Conquering Fear while Interning at Cowrywise

Getting into Cowrywise…?

Before my internship at Cowrywise, I wrote articles and published them online. People would read my articles and say they enjoyed them, but to me, that was not enough. I wanted to write for a company. I wanted my work to be read by many people, to teach people, to share knowledge and impact with my skill. However, I was too scared to do this. This changed while I was interning at Cowrywise.

When the application came out, I applied in optimism and was shortlisted for an interview. My joy knew no bounds. Finally, the day of the interview came and for the first time ever, I wasn’t so scared. I put in my best, and I got a congratulatory mail in my inbox. Then came the offer letter from Faith. While interning at Cowrywise, my confidence grew, I got better at writing and I learned to believe in myself.

Shooting shots! ?

The internship started with an onboarding session spearheaded by Faith. Before the onboarding session, fear was creeping in. I was excited and tense at the same time. ‘Am I qualified for this? Can I do this?’ These were thoughts running through when Faith said, ‘The fact that you were chosen shows that you stood out, and you should be happy because this is a privilege’

I needed that. Those words from the Lead, People and Culture reminded me to calm down whenever fear crept in. During the session, Mobolaji spoke to us about ‘shooting your shot.’ She talked about how she landed her job at Cowrywise by sending a mail to the CEO. That level of courage and self-confidence struck a chord in me. I took this advice and began shooting my shots at many companies. By the time I was done with my internship, I had a remote job offer waiting for me. 

First day… ?

My first day was really overwhelming. I was really thrilled, starting from the session where Yami and Mobolaji explained the products, ethics, and what Cowrywise stood for; down to Faith’s talk on ‘Freedom and Responsibility.’ What stood out for me was the need to constantly separate the two because they have two different meanings but one goal.  Freedom to make the best decisions, for the company, for my life, and responsibility to make sure that the freedom in decision making creates a positive impact for the company. 

After this, we settled in, met our buddies, and work started. 

On that first day, I pushed myself to something I had not done before and wrote four articles. It felt good. I shared them with Mobolaji and Michael. They read through and showed me what I could do better. 

Writing has always been something I found easy and exciting. It was always so easy to express myself the way I want but while interning at Cowrywise I had to learn how to write to sell, to explain, and to educate. I had to learn how to write for a company. This was scary at the start because I felt I was not good enough. There were times I read my own articles and thought, ‘No, this isn’t good enough.’ But then, I’d ask my fellow intern Oluchi to review, and she would say it was good.

Fear was trying to deal with me and stop me from taking up tasks because I felt I wasn’t good enough. But hey, I scaled through! 

Star girl! ??‍♀️

Before writing for Cowrywise, I had written a lot of content for my personal space and other platforms. However, writing for Cowrywise gave me a different kind of joy and pride. The sheer fact that my work would help thousands of people seeking financial education, that alone was enough to give me premium joy. 

Mobolaji and Michael are simply the best team leads I could ever ask for. Mo was ever ready to explain where I was finding things difficult, and Michael would always give me the boost I needed.  

‘Star girl Maryann,’ that was what Mobalaji called me when my second article went live. I was proud of myself. Star girl mode activated, guys!

Here’s to impact! ?

For someone who used to beat herself up too much because of little things, making efforts has never really been my thing because I was scared of failing. Peer pressure wasn’t helping. Fear was always creeping in. The impact this internship has made in my personal life is unquantifiable. I was that girl who downsized herself and her abilities. Cowrywise reminded me of my strengths and they brought back the little self-respect left in me. There is still so much to do but hey, this is a good start. I am conquering my fear and I am enjoying it.

One of the most valuable lessons I learned while interning at Cowrywise is the importance of self-esteem and respect. I was taught as a child that self-esteem is how we feel about ourselves. But there was more to it than I realized.

Our self-esteem is supported by two pillars: self-worth and self-respect. Self-worth is the ability to have faith in your mind and its actions, whereas self-respect is the acceptance and ownership of your accomplishments. These “pillars” work in tandem and a lack of either one will affect your self-esteem.

My experience while interning at Cowrywise has boosted my self-esteem in no small way. Thank you, Faith, Mobolaji, and Michael. Thank you, Cowrywise.

I look forward to scoring more goals, and when I do, I will remember how you all helped me climb this ladder of progress.

Thank you. 

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