Why decide to take part in the Start Me Up Program?
“Coming from a business background there is always a lot of pressure for you to pursue certain paths and industries. So in my first year I wanted to try something completely different.”
Who was your mentor?
“My mentor was Citra, she’s Indonesian and got lots of experience working in social enterprise and tech startups. She was always there to help me with resources, and emotional support as well as professional advice.”
Has this experience changed your views on remote work?
“100%. Before coming here I had no idea what remote working was and then just coming here, working in the co-working space, just meeting super inspiring people who all do different things in different industries showed me the benefits of remote working.”
Did you meet anyone who was really inspiring?
“One of the instructors for our weekly workshops was with Jonny Miller, he’s an entrepreneur, he started his own company then right now he’s working on a podcast. His stories are really amazing and inspired me to follow my own path as well.”
Was this experience what you expected?
“I didn’t know what my expectations were before coming here. I didn’t know what to expect. But it was definitely something amazing. I made really great connections both professionally and personally. It was overwhelmingly exciting to be here.”
Did you attend any talks or events throughout your time?
“The one I liked the most was an SEO101 workshop just because coming here I didn’t know what SEO was. But going there I learnt a lot about what it was, how it works and how it can help me in my business.”
Did you have any unique experiences while in Bali?
“The moment we went to Bali we went white water rafting which was something I never thought I was going to do and we also did mountain biking down Mount Batur for a full day which was amazing. I never thought I’d do it but I’m really happy I did.”
Talk me through a day in the life of Juan
“I would usually wake up early before sunrise to go for a run on the beach. Then come back, take a shower, walk to the co-working space. Probably work from 9-12, then take a break, lunch, go with the other interns. Then keep working till around 4/ 5 and then come back and go out for dinner with some of the other people in the group.”
Can you describe this experience to someone else?
“If you want to do something you never thought your would do and explore future career paths, come with an open mind and be ready to work on things you never thought you’d be working on.”
Any advice to future interns?
“Come with an open mind. Just come here knowing that there will be stuff you never thought you would be doing and skills you thought weren’t related to your industry. But what you learn, the soft skills and hard skills you learn, you can apply them to almost everything.”