Startup Stories: Q&A With Thrive Market Graphic Designer Jamie Levine

Welcome to Startup Stories, a series that takes you behind the scenes to share what working at a startup is really like. Our mission at Thrive Market is simple: to make healthy living easy and affordable for everyone. But fulfilling our big dreams takes a team of dedicated, inspiring, funny, and tenacious people who show up to work every day eager to make a difference.

Today we’re introducing you to our Graphic Designer, Jamie Levine, who’s helps create many of the daily emails that arrive in your inbox (while being fueled by her favorite chocolate bar). Read on for our interview!

Let’s start with the basics. Can you describe your role at Thrive Market?

I’m a graphic designer on the creative team and primarily work on email marketing campaigns for our daily promotions, but I also touch on some packaging design and other marketing collateral.

Is there anything people misunderstand about your job, or something that might surprise members to learn about your work?

People tend to think that designing is solely using the creative side of the brain—drawing and making artwork—but design actually takes a lot of technical skill, practice, patience, and attention to detail. Also, behind every strong designer are teammates to inspire and bounce ideas off of, it’s not just about one talented individual. Being a designer means there’s strength in numbers. I wouldn’t be the designer I am today with the support and encouragement from my team.

What do you enjoy most about designing our daily emails?

I absolutely love the teamwork across various departments, specifically while we’re brainstorming for a brand or product promotion. We call ourselves the dream team, because we truly work so well together. Everyone shares ideas and it’s such a supportive environment that I’m so grateful to be a part of.

What does a typical day look like? Do you have any routines or rituals that help you feel your best? Or a favorite nibble to grab from the kitchen, perhaps?

My typical day consists of playing with my pup, Billie (dog-friendly offices, am I right?), lots of collaboration with my talented team, and tons of exciting design work. I really love the work environment at Thrive. We have great work-life balance, there’s delicious and healthy food in the kitchen, and everyone is so friendly. One of my favorite rituals would have to be snacktime roughly around 3 pm, it’s the best mental break.

What inspires you to live a healthy lifestyle? Is there something in particular that drew you to Thrive Market?

I discovered Thrive Market when I was eating a plant-based diet a few years ago, and really loved how you could easily click on the vegan category button and easily see all the products in that category. Before Thrive, I was walking down all the aisles at the grocery store, reading every label, trying to figure out what I was able to eat. Now, it’s so easy to find products that are best for my body, plus they get delivered right to my door—I couldn’t ask for more.

When do you feel most successful or proud of your work?

Some of my proudest moments have been when a brand reaches out and expresses appreciation for our work. I admire these brands so much—they’re celebrities in my book—and it definitely makes me do a happy dance.

Give us a peek at what you eat during the day—breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a snack!

You have to start the day off right. For breakfast, I eat hard-boiled eggs and some avocado on top of two Thrive Market Multigrain Rice Cakes, seasoned with pink himalayan salt and fresh cracked pepper. For lunch, we get food catered so I typically eat lunch at the office. My favorite meals are always the Asian-inspired dishes. For a snack, I love to make homemade hummus or nut cheeses, and I am a huge fan of Simple Mills crackers, which pair nicely with those dips.

I love to cook, so dinner is my favorite meal of the day. It can range from a heavily topped salad, to a ramen stir-fry, to a chicken pot pie, to homemade avocado pesto zoodles (a must try). I’m constantly looking for new recipes and ways to take traditional dishes and add a healthy twist without compromising flavor.

What’s one thing you want others to know about Thrive Market, that they might not learn from ordering, reading the blog, or visiting the website?

One thing that’s unique to Thrive Market is our catalog is super curated and we carry products you can’t find anywhere else. I really believe that no matter what you buy from our site, it’s good for you and the planet. I never have to worry when I shop on Thrive, because I know that each and every product has gone through extensive research, testing, and tasting before landing on the site. We’re aiming to provide our customers with the best of the best.

Last but not least, what’s your favorite Thrive Market product and why?

It is definitely a tie between Thrive Market Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds and HU Chocolate Bars (specifically the Cashew Butter and Pure Vanilla Bean Bar). I’m obsessed and have no self control when I’m around either of those products. If you haven’t tried these yet, I highly recommend them!