Over the past six weeks, from January to February, we had the pleasure of working with Sage—a talented intern who significantly boosted our marketing and content efforts at Makana Partners. Whether sourcing on Loxo, creating engaging social media content, or editing podcasts, she consistently demonstrated creativity and innovation. In this exclusive video interview, joined by our managing director, Yan Sen Lu, Sage reflects on her enriching experience and the collaborative culture she encountered in Japan. Yan Sen: All right, Sage, thank you very much for joining Makana Partners on your internship. This is the end of your six weeks.
Sage: Thank you for having me.
Yan Sen: Oh, it happened so quickly. How was your experience?
Sage: It was great. I was really excited coming into it, and I was excited to partner with an executive search firm. I also really enjoyed doing more marketing work and seeing that side of things. Overall, I had a great time.
Yan Sen: How was working in Japan different from working in the US?
Sage: It’s a little different. I don’t know if I got the full experience because we were in a WeWork building. But one thing that stood out is how collaborative people are here compared to my previous internships back home. Also, things feel more organized here—like public transit, especially compared to New York City.
Yan Sen: If you’re seeing this on YouTube or LinkedIn, a lot of the content is thanks to Ken working behind the scenes. What role or responsibility did you enjoy the most?
Sage: I enjoyed sourcing on Loxo—it’s like solving a puzzle, trying to find the perfect candidate. I also liked working on social media content and getting creative with tools like iMovie and Photoshop. Learning more about AI and editing podcasts was another highlight for me.
Yan Sen: That’s great. I know you spent a lot of time on the podcasts. Now, your internship was cut short—anything you wish you could have done more of?
Sage: Maybe more sourcing, but honestly, I really enjoyed the marketing side and working on the podcasts. Rewatching and re-listening to the guests’ insights was very rewarding.
Ken: Thanks for everything, Sage. You helped us grow in both marketing and other areas at Makana Partners. How did you manage balancing all the tasks we gave you—content creation, sourcing, and video editing?
Sage: I focused on prioritizing tasks—if something needed to be posted on a specific day, that came first. I also preferred to complete one task before moving on to another, especially for bigger assignments like podcast editing. That way, nothing felt overwhelming.
Ken: That’s a good approach.
Yan Sen: Between us, you’re probably our best intern so far.
Sage: Thank you!
Yan Sen: We were impressed by your speed and quality of work. It’s just a shame the internship was short.
Sage: Yeah, I enjoyed it a lot. Thank you for the opportunity.
