Finding a Job in Health and Wellness

Okay, okay. I get it. I owe you guys an apology. It’s been several months since my last post, and for that I’m sorry.

But! I have some exciting news to share, and hopefully you’ll forgive me.

As you may or may not know, I experienced a slew of health issues about a year ago. After finding my way through them with the elimination diet and helping others do the same, I realized I had unearthed my passion for nutrition and the role food plays in our overall health and wellness. I found I was happiest when cooking healthy meals, writing posts about elimination diet-friendly dishes, and chatting with others about their own food challenges. I ultimately came to the conclusion it was time to make some changes in my life so that I could better align my personal interests with my career.

Thus began my hunt for a job in the health and wellness space, preferably one in tech where I could still use the marketing skills I’ve been cultivating these past five years. The search and interview processes were incredibly time-consuming, especially since I was still working full time at Liftopia, which partly explains why cooking and writing fell to the wayside for a bit.

ZipongoBy late June, I had accepted an offer to work for a company here in San Francisco called Zipongo. Zipongo works with employers, health plans, and wellness platforms to help their employees and members develop and maintain healthy eating habits to drive positive results. Using data from a variety of inputs (biometrics, food intake data, lifestyle questionnaires, genetics, and more), we’re able to come up with personalized nutrition plans tied to convenient, real-time actions that make healthy eating at home and at work easier.

TL;DR? I’m on the marketing team for a company in the nutrition space that makes it easier for people to eat well to feel great.

I’m about three months in and am still thrilled with the change of pace. I get to talk about food, nutrition, health, and wellness all day, every day. I research and publish blog posts on behalf of the company, which I’ll be sharing on my personal Twitter account. I run programs with our customers to get their employees and members to sign up for and engage with the Zipongo platform. I’ve also been working on a variety of other marketing projects, but I’ll spare you the details. As with most new jobs, it’s been a tremendously busy but great learning experience.

The job hunt and ramp-up at Zipongo definitely kept me busy for most of the spring and summer. That said, I also spent several weeks gallivanting around the East Coast to visit family and friends. Here were some of the highlights:

I spent a few days in Boston catching up with friends and hitting up my old stomping grounds.Boston Skyline

Boston Crew

Alana and me

I celebrated my longtime friend and college roommate Ashley’s engagement with an awesome bachelorette weekend in Newport, Rhode Island.

Ashley's Bachelorette Party in Newport

I spent a week in Myrtle Beach with Kevin and his family. We spent plenty of time by the pool, ate loads of delicious food, got caught in a thunderstorm, and melted a bit in the one hundred degree, 100% humidity.

Sea Captain's House in Myrtle Beach

Slattery family at Myrtle Beach

I also spent a week and a half in New York visiting family… and welcomed the latest edition of the Kearsey family, Owen! Lots of nephew snuggle time ensued.

Owen Theodore

Kearsey Party of Four

We celebrated my Nan’s 83rd birthday. She’s as sassy and fabulous as ever.

Nan's Birthday

We made a quick trip to Long Beach Island, NJ – Kevin’s first time at the Jersey Shore. It rained like crazy the first day, but cleared up beautifully for the second. We celebrated with scoops of ice cream the size of our faces.

Kevin's first trip to LBI

LBI Ice CreamWe celebrated Ashley and Shwin’s wedding in Westchester, NY! So fun to share their special day with them, their family, and friends. I also had a blast wearing a traditional Indian sari for the reception. It was beautiful!

Ashley and Shwin tie the knot

College roommates at Ashley's wedding

Kevin and I at Ashley and Shwin's wedding

Kevin and I made a trip to Boston. I showed him all of the highlights, including the Freedom Trail, Harpoon Brewery, Giacomo’s, Mike’s Pastry, Boston Public Garden, Newbury Street, Boston College (where I went to school), Coolidge Corner (where I lived after school), and more.

Kevin and I at Boston Common

Harpoon Brewery Tour

We celebrated my nephew Brayden’s third birthday (has it already been three years?!) back in New York, and I snuck in plenty more snuggle time with Baby Owen.

Snuggles with Brayden

Snuggles with Owen

It was an all-around fantastic summer, and I’m glad I was able to spend so much quality time with family and friends. It was also AWESOME getting a big dose of a real summer, something I haven’t had for the past few years living out here in San Francisco. (Not that I’m complaining…)

So, what’s next? Things are still crazy busy at Zipongo, and I’ll be traveling quite a bit for the holidays. That said, I’m looking forward to cooking and posting as much as I can. Cheers!