“Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress. Working hard for something we love is called passion.” – Simon Sinek

Within these last few weeks working at Ellery Partners, I’ve noticed the effect of working hard for something you love. Although we are living (and working) in a pandemic, Orlando and Jalen have shown us that they enjoy working to build this company and the work we are doing. Despite working at odd hours and in different cities, they have shown their commitment and passion for finding a worthwhile company to acquire. While both Jalen and Orlando have other jobs, they have still found the time and the energy to continue to excite us about the work we are doing. Although I enjoy the work and getting to know my fellow interns, I have found that their passion has made my experience that much more rewarding. Even after spending a day on Zoom in classes, I look forward to our meetings where we discuss our work and progress.

Not only do I feel like I have gotten a chance to get to know Orlando, Jalen and my fellow interns better, it feels like we’ve been able to build a supportive community and that I can reach out with questions anytime without being afraid of being judged. In fact, I’ve found that my questions are encouraged, and everyone wants to help each other learn. I’ve especially noticed this through the extra sessions held on weekends where we are about to learn about and discuss topics of interest. Coming from a kinesiology background, I have found these sessions to be quite insightful. Although I have had experiences in the finance field and have been studying economics, I haven’t experienced working with a Private Equity Firm. Our weekly sessions have taught me a lot, including the spectrum of private equity firms and about the three ways to create value within a company. I am really looking forward to learning more about the Private Equity Universe and attending the upcoming sessions.

I have also had the chance to work on a project that I have greatly enjoyed. I am currently working on a deep dive of homeowners’ associations (HOA). In this role, I am responsible for finding and reaching out to neighborhoods in various cities, as well as finding information on HOA Managers and homebuilders in the cities. I’ve enjoyed learning more about these neighborhoods, what makes them more likely to hire a HOA Manager and which HOA Management companies tend to dominate the market in the cities explored thus far. I’ve also had the opportunity to assess whether potential companies would be a good fit for Ellery. This process has been quite interesting, as I have gotten the chance to learn about various fields and consider whether or not it would be advisable to do more research on the company and/or the field.

My experience with Ellery so far has been wonderful. I’ve gotten to meet some amazing people, worked on some interesting projects and increased my understanding of the Private Equity Universe. I am looking forward to the upcoming 8 weeks here at Ellery, and I can’t wait to see how much more I learn.