As the internship continues, I’m getting to learn and experience the “real” business out there. Yesterday, I was able to get on a call with Jalen and one of the potential sellers. I was nervous in the beginning, not knowing how the conversation would go, or if we would have a good conversation in terms of the outcome. However, things turned out to be just fine! It was not that professional (all about the finance numbers and terms), but about the growth of the business and how the company starts from scratch to today’s achievement. It’s more of a casual conversation, chatting about life and the future. I was very happy to get the chance to join the call, and I hope I can continue hopping on more calls in the future.

Besides that, the training is truly helpful. Not only does it help to understand the deal flow and details of the process, but also to learn the analysis at more than the textbook level–how to use it in real life with Excel and questions to consider. From analyzing the limited info from a teaser to deep insight into a CIM, I’ve learned how to analyze a business from various angles. I’ve learned to be suspicious, even if the profile looks great. I keep asking myself, “is there anything I should consider more?” This sense of suspicion brings me passion to dig into the documents more or do some research to solve my concerns. I am willing to take more teasers and CIMs to analyze to help Ellery find more opportunities.

Sourcing, industry pitches, customization, calls, analyses…I have learned so much, yet I am ready to learn more. Looking forward to learning more in the future!