The Intern Diaries (S2E2): Hey Young Professional, What’s Your Sign?

Week 2 and the living is cheesy, but maybe that’s just from the cheddar bacon breakfast sandwiches? Our resident superstars had a great second week, jam-packed with activities to stimulate mind, belly and perhaps even spirit. If that isn’t well-th* rebalanced, I don’t know what is. So, keep reading to get the tea on Week 2! (It’s spiced chai-tower and I’ll see myself out now).

* PLEASE don’t sic the word police on me! At Hightower, we spell wealth like well-th because we believe finances and overall wellness go hand-in-hand. Stay holistic, my friends.

Bob-ing for Applejacks

The interns had an incredible opportunity to sit down for breakfast with Hightower Chairman and CEO Bob Oros this past Tuesday, which is basically like sharing a meal with a celebrity. I didn’t get to be in the room where it happens, but some of our rising stars had some choice words for Bob. (And the words were very, very good).

HR Operations Intern Jack Huges came in hot with the *chef’s kiss* of reviews. He said, “I loved having breakfast with our CEO, Bob Oros! It was such an amazing opportunity to hear directly about Hightower as a business and the true culture here. It was an engaging conversation that really proved how Hightower puts their interns first and is constantly striving to make us feel a part of the team, not just as interns. As a little cherry on top, we were given amazing breakfast sandwiches which made the experience that much better!” This is so much better than mercury being out of the microwave or whatever. I hardly recovered from the first review when Operations Intern Ashley Baka stepped up to the plate. She shared, “One of the most enjoyable intern events this past week was Breakfast with Bob. He touched on what Hightower means to him, the Hightower company culture, and went in depth of the meaning of ‘well-th.’” (Aren’t ya’ll glad I explained that now?)

As a former intern, I know how rare it is to get to connect with higher leadership. In my past jobs, CEOs were always too busy for us, either for real reasons like running a company or dumb ones like trying to eat crab legs in the middle of a Zoom call. Ashley noticed how meaningful it was to have his undivided attention. She added, “Even though Bob has an executive position, it is already evident to me that he goes out of his way to get to know his employees on a more personal level, and truly values each and every one of them; something that is not always a priority for other firms. I left Breakfast with Bob eager to make a positive impact on the firm, and full tummy of course (thanks to the delicious breakfast sandwiches)!” TLDR: Two votes for Bob and two additional votes for Boar’s Head breakfast catering.

I hope someone got his autograph; I just have his word that he’ll get a tattoo if Hightower’s TikTok gets a 100k in followers. Manifest that destiny, people.

Star-Crossed Coworkers

If you’ve ever answered 20 questions to figure out which Stranger Things character/cat meme/pizza topping you are, you can understand what makes the DISC profiles so enticing. We wasted no time getting the interns prepped and primed for workplace success with this personality assessment. It’s basically the corporate version of charting your zodiac. I doubt we had interns scaring their mothers by asking them what time of day they were born, but moon signs aside, it was a great learning experience for everyone! They discovered which of the four profiles (or combination there-of) they were most likely to embody: (D)ominance, (I)nfluence, (S)teadiness or (C)onscientiousness, which is pretty sweet. All I can tell people is that I’m a Scorpio omnivore.

Pitas with Matthias

My horoscope didn’t prepare me for how marvelous this week would be. The interns got not one, but two free meals with Hightower ELT (executive leadership team) this week. Talk about spoiled! Hightower ordered fan-favorite Greek Kitchen for a lunch-and-learn with EVP, Chief Development Officer Matthias Kuhlmey. Matthias is this year’s Most Interesting Person at Hightower, as chosen by me and an anonymous colleague. He took the interns on the rollercoaster ride that is his career path – he is classically trained in voice and piano – which further served to inspire them to pursue their passions and see where it leads. And to not be so literal about it! Queen of Interns Sarah Welsh said, “I really loved hearing about Matthias’ career path. He was so candid and straightforward with us about taking risks in your career and doing what makes you happy. It was an awesome experience!” Count this as your sign to finally try swamp football. I’m good though.

Another 5-Star Yelp Review

Again, just Webex I’m afraid, but we’re tickled nonetheless. Talent Acquisition Intern Caleb Carlson noted, “I’m really loving my first full week at Hightower, and I attribute most of it to being on a really great Talent Acquisition team and HR department. I’ve already been able to work on job posts, offer letters and applications, and I’ve been encouraged more times than I can count to keep asking questions and keep pursuing projects that I’m interested in, which I think is part of what makes the culture here so great. Looking forward to what the rest of the summer has!” Caleb, your quote is a masterpiece of cosmic proportions and we can’t wait to see what the future holds.

I’m no astrologist but it seems like Hightower and the internship program are as compatible as water sign and another water sign. Tune in next week to see what the interns are moving the needle on with their dynamic synergies!