Contacting Studios - Kiss Branding

Kiss Branding is a branding and packaging agency, co-founded by Matt and Poonam. They describe themselves as - 

a creative brand studio where we transform audiences from not caring to getting fully behind a brands cause. 
Kiss was founded to help modern day pirates, disruptors and the dark horses; brands with a mission to do good and an attitude to make it happen. 

Their website showcases the projects they have undertaken since setting up the company - my personal favourites are their raw chocolate co. rebrand. (see fig 1 and 2), as well as the Mother Root identity and packaging (fig 3 and 4).

fig 1

fig 2

fig 3

fig 4

Following the speed mentoring workshops yesterday, I decided that I would love to undertake work experience with Kiss Branding, as they are a branding and packaging company, and this is what I would love to go into.
I realised that I should have really taken the opportunity to ask them in person, however, I managed to incorporate this well into the email I sent reaching out to them.

I did attempt to source their individual emails via LinkedIn, but couldn't find them so decided to reach out using their company email instead. However, seeing as they are a small company run by the 2 of them, as opposed to a big corporation, I was less worried about my email being lost in a multitude of emails. 

I made my email very personal and informal, as I had already met Matt and Poonam, and followed their advice on tailoring emails very specifically to the companies I was reaching out to. Matt talked about a relationship of trust being built through multiple contact points, so as I had already met them in person, I feel as if they would be more willing to accept my request.

My email:

Hi Matt and Poonam,
It's Charlotte, we met yesterday at the 1 to 1 Careers workshop yesterday at Leeds Arts University (I was the first to speak to you, vertically challenged girl wearing a stripy top). I found our conversation and your advice really inspiring, particularly how you managed to set up your own successful business and finding a path that was right for you. We also talked about work experience, and I am absolutely kicking myself today for not taking the opportunity to ask you both about it. As I'd love to go into branding and packaging myself, I was wondering if it would be possible to arrange some work experience at Kiss Branding? Or, if not work experience (I know it may not be exactly feasible as you are a smaller company), whether I could pop in for a day or two during the next few weeks to see the work you do as well as get a feel for working in the industry? I would love to see how you guys run Kiss Branding and direct projects in your own way, free of corporate bosses! 
Thank you, and hope to hear from you soon,Charlotte

In my email, I asked whether it would be possible to arrange work experience, however, because I know they are a small company, I acknowledged it may not be possible and then asked if I could pop in for a few days instead, as they are based in Leeds. Looking back on the email, it may have been beneficial for me to attach my online portfolio, but I will await on a reply. 

Response:

Hey Charlotte,
Thanks for reaching out to us and it was a pleasure to meet you. 15 mins is never enough time to cover everything but I’m glad it helped a little.
Also I am glad you asked about work experience, as yes it would have been silly not too  and it’s something we would absolutely love to do, however we simply don’t have the capacity to have an intern at the moment. Our business is still super young and we don’t even have the desk space let alone the structure set out to accommodate any help at the moment. 
If our plans work out over the next 5/6 months then we might be in a better place to cater for interns later in the summer, so try us again then! 
But in the meantime, feel free to send us your portfolio at any point and we can give a brief overview with feedback of it. 
Best of luck in the future,Matt

I did anticipate this response as acknowledged earlier in my initial email, so I thanked Matt for his time and took him up on the offer of portfolio feedback, however I countered with a question about meeting in person. I thought I would get more from feedback done in person, and it also again builds up that relationship of trust between us. 

Hi Matt,
I did think that may be the case concerning work experience, no worries. I will be looking to do work experience, ideally in Leeds around in May/June time, so I will get back in touch a few months down the line and see where you guys stand at the time.
Regarding feedback, is it possible I could pop in in a few weeks time once I have finished a few more branding and packaging projects, and these are in my portfolio and get feedback face to face? I think you guys would be perfect to give some feedback on my physical presentation of portfolio as you advised, and I think I could get more out of a meeting in person, however brief you guys need it to be. I can also bring coffees by way of thanks for taking the time to see me! If not, I completely understand and I can send over a digital pdf version.
Thanks again, 

Charlotte

Matt responded to this email agreeing to meeting, so I will need to set a date to look over my portfolio with them soon. I am planning on doing this after I have some more branding projects done, for example Max's yoga branding project which I am currently working on.