This week on the Be Epic podcast, Brent sits down with Olivia Meyer, a senior real estate finance student at the Walton College to discuss her internship that she secured from the career fair and how she turned that internship into a full-time role after graduation. During the episode Olivia highlights her campus involvement, goal setting and ability to constantly seek out feedback as factors that have helped her to achieve her goals. She also credits supportive mentors with empowering her growth mindset and pushing her out of comfort zones.

Getting more involved quicker just to set

yourself up to meet new people. I mean, it's an incredible way

to get different friend groups and different personalities and

different opinions to surround yourself with.

Welcome to the be epic podcast, brought to you

by the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of

Arkansas. I'm your host, Brent Williams. Together, we'll

explore the dynamic landscape of business, and uncover the

strategies, insights and stories that drive business today. Today

I have with me, Olivia Meyer, and Olivia is a current student

in the Walton College of Business. Olivia, thank you for

joining me today.

Thank you for having me. I'm excited to be

here.

Yeah. And you know, you're you're involved

beyond just in the classroom and internships, you're pretty busy.

As I've gotten to know you. What are some of the things you do

outside the classroom?

I'm very involved in my sorority, I'm a Zeta here.

Obviously, I went through recruitment as a sophomore. So I

was kind of nervous at first to see how well I would get

involved and how well I'd fit in with everybody. But it was very

smooth transition. And I got to be on the philanthropy side of

leadership by being the assistance to some of the exec

members and then work my way up as being one of the exec

members, as secretary and I really enjoy just being a part

of all of the girls there who just supported me and are

amazing leaders throughout the chapter. And also just some of

the on campus involvement is women in finance and future

business women leaders. A couple of my friends have started up

those and so it's been really cool to watch them from

sophomore year to now and how well they're going to exceed in

the future too.

Yeah, what made you choose finance as a major?

I really was excited for the real estate

portion of it, honestly. I've always wanted to go into real

estate since I was in high school, which I don't know where

that really stemmed from, I don't have any family members

involved in it. I just was really knew, it was a personable

job. And I knew that the finance background would really help on

a resume and just learning that kind of background information

going into it instead of just the real estate portion. Which

really reflected I think in my internship too, just having that

kind of background knowledge too

Yeah,

even though it's mainly my focus on my major. But

yeah,

Yeah, you know, it's interesting, like you came

in kind of thinking that was probably right for you turned

out sounds like it was sounds like it is something you've

enjoyed, you've enjoyed the classes. Something you told me a

little bit earlier that was really interesting. And this

kind of segues into our conversation about the

internship. I think you said when you were touring the campus

thinking about coming here, one of the ambassadors leading the

tour mentioned internships, is that right?

Yes, I remember we were right in front of Walton

Yeah. Well, that seed was planted early, which I don't

College, and it was towards the end of the tour. And it was kind

of a chilly day. But I was really excited to hear more

about the business school. And she mentioned how many intern

internships that students normally get, that are in

Walton, or that are at Walmart and Sam's Club as well. And I

knew I really wanted to be at a big company as successful as

they are. So ever since then, that kind of was in the back of

my head of that opportunity that was presented itself. And I

didn't know how I was going to get there. But I knew I was

gonna get there somehow. And especially with the help of

Walton, and my professors. So that was always a fire that kind

of ignited underneath me. And I really was able to look back now

and kind of, you know, reminisce on that memory.

know who the ambassador was, but a shout out to her because

that's exactly we love that. You know, one thing that's coming up

soon is our Career Fair, which is really an event of course,

where students and employers can really start to match and meet

one another. Did you utilize career fairs when you as you've

gone through this process?

Oh, yes, of course. I started off going sophomore year. Not

really, with any kind of goal in mind of getting an internship

just because I knew that they were mainly meant for geared to

juniors and seniors. And as nervous as I was, as a little

sophomore, I knew that that kind of experience of at least just

introducing yourself, you thought a handshake never hurt

anyone. And that's kind of where I got to step into that light of

the professional and corporate world a little bit more. And it

was, you know, really quick, I just made myself at least talk

to five different people and just to see where it would take

me and just get that feeling for next year to prepare a little

bit more. But yeah,

Well, I'm pretty impressed with that. You know

that you pushed yourself right, and you set a goal for that

event. I think that's great advice for our students. So you

did find an internship and you found a really good internship

after your junior year at Sam's Club. So maybe tell us a little

bit about that process of finding the internship. And then

tell us, you know, more about the internship itself,

Of course, um, well backtrack a little bit to

whenever I was first figuring out an internship, I really was

looking for Walmart's AFDP program. And I was super

interested in I went to all their networking events and

really got my face out there. And met them. They were one of

the companies I met, as well as Sam's at the career fair. And I

ended up going through the full interview process, made it to

the final interview, and I didn't land that AFDP

internship. And it stung a little bit. But I didn't let it

turn me away. And before my Sam's Club interview, I reached

out to the girl who are one of the women who's on the panel,

who interviewed me for the AFDP internship, just kind of asking

ways that I can improve my interview skills. And if she

could take the time to give me a quick call of where I can

improve, where I could excel at, or where I could excel more at

and where I was doing amazing, and you know, can keep going

with that kind of skills in my interview. And I feel like that

is what really helped me with my Sam's Club interview, just

getting that feedback from her and kind of going in with the

vulnerable aspect of I understand I didn't get this,

but I would love to see where I could get some help. And she's

one of the few people who have helped me throughout my

internship to just being a quick mentor to go to just because she

was over at Walmart. So it was a very tedious process. And of

course, very stressful. But I think, taking myself outside of

the perspective of being too scared to ask the questions,

because in reality, the worst thing anyone could say is no. So

I think really just utilizing those resources, and you don't

even know that they're right in front of you was something that

I was really excited for this Sam's Club, interview, and then

after it was during finals week, whenever my interview was, and

of course, it's a stressful period for any kind of college

student, and I had two at the time for a different company. So

I'd come out of an accounting two final and it was very

stressed out whenever I was walking into this huge interview

that I was really excited for and really wanted to land on.

And ultimately, I felt like I didn't put my best foot forward.

So whenever I was submitting my thank you emails to everyone

who's on that panel, I kind of worded the Sam's Club one just a

little bit more of a explanation of why I felt like I didn't put

my best foot forward. And of course, thank you for their

time. But just kind of like making that note of where I wish

I could improve better on that interview. And one of the women

reached back out to me, and she was basically saying how I did

incredible not, don't need to worry. But she understands where

I'm coming from and knows that I put a lot of pressure on myself

she could see. So she got on a zoom call with me in a very

informal kind of chat, and basically gave me the

opportunity to submit a write up to her of my two, five and 10

year goals for my career. And I was able to take a day or two to

kind of figure that out and really perfect what I wanted to

say to her, and she then presented it to the board before

they made their decision on an intern. So to this day, I still

feel like I owe her everything. She was just that extra push

that I needed. And I find her in the office. And I always thank

her and I love to give her updates on my career goals that

I'm surpassing and things like that. So it's definitely been a

learning curve. But I think my biggest advice is just utilizing

those kinds of experiences and people so yeah.

Well, if there is a there is a lesson for our

students, because one thing that is very, very impressive to me

is that you are always seeking feedback. You know, and if and

that, that takes courage to send that email and say, hey, here's

what happened. I didn't do as well as I thought I could tell

me how I can get better. That that is a special, a special

power, if you will, that you can do that. And then take that

feedback and try to get better with it.

Thank you.

And then, you know, professionals at both

Walmart and Sam's Club clearly responded to that right because

they they both stepped up and gave you that feedback and

helped you and maybe even the key to getting the Sam's Club

internship.

Oh, yes. And it made me respect the company so

much because after experiencing that kind of feedback from them.

She always told me that busy was just a relative term. So never

be afraid to ask anyone for their time. It really showed me

the values of the company just even before I had started. And

then I continued to see that all throughout my time as at my

internship, which was incredible to witness and it didn't feel

like it was this huge corporation that you were just

getting lost in the sea. It felt like very family oriented and a

sense of belonging was there for sure.

And personal connection?

Oh, yes. Yes.

All right. So you so you land the Sam's Club

one and spend last summer at Sam's Club. What was the

internship and tell us a little bit about, you know, the group

Of course, I had the honor of being on the new

that you're involved in,

club team for Sam's Club real estate. It was a new club, or it

was a new team that started in October of that year. So Sam's

basically hasn't had a new club built in the past seven years.

And Walmart used to be that muscle that would work on the

Walmart's and the Sam's clubs, real estate portion. So it was

really awesome to be a part of that first initial kind of way

or group of figuring out how to maneuver around, going about

building Sam's Clubs and what the executives wanted to see out

of them, and what goals they needed to put up for themselves.

So basically, this Summer, my project was to do what basically

do the full lifecycle of one of the new clubs, that was going to

be there. And I actually got to fly out and see it with the COO,

Lance Del Rossa and Diana Marshall, who is the Chief

Growth Officer at Walmart. And so being exposed that kind of

leadership too I mean, really taught me a lot of valuable

lessons just because I hadn't ever had that kind of

opportunity to have one on one for especially a whole trip with

people like that. But I got to go fly out and see the property,

see how we interact with brokers in that kind of corporation, and

then start my project. And it was just basically the full

lifecycle up until I left. And I actually got to present at the

end of year CRC meeting, which was in front of the entire

executive council for Sam's Club. So my little intern self

was standing up there presenting this project, asking for due

diligence funds and seeing if they would even approve of the

site in general. And it did get approved. So that was a big win

for our team. But without the new club team and my directors,

there's no way I could have accomplished that kind of goal.

So it was a very hands on internship, which I liked, and

they treated you like a full time employee, I didn't feel

like I was just, you know, the intern that would get coffee or

anything, there was always things to do. And if even there

wasn't, I would get more exposed to other sides of the real

estate sector, just going to the portfolio team asking what they

did. And even I got to go on another trip with a totally

different non real estate team and just see that aspect of it

all of how the field execution works and things like that. So

it was a very awesome experience. I loved the travel,

I loved how my director just gave me so many opportunities to

pursue. And I feel like I asked a lot of questions too, that led

me to those kinds of opportunities as well just

because my the very first day, my director told me that you can

play that intern card as many times as you want this summer.

So I started on day one, trying to trying to get my foot in the

door. And I think the biggest thing was just leaving a big

impression on everybody you meet and because you never know if

it's just going to be the first one or you're going to encounter

them a lot of times and by the end of the summer, I was on a

first name basis with the COO throughout the office. So that

was a pretty awesome feeling to walk through and be able to say

hello to him and he remembered my face. So just being very

bold, being very bold, and even if you're nervous, you just

gotta fake it till you make it.

That's one thing I actually hear with you. You're

like, you know, maybe you're pushing yourself in that way,

right? Even if it doesn't feel natural, or you're ready to push

yourself forward. And that's really impressive. You know, as

I as I think about what I heard in your description of the

internship, what was important to you and I feel like I hear

this from a lot of students is that the meaningful InSe

internships are a result of a great team, great people pouring

into you, but also meaningful work. So you felt like you were

meaningfully contributing to the organization.

Oh, yes. I I felt like I was making a difference

just as an intern and that's because my team made me feel

that way too. But it'll be really awesome to go back to the

club and be able to see where my projects kind of skyrocketed

from and where it is now. And even where I can maybe put more

work into whenever I return, just because whenever they put a

shovel on the ground, that's whenever it's all hands on deck.

So I am very excited to see where that took off.

There's a lot of reasons why I think internships

are really important for our students. And one is, you know,

this is a great mechanism to, to get a full time job, which is

what we're going to talk about next. But also, you know,

there's some other pieces to it, I feel like I feel like it, I

think it probably makes you a better student, you know, so let

me, let me ask you this, because I think that being able to learn

and apply, either simultaneously, or, you know,

you're in finishing up a spring semester, you learn something,

you probably applied it, you know, during the summer, and

then you bring that experience back to your senior year in this

case. And I suspect it made you a different type of student to

tell me if you agree with that.

I completely agree with that. And I could feel that

on my first day of senior year, I could feel myself taking more

charge of my studies, I've always been a very diligent

student, and value that studying. But honestly, I feel

like the biggest change was in my presentation skills and how I

approach adults and professors and leaders, I feel like I was

always hesitant in the back of my head in some instances. But I

had the competence now to really go in and take charge of a lot

of different group projects and presentations and just really be

on top of things like that. And in my studies, I feel like I

learned so much this summer that everything was starting to click

a lot in my classes, especially in the real estate section, too.

So that was just a really cool feeling to know that I could

participate in class discussions and share my own knowledge. And

by this point, a lot of seniors have had those internships

before. And so everyone really gets to now pour into what they

have learned in those internships and put them towards

class discussions to where we can all learn from them as well.

So it's been a very awesome experience, being a senior and

watching, you know, some of your peers that you've grown up with

over the past four years, really fall into themselves with their

careers and everything.

It's a big change isn't it, it's a big

change, when you start to see, you know, our students, your

peers, start to get different types of experiences. And you're

so right. The the discussions after that has occurred really

start to change, right? Because you may, you know, clearly you

had Sam's Club experience, someone else may have another

type of experience that someone else another and you're getting

to share those in the classroom, which as as a professor, that is

so much fun to see.

Yes. Oh, yeah.

So we said that we'll go back to we said that

one of the things about internships is that very often,

not always, but very often they lead to jobs and job offers. And

that was the case for you. So you're going to start at Sam's

Club, I presume sometime in the summer after after you graduate.

Tell us a little bit about you know, how that went from

internship to to getting the full time role in the real

estate area at Sam's Club?

Of course, yes. I really think it started on day

one, I knew I wanted a full time offer at the very end of my

internship. And so I wasn't gonna waste a day, not trying to

So they made you an offer, right at the end of the internship?

pursue that. And I really think that the biggest piece of one of

the biggest pieces of advice that I got from my team was to

cast a wide net throughout the corporation, meet as many people

as you can do as many one on ones as you'd like, just to try

and get your name out there because you never know what door

will open. And even if it's not in real estate, what if

something else sparks your interest, and you now know

someone that can, you know, get you into that kind of position.

So from day one, I really just tried to get my face out there

as much as possible. And really tried to show them like work

ethic in the best way possible. Because they're looking for

someone who is extremely driven, passionate about what they do.

And I feel like my personality also I really got to shine

through that. And even on days where people were really

struggling to you know, kind of keep going I feel like I just

tried to bring the energy as much as I could. So really just

showing that I could fit that come in a culture and it didn't

feel like a job anymore, to me, that's never I knew that I could

attain that kind of full time offer. But just being very

persistent and enthusiastic, that energy will follow you

back. And eventually it did pay off in my final annual meeting,

so I was absolutely thrilled coming out of that conversation

with my manager. But yeah, just

Yes, we had a final a midpoint review, and then a final review.

And the midpoint review, he'd kind of hinted they'd been

discussing where I could fit within the company, by the time

I came back a year later, just because that is kind of tricky

to plan out. And then by the full time offer, I or by the

final point, it was very, very exciting to just watch all my

hard work pay off and know that I was going to come back even

stronger, just because I had such a great support system

after that so yeah

And you already know the team that you're gonna,

it's a different team, but you're gonna land in the real

estate area on the existing club teams,

I'll be yes, I will be on the portfolio team.

Okay.

So I'm very excited, it's gonna be great

entry level position. And that's just where I'll learn to

negotiate and learn how to what to seed and read in a lease,

just kind of really get the basics down, in order to have

that solid foundation and real estate and then build up from

there within the club. So yeah.

That's gonna be exciting. And I assume it took a

little bit of pressure off of the senior year, if you already

had that in hand, right?

Yes, a couple of friends and I, we've worked at

Walmart, and Sam's and all left with full time offers. And so

we've been very much enjoying that time to just relax and take

in senior year, without the pressure of going to, you know,

all the different networking events, just because we had that

goal in mind of before. I remember sitting down with one

of my best friends, junior year, first semester, and our goal was

to get an internship before that semester was over, just so we

could, you know, really enjoy the second part of junior year

without trying to fight for one. And by the end of it, we looked

back so proud of ourselves because we both had landed, she

got the AFDP internship and I had gotten the Sam's Club one.

So we landed exactly where we're supposed to be, which I'm very

proud of us for.

It seems like you're really committed to

setting goals, and doing your absolute best to achieve those

goals. You guys feel like I've heard that multiple times

throughout the podcast. All right. Well, how about let me

ask you this, let me kind of wind this up this way. If you

were starting this journey all over again, as a, as a new

freshman coming into the Walton College next year, you've given

lots of really good advice. Is there anything else that that

you would that you would say?

I would say since I was a transfer, I think the

only thing that I regret is not getting involved quicker. I see

a lot of opportunities for freshmen to get that first foot

in the door with different kinds of RSOs on campus, which then

lead to leadership positions in those RSOs and things like that.

So I feel like really just getting more involved quicker,

just to set yourself up to meet new people. I mean, it's an

incredible way to get different friend groups and different

personalities and different opinions to surround yourself

with. And I feel like that is something that I wish I would

have done quicker. But obviously, given the

circumstances, it was kind of hard, just, you know, coming out

of COVID and transferring. But I do think that that is something

that I would change. If I could go back and do it all again.

Well, that's really good advice. How about

uh, how about if I'm going to ask a part B to that? You had a

great experience at Sam's Club. So if you were to advise

employers, you know, thinking to themselves as their as their

recruiting on campus, and recruiting interns and what can

they do to create the best kinds of experiences possible that set

you up for success and then hopefully set them up to get

great talent into their organization?

That's a great question. That's a really good

question. I think recruiters going into career fairs. Always

having an open mind. I feel like the easiest recruiters to talk

to are the ones who were just so opening and welcoming and really

wanted to share. I feel like they need to be even more

passionate about their company just because they're the ones

who are also trying to sell it as well.

Yeah.

Just because I always told myself that I'm

trying to sell myself just as much as the company is and then

as from an employer, I feel like my director did a fantastic job.

Just really giving that great intern experience to make me

want to come back essentially, he did that by just opening a

lot of doors that maybe an intern couldn't like herself and

everything, and just really pushing me to get out of that

comfort zone, just because I could see where some interns

were, maybe not wanting to keep going at the middle and just

like getting relaxed, and he was always lighting a fire

underneath me to keep going, keep trying, just never stop

learning. And he would show me ways to do that as well. And

just getting more out there, pushing me to really be a part

of the company and see myself as a full time associate was really

important for me to get out of my comfort zone, but in a

healthy way. So just being my number one cheerleader, I think

that was what made me really, absolutely have an amazing

experience with him. So yeah,

Well, after getting to know you a little

bit, I'm pretty convinced you're gonna be successful in whatever

you choose to do. And as dean, I can't tell you how exciting this

is for me to meet to meet you. And to see that we know we say

at the Walton College that we want to be a catalyst for

transforming lives, right. And, and I always think about that

catalyst piece, which is really about putting the ingredients

together. And you know, and so you brought hard work, goal

setting, passion. And then employers come alongside you and

give you opportunities professors help teach you and

professionally develop you and just what a great outcome for

you. So we're extremely excited. And I look forward to seeing you

again on the stage at graduation where I get to hand you the

diploma and that won't be very long from now.

I know I don't remind me.

Well, Olivia, thank you for spending time with

me.

Thank you so much. It's been wonderful. Thank you

for having me.

On behalf of the Walton College thank you for

joining us for this captivating conversation. To stay connected

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