Ever catch yourself chuckling at a corny pun in a Sunfood caption or retweeting a wall of sunflower emojis on Sunfood’s Twitter? Chances are, Joelle was behind that. Meet Joelle! Our resident social media expert, professional multitasker, and proud rescue dog mom! Let’s get to know her a little better and take a peek into a day in her life as a Sunfood staffer.

Name: Joelle

Location: San Diego, CA

Job Title: Social Media Specialist

Current favorite Sunfood product: Hemp Seeds

What do you enjoy most about working at Sunfood?

There are so many reasons I love working for Sunfood! My favorite has to be a tie between 1) getting to spend every day working remotely at home with my two rescue pups and 2) working with my awesome coworkers and influencers to create delicious plant-based recipes. I love to cook but I may be one of the laziest people you will meet — so it's especially fun working on a team who is also passionate about making plant-based nutrition fun, easy, and accessible.

What does a typical work day look like for you?

My dogs wake us up bright and early and I start every morning with a long walk with my partner and both my dogs. When we get home, I always squeeze in a few minutes of yin yoga and meditation to really center myself for whatever the day may bring. After feedings the dogs, I brew some coffee and make myself a breakfast that is always superfood-packed. I'm pretty predictable and you can always catch me eating either one of two meals for breakfast: waffles dosed with maple syrup,  goji berries, chia seeds, cacao nibs, etc., or oatmeal dosed with agave nectar, goji berries, almond butter, chia seeds,  hemp seeds, and cacao nibs.

Once the work day begins, I sip my maca-infused coffee while I check emails, social media DMs, comments, and review what my task list looks like for the day. After a few hours of work, it's time to take the dogs out to potty again and I use this break to also make a little morning snack of  cashews, a banana, and  Wellness Super Blend Immunity.

Then it's back to work writing blog posts, engaging with influencers, coming up with yummy recipes for reels, filming silly TikTok videos (more often than not featuring my two scruffy mutts!), planning out the content calendar, pooling analytics for our platforms, and writing captions filled with dad puns (yup, if you see a Sunfood caption that makes you groan, hi, that's me!)

At lunch time I take the dogs for another walk around the neighborhood and whip up lunch while they nap for the rest of the work day. Usually that means a kale salad sprinkled with  hemp seeds and pumpkin seeds.

After lunch you can catch me in a marketing meeting, collaborating with our amazing Graphic Designer Kaitlin, or just finishing up the never-ending work that is social media strategy! Around 3pm I always make myself a pick-me-up: iced  matcha latte with oat milk and agave. Literally my savior on busy days at Sunfood.

When the work day ends, it's time to take the dogs to the park so they can romp around and get their zoomies out before it's time to make dinner and wind down for the night.

Are you more of a matcha or golden milk person?

Matcha!

What's your go-to Sunfood product and why?

I have several go-to Sunfood products but the one constant is hemp seeds. As a 13-year vegan, I am always looking for delicious new ways to get my protein and these tiny, nutty little seeds are so delicious and versatile. I literally put them in everything... to the point of near obsession.

Pasta? Sprinkle some hemp seeds on that. Oats? Hemp seeds galore. Gluten-free muffins? Dump a handful of hemp seeds in the batter. Smoothie? Hemp seeds all day. Salad dressing? Why not toss some hemp seeds in!

Name your top 3 favorite ways to practice self-care.

1. Meditation - Meditation used to be a word that scared me because I thought I didn't know how to do it right — until I learned there is no right way to do it! Meditation for me is anything from reading my daily meditation books, yin yoga, taking a walk around the block, cooking, or even just staring out the window to observe the birds in the trees for a few seconds in the middle of a stressful work day. Anything that allows me to slow down and really be present, I consider meditation.
   
   
2. Reading - As a kid, reading brought me so much joy. I loved getting lost in a good book. As an adult, with all the responsibilities we have, I think it's so hard to allow ourselves to play and set time aside to really do something that feeds our soul. No matter what happens, I always set aside just 15 minutes right before bed to read for fun. I'm currently on a cozy mystery kick and for me, just spending a few minutes a night wrapped up in another world with colorful characters and intriguing stories is such a calming way to practice self-care.
   
   
3. Boundaries - Setting and maintaining boundaries is crucial to staying sane, especially in this pandemic! I put my phone away every night for 2-3 hours so I don't get sucked into the infinite scroll of TikTok or Instagram (especially since I'm already on social media for 8 hours a day for work!). On the weekend I carve out chunks of time where I don't reply to any texts, emails, or check social media so I can just enjoy quality time with my partner and my rescue dogs. I politely say no to activities or conversations that I don't want to participate in or require negative energy, because life is short and our time is precious! These are just some boundaries that really help me take care of myself and my wellbeing.

What can we catch you doing on your time off?

On my days off you can catch me taking my dogs to the beach, hanging out at the park with my niece, eating all the delicious vegan food San Diego has to offer, practicing joyful movement, playing Mario Kart with my friends on Discord, or watching movies while eating popcorn with turmeric and nooch on my couch with my family.




Describe the work you do at Sunfood in 3 words.

Creative, fun, and inspiring. 

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Sunfood's "Natural Solutions" does not promote or suggest natural cures, natural healing or natural remedies for any disease, disorder or ailment thereof. This information should be treated as educational material gathered and discovered from various studies, clinical trials, and customer reviews. It is designed to encourage healthy lifestyles and independent conclusions in regard to natural products and alternative health choices. It is best to consult with your healthcare practitioner before attempting any form of natural cure, natural healing or natural remedy to any health issues.

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