Inside Chia Sisters: A Summer Intern's Fresh Take
We recently had the pleasure of getting to know Lily Stewart, our Chia Sisters Summer Intern. Lily - in her final year of a Bachelor of Communications Strategy and Practice at the University of Canterbury - arrived with fresh insights, student perspective, and practical tips with video editing apps. Over the 10 weeks, Lily helped our team with marketing, sales, and production, and also launched our TikTok! The team loved meeting Lily and was so grateful for her support over some of our busiest months.
Lily with her favourite Immunity Tropical Smoothie at Chia HQ
Could you give us a summary of your background?
I grew up in Palmerston North on a Dairy farm and moved to a Hop farm in Nelson for my last year of high school, before moving to Christchurch for University.
Why did the internship at Chia Sisters appeal to you?
There aren't a lot of internships available in the degree I'm studying (or the creative field in general) so this was a really great opportunity to get insight into a practical work environment that I wouldn’t get through study. I love what Chia Sisters stand for and all their efforts; they make a huge effort across their sustainability initiatives so that was a massive bonus.
How did you contribute to projects or tasks during your time here?
I hosted tastings at local food markets, created content for social media and launched TikTok. I also worked in production - on the bottling line and bagging muesli.
Can you provide an example of how you applied what you'd learned in your study into practical situations during your internship?
In class we learned about using engaging language when trying to appeal to consumers and audiences, so it was great to try it out on social media posts, especially for longer reads where you want to keep your audience interested.
What are two key learnings you're taking with you?
What actually goes into business! I didn’t realise each person at Chia Sisters had their own department/role, and the problem-solving that goes into a single work day. Another thing I learnt about myself is that I am not very good at Excel so probably need to get better at that.
How has the internship influenced your study or career choices?
I know that I'm headed in the right direction with what I'm studying. The internship gave me insight into what it looks like to manage communications and marketing in the context of a single brand. I’m really interested in getting experience in an advertising agency or production house working with multiple businesses and brands.
Where do you hope to be in 5 years from now?
Probably overseas, hopefully working in an advertising or media agency.
What's your favourite Chia Sisters drink?
Chia Natural Energy and the Immunity Tropical Smoothie!Something for everyone
