"Starting a company and taking the route of entrepreneurship comes with high rewards, but also plenty of stresses" with Sarah Brandow

Sarah Brandow is a Public Health Nutritionist who specializes in plant-based nutrition and the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases. She graduated with a Masters of Science at the top of her class from the University of Westminster in London, the UK in 2014 and has worked internationally as a nutritionist ever since. Sarah has consulted for companies, restaurants, and hotels in over 10 different countries, helping them optimize menus and provide meals that are balanced, delicious, and truly nutritious. She also works one-on-one with professional athletes as well as individuals looking to improve their health status by embracing an anti-inflammatory diet. https://www.vitabowl.com/

 Can you tell our readers about your background?  

My journey started over 10 years ago when I first learned about the animal agriculture industry and the ethical and environmental costs of our food system. I knew that I didn’t want to support that system anymore, but I didn’t realize the incredible health benefits I would experience as a result of changing my diet. After a few months on a plant-based lifestyle, I noticed I had more energy, better focus, softer skin, needed less sleep, and was generally always in a great mood. This inspired me to change my area of study to nutrition, where I learned the science behind these positive changes I experienced so I can properly guide others towards achieving their best health as I did.

What inspires you at work? 

I am extremely picky about the food I eat and the products I use. Being able to design a lineup of food, snacks, and juices that align with my standards definitely keeps me motivated and inspired. I love watching people try the food for the first time - they are always pleasantly surprised by how amazing and satiating plant-based foods can be. I love to create products that are delicious, nutritious, and accessible to all while dispelling myths about veganism.

Where is your business based?

We are based out of Los Angeles, California but will also be distributed out of San Francisco very soon.

How did you start your career? What were the first steps you took? 

I began my career in nutrition while I was living in Costa Rica in 2013. I had already been guiding people on plant-based diets for a few years, but I really expanded my knowledge and felt comfortable working one-on-one with people during this time. I worked under a nutritionist and midwife and got incredible hands-on experience guiding others on how to achieve better health by changing their diet. I saw incredible transformations and even learned about the reversal of chronic conditions such as arthritis and Type 2 diabetes. After this experience, I knew that I wanted to do this for the rest of my life, and I moved to London, the UK for my Masters of Science program to become a Public Health Nutritionist.

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your company? 

Social media has been a powerful tool for raising awareness, not only of our company but also of our greater mission to heal with food. We love to provide educational and inspiring content in our daily stories, and my incredibly supportive network in Los Angeles has helped us expand and grow rather quickly. When people see the passion and authenticity behind our mission, they tell their own networks, and the movement grows organically. We also established meaningful partnerships with non-profits like Support + Feed, and The Way to My Heart Foundation. These are organizations that fall in line with our mission to educate on nutrition for the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases while reducing hunger in local communities.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them? 

One of our first initial challenges was launching during the COVID-19 crisis, and adapting quickly to ever-changing environments and regulations. Our initial contracts with major Silicon Valley/ Bay Area company offices were lost as soon as the offices all closed during the lockdowns. Luckily, we acted fast and immediately pivoted to home deliveries and contracts with health providers such as the UCLA Health System. As terrible as this pandemic has been, it has opened a lot of people’s eyes to the importance of taking control of their own health and eliminating underlying medical conditions through proper nutrition.

 How do you stay focused?

I typically have a lot of things on the go at once, and so staying organized is essential. It may sound silly, but I absolutely love making lists. Each day I add things to my to-do lists based on priority, and this ensures that everything gets completed on time and in order of importance. This allows me to see a clear roadmap for my work and also prevents overwhelm. Plus it feels great to cross things off the lists! 

Believe it or not, diet can play a role in staying focused. Avoiding blood sugar spikes from simple carbohydrates such as sugar, bread, candy, pasta, white flour, and white rice can have a positive effect on cognition and attention. I avoid processed foods with harmful food additives, drink plenty of water, and consume nutritious foods that have been associated with an enhanced focus on concentration such as blueberries, leafy greens, avocados, and chia seeds. 

Something that I also find very helpful is to avoid touching my phone for the first and last hour of each day. In the morning I use this time for meditation, stretching, and exercising. In the evening I use it for reading, taking a relaxing bath, and clearing my thoughts. These practices keep me motivated and grounded, and able to focus on important tasks during the day.

How do you differentiate your company from the competition? 

We have proudly stood out from the start because of our commitment to creating food that is not only healthy but healing. By elevating our ingredients and cooking methods to a premium level, our customers notice immediate and tangible benefits- they have reported things like improved digestion, higher energy levels, better focus, better sleep, and weight loss. We never take shortcuts or sacrifice our quality or our methods in the preparation of all of our products. Even techniques such as soaking and sprouting our grains unlock increased nutrition that you simply will not find elsewhere. We soak and sprout our grains and proteins, and maximize nutrition every step of the way.
What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs? 

Follow your passion but be ready for the challenges along the way. Worthwhile things rarely come easy, but personal development is also an important part of the process. Starting a company and taking the route of entrepreneurship comes with high rewards, but also plenty of stresses, responsibilities, risks, increased workloads, potential instability, and the need for patience. All of these things become an acceptable trade-off when you are truly passionate about your business and are motivated by your greater mission as opposed to just making money.

 What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why? 

Aside from Instagram, which is an amazing tool for connecting and sharing information, my favourite app is called HappyCow. It allows me to find healthy plant-based options anywhere in the world, based on my current locations. I also love to add to the app to help small businesses get noticed for adding plant-based options.  

My favourite blog is Dr. Greger’s Medical Nutrition blog on the nutritionfacts.org website. It’s a great way to stay up to date on the latest nutrition science from peer-reviewed scientific journals, in a format that is enjoyable to read.

It’s very hard to choose a favourite book- I love reading fiction as a way to decompress, and a few of my top favourites are Dune by Frank Hebert, Island by Aldous Huxley, and 1984 by George Orwell. Science fiction is often is used as a tool to caution, inspire, or motivate. Books like these allow us to analyze the multi-faceted ways that our technological advances or contributions shape the future, and how our seemingly small day-to-day actions mold the world we live in.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

I love using Slack to communicate with the team. It has proven to be an excellent tool for staying organized and having clear communication channels for all of our current endeavours.

Who is your business role model? Why? 

Chef Chloe Coscarelli is definitely a role model of mine. She is a vegan chef and entrepreneur who built her own plant-based empire, was the first vegan to win a culinary competition on television, and was featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2017. She has spoken in interviews about overcoming obstacles by staying true to her mission which is bigger than her, and that really resonates with me. Adaptability, flexibility, and focus are the driving forces behind success. When I first changed my diet over 10 years ago, she was one of the only female vegan entrepreneurs who was breaking down barriers and dispelling myths about this way of eating, while building a business without compromising ethics.

How do you balance work and life?

I genuinely love what I do, which makes it easy to feel a sense of fulfillment and balance. I enjoy answering emails about the company at all hours of the day, creating new recipes, speaking at online conferences and webinars, and connecting with other entrepreneurs. Watching things progress and grow and working with such an amazing team is inspiring. I also make sure I allot time every day to move my body, eat nourishing food, meditate, and connect with friends and loved ones.

What’s your favorite way to decompress? 

Spending time in nature is essential for me. Studies have shown that this is a great way to lower blood pressure, curb anxiety, boost the immune system, and decrease rumination/overthinking. In order to really thrive, we need to have more time out in the world than in front of a screen.  

What do you have planned for the next six months? 

We just launched our VitaBites campaign on IndieGogo, so that’s one major focus for the next few months. For the first time, we have a product that can be ordered by customers all over the world, not just in California. I am very excited to oversee the growth of that campaign and have even more people learn about our mission. Aside from that, we are getting ready to launch our new Green VitaJuice and expand our current lineup of bowls. The latest VitaJuice is another amazing product that I am very proud of. It will be one of the highest protein juices on the market due to the use of protein-rich sunflower sprouts, and it doesn’t contain any sugars whatsoever. Green juices are an amazing way to increase your intake of nutrient-rich greens and vegetables, in a way that is easily absorbed and quite healing. 

I also recently started a non-for-profit organization in Belize, focused on nutrition education and establishing food security. I am excited to watch that project grow, and be a part of projects that are focused on improving people’s lives in different parts of the world. 

How can our readers connect with you?

They can find me on Instagram @sarahbrandow, email me sarah@vitabowl.com, or through my website www.sarahbrandow.com.