A fishing town in Portugal has a very famous beach. It is where monster waves come right up to the beach before crashing. There are few places in the world that rival Peniche. Some incredible barrels there lead to surfing so good the beach is worthy of an international competition held annually. Never heard of it? I assume you haven’t. I hadn’t either until recently. After all, there are millions of beaches around the world. Sometimes someone has to tell you about something spectacular so you can discover it.

The experience of your experience matters. How you think and feel later about how you thought and felt back then is what you dwell on over time, isn’t it? Look closely at the holidays of near or yesteryear and see what you find. Found what I speak of? Where are these thoughts and feelings? Though we can’t yet pinpoint them medically, they are somewhere in you – your soul, your mind, and your body.

On December 12th, Intern Management: Principles for Designing an Exceptional Internship, the second book in the Agile Internship Book Series, will be released in the Amazon. So today we share from its Acknowledgments section. Esteemed Japanese author Ryunosuke Satoro said, “Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” That ocean is bound together by kindness and acknowledgment.

I love going to the beach while listening to music and hanging out with family and friends. Wake up in the morning, pack a cooler, grab a football, set up the beach chairs, and struggle to get the umbrella up. Life is… great? One does not have many worries, responsibilities, or obligations. What a great getaway.

Water, an elemental force revered in Chinese culture, holds profound symbolism and plays a significant role in life. As I embarked on my internship journey at Agile Rainmakers, I discovered connections between the importance of water in Chinese culture and the transformative nature of my internship. Let’s delve into the depths of Chinese traditions and uncover the wisdom that lies within internships and personal growth.

The tallest waterfall in the world is Angel Falls in Venezuela. It’s over 3,200 feet high. That’s nearly two One World Trade Centers stacked on top of each other. Laos’ Khone Phapheng Falls are the widest in the world at 6.7 miles! In Niagara, approximately 681,750 gallons per second of water flow over the Horseshoe Falls – nothing compared to Congo’s Inga Falls’ 11.22M gallons per second! What exactly does all this have to do with business and life? Everything.

The 2023 Summer Riptide internship program at Agile Rainmakers wrapped up a fantastic, memorable two months on Friday. The passing of my extraordinary father midway through made it extra challenging emotionally for me. Thank you for all your condolences. I am working through it. Now what? And, how does what’s next relate to our ubiquitous, abundant friend, water?

After reflecting on my first month at Agile Rainmakers, I came to a realization; much like the mechanisms that allow for rain, this internship is a cycle.

Water can make a road slippery, rust a ship, and damage a basement. Water can also provide enjoyment for swimmers, reflect beauty, and sustain life. You could say that water is highly skilled. It knows what to do in every situation without being told. And, it does it the same way every time. It is reliable. Mapping this to our summer interns, let’s explore in this multi-part series skills developed in Agile’s Summer Riptide program.

You know how there are things you feel deeply about regarding business and life that you wish others felt? Some things come naturally to you and you wish they would for the people you work with. Furthermore, how often have you realized there is a thought ravine between you and the people you want to get on board with your ideas? There must be ways to get your message through. How do you bridge this mental valley?

Our intention is always to expand your thinking. We do so by weaving water analogies with business and life. We often write about internships. Recall, this passion project is bringing dignity to the internship discourse. Intern Management, the second book in the internship series, is nearly ready. Like a mountain spring from which water and life flow, an excerpt from the prologue setting up key internship principles starts thus.

There are few things in life that give you that feeling of excitement and nervousness in your gut at the same time. These are the moments that you learn and grow while enjoying each obstacle along the way. This summer, I had the privilege of having many of these experiences, two of which really stand out to me.

In the journey of self-improvement, it's easy to get lost in novel new ways to better oneself. For me, it's the new book I have to read, a new workout trend, or working on my morning routine. With so many options, and every one vouched for as “the one to try,” I wondered: everyone seems to have their thing that works, their own secret to success. What do all the success stories have in common?

Interning at Agile Rainmakers is like surfing. Even though the place I call home is only a ten-minute drive from the beach, I never once learned how to surf. But on my walks along the shore, I do occasionally stop and watch the surfers ride the waves over and over again. I’d imagine that learning to surf is similar to learning how to ice skate or how to ride a bicycle. So, how are acquiring a new skill like surfing and interning similar?

What is your idea of a typical internship environment? For me, this summer at Agile Rainmakers, I was fortunate to work in a supportive environment where I achieved my goals of building upon my communication, consulting, and professional skills and was also empowered by the strong bonds that I had formed with my manager, fellow interns, and clients.

In our last of this three-part series, we look at what it takes to get people involved in something extraordinary. Recall, you are aware of something amazing and you want to convey that to those close to you, but how? Given our society views the possibilities for interns and the work they accomplish as limited, the summer intern reflections are an excellent source for this inquiry. As you read, keep in mind this is what the interns said after working in Agile Rainmakers’ Summer Riptide program for just one month.

Utilizing summer intern reflections, we are continuing to inquire into what it takes to get others involved in something phenomenal. On the surface, this sounds like an easy thing to do. Who doesn’t want to get involved in something extraordinary, right? The reality is it just isn’t that simple, just as looking at the ocean surface tells you nothing about the activities beneath.

Ever experience or feel part of something that was really amazing? What did you then do? You probably felt like sharing it with someone close to you. How did that go? They quickly accepted and embraced what you told them and asked you how they could get involved, right? Rarely. Life doesn’t work like that. So, what does it take to get others involved? Let’s explore this in a multi-part series by looking at what we found in some Summer Riptide reflections.

All living things need water to grow. One way or another, in all endeavors, water is a required input for growth. And water can take lots of different forms. Every day, we use a product of water to learn and grow. Can you guess what that might be?

There are many lessons you learn for the first time as an intern. While at Agile Rainmakers over the winter, I quickly learned the importance of knowing what the client expects you to deliver. Returning to Agile Rainmakers as a private equity intern this summer, I learned that auditors do not change the valuation of companies until they raise a new round of funding, which can hide changes to a firm’s value in financial reports. Here, I cover three key lessons I learned about communication and clarity through my internship.