We asked Landry Allred to share her experience as the first content marketing intern at Lifeblue. Since joining us in February 2021, she’s served the content team by writing industry blogs and white papers, crafting website copy, assisting in CMS management, and conducting competitive content and site analyses.
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When I first accepted an internship with Lifeblue, I didn’t know what to expect. I had just graduated from The University of Texas with a journalism degree about a month prior, applying to all sorts of jobs, unsure of what the future held.
As my first job out of college, I tried to prepare for anything that could happen on my first day.
When I logged onto my new work email, I was overwhelmed – my inbox was filled with message after message from Lifeblue team members, all welcoming me to the company.
“Is this normal?” I wondered, “Is this what your first job after graduation usually looks like?”
From job advice to music recommendations, I felt much more at ease reading these thoughtful messages.
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My biggest takeaway was discovering what I want in a future job: being part of a company that invests in me as a person while doing work that impacts the world around me.
Throughout college, I worked in a variety of editorial roles and environments. They were all fun, but they also helped me grow as a storyteller.
Those of us starting in journalism can often be seen as content machines, expected to turn around a multitude of stories at a moment’s notice. Although it’s an important skill to build, it can be exhausting, sending you barreling towards burnout.
So, it struck me that every week at Lifeblue I’d have a one-on-one meeting with my boss who – first and foremost – wanted to check on me and see how I was feeling in my role.
That changed the game for me.
I realized how special it is to be part of an organization that invests in me as an employee and as a person.
At other internships, I was scared to ask questions and suggest my copywriting approach. But at Lifeblue, my voice mattered.
In meetings, the content team made it clear that my perspective was valuable – whether they pursued my ideas or took them in a different direction, they wanted to hear them.
They showcased how there are always insights that can be taken away from our discussions.
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Through this experience, I’ve not only become a better writer but a more empowered person.
At Lifeblue, I learned something every day — whether it be a new skill or hard knowledge.
After writing a piece on web accessibility, I started to see every digital experience differently, looking for how they were inclusive or could improve to better serve users.
When I wrote about data security, it propelled me to update all of my passwords to make them more secure.
After uploading videos for a financial advising partner, I called my parents to ask if they were aware of how social security benefits fluctuate depending on the age they retire.
Even though I’m not in school anymore, I will forever be a student, always learning what life has to offer.
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Flexibility not only means getting to work where you want, it means being able to navigate life on your terms.
When I joined Lifeblue, we were still at the height of the pandemic. Even though the U.S. rolled out the first COVID-19 vaccine a month earlier, only healthcare workers and high-risk individuals were eligible.
By operating from a remote-first basis, Lifeblue enabled me to pursue this opportunity, remaining in Austin and safely working from here. As the pandemic eased, I wrote from a variety of places, ranging from coffee shops to friends’ houses.
At Lifeblue, there’s mutual respect – it’s not about getting tasked with work and being expected to sit in an office chair all day while you complete it without question.
There’s a sense of trust and understanding that we’re in this together.
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Leadership doesn’t expect you to put work before life and knows there are different seasons for us all.
I experienced this firsthand when one of my roommates unexpectedly died a few months into my internship. Our entire household was navigating this tragedy and the grief that came with it.
I let my boss know, and he immediately insisted that I take all the time I needed – reiterating that again and again and letting me move at my own pace. Meanwhile, some of my roommates had trouble getting professors to give them extensions on class assignments.
Lifeblue showed me what true professional support is – caring for the whole person. They gave me the space I needed to breathe, process, reconnect and rebuild at a time when I needed it most.
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As I explore my next steps, I recognize how this experience has not only prepared me for my next steps but also shaped the expectations I have for work going forward.
It’s about valuing myself and building a career that reflects that.
What I learned was that your work should support the life you envision for yourself.
