Welcome to The Vital Life where we spotlight Vital Proteins® employees. This week, Senior Manager of Brand Content and Education, Taylor Lear, gives us a look inside her work day.
Lively: Thanks for sharing your day with us! To kick things off, can you tell us about what you do at Vital Proteins and what you enjoy about your role?
Taylor Lear: Thanks for having me! I'm the Senior Manager of Brand Content and Education here at Vital, and I'm notorious for having the longest title at nearly every position in my career (LOL). My role is a hybrid between the Content Production and Education teams, meaning I get to work with almost every department within the organization. Being a part of the content production process is so rewarding — I love seeing the beautiful imagery and videos we brainstorm and direct come to life through social media, digital ads, sales presentations, the Vital Proteins website, retailers… the list goes on! And as a self-proclaimed bookworm at heart, I also really enjoy my time working with the Education team — I actually have en excuse to learn all there is to know about every new product and help educate the rest of the Brand Team. Win-win!
L: Walk us through your morning routine – how has it changed (or not) since staying home?
TL: My morning routine has definitely relaxed a bit since staying home. When we were in the office every day, I was up at 5:30 a.m. in order to get to the gym, shower, and make breakfast and lunch all before walking out the door at 8:20 a.m. Now, I sleep until our Australian Shepherd, Doug, wakes us up around 6:45-7 a.m. — glorious! I normally start the day taking Doug for a walk and getting a sweat in. I love my Alexia Clark strength workouts, but we did just get a Peloton this week. I'm slowly becoming a cycling convert! Post-workout, I always rehydrate with Vital Proteins Vitality® Immune Booster** before pouring myself a cup of coffee with a scoop of Original Collagen Peptides and some frothed oat milk. The work day officially begins for me around 9 a.m.! Breakfast doesn't normally happen until later in the morning when I have a break from Zoom calls, and I love making a smoothie with Vital Performance™ Vanilla Protein to keep me full until lunch.
L: Where have you been getting inspiration for projects or tasks you might be working on throughout the day?
TL: A lot of my inspiration comes from scrolling Instagram or catching up on the latest industry news on AdWeek. I love reading about what other brands are doing in the marketing space, even brands outside of the CPG space. It's crazy where inspiration can come from sometimes! We also try to have weekly or biweekly brainstorm sessions as a Content Team — I love feeding off the creativity of my colleagues.
L: Lunchtime! What's your plan?
TL: Lunch usually consists of a BAS (Big A** Salad), piled high with whatever I have stocked in the fridge. My go-to is a combo of arugula, roasted sweet potatoes, roasted broccoli, avocado, beets, and chicken. I try to take a bit of time away from the computer to get another walk in with Doug and disconnect for a few. But let's be real — I've definitely been that person chowing down on quite a few Zoom calls!
L: You're hitting your mid-afternoon slump. How do you re-energize your afternoon?
TL: I'm not a huge caffeine drinker mid-afternoon, so I normally reach for an energizing snack to power through the rest of the day. I am in LOVE with our new Vital Performance™ Protein Bars — the Chocolate Almond tastes like a Snickers. So, so good! On days when I'm feeling fancy, I prep Chia Seed Pudding in the morning to enjoy later in the day. I always mix in a scoop of Vital Proteins Original Collagen Peptides for an added boost of collagen!
L: How have you been practicing #wellnessfromhome these days?
TL: It can be so hard to disconnect and walk away from work while we're all working from home, but I make a point to find at least one distraction within the day. For me, working out in the morning is crucial, otherwise I'm unlikely to fit it in later in the day. My husband and I have also gotten into the routine of nightly walks with Doug when the weather's nice (this dog has a better exercise routine than anyone I know!), and we love cooking dinner together to unwind.
Rapid-Fire Questions
Favorite Podcast? How I Built This with Guy Raz!
Favorite Workout? Alexia Clark strength training program. I've been using her app for over 2 years — I’m obsessed.
Favorite Binge-Worthy Show? Do I have to pick just one?? Yellowstone for SURE, and Selling Sunset for a little reality TV drama.
Favorite Vital Proteins product? The Original Collagen Peptides mixed into my coffee and the Vital Performance™ Vanilla Protein mixed into my smoothies.
