develomark-cohort-subdomain

The Industry Doesn't Need More Resumes — It Needs Marketers Who Can Do the Work

Wed, 12 Aug 2026 16:11:50 GMT

The Industry Doesn't Need More Resumes — It Needs Marketers Who Can Do the Work

We didn't start the Develomark Cohort to hand out another line for someone's LinkedIn profile. We started it because hiring in digital marketing is broken. In the AI era, anyone can generate a polished resume and a convincing cover letter in about thirty seconds. What's rare — and what agencies and businesses across Connecticut are actually hiring for — is a candidate who has already run a real campaign, worked on a real website, and sat in a real client meeting.

That's the thinking behind the Develomark Cohort: a 12-week paid digital marketing training program based at our office in Plantsville (Southington), Connecticut. In this post, we'll break down why hiring has changed, how the cohort works, what members walk away with, and how to apply if you want to launch your marketing career here in Connecticut.

Why Hiring in Marketing Has Changed in the AI Era

So what are marketing employers actually looking for now? In one word: proof. AI tools have made credentials cheap. Resumes, portfolios of "sample" work, and even interview answers can all be generated on demand. That means the traditional resume-first hiring funnel does a worse job than ever at telling employers who can actually deliver.

What can't be faked is a track record. Did you run search campaigns for a real business? Can you walk through the SEO decisions you made and what happened to the rankings afterward? Have you presented work to a client and handled their feedback? Those are the questions that decide hiring today — and they're almost impossible for a new graduate to answer "yes" to, because most entry-level roles require the very experience they're supposed to provide.

The cohort is our answer to that catch-22. Instead of screening resumes and hoping, we train people on real work and hire from the group we've already seen perform. Several Develomark team members today started as cohort members.

How the Develomark Cohort Works

The cohort is a 12-week, fully paid training program — not a coffee-run internship. You learn by doing real client work from day one: SEO, SEM, digital ads, content, and analytics for real Connecticut businesses, with training that comes directly from the Develomark team.

Members work with us up to 15 hours a week, completely paid, and we meet every single day for feedback, check-ins, and skill building. That daily mentorship is the core of the program — you're never guessing whether your work is on track, because someone who does this professionally is reviewing it with you. You can see how a full season of the program comes together in our Summer Cohort overview .

What Cohort Members Walk Away With

By the end of the 12 weeks, members are fully trained across SEO, digital advertising, and analytics — and they leave with things a classroom can't provide:

Real portfolio work — campaigns, content, and websites built for actual clients, not mock projects.
A letter of recommendation — from the agency team you worked alongside every day.
The confidence to land your first role — because you've already done the job, presented to clients, and shipped real work.

Our alumni have gone on to full-time marketing roles, agency positions, and freelance careers — and some of them are on the Develomark team today, helping train the next group of cohort members. You can meet many of them in the spotlight posts on this blog.

Who Can Apply — and How Selection Works

A few logistics before you apply. The cohort is a fully in-person program at our office in Southington, Connecticut, so it's open to Connecticut applicants only — there are no remote spots. Selection happens through group interviews, and the program runs all year long: winter, spring, summer, and fall batches, which makes it a fit for college students from schools like CCSU, Quinnipiac, and SCSU as well as career-changers. Spots in each batch are limited.

If you want to get paid to launch your marketing career, this is it. The industry doesn't need another resume — it needs people who can do the work, and we'll train you to be one of them. Apply to the Develomark Cohort today at cohort.develomark.com. We can't wait to meet you.

frequently asked questions

Develomark's First Cohort Get-Together: Where Our Alumni Are Now

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 11:09:20 GMT

Develomark's First Cohort Get-Together: Where Our Alumni Are Now

As we approach our fourth cohort, we hit a milestone worth celebrating: the first-ever Develomark Cohort get-together. Organized by Ruan and cohort alum Ava Creto, the event brought members from all three batches — Summer 2025, Winter 2026, and Summer 2026 — together in one room here in Connecticut. There was plenty of catching up, and one clear theme running through the night: our alumni are out there winning.

The best part of the evening was simply hearing from them. One by one, past members shared where they've landed since finishing the program — and we couldn't be happier for them. Here's what they had to say.

Where Are Develomark Cohort Alumni Now?

The Develomark Cohort is a 12-week paid digital marketing internship program in Connecticut built around real client work, daily mentorship, and portfolio-building experience. The goal has always been the same: turn students into skilled, working marketing professionals. At our first get-together, three alumni showed exactly what that looks like.

Sam Church — Web Designer and SEO Specialist at GroClix

Sam joined us in the Winter 2026 cohort, and today he's a web designer and SEO specialist at GroClix . The opportunity came through a referral from Ruan via a mutual connection who owns the company — and the conversation went so well that the potential employers response was, more or less on the spot, "I need to hire you immediately."

"Because of the Develomark training, it just ended up being a perfect fit," Sam told the group. If you want to see the kind of work that got him there, check out his Winter 2026 cohort spotlight .

Olivia riedel — Social Media Manager at Watermark

Olivia was part of our very first cohort in Summer 2025 — an OG, as Ruan puts it. Today she's a social media manager at Watermark , and the role goes well beyond social: her team runs ads and handles web design too, skills she started building during her time at Develomark.

Her favorite detail was the timing. She was referred by a friend right after the program wrapped — "perfect timing," in her words — and landed the role just a week after the cohort ended. She's now been there a full year.

Evan Petelle — Marketing Coordinator at Square9

Also from the Summer 2025 cohort, Evan is now a marketing coordinator at Square9 , a software company focused on information management and document processing. His days are filled with HubSpot and Salesforce, lead generation across direct and channel teams, lead tracking, events and trade shows, and content creation and planning.

Evan was honest that the search took time — a networking group, a lot of applications, and a few near-misses along the way. The group appreciated that candor. Not every interview turns into an offer, but persistence pays off, and today every one of these alumni is working in marketing.

Moments like this are why the program exists. Watching students walk in as interns and come back as web designers, social media managers, and marketing coordinators is the whole point — and with our fourth cohort right around the corner, we're just getting started.

Want to be in the room at the next one? Learn what the program looks like in our cohort program overview , then apply online today to join a current or future cohort. The next class of Connecticut marketers starts soon.

Mikaela Andarowski: From Marketing Student to Marketing Professional

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 15:01:24 GMT

What does it take to move from the classroom to real-world marketing? For Mikaela Andarowski , it has meant hands-on client work, brand-new skills like Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), and a team that treats interns like marketers from day one.

Mikaela is a Watertown, Connecticut native and a recent graduate of Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, where she double majored in Marketing and Management. This summer she joined the Develomark Summer 2026 Cohort to experience the interactive, client-facing side of marketing that a lecture hall can't fully teach.

▶ Watch Mikaela's full testimonial: Mikaela's Develomark Cohort Experience

Why Mikaela Joined the Develomark Cohort

Like many new graduates, Mikaela knew marketing in theory but wanted to practice it in the real world. "What I hope to gain from the cohort program is the more interactive part of marketing," she says. From her first weeks, that meant diving into SEO and AEO — concepts she wasn't taught in school — and getting comfortable working directly with clients.

Just as important was the team around her. Mikaela says she was most excited about learning from everyone at Develomark and finding new areas where she could grow, improve, and take on more responsibility.

Learning to Communicate with Real Clients

One of Mikaela's biggest early lessons was client communication. "It's different than talking to one of your co-workers," she explains. Learning how to gather client insight, ask the right questions, and turn a conversation into a marketing plan gave her skills that reach far beyond any single project.

She also learned why content matters. Blogs, she discovered, "really bring out a good part of a website" — helping businesses show up in search and get found by the right customers. That's why so much of her work has centered on writing blogs for real Connecticut clients.

Her Favorite Project: Handyman Express

Mikaela's favorite project so far has been working with Handyman Express . The cohort met the owner in person for an in-office meeting, where Mikaela learned about his business, his services, and the story behind the company.

That firsthand insight became the foundation for content designed to help Handyman Express reach more customers across the Connecticut towns it serves — exactly the kind of local visibility that matters most to a growing service business.

Turning Local Insights into Connecticut Content

By pairing what she learned in the meeting with SEO and AEO best practices, Mikaela helped create content built for how real people search today — including the AI tools and answer engines that increasingly shape how local businesses get discovered.

The Tools Behind the Work

Along the way, Mikaela has gone hands-on with the platforms Develomark uses every day, including Duda for website builds, Claude for AI-assisted work, SplashDash for customer insights, and Google Analytics for measuring what's working.

Leading Media on the Lion's Den Project

Next up for Mikaela and the team is Lion's Den , a local coffee shop. Mikaela is taking the lead on media direction — planning the shots, visuals, and assets the website needs to showcase Lion's Den's products and help customers know exactly what to expect before they walk in.

It's a true team effort. As Mikaela puts it, everyone in the cohort has a different part to play, so they get to work together and learn from one another — the same collaborative build her teammates describe in their own spotlights, like Annalise Cook and Jillian Shea .

Learning from Mentors and Teammates

Mikaela credits the Develomark team for making the experience so valuable, noting how each person plays a different role and brings something new to learn from. Working alongside mentors Ava and Ruan on clients and content has meant there's always someone to ask questions and grow with.

Start Your Own Marketing Journey

Mikaela's story is a snapshot of what the Develomark Cohort is built for: real clients, real skills, and real growth. If you're a student or recent graduate ready to turn your marketing degree into hands-on experience, we'd love to meet you.

Learn more about the Develomark Cohort program and apply today.

Andrew Coelho: From AEO Content to Pitching His First Client

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:48:47 GMT

Meet Andrew Coelho: Summer 2026 Develomark Cohort Spotlight

Most marketing interns learn to create content. Andrew Coelho is also learning to sell it — he is currently working to sign his first client, a local masonry company, while writing AEO content for the businesses Develomark already serves.

Andrew is from Southbury, Connecticut, and a recent graduate of Quinnipiac University. He joined the Summer 2026 Develomark Cohort , our 12-week paid digital marketing internship in Connecticut, with two goals: "sharper skills in AEO and LLM visibility strategies" and stronger client-facing relationships. You can watch Andrew's full video update on YouTube .

Writing AEO Content Backed by Real Customer Sentiment

"I've gained a lot of skills in creating blogs and AEO and SEO content for a bunch of different clients," Andrew says. What makes his approach different is where the content starts: with what customers are actually saying.

Using SplashDash , a customer-sentiment tool Develomark is building, Andrew pulls sentiment from client reviews and feedback across multiple businesses, then writes AEO blogs based on those themes. Content built on real customer language answers real customer questions — which is exactly what AI search rewards. He has also "learned a lot about AI and how to use Claude to automate everyday tasks," building efficiency into the workflow itself.

How Does a Business Show Up First in ChatGPT?

Andrew's explanation of AEO is one of the clearest we've heard: "AEO is basically how well LLMs — like ChatGPT, Claude, different AIs — can pick up on your company. If you went to ChatGPT and said 'masonry company near me,' your company comes up first." That is the outcome every piece of cohort content is built toward: making Connecticut businesses the answer AI platforms give.

Pitching His First Client

The cohort has pushed Andrew beyond the keyboard. "I've definitely already improved my client-facing skills with on-site visits and interviews — as well as a client that I'm trying to sign right now, a masonry company that I'm working towards," he says.

That business development experience comes with direct mentorship. "Ruan has walked me through how to be a better salesman," Andrew says — including one lesson that stuck: "meeting people in person to actually create a relationship, instead of just doing strictly business."

Up Next: Law Firm Video Ads and the Lion's Den Website

Andrew's upcoming projects show the range of the program. He is starting a video project for a law firm client, turning transcripts into videos and advertisements. And with Lion's Den, a local coffee shop Develomark recently signed, he and the cohort are building out a new website — with a video shoot and in-person customer interviews planned to shape what the site should become.

Content, strategy, sales, and client relationships — that is the full skill set the cohort builds. See how the program works in our Summer Cohort program overview , and if you are ready to build real marketing experience in Connecticut, apply to the Develomark Cohort today.

Annalise Cook: Lead Designer on a Full Client Website Build

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 11:45:29 GMT

Meet Annalise Cook: Summer 2026 Develomark Cohort Spotlight

Most graphic design graduates wait years before leading a client project. A few weeks into the Develomark Cohort, Annalise Cook is the lead designer on a full website build for a local business.

Annalise is 22, from Southington, Connecticut, and a recent graduate of High Point University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design. She is part of the Summer 2026 Develomark Cohort , our 12-week paid digital marketing internship in Connecticut.

Why a Graphic Designer Joined a Marketing Cohort

"As a graphic designer, I don't get a lot of client-facing work," Annalise says. "In this program, I'm able to work with clients a lot more face to face — meet with them, talk about their vision and everything they want — which I think is really important in the design world."

Design school builds the craft. The cohort adds the client side: sitting in discovery meetings, asking the right questions, and turning what a business owner says into work they love. "I'm gaining a lot of that hands-on experience," she says.

What Does AEO Have to Do With Design?

"Coming into this program, I didn't really know anything about AI or AEO," Annalise admits. AEO — answer engine optimization — is the practice of structuring a website so AI platforms can understand it and recommend the business behind it. For a designer, that means layout, hierarchy, and content structure are not just visual choices; they shape how a site performs.

"We've really dove into how to optimize AEO in everything that we do," she says. "It helps our clients reach more customers, which I think is really important."

Lead Designer on the Lion's Den Website Build

Annalise's big project this summer is a brand-new website for Lion's Den, a local coffee shop — and she is the lead designer, with the rest of the cohort team supporting her to bring the site to life.

"We met with the client and asked them a whole bunch of questions that would help truly bring their design to life," she says. Along the way she is learning to build wireframes — a core design skill — and using Claude, an AI assistant, to optimize the workflow and shape a site built to reach the most customers possible.

Menus, Business Cards, and Brand Work

Alongside the website build, Annalise works with Lauren, Develomark's web designer, on menu design — including a new takeout menu — plus additional brand elements. She is also teaming up with Lauren and Kevin on business cards and other materials for NHV Painting.

"Every project is fun, and I get to truly be creative with everything," she says.

"So far in this program, I've learned how to take a client's vision and bring it to life." That is the skill the cohort is built around — for designers, marketers, and everyone in between. Read our Summer Cohort program overview to see how it works, and if you are ready to build real client experience in Connecticut, apply to the Develomark Cohort today.

Jillian Shea: From Client Meetings to Blogs and Video Shoots

Sun, 26 Jul 2026 13:34:26 GMT

Meet Jillian Shea: Summer 2026 Develomark Cohort Spotlight

Jillian Shea joined the Develomark Cohort to get hands-on digital marketing experience. Within weeks, she was sitting in a real client meeting for a civil engineering company and turning what she heard into blog content. Next on her calendar: a video shoot for a local coffee shop.

Jillian is a rising senior at the University of Rhode Island studying business management and marketing, and a member of the Summer 2026 Develomark Cohort , our 12-week paid digital marketing internship in Connecticut. You can watch Jillian's full video update on YouTube .

Hands-On Experience, Not Just Theory

"What I hope to gain from this program is hands-on experience in digital marketing, and learning more about AEO and SEO," Jillian says. A few weeks in, that is exactly what her schedule looks like: real clients, real deliverables, and skills that go beyond the classroom.

"What I've already gained is new knowledge about all things digital marketing," she adds. "I've learned what AEO is — answer engine optimization." For cohort members, AEO is not a buzzword; it is a working skill they apply to live client websites every week.

Why Do Companies Need to Be Visible on AI Platforms Like ChatGPT?

One of Jillian's biggest takeaways so far is why digital marketing matters in the first place. "Companies need to optimize their websites in order to be seen on AI platforms such as ChatGPT," she explains. When people ask AI tools for recommendations, the businesses that get mentioned are the ones whose websites clearly answer real questions. That is the visibility gap the cohort teaches members to close for Connecticut businesses.

From a Client Meeting to Blog Content

Jillian's current project started in the room with the client. "I was just in a client meeting for a civil engineering company, and now I'm making blogs based on what I learned in that meeting," she says.

That is the cohort workflow in miniature: listen to the client, understand their goals and their customers, then translate those notes into content built to rank in search and get cited by AI. It is the same process our team uses for every client engagement.

Next Up: A Video Shoot for Lion's Den

Her next project moves from writing to video: a shoot for Lion's Den, a local coffee shop. Going from technical blog writing for an engineering firm to on-location video for a coffee shop is exactly the range the program is designed to build — cohort members leave with portfolio work across industries and formats.

Curious what the program involves week to week? Read our Summer Cohort program overview . And if you are a student ready to build real marketing experience in Connecticut, apply to the Develomark Cohort today.

Gloria Sosa: Learning SEO and AEO on Real Client Projects

Sun, 26 Jul 2026 13:32:07 GMT

Meet Gloria Sosa: Summer 2026 Develomark Cohort Spotlight

Gloria Sosa came into the Develomark Cohort thinking digital marketing mostly meant social media content. A few weeks into the Summer 2026 program, she is writing SEO-driven blog articles for a real Connecticut client, sitting in on client meetings, and learning how AI search is changing the way businesses get found online.

Gloria is from West Haven, Connecticut, and a rising senior at Providence College studying marketing. She joined the Develomark Cohort , our 12-week paid digital marketing internship in Connecticut, to gain hands-on experience beyond the classroom. You can also watch Gloria's full video update on YouTube .

From Social Media Content to SEO and AEO

"I never really thought that I would like doing digital marketing," Gloria admits. "I thought more about creating content on social media." That is a common starting point for marketing students, and it is exactly why the cohort pairs content creation with search strategy from week one.

The biggest shift for Gloria has been learning SEO and AEO at a professional level. "I just used ChatGPT, really — not advanced like we are learning here," she says. "Learning what AEO and SEO do for companies has been a huge step ahead."

What Is AEO, and Why Does It Matter?

AEO stands for answer engine optimization: structuring a business's content so AI tools like ChatGPT can find, understand, and cite it when people ask questions. SEO, or search engine optimization, helps that same content rank in traditional Google search. Cohort members learn both side by side, because that is how Connecticut businesses actually get discovered today.

Real Client Work: Writing the First Blogs for Nature's Harvest

Gloria's current project is Nature's Harvest, a Connecticut mulch and compost supplier. She is writing the first blog articles for their website — real published content, not classroom exercises — and she joined the client meeting to hear the company's goals firsthand.

"I've always done content for things like fencing, so learning about compost has been really cool," she says. "Making the first blogs for their website has been really cool." Two more client projects are already lined up next, including additional blog writing.

Learning How to Run a Client Meeting

Beyond the technical skills, Gloria points to something marketing classes rarely teach: how to handle a client meeting. "I've learned how to prep beforehand, learn about their company first, and then know what to do afterwards," she says. "And sometimes to just go with the flow — questions come automatically, so don't be too stressed about it."

Preparation, presence, and follow-up. The full cycle of client communication is built into every cohort project, so members like Gloria leave with skills they can use in any marketing role.

Want to see what the program looks like from the inside? Read our Summer Cohort program overview . And if you are a student in Connecticut ready to build a real marketing portfolio, apply to the Develomark Cohort today.

Develomark's Summer Cohort Program Overview

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 23:09:59 GMT

TL;DR:
The Develomark Summer Cohort is a hands-on, execution-focused program where interns contribute directly to client marketing. You’ll create and distribute content, analyze performance data, support account managers, and help scale AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) strategies—all with structured oversight and clear processes.

What the Develomark Summer Cohort Actually Does

This is not a passive internship. Every task you complete contributes to real client campaigns and internal marketing initiatives. All work is reviewed and audited by the Develomark account management team to ensure quality, accuracy, and performance alignment.

Cohort members are responsible for executing weekly email marketing campaigns for both Develomark and SplashDash using a structured framework. You will also publish content across platforms including YouTube, Google Business Profile, and Yext, while coordinating with designers to implement updates on client websites.

A major focus is operating within the content flywheel: conducting site visits, capturing video and images, producing blogs with schema, indexing content, distributing across platforms, and communicating updates back to clients.

Client Engagement and Site Visit Execution

You will attend client site visits alongside account managers. These visits follow a defined process: capturing media, conducting AEO-focused interviews, and gathering insights that can be turned into high-performing marketing assets.

Additionally, you will help host Zoom meetings, transcribe discussions, and extract key insights to fuel ongoing content creation and strategy.

Content Creation and Distribution Responsibilities

DATA ANALYSIS and marketing insights

Cohort members play a key role in analyzing performance data. This includes reviewing call tracking, form submissions, and updating the LLM tracker. You’ll identify trends, draft success summaries, and present ideas to account managers to improve campaign performance.

You will also generate monthly reports highlighting wins, opportunities, and actionable insights to strengthen client communication.

scaling aeo & content systems

A core initiative is advancing Develomark’s AEO marketing efforts. This includes producing blogs, videos, interviews, street content, and behind-the-scenes social media. You will also create short-form ad content for premium clients and help build dynamic website pages at scale.

Using tools like peec.ai, you’ll manage projects, create optimized prompts, and track evolving search behavior, often applying local modifiers to enhance visibility.

Ava Creto: Creating Digital Ads for Real Clients

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 21:26:37 GMT

At Develomark , we designed the Cohort Program to give interns real client work, real feedback, and real growth. This week, Ava Creto put that into action by building digital ads for Handyman Express —learning how effective creative comes from strategy, collaboration, and iteration.

A Week Inside the Develomark Cohort Program

Ava joined the Develomark Cohort Program to sharpen her marketing and design skills through hands-on projects. Last week’s focus was digital advertising—how to build ads that are clear, targeted, and ready to perform across platforms. From day one, Ava approached the assignment with curiosity and attention to detail, which is exactly what the cohort experience is built to encourage.

Working with a real business adds a level of responsibility you can’t replicate with practice prompts. For this cohort sprint, Ava partnered on digital ads for Handyman Express, learning directly from our team about how to translate a service offering into clean, simple messaging customers understand instantly.

Learning to Create Digital Ads (What Works vs. What Doesn’t)

Our team coached the cohort on what strong ads tend to share: one clear message, an easy-to-read layout, a confident brand voice, and a specific next step for the viewer. Ava absorbed that quickly and used examples to guide decisions—thinking beyond “does it look good?” and into “does it communicate fast to the right customer?”

Client Project: Handyman Express

Creative Concept: “We Handle the Small Stuff”

Ava designed around a message that meets customers where they are: reminding them that no project is too small—or too big—to be worth scheduling. It’s a simple line, but it does important work: it reduces hesitation, invites more inquiries, and positions Handyman Express as helpful and approachable.

What This Spotlight Shows About the Develomark Cohort

Ava’s week reflects what we aim for in every cohort sprint: guided learning, practical skill-building, and measurable improvement through feedback. We’re proud of the strategic thinking she applied and the momentum she’s building with every project.

Tralee Shea: Designing Local Ads That Build Trust in Fairfield County

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 18:48:58 GMT

Designing Local Ads That Build Trust in Fairfield County

In this video, Tralee Shea shares her experience working through the Develomark Cohort Program and the process behind creating a locally focused digital advertisement for a Fairfield County business. From initial concepting to client feedback and design revisions, this project highlights how strategic collaboration can lead to stronger, trust-driven ad creative that resonates with a local audience.

Collaborating with Designers and Clients for Better Results

As part of the cohort program, Tralee met with both internal web designers and the client to review and refine ad concepts. After selecting a leading design from several initial options, she revised the creative based on feedback from:

Roman
Kevin
Lauren
Emily

Working directly with the design team and client provided valuable insight into what the business wanted to communicate, ensuring the final advertisement aligned with both brand standards and business goals.

The final advertisement was developed to highlight the company’s strong presence within Fairfield County. Key design elements included:

Service-based imagery
Consistent brand color usage
Google five-star review ratings

By focusing on locality and reputation, the ad communicates credibility and reinforces the business’s ability to deliver real results to nearby customers.

Iterating on Creative Concepts

Throughout the design process, ongoing feedback played an important role in improving the overall quality of the advertisement. Meeting with both designers and the client helped identify opportunities for refinement and ensured the creative direction remained aligned with project goals.

Tralee noted that creating an additional variation of the final design could have further strengthened the process by giving the client multiple layout options to compare. Presenting slight variations in imagery or review placement may have helped the client feel more confident in selecting a final direction.

Emphasizing Local Reputation Through Design

Sam Church: Designing Client-Ready Ads Fast

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 10:18:31 GMT

Sam's Update

Speed matters in agency work—but speed without standards is just chaos.

Inside the Develomark Cohort Program , members learn how to execute quickly and professionally by working on real client deliverables, guided by daily mentorship and real feedback loops.

Last week, Cohort member Sam Church worked directly with Handyman Express to create creative ad concepts. His recap highlights what most internships don’t teach: how to move from idea → production → client-ready refinement in a short timeline, without losing the strategy behind the creative.

The project: Creative ads for Handyman Express

Sam’s assignment was straightforward on paper: create ads for Handyman Express.

In practice, it included the parts that make agency work valuable:

Collaborating with Develomark designers during ideation
Building ad creatives in Canva
Iterating through feedback with the client to ensure the creative met brand standards

This is how deliverables get shaped in the real world—through collaboration, constraints, and revision.

What made it “agency work”: fast turnaround + clear standards

Sam’s biggest callout was the pace .

He’s designed ads before, but the cohort’s agency-style turnaround was different: faster, more demanding, and ultimately a growth accelerator. That time pressure forced him to develop a skill that separates good marketers from great ones—producing strong ideas on a deadline.

But speed didn’t mean random output. The team started with clear guardrails:

Professional
Creative
Not over the top

Those constraints matter. They keep creative aligned to brand trust, especially for local service businesses where clarity and credibility drive conversions.

Next, Ava is moving into the first stages of advertising—working with Handyman Express in Westport, Connecticut .

Her next focus areas include:

Supporting the early setup and planning stages of advertising
Learning the fundamentals of ad creation and launch
Working with Meta Ads as part of the cohort’s paid media training

What Ava Is Working On Next: Ads for Handyman Express in Westport, CT

One of the most honest takeaways Sam shared: he got stuck trying to refine a smaller set of ideas instead of generating more options early.

That’s a common early-career trap. In agency creative work, volume (at the beginning) is often the unlock:

Generate raw concepts quickly
Select the strongest directions
Refine based on standards + client feedback
Produce final, client-ready assets

Sam’s improvement plan reflects a pro workflow: get the raw ideas on paper first , expand the pool, then narrow down and polish.

the feedback loop: why iteration beats “one perfect idea”

The Develomark Cohort is a 12-week paid program designed to build real skills through real client work, mentorship, and deliverables you can show. View the project the Winter26 cohort is working on:

https://www.handymanexpressct.com/

Want to apply? Click the button below to get started.

Interested in the develomark cohort program?

Tralee Shea: Winter 2026 Cohort Member Spotlight

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 13:53:26 GMT

Meet Tralee Shea

Tralee Shea is a member of the Winter 2026 Develomark Cohort , a 12-week program built around real client work, mentorship, and portfolio-ready deliverables.

In her Cohort Spotlight, Tralee shares what it’s like to move beyond “doing tasks” and into learning how real marketing outcomes are built—through strategy, communication, and execution working together .

What Tralee’s Learning Inside the Cohort

Tralee describes the cohort experience as a practical introduction to the tools and workflows used inside an agency environment, including:

Website building workflows using platforms like Duda
Operational systems using Airtable
SEO fundamentals and how they connect to site structure and decision-making
Creative briefs that translate goals into clear execution
Client calls and professional communication —how to ask the right questions, align expectations, and lead conversations with confidence

A Key Takeaway: Value vs. Commodity

One of Tralee’s biggest takeaways is the importance of being valued rather than commoditized . She emphasizes that in client work, communication and strategy matter just as much as execution—because the best deliverables come from understanding the real goal behind the request.

This mindset is central to building trust with clients: when you can explain why something is being done (not just what is being done), you move from “vendor” to “partner.”

Tralee highlights two standout parts of the program:

Talking to real clients and developing stronger communication habits
Hands-on execution —building websites and learning how digital ads are created in an agency workflow

This combination is what makes the cohort “career-real”: you’re not learning in theory—you’re learning by doing.

Favorite part so far: real clients + real work

Next up for Tralee and the Winter 2026 cohort: creating advertisements for Handyman Express , a home services business the cohort is supporting as they bring the brand’s web presence to life.

Tralee describes feeling confident heading into this project because the team went deep on discovery—asking better questions, making the client feel understood, and gaining clarity on what the website should look and feel like. That confidence comes from process: discovery → alignment → execution.

View the Handyman Express website here: https://www.handymanexpressct.com/

What tralee is working on next

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Sam Church: Winter 2026 Cohort Member Spotlight

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 13:53:25 GMT

Meet Sam Church

Sam Church is a member of the Winter 2026 Develomark Cohort , where participants learn digital marketing by working inside real agency workflows—building websites, collaborating as a team, and presenting work directly to clients.

In Sam’s spotlight, he highlights a core theme of the program from day one: shifting your mindset from commodity work to value-based marketing —understanding why you’re doing something, how it connects to a client’s goals, and how to communicate that clearly.

From Commodity to Value: The Core Lesson

Sam explains that early in the cohort, the team focuses on the difference between being commoditized versus being valued . The point isn’t just to complete tasks—it’s to connect every deliverable to what the client is trying to accomplish in their business.

That mindset carries into discovery and planning, where cohort members learn to ask stronger questions, including:

What is the client’s bigger business goal?
What does success look like beyond “a new website” or “more leads”?
How should messaging, structure, and design support that goal?

Hands-On Website Building With Real Data

A big part of Sam’s work so far has involved building websites from the ground up using operational tools and structured data, including:

Dynamic pages
Airtable-based organization
Turning provided content and inputs into a site that’s usable, polished, and built for real customers

He also mentions how the cohort uses SplashDash data to support informed decisions—helping the team justify why content is placed where it is, and why the homepage especially must be “up to par” as the business’s first impression.

One of Sam’s biggest takeaways is how much communication the cohort requires.

He contrasts the experience with more traditional internships where people are handed tasks with minimal interaction. In this program, it’s more hands-on and collaborative—designed to make members feel like part of an agency team.

That includes:

Client-facing communication
Internal collaboration and feedback loops
Presenting decisions clearly (not just showing work)

The Skill Sam Didn’t Expect: Communication

Sam shares a specific example of how listening drives better results.

While working on a project for Handyman Express , the cohort uncovered a meaningful detail during discovery: the client’s Ukrainian heritage .

Rather than treating it as a throwaway note, the team incorporated it as a design and brand element throughout the site—supporting the identity the client wanted to convey: family values, heritage, and trustworthiness .

When the client reviewed the site, Sam describes the reaction as immediate and positive—proof that the team listened and executed based on what the client was trying to communicate.

View the Handyman Express website here: https://www.handymanexpressct.com/

Real Client Example: Handyman Express

Interested in the develomark cohort program?

Patryk Nicewicz: Winter 2026 Cohort Member Spotlight

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 13:53:25 GMT

Meet Patryk Nicewicz

Patryk Nicewicz is a member of the Winter 2026 Develomark Cohort , where participants learn digital marketing by working inside real agency workflows—supporting client projects, building confidence in presentations, and developing practical skills across web, SEO, and advertising.

Learning the "why" behind digital marketing

Patryk describes one of the first things the cohort teaches: the business model behind digital marketing—and why service businesses need it to stand out.

The cohort focuses on how companies build (and protect) their online presence by combining:

A clear digital identity and brand presentation
Websites that communicate value and convert
Marketing systems that support visibility and lead flow
For Patryk, understanding the “why” makes the work feel more purposeful—because every deliverable connects back to helping clients compete and grow online.

The Biggest Personal Takeaway: Show Up and Commit

Patryk emphasizes a practical lesson that applies to every part of the program: commitment.

He notes how important it is to show up consistently, do the work, and keep improving—especially in moments like client presentations. Early on, many cohort members didn’t feel confident speaking about marketing decisions or communicating strategy to clients. Over time, through practice and repetition, those skills start to develop.

That growth happens through:

Getting into the field and doing real work
Learning how to leave a strong impression in meetings
Pitching a website in a way that’s clear, confident, and client-focused
Gathering useful information during discovery conversations

This is Patryk’s first internship, and he describes it as different from previous jobs because it’s more creative—and offers more autonomy.

He highlights the freedom to:

Build and contribute to creative briefs
Share suggestions with the team on what to improve
Take ownership over parts of the work instead of only completing assigned tasks
That autonomy helps cohort members develop both hard skills and agency-style confidence.

The first internship that feels "creative"

Patryk’s spotlight reflects what the Develomark Cohort is built to deliver:

Understanding the business purpose behind marketing work
Building communication skills through real client-facing experiences
Developing confidence in pitching and presenting
Learning practical fundamentals in Google/Meta ads, SEO, and keyword research
Growing through consistency, accountability, and hands-on execution

View the Handyman Express website here: https://www.handymanexpressct.com/

Real Client Example: Handyman Express

Interested in the develomark cohort program?

Skills Patryk Is Building Now

Patryk shares that the cohort is currently focused on digital marketing fundamentals, especially advertising and search visibility. That includes:

Advertising basics across Google and Meta
Platform best practices
SEO fundamentals
Keyword research and how keywords connect to both ads and website content

These foundations help participants understand how campaigns are built, how visibility is earned, and how results are measured.

Ava Creto Spotlight | Winter 2026 Develomark Cohort

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 13:53:24 GMT

Meet Ava creto

Ava Creto is a member of the Winter 2026 Develomark Cohort , where participants learn digital marketing through real agency work—meeting with clients, understanding how brands are built, and developing practical skills that translate directly into the field.

Ava’s spotlight centers on something many early-career marketers don’t get enough of: learning how an agency team operates day-to-day, in person, with real deliverables and real client expectations.

Learning the "why" behind digital marketing

Ava explains that the cohort has taught her how Develomark works with businesses to strengthen their brand and online presence. That starts with understanding what makes a company unique and using that clarity to shape marketing decisions.

So far, Ava’s work has included:

Meeting with clients
Learning how each business operates
Identifying what makes the business stand out
Helping translate that into a clear brand direction

A Standout Takeaway: Working In an Office and On a Team

One of Ava’s biggest takeaways is the experience of working in an office environment—three days a week—where collaboration is constant and communication matters.

She highlights learning:

How to work with a team full of people
How to present herself professionally
How to communicate clearly in a group setting

For Ava, this is new—and it’s been one of the most valuable parts of the program so far.

Next, Ava is moving into the first stages of advertising—working with Handyman Express in Westport, Connecticut .

Her next focus areas include:

Supporting the early setup and planning stages of advertising
Learning the fundamentals of ad creation and launch
Working with Meta Ads as part of the cohort’s paid media training

What Ava Is Working On Next: Ads for Handyman Express in Westport, CT

Ava spotlight reflects what the Develomark Cohort is built to deliver:

Understanding the business purpose behind marketing work
Building communication skills through real client-facing experiences
Developing confidence in pitching and presenting
Learning practical fundamentals in Google/Meta ads, SEO, and keyword research
Growing through consistency, accountability, and hands-on execution

View the Handyman Express website here: https://www.handymanexpressct.com/