Welcome to The Vital Life where we spotlight Vital Proteins® employees. This week, Social Content Manager Dana Nolan 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?
Dana Nolan: I am the Social Content Manager here at Vital Proteins! I am responsible for managing and developing activity on our core social media channels from Instagram to TikTok to Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook and LinkedIn. I love opening up my personal Instagram, TikTok or Twitter accounts and seeing concepts that I had worked on with the Influencer and Content team(s) come to life!
It's also so fun when friends and family see Vital Proteins (in-store, on their favorite Influencers' pages, even the Jennifer Aniston commercial!) and send it my way. It's such a rewarding feeling to know that your work is noticed by so many people in so many different ways.
L: Walk us through your morning routine – how has it changed (or not) since staying home?
DN: Fun fact! My very first day working at Vital Proteins as the Social Media Coordinator was March 16, 2020 — aka the first day of quarantine — so my day-to-day has not changed! Mornings start with opening the blinds, because sunlight is a mood changer. Right after that, it’s time to walk my puppy, Ella. She's a 7-lb. Yorkie, pretty sassy and very nosey, so these walks can range anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes depending on who else is on the street.
Next up is coffee. I used to be a skinny vanilla latte(extra shot, extra hot, with almond milk) addict, but as of this spring, I've gotten into the cold brew life and haven’t turned back. Once I have picked up my cold brew from Starbucks (or if it's a rare occasion that I made it myself), I'll log onto my laptop a little before 9 a.m. to catch up on immediate emails, see what I’ve missed since logging off the evening before and what's on the calendar for the day.
I typically make a to-do list for the day(s) ahead to stay organized and on track - nothing is more satisfying than checking these tasks off! Next, I turn on the TV, Friends specifically. You can ask anyone that knows me... Friends is on 24/7 long before Jennifer Aniston became our CCO! It's the perfect show to keep on as background noise and is literally on all. day. long. It's officially time to work! Emails, daily social posts and Slack messages are the first things I check out and then I fully dive into my to-do list for the day and week and prepare for any meetings ahead.
L: Where have you been getting inspiration for projects or tasks you might be working on throughout the day?
DN: Such a great question! I'm obsessed with TikTok, the content and creativity is endless. I'm also a big Twitter girl — that's my main news source. Having limited characters to get your point across challenges a new level of creativity that I'm absolutely addicted to. A lot of trends start on TikTok or Twitter and then eventually make their way to Instagram, so I really try to stay on top of these two platforms. That way, we're ahead of the rest.
I feel like my Social Content eye is always "on" and I'm constantly seeing things through a marketing lens. I truly pull inspiration from anything I see that piques my interest — but always "make it Vital!"
L: Lunchtime! What's your plan?
DN: Most days a chocolate collagen smoothie or avocado toast are my go-tos.
I mix 2 scoops of Vital Proteins® Chocolate Collagen Peptides with 1 C of almond milk, 1 C of ice, half a banana and 1 T of unflavored greek yogurt. It literally tastes like a chocolate milkshake!
If I'm really on top of my game I'll make a giant taco salad at the beginning of the week and then continue to have it for the next couple of days.
L: You're hitting your mid-afternoon slump. How do you re-energize your afternoon?
DN: Some fresh air and a screen time break!
L: How have you been practicing #wellnessfromhome these days?
DN: I work out for at least 45 minutes every day (which is either a live SoulCycle class — shoutout to the At-Home Bike! — or the 12–3–30 workout) to give my eyes a break from my phone or laptop. To be honest, I was never a workout-lover, but being in the Social world and on my phone/laptop for a majority of the day, working out has become the thing I look forward to most! That time is truly so refreshing and I can feel a shift in energy. I've also been consciously trying to stay connected with family and friends as often as possible.
Being from a big Italian family, communication and spending time together has always been a constant, so early quarantine days were tough when the Sunday dinners came to a grinding halt. We were used to seeing each other weekly, so this new normal of being apart was a challenge! We got into our groove of communicating via texts, phone calls, DMs, FaceTime. My cousins and I even went as far as FaceTiming during our at home SoulCycle rides because we missed going to the studio together!
I also try (heavy emphasis on try)to stay off my phone 30 minutes before bed and 30 minutes after waking up. I'm still trying to perfect this but the days that I've done it have been so much more productive!
Rapid-Fire Questions
Favorite Podcast: The Morning Toast
Favorite Workout: SoulCycle or 12-3-30 (shoutout to TikTok!)
Binge-worthy Show: Schitt’s Creek or Gossip Girl
Vital Proteins Product: Collagen Gummies! I'm addicted to our Wellness Gummies line and will reach for them when I have a craving for something sweet. And of course, Chocolate Collagen Peptides.
