The Launch Pad · A note from Juliet

Why we
built this.

The idea behind the Launch Pad — and why it isn’t just another job.

For years, I’ve been paid to travel the world and help people grow — sitting with entrepreneurs, authors, and leaders as a consultant, a teacher, and a mentor. Pouring in knowledge, encouragement, and belief. It’s the work I love most in the world.

One day it hit me: I was giving that away everywhere — except in my own company.

The people who show up for Big Red Treats every day — many at their very first job — deserve exactly what I fly around the world to give everyone else. The mentoring. The real skills. The belief that they are capable of far more than they know.

This isn’t a job.
It’s a launch pad.
— Juliet WrightOwner · Big Red Treats
What sets it apart

Same counter. A completely different reason for being here.

Most first jobs ask, “what can you do for us?”
The Launch Pad asks, “who can we help you become?”

The Launch Pad isn’t a clever way to squeeze more out of a shift — it’s the opposite. It’s the thing I love most, teaching and mentoring and cheering people on, aimed at the team right here at home. Nine months of real skills, taught on purpose, so that whatever you do next, you walk into it ready. And honestly? Watching a person grow over a year — the quiet one who learns to lead, the one who didn’t know how a paycheck worked now teaching a friend — that’s the whole reward.

The shift that changes everything
Employee Mindset vs Intern Mindset
“I just work here.”
“I’m building my future here.”
“That’s not my job.”
“I own the whole outcome.”
“I show up for the paycheck.”
“I show up to grow.”
“I wait to be told.”
“I spot what needs doing.”
“I get defensive when I’m corrected.”
“I own my mistakes and learn.”
“No news is good news.”
“I ask for feedback to get better.”
“When does my shift end?”
“What can I learn today?”
Same job. Same treats. A completely different future.
The year, start to launch

The Launch Pad Year

Curated modules, each one building on the last — from your first day to the launch pad.

August
Kick Off
Settle in, meet the team, and learn what it means to be part of the Launch Pad.
01
September
Hospitality & First Impressions
Make every guest feel welcome from the second they walk in.
02
October
Customer Service & Keeping People Coming Back
Turn a hard moment — or an upset guest — into a loyal regular.
03
November
Sales & the Honest Upsell
Help people find what they’ll love — selling as serving.
04
December
Cash, Trust & Handling Money
Run money accurately and become someone the team trusts.
05
January
How a Business Makes Money
Where every dollar really goes — and how to manage your own.
06
February
Marketing, Brand & Social
Why people talk about a place — and how to be worth talking about.
07
March
Entrepreneurship & Ownership
Spot a problem, pitch an idea, own the outcome. Capstone begins.
08
April
Leadership & Launch
Lift up the next person — and build your résumé and references.
May
Graduation
Present your capstone, earn your certificate, and step onto the launch pad.
What you get

More than a paycheck.

Real pay, real mentorship, and real experience — plus a few things almost no first job offers.

Pay
$17/hr
+$1 every August you return
Hours
12–36/wk
one weekend shift required
Built for ages
16–20
must be 16 by September 1
Monthly 1-on-1 mentoring with Juliet
A private session each month on your future, your goals, and whatever you’d like an outside perspective on.
Know yourself
A personality assessment to help you understand your strengths — and what makes you uniquely, incredibly you.
Your own coworking space
Access to Arc & Ember — lobby, classroom, theater, and the coffee, soda & tea bar — to study, meet for group projects, start a study club, or hang out off the clock.
Team-building & fun, together
Regular team outings and fun events — because a team that plays together works together.
Volunteer, together
Give back to our community as a team, and be part of something bigger than a shift.
Lead a real event
Help plan, promote, and run a community promotional event as a team — real experience you can point to.
It grows with you
Come back next year and go deeper: more advanced skills, more leadership, and a bigger role.
Summer, if you want it
Graduates can keep working through the summer — at the wage you’ve earned.
Proof you can show
A graduation certificate and a résumé full of real, marketable skills — see below.
A personal letter of recommendation
Written by us — for a future job, a scholarship, a leadership program, or wherever you’re headed next.
Walk away with proof

Put this on your résumé.

Everything here is real, and it’s yours to claim — on a résumé, a college application, or in an interview. Here’s how you might word it:

Give it a title — any of these fit:
Launch Pad Intern Hospitality Intern Customer Experience Intern Sales Intern Marketing Intern Entrepreneurship Intern Operations & Leadership Intern
Completed a nine-month professional-development internship spanning customer service, sales, cash handling, business finance, marketing, and leadership.
Delivered friendly, high-quality service and turned unhappy guests into loyal, repeat customers.
Handled cash accurately and balanced a register with integrity.
Read profit-and-loss statements and reduced waste to help protect margins.
Planned, promoted, and helped run a community event as part of a team.
Created social-media content to grow the brand’s audience.
Trained and mentored newer team members.
Received monthly one-on-one career and professional mentorship.
Customer serviceSalesCash handlingTeamworkCommunicationTime managementLeadershipSocial mediaProblem-solving
The internships that build a résumé like this are usually unpaid — and states away. This one pays you, and fits right into your life.
The why, in one idea

A better way — for everyone.

The best ideas are the ones where everybody wins. That’s the entire design of the Launch Pad. This isn’t a trade-off. It’s a win in every direction at once.

For you
Real skills, a résumé, references, confidence, and a paycheck — plus the kind of mentorship most people pay a lot of money for, and don’t get until their twenties.
For the store
A team that’s invested, skilled, and genuinely proud of where they work — which every guest can feel the moment they walk in.
For our community
Young people who show up, serve well, and grow into the leaders our town will be glad to have.
For your family
A front-row seat to watch you become more capable, more confident, and more ready for whatever’s next.
For us
The chance to do the work we love most — teaching, mentoring, and cheering people on — right here at home.
A win for you. A win for us. A win for everyone.
How to join

Next steps.

Here’s exactly how it works from here.

01
Ask your questions
Talk to any of us — Juliet, Dana, or Nikki. Ask about the hours, the pay, the commitment, whatever you want to know.
02
Apply online
Fill out the application below. Put real thought into it — this is a paid internship, and we read every answer.
03
Interview
If your application moves forward, we’ll set up a time to talk — about you, your goals, and whether this is the right fit for both of us.
04
You hear back
Shortly after your interview, we’ll let you know if you’ve been accepted — and send you everything you need for the kickoff.
Start
The first cohort begins Tuesday, August 11. If you’re in, that’s day one.
Cohort 1 beginsAugust 11
Apply now →
Ready to launch?