I was originally very excited and eager to begin the project, but out of the 6 Riipen projects I have successfully completed, this was the only experience that left me disappointed and ultimately disheartened. The work itself was interesting, and I believe that I met the deliverables in a high manner and enjoyed doing so, but instructions were often very unclear and vague, mostly given verbally (seemingly on the spot) in an open-ended manner. This lack of clarity led to some miscommunications and misunderstandings, necessitating additional work on my part. Much of our scheduled mentorship time was spent with me explaining functionalities of social media platforms rather than receiving guidance and feedback. Furthermore, it was communicated that these extensive meetings (6 hours total) would not be considered part of hours worked, which is against Riipen policies. Additionally, there were inconsistencies in respecting time commitments. Valerie was notably late for two of our five meetings—15 and 30 minutes, respectively—without offering an apology. I normally would not mind, but this was particularly disappointing as she had previously insisted on strict adherence to scheduled times from my end, emphasizing the need to 'respect her schedule’. Professionalism during our meetings could also have been improved. Often, Valerie was engaged in personal activities such as cooking or having side conversations. Moreover, I was required to use (and find) my own resources for completing deliverables due to a lack of access to necessary software or platforms, also against Riipen policies. While I am always committed to supporting small businesses and adaptable to various management styles, the lack of professional conduct and structured guidance in this project was challenging. Despite these issues, I remain grateful for the learning opportunity and hope that this feedback will contribute to improving future collaborations.

Working with Valerie has been a pleasure, and I am happy to be able to continue the relationship while AumOui grows! She is communicative, creative, and ambitious to create something amazing. She is openly willing to provide information and help when needed, and is overall a great person to work with!

Working with for AumOui was a pleasure! Valerie is communicative, accommodating, and very flexible. Working with Valerie feels like working with a friend and working on her business processes side by side really gave me insight into what goes into a small business. I was not only able to expand my skills and capabilities and learn new things, but also contribute to AumOui. Amazing experience overall and would recommend to everyone!

Easy to work with, clear communication and expectations, valuable experience for students. Thanks Valerie!