“Some opportunities only come once, seize them.” Fortunately, I am able to say that this statement does not always hold true. Some precious opportunities, like my chance to intern at Holstee this summer, came twice. 

Last summer, at the end of my sophomore year at Columbia University, Fabian, Mike, and Dave kindly asked if I would like to intern at Holstee. Holstee had been a constant and inspiring presence in my life since I got to college. After meeting Fabian on campus and working alongside him at Sandbox, I genuinely came to admire his ability to embody the principles and values in the manifesto. 

However, even though I was sorely tempted to jump on the offer, I struggled to stop overanalyzing and acknowledge that life is simple. As an Economics and English major at Columbia, the plan was always to work towards a secure, well-paying corporate job. When I had to choose between Holstee and HSBC, I caved to the pressure and went corporate instead. Although I learned a lot at HSBC, it was still difficult to roll out of bed on most mornings. I learned that if I ever want to be good at what I do, I need to be genuinely invested in it. If there is no passion, there is no point. 

Since then the Holstee Manifesto has served as my guiding compass, teaching me to stay true to myself and trust my instincts. As a result, when the guys at Holstee re-extended the offer to intern at the company during the summer of my junior year, I was totally ready to jump on board. I’m beginning to embrace the idea that life is about the people you meet, and the things you create with them. As I sit in the Holstee office writing this post, I can honestly say nothing feels better than living my dream and sharing my passion!

- Nirav Devnani