Welcome to The Vital Life where we spotlight Vital Proteins® employees. This week, our Associate FP&A Manager, Renee DeBrincat, gives us a look inside her remote workday.
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?
Renee DeBrincat: I’m the Associate FP&A Manager at Vital Proteins. I work with teams on creating budgets for the year and tracking how we’re pacing monthly. The best part of my job is definitely the members of the finance team. We’ve always been invested in each other’s growth and successes which is something unique and refreshing about Vital. I also love that I get to work with so many people across the organization. I enjoy learning about what other teams do in order to best support their areas financially. Everyone at Vital works hard and is so knowledgeable, and I love having a firsthand look at that.
L: Walk us through your morning routine – how has it changed (or not) since staying home?
RD: Every morning I wake up at 6:30 a.m. and have a glass of our Vital Performance™ Pre ($35.99; shop now) and a handful of almonds. I walk a little over a half mile to the gym for a workout. Once I’m back at my apartment, I get ready for my day. I always make sure to eat breakfast which is usually a hard boiled egg and a shake with our Vital Performance™ Protein ($29.99; shop now). I make a French press of coffee and drink a cup with our Collagen Peptides ($27; shop now). Since working from home, I’ve pretty much woken up at the same time but I fit a lot more into my mornings which I love!
L: Where have you been getting inspiration for projects or tasks you might be working on throughout the day?
RD: I’m always inspired to bring home the (literal) bacon for my dog, a doxie mix named Fozzie. Really though, I feel like I’ve never seen the same day twice at Vital. In previous jobs I’ve had in Finance, it can get pretty scheduled and things start to feel mundane and repetitive. At Vital there’s always something new and unique to do which keeps me on my toes.
L: Lunchtime! What’s your plan?
RD: If I’m at the office, I love going to Sweetgreen or Uncooked. I usually try to eat meatless or even vegan for lunch. I love to cook. I make a lot of homemade pastas, so any chance I can be healthy throughout the day, I take. Some staples I make myself for lunch are Spanakorizo (Greek spinach and rice dish) and roasted veggies on a kale salad.
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L: You’re hitting your mid-afternoon slump. How do you re-energize your afternoon?
RD: I’m definitely a coffee addict, so I hit my mid-afternoon slump hard. I usually love making a matcha latte with our Matcha Collagen Peptides ($53.00; shop now) for a little pick me up. If it’s nice enough out, I’ll take my dog for a quick coffee run. He’s a regular at Uncooked now and expects to stop in there every time we pass it. Walking outside and getting a little vitamin D goes a long way, especially in Chicago!
L: How have you been practicing #wellnessfromhome these days?
RD: #Wellnessfromhome is so crucial for me, especially now that my home is also my workspace. Less screen time has been very important to me. I’ve taken up reading more instead of binge-watching TV shows, and I need zero screen time before bed. Decompressing in the evening is also super important to me. I always try to take time to stretch or cuddle with my dog on the couch. I love any way that I can physically and mentally reset before the next day.
Rapid-Fire Round:
Your Favorite:
Podcast: I love How I Built This. It’s so interesting listening to entrepreneurs talk about how they thought of their business, how they executed and the struggles they had along the way.
Workout: I’m obsessed with the classes at TrainMoment. It’s a mix of lifting and cardio on a versa climber. I feel so much stronger since I’ve started going there and the instructors are great!
Binge-worthy show: I don’t know! I love the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Please send suggestions my way because I have no idea what to watch.
Vital Proteins product: I use a LOT of our products, but my two favorites (I can’t choose just one) have to be the Collagen Peptides and our Vital Performance™ Chocolate Protein. I use them both every day. The peptides I put in my coffee. The chocolate protein I make a shake with spinach, banana, and nut butter.
