Top 3 Things I’ve Learned Interning at Rhudy & Co.

In January, I became Rhudy & Co.’s first official intern. Even though it was only a month, I’ve spent time learning the ins and outs of strategic communication and have truly fallen in love.

The Team
From my first day I was given a position where people spent time valuing my input. The world of strategic communications is very hands on, and it often takes many minds working together to make our mission flourish. Creating innovative ways to go about business strategy, video production, content, and design work does not happen without the ability to listen and the intention to make a positive impact.   

I believe that a large part of why Rhudy & Co. is successful is the relationship that we have with each other. When clients come to us with a challenge, it truly feels that we work together as a family to meet the challenge.

The Story
I chose communication as my major because it is broad, even though I’ve known specifically what I’ve wanted to pursue for 12 years. I promised myself that I would branch out and try something that would still provide me with graduating credits, but would be different from the field of Meteorology where I hope to land.  

I believe that Rhudy & Co. has undergone some of that same process.  When they opened their firm in 2003, they were the traditional public relations firm focusing on tactical execution with much less strategy than we use today.

In the business now, we have several meetings with different clients and amongst ourselves where we focus on strategy and the tactical execution comes later. In order to maintain a company of our kind, it was important to evolve along with the birth of social media platforms and the growing strength of technology.  

This culture is comforting for a 20-year-old college student, and potentially for others, as many often fall into a rut of believing we must have all of the answers today. However just like Rhudy & Co., the world will change, we will move accordingly, and it will all work out for the best.  

The Work
I’ve heard people say, “I’m majoring in communication because it’s easy.” For some time, I thought that it was a safe choice, because I knew I’d never be presented with tough mathematical problems and no one would ever look to me in desperation in the same way that one may look to a doctor.  

I was wrong in my thinking.  It turns out that we have fun, we’re easy going, our environment is beautiful, but our industry is in fact rich with hard work.

Sure, classes may feel straightforward, but in real-world application, I’ve seen some of the most brilliant minds work together on really tough projects. We may be presented with an issue where managers and employees miscommunicate, or we need a new way to inspire members of a company.

If you’ve ever tried to think of a new color or taste, that’s how difficult this work is. The most amazing part of it all is watching the company come together in high spirits and make the impossible possible.  

Dominga Murray, a sophomore at Hollins University, is majoring in communication and hopes to one day be a meteorologist.  The oldest of three children and the proud mother of two cats, Dominga’s greatest accomplishment is serving as the founder and director of a nonprofit called Helping Hands. This June, she’ll compete for Miss Virginia.