Interview with Maddie Nieto, Summer Intern At Green Heart Collective

I came to the UK to get my Masters degree in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management at Northumbria University and to spend more time with my UK family. But, if I had to be honest with why I chose to come to the UK instead of continuing my education in the States, it would be because I value experiencing cultures outside of my own and navigating a new place on my own terms as a path of self-discovery and growth. If anything, I have learned more outside of the classroom than I have in it, as well as meeting so many wonderful people along the way. That is why I chose to come to the UK.

I approached Green Heart Collective by accident, and I am glad I did. After lots of time dedicated to searching for an internship or placement through personal professional connections and attending career fairs, I felt lost and that I had not found the experience I was looking for. So I reached out to one of my lovely tutors who taught me about innovation and creativity in the Fall, and she suggested to contact Helen at Green Heart Collective because of all of the work they are doing around sustainability. As an avid entrepreneur and designer at heart, sustainability is a core part of my ethos in any project I decide to go after. A few weeks later, I walked up the High Street and popped into Green Heart to introduce myself to Helen, and the rest is history. My passion for sustainability and Helen's passion for sustainability aligned perfectly, and we could work together to reach both our goals, mine for experience and Helen's for transitioning her business completely. 

I was hoping to gain a valuable experience that I could not only put on my CV, but to take back to the States with me as a central part my learning process in entrepreneurship. I get to learn the complex business side of things, but I also get to meet more people and cherish moments that I would have never experienced if I were to have a placement or internship in a bigger corporate environment. 

So far, I have been helping work on anything from simple projects such as creative label making for upcycled dolls, doing photoshoots, to helping give the Green Heart Collective's Shopify website a complete refresh. Throughout this time, I have also had the chance to have one-to-one sit-down lessons each week on what it takes to run a business from the master himself, Andy Redfern. Each week has had its learning curves, but that is what makes an experience like this worth it. 

I have learned that a lot more goes into a business than what people can see from the outside. Every part, every detail, matters. Providing a personable and home-grown experience is what it means to run a small business. I have also learned about interesting ways to upcycle clothes into new pieces as a way of preventing waste to landfill and helping our planet!

I have enjoyed being a part of Green Heart's journey and meeting so many amazing people along the way! The learning experience is so important, but learning about things I would have never expected to learn about has been so enjoyable. Not to mention, Helen's kindness for cooking me breakfast on some mornings before lessons is something I always looked forward to. 

Green Heart Collective is sustainability driven, but also community involved, and creativity passionate. Green Heart wouldn't be Green Heart, if you had one without the other. 

My plans after this internship are to return home back to the States in the Fall to see family and my cats of course, and work part time as I continue my entry-level job search. One day, I hope to either work a remote job or a job with required travel so that I can return to the UK and visit, along with wanting to explore more of Europe. However, the North East of the UK is now my home away from home and will forever be with me.