Brooklynn Botos '26 Sales Intern

Brooklynn Botos '26 (Marketing & Entrepreneurship) was a Sales Intern at Irresistible Foods Group in Tucson, AZ.

I did not need to relocate, therefore they did not pay for housing. I did however receive payment per mile for gas and personal car wear and tear as I drove through my market all around Tucson. The main challenge was driving up to Phoenix for our travel (4 times) and sometimes needing to be at the airport as early as 6:00am. 

What was the process for getting this internship, job, or summer experience? 

I met my mentor, Rachel, at the fall Eller Expo and we hit it off. I left a copy of my resume, and from there she reached out to schedule an interview with me. First, I interviewed with her, and then she let me know I made it to the next round. Then, I interviewed with Kevin McGraw and Patrick Ruggeri, who were the leaders of the internship this summer. All of this happened within a few weeks following Eller Expo, and by mid-October I got a call offering me a sales intern position. I had 2 weeks to go over the details and accept the position. Before the summer started they organized a call for us to meet the other interns and get a quick overview of their expectations of us. The first week of the internship took place at IFG headquarters in LA, where we did onboarding and learned all about the brands, the internship, and the sales team. Throughout the internship my mentors and leaders were the same ones I had the opportunity to interview with, and I felt supported the entire time.  

What was a typical day like?

A typical day consisted of visiting an average of 6 grocery stores in my market, in and around Tucson. My job was to check on the three brands IFG represents, King's Hawaiian, Grillo's Pickles, and Killer Brownie. When going into stores my main goal was to create relationships with deli, bakery, or meat managers (whichever corresponded to the brand(s)) so that I could gauge how well the brand was doing, and what could be improved. My ongoing summer project was to sell in temporary displays for the Taste of Aloha campaign, which required strong selling skills and calling on the relationships I built with managers. 

What was your favorite part of the experience?

My favorite part of the experience was the ownership mindset that was instilled in us interns. We were always encouraged to step outside the box and sell as if it was our own business. Being an entrepreneurship major this job fit my skills and interests perfectly because it allowed me independence while constantly having support system ready to aid me and answer my questions. 

Anything else you would like to share about your summer experience?

IFG was an incredible company to work for because they truly invest in their interns, which speaks volumes to the company culture. People will always come first, and as I faced personal challenges during the summer I was always supported by my mentor and superiors, and the continuous message was to put myself and my health first. 

For all of us interns, we were sent on 5 trips across the country -- LA, Atlanta, Boston, Kansas City, and D.C. -- all of which taught us about the company and the brands, while bonding with other interns and individuals within the company. I couldn't be more grateful for the way we were treated on these trips, from hotels to meals to transportation, we were constantly supported.