at all. I am not a racing fan, so I spent yesterday trying to study up on racing details just so I would be able to keep up with what people were talking about around the office.

So, this morning I woke up around 5:45. Reason number one being that I was really nervous, and number two being that I wanted to get to Starbucks so I could do a little more research before I had to arrive at work at 8:00 (I don’t have internet in my apartment until later this week). So I put on my tangerine blouse, kacki penicl skirt, and nude heels and hit the road. I got to work around 7:45, and Jonathan Gibson (my boss) came and got me around 8:10. We went back to his office where he gave me the low-down of what was going to happen this summer.

Since there is the Indy 500 this coming weekend, and the office is just crazy, Jonathan said that I would be working in the merchandising and apparel department (aka the gift shop) this week. After this week, I’ll get my own office and I’ll move into “carpet-land” (aka business stuff). From there, I will spend time with Marketing, Branding, Licensing, Hospitality, Sponsors, and Public Relations. They want me to get a broad spectrum of the business, so I’m going to be with pretty much every department except building the car haha.

After the synopsis of my summer, Jonathan toured me around the facility to see all the departments, and introduced me into a bundle of employees. That part I really enjoyed, because everyone seemed so nice, and super personable. I could tell they all wanted to help me learn all I can.

So after the tour, I headed to the gift shop where I hung out with April and Mrs. Cathie and they just showed me basics of the merchandising part of Penske. Then April took me back to the warehouse where we packed, moved, and shipped merchandise to the driver’s trailers, and various internet orders. This part of the day was especially difficult given I was still in my pencil skirt and heels haha. By the time lunch came around, I was ready to saw off my feet. April and Mrs. Cathie told me that I could go home and change during my hour lunch break, so I was all over that haha.

So I rushed home and scarfed down some lunch, and changed into a button down, jeans, and tennis shoes. When I asked Mrs. Cathie if jeans were alright to wear, she said ok, so that was definitely the go-to after the morning my feet had haha. So I got back early, and went straight back to work! April had me doing all kinds of things, especially now that I could move quicker haha. But on our walk back over to the warehouse she said that jeans weren’t allowed, soI told her I asked Mrs. Cathie, and April quickly told me that Mrs. Cathie is deaf in one ear, so she will sometimes just say ok to things she can’t hear. Hahaha! What are the chances?

Anyway, for the rest of the day I worked the desk in the gift shop, I restocked the floor, labeled clothes, and greeted all our race-fan customers! I also got to spend some quality time with Mrs. Cathie and April, which was really nice. They are both really smart, and they have a lot of experience with Penske.

All in all, this was a long, hard day full of new people, knowledge, and experiences. I just hope the following days get a little bit more comfortable, and hopefully I will make some new friends!

A Workin' Woman

Hey Everyone!

So, I am finally here. I am living in Mooresville in my own apartment!  Mom, Looie, and I moved all my stuff in on Friday, and it still didn't sink in that I was actually going to be living there.  I have been telling people about moving to Mooresville for the summer since Christmas, but I don't think I ever really thought it would happen haha.  

Mom and I came down last Monday to check everything out in the apartment, and to explore the town, and thats when we realized we had a LOT of work cut out for us.  When we first walked in the apartment, it smelled so terrible, like I was holding my breath it was so bad.  We got a furnished apartment so we wouldn't have to move furniture, and the furniture consisted of not one, but two recliners, a coffee table, two lamps, a tv, a toaster, and a bed.  Seriously minimal stuff here.  However, I was still excited because that meant that we could really do whatever we wanted!  

Here are the before pictures:

With a little bit a creativity, and some paint and nails, we spruced this place up! So here are the after pictures:

 

The Wardrobe Room

The Relaxation Station

La Cocina

Sleepin Space

My first night sleeping there was last night, and it was nothing short of weird.  I have been going non-stop since I have gotten home from school, constantly surrounded by people and things to do.  But last night I got home from Callen's state track meet, and I literally had nothing to do.  I was just alone.  I immediately had to turn on the radio just to get rid of the silence, and after dancing around I felt better.  I spend like three hours unpacking, and organizing, because I just needed something to do.  So, once everything was perfectly organized, I finally had to just sit down and chill.  I thought I could make some dinner, but I really wasn't hungry.  I actually haven't really had an appetite at all since I got here, but I think its just the nerves about my first day tomorrow.

The internship I am starting tomorrow is with Penske Racing, and I am going to be working with their PR, Advertising, and Business departments.  At this point, I really have no idea what I am going to be doing, and I think thats the part that scares me the most. Since I'm not a die-hard race fan, I am kinda scared that I will just look dumb because everyone else will know so much about racing.  Thats why today I have been studying up a storm on everything NASCAR and racing haha.  If you guys have any input help a girl out!

On a separate note, I mentioned that Callen went to the State Track Meet yesterday.  She made it all the way to State in TWO EVENTS! (thats really good by the way)  She competed in the Triple Jump, and the Pole Vault (she was the first place conference champ in both, the third place regional champ in the triple, and the first place regional champ in pole vault--pretty much she is a beast).  Anyhoo, after the move in on Friday, Mom, Looie, and I all went to Greensburo to meet up with Callen and Dad for the State Meet.  Because we were so proud, Looie, Mom and Dad, and I all made posters for our little champion!  

Callen ended up not doing as well as she wanted, but in the end it was a win because she met the guy who tweets #polevaulterprobs!! I am so proud of Callen, and I just can't believe there was a Burril who even made it to State!  That is an accomplishment in itself.

All in all, it has definitely been an exciting weekend! I am going to try to blog as much as I can about my life this summer, so stay tuned!

I'm not quite sure what my mailing address is yet, but I will be sure to let you guys know as soon as I find out!  I love you all, and please keep me in your prayers!

Peace and Adventures,

Mason :)