Summer Profiles: Franny Couch ‘10

Franny Couch ‘10
Independent Major of Music Business

Where did you intern this summer?
I interned this summer with a start-up, non-profit organization called Alabama Lawyers for the Arts (ALAARTS). Founded in 2007, ALAARTS provides lawyer referral services for pro bono and reduced fee legal assistance to income eligible artists and arts organizations. It also presents educational workshops and seminars on a variety of topics such as copyright, contracts, and entity formation. ALAARTS is committed to protecting the legal rights of the arts community and to providing legal assistance and education to artists and arts organizations in all creative disciplines.

How did you find this internship?
I originally wanted an internship with an entertainment law firm in Nashville; however, with none of the law firms hiring undergrad students, I turned my focus on my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama. I knew that it was a long shot to find an entertainment lawyer/law firm in Birmingham, but I decided to try my luck anyway. I emailed every lawyer in Birmingham that was listed as specializing in “Entertainment Law”. Most replied that they actually specialized in sports law, some claimed that their Nashville office was the only place that practiced entertainment law, and a few did not reply at all. Fortunately, one man, Marcus Hunt, emailed me back saying that he had recently started a non-profit dealing with law and the arts and that they might have room for an intern, provided that I was not expecting to get paid. The rest is history; I interviewed with program director, Neki Garrett, over Spring Break and we had our first ALAARTS meeting in early June.

What was your typical day like?
Working for ALAARTS, there was no such thing as a typical day. The organization was an infant, start-up non-profit. Consequently, we did not have office space, a board of directors, employees, computers, a database, a website, or any grant money. I worked from home and we had weekly progress meetings at the local Starbucks. Each week we had different individual projects ranging from researching art organizations in Alabama to creating the look for our marketing materials. For the most part, I was in charge of grant and art organization research and I would work for an hour or two a day. I also had another (paying) internship, and Marcus and Neki were great about letting me create my own hours and pace.

What was your most interesting project?
The most interesting project I worked on was writing the Market Analysis section of ALAART’s business plan. As a 21 year old, it was a worthwhile experience that I will carry with me in my future endeavors. I know it will come in handy in future job interviews to say that I have helped write a business plan for a start-up non-profit.

What advice do you have for others seeking internships?
The best advice I can give to others seeking internships is to never under-value the power of initiative or the importance of timing. Some people use the lack of contacts in an industry as an excuse for not entering it. However, in my experience, most businesses are more impressed with those that make their contacts than those that inherit them. It is also important to remember that timing is everything. When I first contacted Marcus, he forwarded my email to Neki. She quickly replied to him that ALAARTS did not have the resources or the time to train an intern. A few weeks later she went to a conference and the topic of the key-note speaker’s address was the importance of interns to a start-up company. I sent a follow up email the next Monday and, thankfully, she had changed her mind.

What were the other highlights of your summer experience?
Some other highlights of my summer experience were creating a MySpace page for ALAARTS and sitting in on a meeting with a potential member of the board of directors. I also enjoyed researching potential grants on both the local and federal level — during these depressing economic times, you have to get creative in order to find lucrative grant resources!

Dan Birdwhistell '01

Dan, who graduated from W&L in 2001 with a Bachelors Degree in Psychology and Public Policy, participated in one of Career Services’ on-going Psychology Alumni-in-Residences lunches.
Dan has had a very dynamic experience since graduating from Washington and Lee.

After receiving an MA in Education and Philosophy at the University of Cambridge in 2002, Dan has traveled extensively and worked in in Belgium, Nasheville, and Los Angeles. Presently, he lives in Washington D.C., and he is the CEO of Bigsight Media Group.

A recent graduate himself, Dan has a lot of advice for W&L students about to enter the job market:

1) Take your time. Dan suggests that students should not take their new job prospects too seriously. Recent graduates can afford to take a few years pursuing different interests; they have a lot of time. Dan says, “Never be afraid to spend a couple of years just working at a surf shop if that’s something you want to do.”

2) Don’t worry too much about money. Dan admits that his personal finances have been through both the highs and the lows. But this isn’t a problem. Even if your pockets are empty, as long as you’re doing something productive and getting a good experience, you can ensure that you earn it back. Never be afraid to take a risk; it might be of benefit in the future.

3) Spend a few years away from W&L. It’s very tempting to graduate and move directly into one of the hotbeds of W&L alumni. Dan suggests students take a couple of years off before reimersing themselves in everything W&L. There are a lot of different people and different experiences out there. Plus, the move into the W&L alumni community is a much easier transition after being away from it for a few years.

Dan offers a great message that is sometimes lost in Washington and Lee’s highly competitive environment. You shouldn’t expect to have your entire life planned out when you graduate. Experiment, pursue your interests, and don’t try to stick to a highly specific plan. You’ll never know just quite where you’ll end up, or what you’ll end up doing. Follow your intersts, work, take risks, figure it out, and keep learning. And at the same time remember that you are you and that you do have a lot of time to figure things out.

For more info on Dan, check his website at http://bigsight.org/dan_birdwhistell.