Marketing · Eller College of Management, University of Arizona
This site is for founders, marketing leads and brand teams who hire on proof. It shows what I’ve built since 2023, what each attempt taught me (including the ones that missed) and how the people I work with describe me. I’m looking for a summer 2027 creative marketing internship at a fashion brand or a founder-led company, learning from people who’ve built what I want to build, and ideally a mentor.
Under three minutes on who I am, how I work and where I’m headed.
First stop: where the way I work came from. Next: 01 Eagle Scout
2016 – 2023
40+volunteers led on my Eagle project
I planned and led a service project for a local preschool: building and installing a children’s play loft and clearing invasive plants from the grounds. I recruited a crew of 40+ volunteers and owned the timeline, materials and logistics. I earned Eagle in 2023.
The hard part: keeping 40+ volunteers busy and on schedule at the same time.
Leading people is mostly planning, so nobody has to guess what to do next.
Carried forward
FLP Studios was a crew of one. Planning the work before it starts is what let me handle sourcing, pricing, content, fulfillment and customer service by myself.
The 12 points of the Scout Law. Stop 06 checks which ones the people I work with actually see.
The project
Court of Honor
2023 – 2026
$60K+in total sales, run solo
FLP Studios turned thrifted clothing into curated mystery boxes that sold through content. It started as a Depop account flipping thrift finds, grew into its own Shopify store, and I ran all of it myself: sourcing, pricing, content, fulfillment and customer service.
The hard part: doing every job myself, so content had to do the selling.
When the product fits, content does the selling. My job was making the right thing easy to want.
Carried forward
FLP proved content can create demand. In e-commerce I tested the other half: whether systems and margins could scale sales without a brand or an audience behind them.
US$825.31
32 items sold
Depop, 20–27 Sep 2023
US$1,409.66
41 items sold, revenue up 75% on the week before
Depop, 18–25 Oct 2023
Day one
“guys I’m building a site for flip closet…”
Building the first FLP site, on Snapchat
$8,025.60
in Shopify earnings, first two months of operation
FLP’s Shopify store, finances breakdown
$2.95K
in one day, 57 orders
FLP’s Shopify app, a single day
97K views
A 10-slide TikTok I shot and wrote for FLP. Swipe or use the arrows.
Muted until you tap. Plays when it’s on screen.
1.5Mtotal TikTok likes
Two of my thrift videos. View counts exactly as TikTok shows them.
Reach, all platforms
combined views across all platforms
Attention is the top of every funnel. Before anything sells, someone has to stop scrolling. Eight million views says I can make that happen again and again, and attention is what drives sales.
$25K+in lifetime sales across Depop reselling and eBay and Depop dropshipping
I ran multiple online storefronts as a solo operator, reselling on Depop and dropshipping through eBay and Depop. The first dropshipping stores failed. I kept the cost of each test small, kept what worked, and built an operation with multiple $500+ profit days.
The miss: my first dropshipping stores didn’t sell.
Fail cheap, fail fast and protect the margin. Every store that died paid for the one that worked.
Carried forward
Cheap tests taught me to protect the margin. With Mason Vale I tested whether a premium brand and AI-made creative could earn a bigger one.
2026 –
7,000+followers from organic content
I launched a premium bracelet brand with custom packaging. Then I made every ad with AI, from my room at my parents’ house. The spot below ran on Meta and drove sales.
The brand broke even, the ads earned a click-through rate well above average, and I learned a lot about what makes creative convert.
The miss: the ads beat the average click-through rate, but the brand only broke even.
Creative wins the click. The offer and the margin decide whether the click turns into profit.
Carried forward
Creative alone doesn’t make a profit; the offer has to work too. So in client work I start from what the client needs to sell, then build the creative around it.
Made entirely with AI. Ran on Meta.
Retainerretainer offer, from Based Body Works
My first paid client site is live: ltcstructural.com, for a family-owned structural engineering firm. I also designed and wrote a landing page for an AI creative concept, pitched an AI chatbot and CRM switch to a large auto-detailing company, and made affiliate content that earned a retainer offer.
The miss: the auto-detailing pitch didn’t close.
Offering everything means closing nothing. Lead with one sharp offer, because follow-through is the job.
Carried forward
One sharp offer beats a menu. I used the same filter on myself in Stop 06: which few traits matter most, and which one to fix first.
Paid client · live
Built and launched for a structural engineering firm.
Visit ltcstructural.com (opens in a new tab)
Design & copy sample
Landing page I designed and wrote for an AI creative concept.
Visit thomasmarketing.co (opens in a new tab)Content
Affiliate content for CMFRT clothing and Based Body Works. Based Body Works offered me a retainer to keep creating.
Sales
A 50-minute sit-down and a follow-up meeting with a large auto-detailing company, pitching an AI chatbot and a CRM switchover. It didn’t close. I pitched too many things at once.
Fall 2026
I took the self-perception inventory, then asked the people I work with to rate me. This stop holds the two side by side and checks them against the Scout Law from Stop 01.
Five of the twelve values I was raised on show up in how others describe me. Trustworthy, the one a hiring team cares about most, is the one I’m still proving, and the feedback says exactly how.
6.1
I value growth, ownership and range, and the people around me see all three.
Evidence
T1Most frequent3
T2Frequent10
T3Mentioned13
T4Least frequent6
Tiers follow the four type sizes in Radian’s word chart (T1 largest). Radian doesn’t publish counts; the number on each row is how many words share that tier. My three self-selected words: Driven, Growth-Oriented, Well-Rounded.
All three words I chose for myself appear in what others said. Two of them are among the three largest.
My core values
The question
Do the values I say I hold actually show up in how other people describe me?
How I approached it
I chose my three words before I saw anyone else’s answers, so my picks couldn’t be shaped by theirs. Then I laid my words over the reputation survey’s word chart. Overlap counts as confirmation. The largest word I didn’t choose is the blind spot, because it’s what people notice that I don’t.
What it means
My identity is landing the way I intend: driven and growth-oriented came back loudest. The biggest word I didn’t pick is “Independent.” Others notice my independence more than I do, and that cuts both ways. It’s why I can build a business alone, and it’s the root of the team feedback in 6.3.
What I learned
My self-image and my reputation mostly match. The useful feedback lives in the one gap: “Independent.”
Carried forwardThat gap became the lens for the next two chapters. If people see me as independent, how does that shape the way I communicate (6.2) and the way I work on a team (6.3)?
So what, for a team
A team gets someone who owns a piece of work without being chased. My next step is bringing people in earlier instead of showing up with a finished piece.
6.2
I lead with action. Others see me as more of a Driver than I see myself.
Evidence
Composite scores, self vs. others’ average
My identified style: Driver/Expressive Tendency. Radian compares my attitudinal style with how others see my behavior.
We agree on proactivity. The gap is reactivity: others see me as more reserved (−2.2) than I see myself (0.0).
| Source | Proactivity | Reactivity |
|---|---|---|
| Me (self, attitudinal) | 2.0 | 0.0 |
| Others’ average (5) | 2.6 | −2.2 |
| Respondent 1 | 7 | 3 |
| Respondent 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Respondent 3 | 7 | −3 |
| Respondent 4 | 3 | −7 |
| Respondent 5 | -7 | −5 |
The question
How do I come across when I communicate, and does it match what I intend?
How I approached it
Radian scores two axes: proactivity (how much I drive and assert) and reactivity (how openly I show emotion and react). I compared my own attitudinal rating with five respondents’ behavioral ratings. I looked at the spread, not only the average, so one outlier couldn’t tell the story. Four of five agree on proactivity, so I treat that as signal. The reactivity gap also shows up in the written quotes, so I treat it as real, not noise.
What it means
On proactivity we agree: I scored 2.0, and the respondent average is 2.6, with four of five putting me on the proactive side. The gap is reactivity: I rated myself 0.0, but the average is −2.2. People read me as more reserved than I feel. The quotes explain it: I push work forward, but I don’t always push my ideas forward in the room.
What I learned
Doing the work isn’t the same as voicing the idea. People can’t credit an opinion I never say out loud.
Carried forwardThis is the same independence from 6.1, showing up in conversation. In 6.3 I check whether it shows up in teamwork too.
So what, for a team
Expect fast, direct execution. I’m practicing saying my opinion first in group settings instead of saving it for my own part of the work.
In their words
“You have quiet confidence”
Reputation survey
“…one area in which I think you have room to improve would be in using your voice to pushback and express your opinions for innovation and solution.”
Reputation survey
“Your ideas and the things that you bring up during the meetings are also so good as well and it is nice to hear your perspective and ideas. It would be great to hear more of that.”
Teammate, 360° · sentiment 0.98
“This is looking good, Mason. Confident and clear delivery. Avoid pacing, and look at us rather than the floor. Good approach to explaining your approach to stakeholders. … More smiling. Keep it up!”
Instructor
6.3
I do my best work with ownership of a clear piece, and teammates rate the environment I create above average.
Evidence
Scale shown from 85 to 95 so the gaps are visible. Scores are out of 100.
4 (80.0%) said I contributed comparably to other members. 1 (20.0%) said I contributed more. None said less this round.
Above average for team environment, just under for effort.
The question
What environment do I do my best work in, and what do I actually bring to a team?
How I approached it
I used the 360° peer scores because they come from teammates who worked with me on a real project, not from people rating me in general. I set each score against the average to see where I sit, then read the written comments for the reason behind the numbers. A score tells you where; a comment tells you why.
What it means
In my 360° results, contribution to a positive team environment scored 90.2, above the 89.63 average. Amount of effort scored 87.8, just under the 88.87 average. A survey respondent names the pattern behind the numbers: I like to work independently and divide and conquer.
What I learned
Owning a lane is a strength until the lane goes quiet. A team needs to see my piece before it’s finished.
Carried forwardIn 6.4 I turn to the feedback itself and sort what’s a trait from what’s a habit I can change.
So what, for a team
Give me a lane and a deadline and I’ll own it. The habit I’m building is sharing my piece early so the team can build on it.
In their words
“In my opinion, in a professional environment and team setting, you like to be more independent and divide and conquer.”
Reputation survey
6.4
Feedback mostly confirmed how I communicate, and the parts that challenged me are specific enough to fix.
Evidence
Score range −10 to 10 for both.
Warmth leads. Confidence is positive but lower, even though others keep calling me confident.
The question
How do I take feedback, and what is the feedback really asking me to change?
How I approached it
I sorted every comment into two piles: traits (who I am) and habits (what I do). The charisma scores and words like “Self-Confident” describe traits. Pacing, eye contact and smiling are habits. Habits are what I can change this semester, so that’s where my effort goes.
What it means
Confidence is my lower charisma score (1.82 against 5.00 for warmth), yet others keep naming it: “Self-Confident” in the word chart, “quiet confidence” and “confident and clear delivery.” I under-rate my own confidence. What others flag instead are small, fixable habits: pacing, eyes on the floor and not smiling enough.
What I learned
I under-rate my own confidence. The real gaps are small habits, and habits are fixable.
Carried forwardFixing those habits is how I build the reputation in 6.5. Reliability is what turns a creative person into someone a team trusts with a launch.
So what, for a team
My working list: stand still, look at the room and smile. These are habits I can practice, not personality traits.
In their words
“You are one of the strongest presenters on the team, just because of the tone you have when you get up there.”
Teammate, 360° · sentiment 0.87
“I think you’re so good at projecting your voice and convincing the crowd!”
Teammate, 360° · sentiment 0.94
“This is looking good, Mason. Confident and clear delivery. Avoid pacing, and look at us rather than the floor. Good approach to explaining your approach to stakeholders. … More smiling. Keep it up!”
Instructor
6.5
People see a nontraditional builder. I’m adjusting how I show up so the work reads as reliable, not just creative.
Evidence
“Mason is a very non traditional professional.”
Reputation survey
“I think Mason is very aware of how he is perceived by others.”
Reputation survey
“I and many others believe in you and know you have the potential to do great things.”
Reputation survey
The question
What brand do people already see in me, and what do I want it to be?
How I approached it
I read the open-ended survey comments for themes that repeat, not single compliments. Then I checked those themes against the work on this site. Where the reputation and the work agree, I lean in. Where the feedback points at a gap, I built the site to answer it.
What it means
The reputation data is consistent: creative, entrepreneurial, not a 9-to-5 person. That’s the brand I want. The improvements people suggested (use my voice, bring people in earlier) are all about reliability, which is the exact thing a hiring manager screens a creative for.
What I learned
Creativity gets attention. Follow-through gets the job.
Carried forwardThat’s why this site leads with outcomes and lessons, and why Stop 07 asks for a mentor who will hold me to follow-through.
So what, for a team
This site leads with finished outcomes and the lessons from misses, not just ideas. Going forward I’m looking for a team and a mentor who will hold me to follow-through.
The data says where I’m strong and what to fix. Stop 07 is what I do with it next. Next: 07 What’s next
Summer 2027
A creative marketing internship at a fashion brand, or at a company run by founders who’ve built what I want to build. I want to learn how the best teams make content and products that sell, then grow into that role.
Available May 17 – August 20, 2027
I’m also looking for a mentor: someone who has built a brand from zero and will be direct with me about what to fix. I take feedback and act on it. Stop 06 shows how.
Tucson, AZ · (971) 708-5369 · masonathomas@arizona.edu · www.linkedin.com/in/masonalexanderthomas
Availability: May 17 – August 20, 2027
University of Arizona | Eller College of Management, Tucson, AZ. Bachelor of Science in Marketing, graduation date May 2028. GPA: 3.66. Honors: Arizona Distinction Award (Academic Excellence) | Dean’s List (Full-Time) | Voice of Democracy Speech Competition, Top 15 Nationally, VFW (2022).
Mason Vale, Portland, OR. Founder, May 2026 – Present. Launched a direct-to-consumer bracelet brand with custom packaging and an elevated end-to-end customer experience. Run paid ad campaigns using fully AI cinematic visuals, and organic content to 7,000+ followers, driving online sales.
E-Commerce & Dropshipping, Tucson, AZ. Independent Operator, October 2025 – Present. Manage multiple online storefronts, generating $25,000+ in lifetime sales as a solo operator across numerous products. Analyzed sales performance and optimized product listings and reach while balancing academic commitment.
FLP Studios, Portland, OR. Founder, October 2023 – Jan 2026. Built and independently operated a second-hand clothing curation company generating $60,000+ in total sales. Managed sourcing, pricing strategy, marketing, fulfillment, customer communication, and supplier relationships.
Lauren Thomas Consulting, LLC, Portland, OR. Administrative Assistant, September 2020 – August 2024. Indexed and organized confidential business records ensuring accurate filing to prevent client and legal issues. Supported everyday administrative operations by developing and maintaining reliable documentation systems.
Theta Xi Fraternity, Tucson, AZ. Philanthropy Chair & Apparel Chair, August 2026 – Present. Organize and execute fundraising events, coordinating members and outreach to raise money for a specific cause. Design, produce, and distribute all chapter event merchandise, managing vendor sourcing and member fulfillment.
Delta Sigma Pi | Professional Business Fraternity, Tucson, AZ. Member, Marketing Committee, March 2026 – Present. Selected from a competitive pool of 100+ applicants as a recognized leader in the business commerce community. Fosters the study of business, and helps uphold the highest standard of integrity both on and off campus.
Eller Rising Professionals, Tucson, AZ. Selected Member, September 2024 – May 2025. Selected for a professional development program emphasizing leadership career readiness and business skills. Competed in case competitions, workshops, and networking events with industry professionals and peers.
Boy Scouts of America, Portland, OR. Eagle Scout, November 2016 – December 2023. Achieved the rank of Eagle Scout, demonstrating long term leadership, service, accountability, and discipline. Planned and led a capstone service project coordinating volunteers, project timeline, materials, and logistics.
Skills: Digital marketing | Paid Advertising | Affiliate Marketing | Content Creation | Social Media Strategy | AI Visuals | AI Automation | Ecommerce Operations | Website Building | Business Analytics | Canva | Google Workspace
Activities: Eller Professional Sales Club | Investment Club | Student Entrepreneur Club | SPARK Entrepreneurship
Interests: Personal Development | Fashion | Fitness | Hiking | Camping | Traveling | Sports | Reading | Snowboarding
If you’re hiring for summer 2027, or you’ve built something I should learn from, let’s talk.