I am SO excited to be sharing a new series today on TheWorkingGirl.ca!
As I’ve opened up about my career path, I’ve noticed that so many of you want to learn more about the topic.

If you are new to the site, you may not be totally familiar with my story and how I got started blogging. You see, contrary to popular belief — I never had goals of “becoming a blogger”. I was struggling trying to get through Business School, working two jobs to build up real-world experience when I was first introduced to blogs by my college professor.

IT STARTED LIKE THIS..

In second year, I took a Digital Marketing class and we were assigned our first task. Start a blog about something you’re passionate about and demonstrate how you can distribute that message through multiple social platforms. So, that’s what I did. This was back in 2011, when blogging was not yet a lucrative career option but just something people did for fun.

My thinking at the time, was for it to serve as a digital portfolio. I wanted to use it as a bargaining chip in addition to my resume / education once it was time to get a f/t job. Fast forward a few years…

Once I finished my degree I got hired at an Advertising agency in Vancouver. I can honestly say, at that time I thought I had “made it”. The agency was this super cool, loft-style, open concept office space in the heart of Yaletown. They were a full-service agency, which means that they provide advertising initiatives across all platforms; TV, Print, Radio, Online, traditional etc. My job was to do a lot of coordinating on a breadth of different projects and manage those projects / teams so everything runs smoothly. I was also one of the client liaisons, often interacting with clients to manage expectations.

Some of the accounts I worked on during my time there, included: Sunrype, Tourism Kelowna, Vancity, London Drugs, ICBC, Port of Metro Vancouver and Return-it Depot.

About a year-in, I noticed a shift. Although I was happy at work, loved where I worked, the projects I worked on and the people I worked with, I noticed something was off. I was happy, but my gut was telling me I could be happier. Wanting to keep all my doors open while I figured it out, I came back to that university blog I started (at the time called The Must-have Maven LOL). I got a designer friend of mine to help me tweak the site design template to make it my own and rebranded it to TheWorkingGirl.ca in January, 2014.

I worked at the agency for another year, blogging in any spare time I had. Unknowingly, I was setting the foundation each day to what would become my full-time business.

Recently, I was asked by someone what I thought I’d be doing if I wasn’t blogging. Without hesitation, I know I would be working in some sort of marketing / branding capacity. And if not that, then I’d probably be an interior designer.

I get a notable amount of DM’s from new bloggers and girls who want to start one. My advice to you would be to start your blog while you have some steady income coming in (even if it’s not alot). There is a lot of pressure that comes with running the show and there can be long stretches of time when you’re starting out when you’re not getting paid. at all. It takes time to build up your; network, reputation, brand, skills, audience, it certainly doesn’t happen overnight.

No matter where you’re at in your journey, #THEWORKDAYSERIES was created for you. I’ll never forget the days when I’d work 8-4 [experience], go to class from 5-10pm [education], drive by my then-boyfriend (now husband’s) house for a quick smooch [life partner] before heading home to rest my head and do it all over again. I was planting the seeds for what I wanted and although it felt so long and painful, in the end it got me exactly where I wanted. Point being, there are times in life when you are putting in the time / work / effort, day-in, day-out without much reward. It’s tough but necessary work if you’re interested in long-term success.

I wanted to create a series that girls like me would have loved to have access to when I was in the thick of it. Something to motivate, empower and inspire to never settle but go for anything that will get you closer to the life you want to lead.

With that being said, I’d love to dive into my first #WORKDAYSERIES spotlight feature on Saje Natural Wellness.

SAJE WELLNESS

I was first introduced to Saje Natural Wellness years ago through a friend. Since then, I have built a solid relationship with my Saje family working together throughout the year on different initiatives.

When I say that I reserve my time and energy to brands / companies / products I love and use, I’m not exaggerating. Saje has been no different. AND, without a doubt EVERY time I post about them there is an unbelievable response. It’s like, they can do no wrong. They have taught me so much about self-care and wellness, much of which I have since integrated into my life and daily habits.

The other day I got a bad headache. It wasn’t a migraine but it was one of those annoying, pounding ones that make it hard to focus on anything but. It kept getting worse so I took two advil and drank some more water. An hour later and no relief. So I ran to my beauty drawer and pulled out my Peppermint Halo Roller from Saje. It’s a headache remedy, infused with peppermint, lavender & rosemary that can be used topically.

I applied it to my temples. Instant relief. After a moment I could feel the throbbing on the front of my head so I applied a thin line right across my forehead. Instant, cooling relief.

I know it’s easy to assume that certain brands get attention because they present good values and have cute packaging but Saje products actually do work. I’m not just drinking the cool aid…

This company is on a mission to help you feel better, naturally by providing 100% natural, plant-derived alternatives to pharmaceutical medicine.

They are a Canadian company with the majority of their products manufactured locally using the freshest ingredients and the utmost attention to detail. Another plus to note is their commitment to environmental sustainability. All of their ingredients are derived from safe and renewable resources and packaging is simple and made of recycled or recyclable materials.

All this combined, I know if I was in the market for my next career gig I would definitely be looking to Saje.
Read on to see what it’s actually like working for Saje Natural Wellness and my Q+A interview with PR & Influencer Specialist, Alexandra Burrows:

– THE INSIDE SCOOP –

WORK-LIFE + COMPANY CULTURE

+ daily team check-ins
+ plant based meals prepared everyday by in-house chef
+ employees have the option of working remotely every Friday for #freshairfriday
+ open, collaborative workspaces
+ spiritual law of the day, everyday at 9am [Deepak Chopra 7 spiritual laws of success]
+ meditation everyday Mon – Thurs
+ fitness classes a few times per week
+ Saje academy: team building, company retreat emerging into Saje culture, bonding, activities, product knowledge etc.

WHAT PUT’S THEM ON MY LIST [TO WORK FOR]

When you spend the majority of life at work, you’d better make sure you like the place. A company’s work and creative environment is so crucial to the success of its team members. After talking to the Saje team, I got the sense the company really promotes what they preach – a focus on wellness and well-being from within.

Everything from the flow of their workspace, morning check-ins, healthy lunches to how teams tackle challenges all stem from a place of feeling good. Clearly, Saje understands that when their team is happy they are likely to excel and show up even better for their community. Something I’m sure you’ve noticed they demonstrate both online and IRL, on the regular.

Q+A

I sat down with Saje PR & Influencer Specialist, Alexandra Burrows
to chat about what it’s really like to work at Saje:

Q: What is your favourite thing about working at Saje Wellness?
A: My favourite thing about working at Saje is our collaborative workplace culture. No matter the project or the problem, every member of the team is willing to support – there’ s no such things as “that’s not my job”. 

Q: What makes Saje Wellness different from other companies?
A: We’re a wellness company first and foremost and we place an emphasis on this in our workplace. Team member’s have the opportunity to start their day with guided meditation, we gather round with our teams each morning to check in on each other and we have a plant-based lunch provided every day. We truly believe that when our wellness cup is full, we have more to give to our community, which makes for better results! 

Q: Describe the company culture here.
A: Saje is a values based company. We always operate on our four guiding principles: awesomeness, growth, wellness and celebration. We hold ourselves to a high standard and want to exude awesomeness in everything we do. We encourage each other to grow, which sometimes means stepping outside our comfort zones. We celebrate at every opportunity – there’s been many champagne bottles popped at Saje HQ over the years! Finally, we’re passionate about spreading wellness and we keep each other accountable to our wellness goals and aspirations.

Q: What kind of opportunities are there to grow with the company?
A: The opportunities are endless! Saje was ranked 49^th on the PROFIT 500’s list of Canada’s fastest growing companies and we’re continuing to expand with 79 retail stores to date in two countries. In my two and half years at Saje, I’ve been a part of our Customer Experience Team, Social Media Team, Influencer Marketing and now PR. Saje has been incredibly supportive of my growth. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my team of Saje cheerleaders behind me.

Q: Name 2 of your must-have Saje products?
A: My first ever Saje product was our Stress Release Tension Reducing Remedy, gifted to me by a friend who knew I was in need of some stress relief. It’s still my favourite to this day – I can’t live without it’s calming and grounding oils of lavender, orange and chamomile. My Aroma Om Diffuser has also become a staple at my bedside. I love diffusing our Tranquility Diffuser Blend at bedtime. It totally calms my nerves and helps me get the best nights rest – even my husband is a big fan!

Thank you so much to Saje Wellness, for having me today!!
To kick off the #WORKDAYSERIES, we are hosting an Instagram giveaway on my channel.

We are giving two lucky readers a shot at taking home a Saje x Samara Daily Farmacy; including four roller remedies designed to support your overall wellness [ease headaches, fight colds, relieve stress and support a good night’s rest ] in a timeless vegan leather wallet created in collaboration with the brand Samara. Head to my IG channel for details on how to win.