Dustin McCormick completed an internship with Volcom, Inc., a company that started as a snowboarding brand in 1991 and has since expanded into other extreme sports. During the internship, McCormick learned about the sales process firsthand, from selecting samples and making deliveries to inputting transaction data. He realized the importance of passion for the industry and exceeding expectations. McCormick appreciated the close-knit culture among the sales team, who supported and celebrated each other. The internship confirmed his interest in the extreme sports industry and provided valuable real-world business experience.
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Duringmy final semesteratBiola I wasgiventhe unique opportunitytojointhe Volcom
Incorporatedsalesstaff whichallowed me tolearnthe role of saleswithinthe extreme sportsfashion
industryasa whole.
EnvisionedduringasnowboardingtriptoLake Tahoe in 1991, and fundedby$5,000 dollars
borrowedfromTucker’sfather, TuckerHall andRichard Woolcottstarted Volcom, Inc.as a riding
company that encompassed the three sportsthey enjoyedmost:Snowboarding, Skating,andSurfing.
The company wasborn duringthe “YouthAgainstEstablishment”movement,withavision andmission
on capturingthe essence andculture of the youngcreative.Volcomcontinuedto grow andspread
across the nationoverthe next10 years, branchingintothe musicand art community,givinginspired
youthan outlettoexpressboththeirvoice andopinions. In2005, VolcomInc.was boughtoutby the
KeringGroupbasedinFrance,whichis alsoowns supreme luxurybrandsPuma,Guess,andGucci.Since
then,VolcomhasexpandedgloballywithemergingmarketsinChinaaswell asselectpartsof Europe,
and has acquiredpowerbrandElectrictofurtherimprove theiractive snow wearaswell as overall
clothingbrand. Beinganextreme sportsenthusiast(anavidsnowboarderandwake boarder) Iwas
exhilaratedatthe opportunity tolearnmore aboutbusinessoperationsandsalesinside the world’sfirst
boardingcompany.
The internship experiencegave me afantasticglimpse intothe fast-pacedandchallengingworld
of sportsfashion. The cycle of promoting,selling,manufacturing,anddeliveryproduct involvesa
multitude of moving,interactive salesroles. Before takingthe position,Ihadnoideahow an orderwas
processed,orneverpaidmindtohow retailers communicate with clothingbrandstoreceive orders and
discussbuyingnewclothing.AfterbeingmentoredbyKyle Zeppenfeld,Headof SouthernCaliforniaand
PuertoRicoSales,andGraham Gannon, Vice Directorof SalesReps,Iwasable to see stepbystephow a
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salestransactionis completed.Thisoverall experience of workingthe flooranddoinga numberof minor
tasksdailyallowedme tosee firsthandhow workingefficientlyandpassionatelywill visiblyaccelerate
the entire salesprocedure.Everythingfromselectingsamples,makingdeliveries,processingcompany
IPOs,FillingoutDPIF*Forms, handlingstockorders,andinputting transactiondatawere necessaryto
successfully completingatransactionbetweenanaccountor individualclient.Eachtaskgave me a new
prospective onthe company,providedme withnew challenges,andthe opportunitytoprove my
creativityand innovativenessinthe workplace [SeeAppendix 1].
I was able to learn the significanceof performingataskto its fullest,exceedingexpectations
and workingtoplease those thatsupervisors.Evenseeminglytrivial errandsbecame anexcitingtestto
complete if youimagine themas opportunitiestoimpressuppermanagement.Forexample,Kelly
Normandin,Headof outletretail,gave me the taskof physically mappingouteverystore carrying
VolcomproductinPuertoRico.Aftercompletingthe initial task,I mentionedthatadigital mapwould
make the businessof locatingandtrackingspecificstoresmucheasier,andthatIwas will totake on the
task.For the nexttwodays,I developedadigital mapcapable of providingaddressesinformationand
locationat the clickof a button;give live ratingsforstores,andaffiliationswithfranchisingchains [See
Appendix 2].Askingforbiggerchallenges,more responsibilities,anddiverse tasksmade taughtme the
value of performingdifferenttasksandchallengingmyself withinthe workplace.
Volcomalsotaughtme the importance of beingferventaboutthe industryandproductsthat
youare representingandpromoting tocustomers.Matt Walker,athirteenyearveteranonthe sales
staff incharge of the southeasternUnitedStatesterritory,lecturedme dailyaboutthe significance of
lovingyouremployer:“the whole ideaof beingtrulysuccessful meansthatyouhave tobe obsessed
oversomething;just‘liking’whatyoudoendsupstallingyour professionalgrowthinthe end.There isa
cleardifference of beingpassionate aboutsomethingandsimpleheadknowledge of asubject”.Walker
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not onlyknewandcouldlistoff the keysellingfactorsof anyVolcomproducthe wasselling,butalso
understoodfirsthandasaskateboarderandsurferthe impactof havingthe right gearfor the lifestyle.
His fire andlove forthe sports he adoredgave himcredibilityfarbeyondanyaverage salesman,and
Walker’sexperience gave himagenuine andtrustworthyairwheninteractingwithcustomers.This
solidifiedinme the principle thatpassionandcompetence aboutyourindustryleadstoconfidence and
successinthe worldof sales.
Perhapsthe greatestaspectof interningforVolcomwasgettingto see andpartake in the
interactionsbetweenall the salesstaff. Whenapersonbecomesamemberof thisteam,thatworkeris
truly becomingamemberof the Volcomfamily. There isanundeniable airof respect,aswell as warmth
and compassion betweenall sales staff.Workersjoke withone another, enjoylunch altogether, socialize
outside of work,andgenuinelyenjoyeachother’spresence. Thisnotonlycontributestothe deep
personal interconnectionsinside of the workplace, butalsoimproveseveryindividual member’s
performance onthe salesteam. Salesrepsalwayshold one anotheraccountable forhittingmarks
established duringthe salesseason, helpingandaidingone another tocomplete all assignments.Then,
wheneverythingis accomplished andthe dustsettlesfromahecticsalesseason,the teamcelebrates
and acknowledgesone anotherintheirsuccess. Volcomopenedmyeyestothe significance of a
corporation’sculture andthe value of wholeheartedlyservingall yourteammembers[SeeAppendix 3].
In itsentirety,the Volcomsalesinternexperience metandexcelledpasteverypreconceived
expectationIhadconcerningthe extreme sportsindustry. Inthe beginning,beingmore openand
talkative wouldhave made myentire experience more worthwhile.Uponreceivingthe internship,Ihad
a purely competitive mindset;Ibelieved showingupearly,outandoverperformingagainstother
interns,beingtimelyanddetailed,andleavinglate were the keyprinciplesthatwouldleadme tothe
mostsuccess duringmy time at Volcom.Iwasfriendlyinworkinteractions,butfarfromtalkative or
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activelyengagingwithmanyof the otherworkers.Finally, after3weeks of working,Tori Shaffer,the
headof salesforColoradoandthe surroundingterritories,pulledme asideandtoldme thatmy work
was great,butif I wasreally intentional onmakingan impact,Ineededtomake an impactwithpeople
first.Hiswordshave stuck withme since that day:“Ask aboutpeople,rememberthingstheytellyou,
and thenaskthemabout those things.Relationshipsandreliabilitywillgetyouthe farthest [inasales
career]”.Afterthatmoment,I beganintentionallysparkingconversationandaskingaboutotherpeople,
and itmade my Volcomexperience somuchricherthanbefore.Inthe end,Ilearnedthat coworkersand
managersnotice howhard youwork,but people needto appreciate whoyoureallyare first.
Although CrowellSchool of Businessdoesanexcellentjobof preparingstudentsforthe practical
applicationof learnedskillsthroughout itscurriculum,the programcouldeasilymake adjustmentsto
betterprepare andinspire studentstostepoutandengage inthe businessrealm.Despite the school of
businessprovidingthe toolsnecessarytoprepare astudentforinternshipapplicationsandinterview
processes,there seemstobe little tonoemphasisonmakingthe processa requirementforbusiness
majors.It tookme until mysenioryeartorealize thatI waspursuingan internshipapplicationprocess
twosemesterstoolate; If I wouldhave startedmy internshipuponmyentryintothe CrowellSchool of
Business,Iwouldhave beenable torealizesoonerhow essential everyclassandlessonwas withinthe
businessrealm,andwhatreal worldapplicationlookslike inacorporate setting.Integratinga
mandatoryinternshipapplicationprocesswouldhelppeoplefarbeyondwhattheycouldunderstand
withoutthe businessexperience.
Afterbeingaccepted,Crowell school of Business shouldmake itarequirementthatall students
applyto at least5 internshipsduringtheirparticipation withinthe program.Thiswill begintostimulate
studentstothinkahead to potential fields where theycouldseethemselvesentering,aswell as
revealingtheirpassionsforindividual industries forpost-college life.AfteraskingmyManagerAlaina
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whyshe selectedme duringthe applicationprocess,she statedthatshe wasable tofeel mypassionfor
the company throughmy coverletteras well asduringmyphone interview.Byinspiringstudentsto
applyto placesthatinspire them like ProfessorAvilawasable topushme to do,you begintoopen
doorsand opportunitiesthatstudentscouldhave neverdreamedpossible uponenteringcollege.
Anotherminorsuggestionforimprovementwouldbe forstudentstofurtherstudymajorcategorizing
programssuch as Excel,Aloha,andFull Circle,thatwaytheyenterthe workforce readytocomplete
objectivesforthe companyinsteadof tryingtolearnhow towork the complex systems. Applyingand
enteringintoaninterviewprocessalsogivesstudentsanecessarytaste of the realisticcompetitionof
the businessworld. The businessprogramshouldmake itmandatory tovisitthe careercenterat least
once to tailora resume to one specificcompanyof the student’sinterest. Overthe course of winter
break,I appliedtoover35 internshippositions,onlytohearback fromtwo. In my experience,Ionly
receivedfeedbackfromcompaniesinwhichIhadtailoredmycoverletterandresume specifictothat
individualcompany.Overall,the knowledgeandskillsacquiredfromaninternshipare fundamentalin
the applicationandexecutionof practical businessknowledge.
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The VolcomSalesTeam. (From Top Left to Right) Nate Gerardo, Matt Snyder, Tori Shaffer, Kyle
Zeppenfeld,KellyNormandin, ChristinaMcManus,Matt “Dog Father”Walker,AlainaGallagher,(Bottom
Left to Right) Matt Suckle, Javier Morales.
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[Appendix1]. For a majorityof the internship,Volcomwasworkingon creatingtheirbusiness-
to-businessonline platform,whichtheylaunchedforthe firsttime thisApril. (Below)picturesof the
final productwe helpeddevelop.
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Othertimesinternswouldbe giventhe taskof assisting anaccount manageror salesterritory
representative.(Below) Anessential stepof the sale betweenanaccountand Volcomisthe DPIF (Direct
ProductInformationForm).Large accounts,suchas Nordstrom, require thisformtospecify all detailson
a specificline of clothing;thisincludeddescribingandprovidingeverythingfrombasicidentification
numbersandwashinstructionstothreadcount anddetail description.
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[Appendix 2]. The VolcomPuertoRicoMaps for KellyNormandin.Aftermakingaphysical map,I
prepareda digital mapwithintegratedGoogleAnalyticsthatwouldprovidedirections,contact
information,specificdivisionsof stores/distributersof Volcomproducts,andratingsof the specific
location.
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[Appendix 3]. Although fairly bland looking in from the street, the inside of Volcom Headquarters
encompasses the overall corporate culture.
Inside it’s doors, Volcom’s layout is incredibly chic, artistic, spotless, and spontaneous, with
hallways and stairwells leading every which way through out the company.
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Since it’sinception,Volcomisabrand that has emphasized the balance betweenworkand play. It is not
uncommon to hear skateboards rushing up and down the halls during large consulting meetings, or to
see executives “carve up” the indoor skate park during lunch or after work.
(Above) Woollcott’s Skate Park. (Below) the “Yellow” meeting room for Men’s Fashion.
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“Joining Volcommeanssomething biggerthan being on a sales team; it means you’re apart of a family”
-Alaina Gallagher
(Above) After finding the ‘96 “Stoney” Mascot outfit hidden within a container in the warehouse, it
became a requirementforintern“Stoney”pictures.(Below)If amemberof the salesteamhas a birthdayor gets
promoted, they can expect their office space to be covered in photo shopped pictures and TP’d by the end of
the day.
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The following is a letter sent to Jason Steris,CEOand Presidentof Volcom,Inc., on thefinal week
explaining theimpact of my manager:
Dear Mr. Steris,
I wanted to personally thank you for the opportunity to intern with my dream company over the several
lastmonths; the Volcom internship experience has not only opened my eyes to the world of sales,but also has
given me the unique chance to be apartof a team that is fervently livingoutthe vision and mission of Volcom
Incorporated.Once being apartof the national sales teamyourself,one can undoubtedly see how your
competitive, inspired lifestyleand driven work ethic has trickled down and shaped this highly effective corporate
culturethat I have witnessed daily workingamongstthe sales force.
Although I could talk about a number of Volcom members that have impacted me, I wanted to specifically
acknowledge Alaina Gallagher and the influenceshe has on me personally and her team within the sales
department. From the initial interviewprocess to my final days servingwith the company, she has served not only
as a phenomenal manager, but also as a confidentand competent leader, determined to driveher team to exceed
all setexpectations. Her leadership efforts magnify the strengths of every team member within the sales
department, and create an electric atmosphere and fulfillingwork environment for all thatwork around her. Alaina
connects with employees empathetically,acclimatingnewemployees swiftly and quickly creatingbonds between
existingteam members. She is quick to providefeedback and acknowledge her employee’s successes,and is
unafraid to confront problems and obstacles hinderingher team’s performance. Alaina operates with both
integrity and professionalism,humbly servingall her colleagues and customers.I’m absolutethat if you were to ask
anyone within the sales department about her overall performance, you would hear nothing but positivefeedback.
It has truly been a joy and privilegeto serve underneath her within the sales department.
Again, thank you so much for the opportunity to be apartof the sales teamat Volcom Incorporated.Since
a child ithas been a dream of mine to be within the extreme sports industry,and now I know what it’s liketo be
apartof the Volcom Family.I doubt any other company could have offered me such a rich experience, and I truly
cherish the knowledge and experience I have gained from your program.
Sincerely,
Dustin McCormick
Sales Intern
