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Final Reflection Paper

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Final Reflection Paper
Jane Blanchard
Renaissance College: Canadian Internship
September 4
th
2014



















Table of Contents
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Acknowledgements
................................................................................................................ 3
Company Profile
...................................................................................... 4
Summary of Internship
.................................................................................................. 4
Reflection on Leadership (Company) .............................................................................. 6
Reflection on Leadership (Personal)
.. 9
Analysis of Goals
11
Growth in RC Outcomes
. 12
Smart Goals
... 12
Conclusion
..
12

















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Acknowledgements

I would like to express my great appreciation to all members of Tidal Health
Solutions, especially Carole Hovey-Smith, Kent Hovey-Smith, and Dr. Doug Smith. I am
extremely grateful for your guidance and encouragement. I would also like to thank the
people at Studio Sixty-Five York in downtown Fredericton, particularly Tanya Duffy for
her expertise and willingness to involve me in the creative process of marketing for Tidal
Health Solutions.













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Company Profile
Tidal Health Solutions is a Canadian healthcare company specializing in the
production and distribution of high quality pharmaceutical marijuana. (Tidal Health
Solutions Mission Statement, 2014). Tidal Health is described as an innovative
healthcare company committed to delivering better health through the provision of
pharmaceutical marijuana to Canadians (Tidal Health, 2014). The company is
committed to providing exceptional and specialized medical marijuana for the treatment
of a number of illnesses. Many values are instilled in this family run business, especially
concerning high standards of operation, safety, information and security. They will
operate with the strictest conditions for growing their product to insure utmost safety and
quality for their patients. As a Licensed Provider of pharmaceutical marijuana, Tidal
Health Solutions will meet or exceed the highest standards of operation, including strict
conditions for growing and security (Tidal Health Solutions, 2014). Although not
current holders of their full growing license, Tidal plans to be in production by 2015 and
are extremely close to acquiring their full stamp of approval from the Federal
Government of Canada.
The primary staff at Tidal Health validate the mission of product and service
value. Dr. Doug Smith is the company president and is a specialist in physical and
rehabilitation medicine. He has been practicing medicine for over forty years and is a
strong believer and endorser of pharmaceutical marijuana. Carole Hovey-Smith is a
professional investment industry with over 30 years of experience and Kent Hovey-Smith
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has worked in marketing and communications for over 25 years (Hovey-Smith, 2014).
Together with a highly experienced and innovative team of horticulturalists and
engineers, Tidal Health is underway in the development of manufacturing the best quality
product soon to be available on the Canadian market place.
Summary of Internship
I was hired through the company for my Renaissance College Canadian
Internship as Manager of Marketing and Media Relations (Hovey-Smith, 2014). Within
this position I was responsible for overseeing projects such as website development and
management, marketing development and creation, research and development for
medical information, public communication, and development of materials for Health
Canada applications and reviews. The project that took up the majority of my time was
the creation and development of the website. For this project I not only worked within the
company, but I worked with outsourced professionals in the fields of creative design, web
design and website creation. Together with the marketing team a comprehensive and
accessible website was produced to allow easy access to a wide audience.
Although many people throughout my internship acted as mentors in some way,
my two primary mentors were Carole and Kent Hovey-Smith. Both have an extensive
background in business. Kent is a communications specialist with over 25 years of
experience with some of his past positions including Managing Director of FTI
Consulting, Director of Communications at Scheing-Plough Canada, and Senior Manager
at Eli Lilly Canada. He is a Board Director at Tidal Health and Principal of his own
company; KHS Consulting LTD. Carole worked as owner of Hovey-Smith and MacLean
Estate Planning for 15 and has 30 years of experience in the field of finance and business.
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(Tidal Health Solutions, 2014). By working closely with both Kent and Carole I was
capable of experiencing many different aspects of the business world not just
marketing. I quickly realized the importance of being aware and prepared to understand
all areas of the business world in order to function at a higher level. Dr. Doug Smith was
also a great mentor to me throughout the research phases of my internship considering his
extensive background in the field of medicine.
My tasks at Tidal varied week-to-week dependent on the project of focus and
what was considering being the most urgent. Brainstorming was an integral part of the
marketing process and was evident in all the different tasks I performed. A selection of
my tasks included: outsourcing a graphic designer and web developer, setting up
meetings, creating materials such as business cards and application forms, researching,
adhering to Health Canadas application guidelines, sitting in on financial and marketing
meetings, etc. Every week held new opportunities and tasks to be done. Many were
ongoing (such as research and composition of guides and information for the website),
however some were last minute projects (such as re-working information for health
Canada and rescheduling appointments). This variety allowed me to work on my time
management and organizational skills.
Reflection on Company Leadership
The transformational style of leadership was very prevalent within the leadership
dynamic at Tidal Health Solutions. Transformational leadership is described as
concerned with the process of how certain leaders are able to inspire followers to
accomplish great things (Northouse, 2013). Leaders who practice transformational
leadership are able to adapt and understand the needs and motives of their followers and
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partners. Through illuminating clear goals and showing mutual respect and trust, leaders
and followers can work in harmony to do meaningful and quality work within an
organization. I felt this was a common leadership style presented during my internship as
all of the people I worked with showed tremendous respect and trust for me and all of the
others involved in the projects. The leaders of projects worked one on one and in unison
with followers. No one was seen as better or more respected because everyone was on the
same page. The instinct motivation led by a trusting environment and good attitudes
helped me to have confidence in my work and grow to understand the work I was doing
beyond what was on the surface.
The family oriented style of the company made it easy to become submerged and
committed to the world of medical marijuana and Tidal Health Solutions. I found myself
not only thinking about work during working hours, but also thinking about it on my
spare time. Looking up articles and keeping up to date on news concerning medical
marijuana businesses in Canada as well as the science behind medical marijuana moved
me to accomplish tasks from a well-informed basis. I did this not only because I felt
committed to the company and their mission, but also because I felt the passion from the
owners and leaders within the company. Because they all believed so strongly in what
they were doing, I too felt that drive. Transformational leaders are often described as
charismatic and visionary (Northouse, 2014), and I could not think of a better term to
describe the leaders at Tidal. The intrinsic bond between leaders and followers was truly
engaging.
My two main mentors, Kent and Carole, utilized transformational leadership
especially well. They also showed qualities pertaining to authentic leadership. Authentic
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leadership focuses trust-oriented genuine leadership. Although this is a relatively new
area of studies in the field of leadership, it is becoming a highly desired style (Northouse,
2013). I believe that authentic leadership is the way that the future of leadership is
heading. Walumbwa et al. (2008) described authentic leadership as a pattern of leader
behavior that draws upon and promotes both positive psychological capacities and a
positive ethical climate, to foster greater self-awareness, an internalized moral
perspective, balanced processing of information, and relational transparency on the art of
leaders working with followers.. Through my work at Tidal I worked in nothing but a
positive, motivated environment where I was always prompted to be the best I could be.
This type of motivation not only boosted my confidence at work, but also helped me in
my personal life to increase my comfort of ideas and creations. This self-awareness and
relational transparency allowed me to accomplish my goals while maintaining a state of
personal wellbeing.
Although there is some organizational structure to Tidal Health (president, board
directors, etc), everyone is seen to be the best at their field and therefore on a similar
level. There is not one decision maker rather it is a process of brainstorming between
the different areas of the business. Something that may seem like a good idea from the
marketing team may not be effective or accurate once relayed to the horticultural team or
the physician. Just because someone is not an expert in a certain field does not mean that
their ideas cannot be valuable or resourceful. By working as a whole company as
opposed to different sections of a company, there can be a better liaise of communication,
innovation and understanding.
Reflection on Personal Leadership
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I demonstrated a great deal of leadership throughout my internship, especially as
the weeks progressed. The company executives made me feel incredibly comfortable and
at ease which fostered a great learning environment. I did not feel afraid to ask questions
nor to ask for help during this experience. My first showing of leadership was when I
reached out to the studio Sixty-Five York to hire Tanya and Sean as the web developers
and graphic designers for Tidal Health. Although I knew that they would both be a great
fit for the project, it took confidence to be upfront in a suggestion to the company for
outsourced hiring, especially when they already had a few options for web developers
and designers in mind. By showing my interest in looking outside the box and
brainstorming ideas I would cater to the learning environment and increase the creative
brain flow within. It was extremely pleasing to have Tidal Health 100% on board with
my choice in designers and developers. The leadership I showed with this gave others
confidence in my taste and abilities. It was a great first step to showing growth in
personal leadership.
I very much enjoyed the independent projects I was assigned because I was able
to have control over the operation of how things would be constructed. Creating and
editing the physicians handbook for the website was one project that was both
challenging and rewarding. It was challenging because I do not have a background as a
physician and was required to do a lot of of research and reading on the subject of
medical marijuana stemming from sources such as The Pot Book by Julie Holland and
references from the Canadian Medical Journal. Beyond this I had to reach beyond solely
written information in order to comprehend many of the topics that needed to be covered.
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By acting as a self-directed leader and learner I was able to reach out to experts within
the company with my questions.
I am not someone who generally reaches out to others for help. Throughout life I
have done most of what I have done alone or through personal investigation. It was a
little out of my comfort zone to ask for help, but I soon discovered that asking for help
was beneficial. By going to Dr. Doug Smith with many questions and article sources I
was able to construct a very concise yet information-heavy reference point for physicians
and patients alike. Completing that project was very rewarding because I had spent a lot
of time on it (both alone and with Doug). It was also rewarding because Dr. Smith was
very pleased with my work. I was happy to know that even though I did not have the
same medical background as someone like Doug, I was still able to communicate
information effectively on many of the topics he wanted covered. I am proud that I
overcame my stubborn trait of not reaching out in order to achieve something beyond my
solitary abilities. In the future I hope to expand my knowledge by using resources other
than written sources. Sometimes talking to someone who is well versed in a topic can
make a world of difference on perspectives.
My first leadership assignment focused on how leadership differs from person to
person and how my leadership style was comparable to the team leadership and servant
leadership model. After completing my internship with Tidal I still find many traits of
both team and servant leadership relevant, however I am much more comfortable with the
authentic and transformational style of leadership. My confidence has grown in my own
leadership abilities, and I am no longer someone who wants to depend heavily on others
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to lead me in the right direction. I am a strong believer in intrinsic motivation and
cooperation.
The core vision of my leadership portrait includes trust, honesty, and creativity.
These values were prominent within the leadership framework of Tidal Health as well.
Honesty and trust are vital to running a company that is respected both by the people
within the company and those outside of the company (such as consumers or media).
This trusting atmosphere is especially important when dealing with patients who have
medical issues. Despite this, I believe that creativity is what sets competition apart in the
market place. My vision of creativity has grown since my internship. I no longer see it as
solely a topic concerning art and culture, but as a universal theme that can be applied to
almost anything. Creativity at Tidal Health was obvious through not only design and
marketing work, but also in horticultural and structural work. The creative mind can be
applied to any profession, task, project or goal.
Analysis of Goals
The goals I set at the beginning of my internship were attainable and manageable.
These goals included: completing research and design for the website, effectively brand
Tidal Health Solutions, use effective communication, manage website and promotional
material efficiently as well as deadlines, meetings and goal setting. Through the tasks and
experiences I had during my internship I was able to achieve my goals in a way that made
me proud of my accomplishments. I was able to demonstrate my teamwork and
marketing skills by helping with the website design and through completing research for
both the design and information components of the project. My use of effective branding
is evident through the constant use of the Tidal Health brand colors and logos on all of
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the promotional materials and forms created by the marketing team and myself. Effective
communication was achieved in the form of collaborations with Studio Sixty-Five York,
Marijuana for Trauma, and within the Tidal Health family.
The new connections made through my internship will be of value not only as I
hold my position at Tidal, but hopefully in the future as well. I reached by own goals by
managing people towards a common goal within the company. The completion of
projects and tasks were full team efforts and I was proud to have been a part of them. I
used my past skills in research and sourcing acquired at Renaissance College to compile
inventories of journal articles surrounding medical marijuana and the Tidal product. I
reached my goal of improving upon my research and communication skills by
understanding the importance of external sources and conversations about topics of
interest.
Growth in RC Outcomes
Effective Citizenship is characterized as fitting in to the local, national, regional
and international community and finding purpose within those communities. An effective
citizen is an active participant and is self-aware. Understanding different worldviews and
perspectives is also an important aspect of being an effective citizen. During my
internship I was able to extend on my local awareness through working with local
businesses and becoming a bigger part of the Fredericton community by attending more
social gatherings and having more engaging conversations. I was responsible for
marketing material, and therefore it was integral to understand different points of view
concerning the somewhat taboo topic of medical marijuana. I often had to be sensitive to
different perspectives on the subject. In the future I hope to grow my national and
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international awareness. I will do this by becoming more engaged in news, culture and in
meeting people from different backgrounds than myself. Although my self-awareness
improved vastly through the duration of my internship, I hope to continue this growth in
order to benefit self-confidence in my working abilities.
Problem Solving comes in many different forms. The ability to utilize differing
problem-solving methods to achieve goals is the key to effective problem solving.
Sometimes working in a group can aid in the process of problem solving. This was often
the case during my internship. If I was ever stuck on an idea or at a creative block it was
beneficial to ask others for guidance and expertise on the subject. Most of the times the
problem was easy enough to solve with a little insight. I especially found myself looking
for guidance when trying to adhere to all of the Health Canada application regulations, as
I did not want to mess up on governmental material. Through my internship I grew to
understand my personal strengths (such as organization, writing and communication) and
personal weaknesses (such as web development and finance).
Social Interaction uses communication to relate to different people and different
relationships. This helps to understand different situations and how to handle each
accordingly. Observation, empathy, and effective interaction are keys to social
interaction. I grew in this outcome due to the interactive nature of my internship. It was
important for me to build close relationships with all of the people I worked with, be they
the president or the people working at the print shop. Respect is a trait that I highly value
and one that is directly related to proper social interaction. At times I had to defend my
position on Tidal Health and medical marijuana to individuals who had very different
views on the topic. In these situations I could have disregarded their backgrounds and
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pushed my valued upon them, but that is not a good way to interact with others. Instead, I
had to step back and assess their backgrounds and past experiences, be they political,
social or personal. After I understood them, I could state my opinion in a way that was
informative rather than persuasive. Many times people became more open to the idea of
medical marijuana after our interactions. In the future I want to continue my growth in
social interaction and aim to begin building relationships that will be long lasting and
important in my future life.
Multi-Literacy was the outcome that I achieved the most growth in during my
summer internship at Tidal Health. My position in the marketing and communications
department relied heavily on utilizing and understanding different forms of
communication (visuals, websites, information, email, conversations, etc). I want to
become better at analyzing different people and situations in order to be aware as to what
methods of communication would be best suited for different needs. Although I still need
to work on this, I have improved during my ten-week internship. Understanding the
differences between informal and formal situations was surprisingly important for my
job, as I was often needed to decide between what was too formal or not formal enough
as I attended many meetings, studio openings, conferences and get-togethers.
Mostly, I hope to improve my abilities concerning mathematics and finances.
Although not something I am studying in school, I have realized that a basic
understanding of all aspects of business is important if I want a future career in
marketing. This relies heavily on the understandings of finance and money management.
On the contrary, I feel quite confident with my writing, presenting and conversation
skills.
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The Knowing Self and Others component of the outcomes has to do with
awareness much like effective citizenship. The course work I did for Renaissance
College during my internship was very valuable to my abilities on self-reflection. Due to
the weekly journaling and assignments I was able to look back on my experiences and
acquire a critical understanding of my learning, strengths and weaknesses. It was also
beneficial talking to my mentors often to gain insight on their feelings towards my work,
their work and the progression of company tasks and goals. The knowing others
component of this outcome was practiced primarily through my research work with Dr.
Smith. During this project I was required to look at many different ailments and their
potential relief with medical marijuana. I talked and to people whom were both experts in
the field of medicine, or who had experience with using medical marijuana as relief.
Thanks to a collaboration with Marijuana for Trauma I was enlightened by people who
had different experiences and first hand experiences with medical marijuana. Through
this I was able to expand my empathetic and understanding side. Marijuana for Trauma
opened my eyes to how important this medicine is for many people. Their mission states:
to reach as many veterans, first responders, and individuals as possible suffering with
PTSD and help them obtain a non-toxic, medicinal alternative that has been proven to
dramatically help recovery. (Marijuana for Trauma, 2014).
Personal Wellbeing was not an outcome that was especially prevalent during my
internship, however I did keep it in mind throughout my work term. I have a history of
stress related issues and so it was important for me to remain mindful and self-aware of
my emotions throughout the summer. However I was able to stay grounded and reflective
throughout my journey. If I needed a break, I would take a break. If I needed help, I
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would ask for help. I grew to realize that showing weakness is not always a bad thing
and can often save from stress and lost hours of work. I hope to use this knowledge in my
years to come at school. I will do this by talking more to my professors if I am having a
tough time with the workload or the subject material. I realized now that people are there
to work with me, not against me. I would love to get back in to practicing yoga and
exercising more through next year, as the heavy workload of the summer didnt allow for
much free time. Overall I believe I have substantially grown during my summer at Tidal
Health Solutions and I hope to continue my growth in the RC outcomes throughout the
duration of my schooling.
My experience was truly exceptional and I have to thank all of the people
involved at Tidal Health Solutions for their cooperation and hard work. Not only have I
grown as a student and a worker, but also as an individual. My self confidence has
improved as has my self awareness.

Goal statement 1: Utilize my improved skills in efficiency and quality I developed at Tidal
Health in my course work. Pay more attention to detail in my work, especially my papers
and research. This will allow me to produce my best work possible.
Steps to Achieve Goal Timeframe
Be more involved in classes and take professors / integrators
up on optional tutorials to better my understanding of topics
and subjects of interest.
On going
Proof read and peer edit as much as possible when submitting
formal papers and projects of value.
On going
Take time away from my work to reflect on it. By doing this I
will allow myself a fresh perspective when doing final edits.
On going
Continue to practice self-discipline and understand the
importance of time management for all areas of life (school,
On going
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work, social, etc).
Measure of Success: I will demonstrate my accomplishments through quality grades and
good feedback from peers as well as professors and integrators. I will continue using a daily
planner to outline my priorities and tasks. This will help me to organize my days efficiently.
Expected Learning
- Ability to perform high quality work quickly.
- Management of different priorities in order to
achieve balance
- Improved reflection on learning and
accomplishments also improved reflection on
future improvements and areas to work on.
RC Learning Outcome(s)
- Personal Wellbeing
- Problem Solving
- Multi-Literacy

Goal statement 2: Become more involved in the RC and UNB community by attending more
events, making closer relations with peers and participating in volunteer opportunities. This
will help me to become a more involved citizen and student as well as make me appreciate
my time at RC as much as possible.
Steps to Achieve Goal Timeframe
Attend events put on by Renaissance College to the best of my
abilities.
On going
Be proactive in talking to other students outside of class and
engaging with them on a social level.
On going
Utilize the many resources of engagement at Renaissance
College such as volunteer opportunities and events such as
coffee house to engage in the local and international
community.
On going
Become more open about my personal life (interests, etc) to
other students and staff. This will allow others to feel more
connected to me and feel more comfortable around me. This
will allow for higher levels of engagement and better bonding
between peers.
First term and ongoing
Measure of Success: My success in these goals will be measured by my activity in the RC
community. It will be evident through my participation and involvement in student life. I do
not expect to be 100% involved, however I would like to see some improvement on my
outside of class participation. Integrators will notice my achievements through by
willingness to be involved and reach out for new experiences and opportunities.
Expected Learning
- Enhanced social groups and experiences from
RC Learning Outcome(s)
- Problem solving
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different people and places.
-

- Multi-literacy
- Social Interactions
Goal statement 3: Understand my abilities at a greater level and realize what subjects I need
improvement on. I will look to find deeper meaning in my schooling and work life through
the use of self-awareness and knowledge gained from this summer.
Steps to Achieve Goal Timeframe
Reflect on academics, personal life and work life to
understand and mark my growth.
On going
Be more actively involved in the Portfolio class in order to
build my resume and mark my achievements.
On going
Take my time completing tasks to allow for insight and
comprehension.
On going
Ask others about my growth and/or things that I need to work
on as an individual. These people of input could be co-
workers, friends or integrators.
First term and ongoing
Measure of Success: My success will be measured in my Portfolio at Renaissance College as
it is a great tool to use as a reflection of growth. I will also ask others to have input on my
accomplishments and areas of improvement.
Expected Learning
- Deeper understanding of my expected learning at
school
- Self-awareness
- Ability to handle and understand criticism
effectively
- A more complete portfolio

RC Learning Outcome(s)
- Social Interaction
- Knowing Oneself and
Others








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Works Cited

Northouse, P. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice, sixth edition. Sage Publications.
Hovey-Smith, Kent (2014). Strategic Marketing Points for Tidal Health Solutions.
Tidal Health Solutions (2014). Marketing Communications Plan. (Powerpoint Slides).
Tidal Health Solutions (2014). Company Mission Statement.
Hovey-Smith, Carole (2014). Initial Request for Canadian Internship Application form
for Jane Blanchard. (Application Form)
Tidal Health Solutions (2014). Tidal Health Solutions For Better Health. (Powerpoint
Slides)
Walumbwa et al. (2008)
Marijuana For Truma (2014). Mission Statement. Mftgroup.ca

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