I am currently halfway through my Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs experience in Paris, and things are going well. I work at Tanti Giri, a creative studio run by Maïna and Clara, where my role is focused on social media. The day-to-day is enjoyable, and the collaboration has been working out better than I expected. Maïna and Clara are very available and open. They never make you feel like your questions are out of place or your ideas not developed enough. Alongside the work I do for the studio, they also help me develop my own project, Berthe Studio. We sit down together, go through the ideas, think about how to make them concrete, and look at problems from different angles. It feels like a real exchange, not just guidance from someone more experienced.
Looking back at the first half, the experience has evolved in a way I did not fully anticipate. In February, we mostly focused on defining the general direction of my project and understanding how the collaboration would work. Now we are getting into the practical side of things. I handle social media content, contribute to rebranding projects, and help develop visual identities for clients. The work has become more concrete, both for the studio and for Berthe Studio.
One thing I did not expect to start learning so soon is how to work directly with clients. Maïna involves me in her client interactions, which has been one of the most useful parts of the experience. You learn to listen carefully, to ask the right questions, and to understand what someone actually needs, even when they are not entirely sure themselves. That is not something you can learn from a book or a course. You learn it by doing it, getting it slightly wrong, and trying again.
If I had to change anything about how the first half went, I would have pushed myself earlier to take up more space, ask more questions, and share my ideas sooner. I was cautious at first, trying to observe and understand before jumping in. That caution had its value, but I think I could have trusted myself a bit more from the start. The second half is ahead of me, and I feel more settled now. I know how the studio works, I know what I am contributing, and I have a clearer picture of where Berthe Studio is going. Paris is also giving me a network, which I know will matter long after this experience ends.