WELCOME NOTE

Sole Rider 2026 Internship Program. We’re excited to have you join a fast-paced, creative, and ambitious environment. This is not a "watch and learn" internship—it’s a show up and show-out experience. Expect to take the reins, contribute meaningful ideas, and walk away with a resume that sets you apart from your peers. Your work will touch both of our brands, and you'll be deeply embedded in real strategy, creative, and brand execution. This internship is unpaid but has the potential to lead to a paid opportunity. 

Dates: September - March
Time Commitment: 15-25 hours/week (some weeks heavier during events)
Work Mode: Hybrid + Potential Travel (remote with weekly in-person meetings)

Compensation: Unpaid, with opportunity for growth

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Marketing - Own Sole Rider's marketing calendar and brand voice across in created assets

• Socials 

  • Own Sole Rider's marketing calendar and brand voice across Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Pinterest. 

  • Use existing content - plan it out to capitalize on the western industry’s big marketing moments

  • Collaborate directly with Emily (Founder) on positioning for new activations, launches, and press moments

  •  Own: Google Ads, email, social (IG/TikTok/Pinterest/LinkedIn), content calendar, basic web updates/landing pages, brand partnerships/PR support.

• Branding and creative deck support (pitch, PR, sponsorship, campaign, festival decks)

• Administrative assistance (errands, returns, PR deliveries, shipping, sourcing)

• Campaign ownership (strategy, rollout, execution)

• Weekly mentorship and professional development sessions

• Sales outreach and strategy for Sole Rider 

• Events (Paid) - Required to work at least 4 cowboy hat bars so you can gain the full experience and to capture content

Qualifications

• Must be proficient in Adobe Illustrator

• Currently in school or recently graduated, studying marketing, communications, design, or a related field (or equivalent hands-on experience)

• Genuinely online — you know what's working on Instagram and TikTok right now

• Comfortable with a phone camera and basic editing apps (CapCut, Canva-alternative tools, etc.)

• Organized, reliable, and excited to learn in a fast-paced, small-team environment

• Bonus: interest in fashion, western style, events, or experiential brands

Start Date: ASAP

Compensation: Unpaid, with opportunity for growth

Time Commitment: 15-25 hours/week (some weeks heavier during events)

Work Mode: Hybrid (remote with weekly in-person meetings). Potential Travel.

Requirements:

• Incredible time management

• Type A Personality/work ethic will work best in this role

• Must have a car

• Incredibly organized

• Proactive — you anticipate what's needed instead of waiting to be asked

• Genuine interest in entrepreneurship and how a founder-led brand actually operates
  

Responsibilities

• Admin: errands, returns, PR, shipping

• Assist with inventory management

• Support Emily's day-to-day workflow — scheduling, inbox and task triage, prep for calls and meetings

• Help organize and track ongoing projects across marketing, sales, and operations

• Assist with research for new partnerships, vendors, and brand opportunities

• Help prepare decks, briefs, and one-off documents as needed

• Sit in on key calls and activation planning to learn how decisions get made

• Take on small special projects as they come up — this role flexes with what Emily needs most that week

• Shipping/errands and shopping when needed

• Manage and do outreach for personal brand partnerships

Learning Objectives

• Executive support skills

• Business operations & Time mgmt

• Professional communication

• Event coordination

Weekly Projects

• Create meeting agendas

• Update Monday.com systems

• Assist with customer follow-up

• Organize event checklists

• Brand partnership management/outreach

• Shipping/errand runs

Compensation: Unpaid internship, with opportunity for a paid part-time position

Dates: September - February 28th

Compensation: Unpaid, with opportunity for growth. Commission on new leads generated and closed by you

Time Commitment: 15-25 hours/week (some weeks heavier during events)

Work Mode: Remote + some travel

• Research potential clients; ie agencys,  festivals, hotel groups, planners

• Build prospect lists

• Conduct outreach via email and LinkedIn

• Follow up with leads

• Assist in proposal preparation

• Attend sales meetings with Emily & Danielle weekly 

• Manage Monday leads through email and phone calls

• Events (Paid) - Required to work at least 4 cowboy hat bars so you can gain the full experience and to capture content

Learning Objectives

• Sales pipeline management

• Lead generation

• Client communication

• Proposal development

• CRM systems & management

Weekly Projects

• Identify contacts for top prospect lists & contacts

• Assist with sales presentations &  OnBoarding Decks needed for “BEST” clients

• Conduct follow-up calls with key leads

Final Project

• Build a sales strategy targeting one new industry segment. ie Retail Collaborations, Hotels, Luxury Brands

Qualifications

• Experience in sales, account management, or client services — hospitality, events, or luxury/experiential backgrounds are a strong plus

• Excellent phone and written communication skills; you make people feel taken care of from the first call

• Highly organized with strong follow-through — leads don't go cold on your watch

• Comfortable using a CRM or project management tool (we use Monday.com)

• Self-starter energy — you're comfortable owning the sales process without heavy oversight

Right hand to the Founder.

Sole Rider is looking for a Director of Operations to build and run the backbone of our growing business.

This is a foundational hire for someone who loves systems — inventory, fulfillment, vendor relationships, and event logistics — and wants to build the operational infrastructure for a brand that's about to scale fast.

Dates: Starts asap.

Time Commitment: Full-time potential

• Hybrid Chicago; travel to key events

• Core availability during business hours; flexibility for evenings/weekends on event weeks

Growth & Revenue Strategy

• Build a growth plan for Sole Rider: Internal and external strategies

• I.E. Team culture and client retention, Event mix (corporate, weddings, festivals, hotels/resorts), Product tier mix (good/better/best hats and accessories).

• Create clear, scalable event packages.

• Partner with Emily future product extensions, expansions and marketing initiatives Sole Rider hat launch, merch drops, product extensions

Merchandising

• Assist with sustainable sourcing that aligns with Sole Rider values and standards for new avenues and opportunities, as well as refining current supply.

Strategic Accounts & Partnership Programs

• Own relationships with key, high-potential partners and develop programs that maximize repeat clients. Event agencies and major planners / Hotels/resorts and ranch destinations / Select corporate/enterprise accounts and festival organizers.

• Build repeatable partner programs: Preferred planner/agency tiers, Hotel/resort activation frameworks, Multi‑event agreements with key clients.

Sales

• Lead or support on: High‑value discovery and pitch calls (especially complex or high-budget opportunities).

• Lead sales and supplier calls

• Shape how we show up to festivals, VIP events, corporate outings, and retail.

Analytics, Planning & Reporting

• Build lightweight but intentional reporting that Sole Rider should be focused on

• Translate data into growth plan to review progress monthly and results quarterly

• Where we should lean in (event types, markets, partners).

• Where we should adjust pricing, mix, or positioning.

• When to test, when to cut, and when to roll out.

Tools

•  Monday CRM, Calendly, Google Workspace, Adobe CC (basic asset needs), e-sign/invoicing, inventory tracker

Qualifications

•  8+ years in operations for events/experiential/production or luxury retail

•  Proven multi-event logistics leadership; vendor and crew management

•  Strong process design and documentation; monday.com automation experience

•  Budgeting and cost control; comfortable owning event P&Ls

•  Calm, decisive, guest-obsessed; hands-on when the moment calls

We need local talent for our Cowboy Hat Bars (with travel potential):

• Chicago

• Austin

• Houston

• Dallas

• Nashville

• Socal California

• Norcal California

• Denver

• New York

• Miami

• Scottsdale

Compensation: $500 / Event

*$300 - First event for trainings

Time Commitment: Event-by-event basis.

Sole Rider is looking for Cowboy Hat Connoisseurs to join our traveling Hat Bar team.

This is the face of Sole Rider on the ground — the talent who brings our bespoke hat customization experience to life at weddings, festivals, and brand activations across the country. If you love working a room, have an eye for style, and want to be part of something genuinely one-of-a-kind, this is your role.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Host and run the Hat Bar experience at live events — greeting guests, guiding them through customization options, and creating a memorable, high-touch moment

• Perform on-site hat customization (shaping, band and trim selection, styling) with guidance and training provided

• Represent Sole Rider's brand and generational craft story to guests, clients, and partners at every activation

• Set up and break down the Hat Bar station, including inventory and display management on event days

• Travel to activation locations as needed (weddings, festivals, corporate and brand events)

• Capture content opportunities on-site to support the marketing team's coverage of each event

Qualifications

• Outgoing, warm, and genuinely good with people — you can talk to anyone and make them feel like the most important guest in the room

• Comfortable being on your feet and working events (some travel required)

• An eye for style and detail — bonus points if you already know your way around hats, western wear, or fashion styling

• Reliable and flexible with event-based scheduling, including weekends

• No formal hat-making experience required — we'll train the craft; we're hiring for presence, hustle, and hospitality