Things I’ve learn working at a plant based Mexican startup, Heartbest
Everybody knows working at startups is really something, huh? The never ending work tasks that just keep popping out of nowhere, some days you have to work extra time or work weekends, doesn’t seem like your dream job right? But the other side of startups is that you become a key part to the evolution of the company and trust me there is always something going on. If you work at one, you know better than anyone how involved with its development you become, that you can’t help the need of staying for a long time and see where it goes and what it comes to be, it is almost like raising a baby with your coworkers and just seeing grow bits by bits, and it’s awesome.
In general, Startups are awesome. And as for me I think I work at the coolest one there is in Mexico… why am I so confident? Well, it’s a plant based one as if that wasn’t hard to beat already. I work at Heartbest, coolest startup in Mexico, and these are some learnings I’ve got over the past few years that likely couldn’t have learned anywhere else.
1. Food matters
And not in the sense of “food is essential for human beings” or “you come to be what you eat” type of stuff, but more in a sense of: food over the last few years has been gaining a much more active role in people lives, having heavier social impacts, food trends being introduced to our lives in a much conscious way, transforming the way we relate and perceive food now a day, flipping negative messages that used to be attached to food are now changing into positive ones, as well as now questioning what we put in our mouths, where is my meal coming from? Who was involved? Do I believe in this or goes against my values? And now asking ourselves all these questions because food has become a key factor when it comes to one self-body-mind-soul more than the former speech “I have to eat this in order to be skinny, I can’t eat that, etc.,” we all in the past said or heard.
But any of this wouldn’t be possible if there weren’t any people behind introducing these changes, this food creation/perception revolution, because in reality food by itself is merely food existing there, no messages attached, just liquid or solid matter. Becoming aware of all of this is what amazes me so much, and makes me really proud to be able to be part of this modern conscious eating era and contribute to it.
2. Everything you do, choose to do it from the heart.
This message has become very fond of me, because it has aided me through so much. Not only inside the office or work, but many aspects of my life. It has thaught me that everything is fine as long as I’m being gentle with myself, but most important… that I’m listening to myself. Now I understand it’s okay to succeed, to fail, to try new things or new experiences, to be able to say no, to go out of my comfort zone, find new passions, learn new skills or hobbies, to basically do and pour my heart in everything I want as long as I double check with myself that that is what I want, and that is something to treasure forever.
3. Your colleagues become valuable.
And not because we work in the same company and have lots of zoom talks, but because it is full of outstanding people who have become my friends, mentors, chit chat partners, someone I can rely on and I think this is what startups do, bring a small team of people together and unite them, specially when we all connect so deeply with our Heartbest’s values and all are so fond of our own personal and collective objectives. Feels like family.
4. Values and coherence matter more than diets.
Yes, Heartbest is a plant based food tech but no, we are not all strictly plant based. How is that so? Well, because Heartbest’s foods are not restrictive or specifically made for a sector. We develop food that make us feel good, that upgrades our daily meal intakes and that connect with our values, with our wellness wheel and that includes ourselves heartbestians. Right now I’m a flexitarian, and in the past I have been vegan, vegetarian and meat eater. But why now a flexitarian? Because it is what best works for my body, mind, soul and is most sustainable for me. Working at Heartbest the past few years has taken me on many lifestyle-diet journeys but until now realized is that my food produces impact on myself, the planet and other beings. Heartbest values have enlightened me to listen to myself, learn my own wellness path and most of all enjoy it. I love love love my morning coffees with Heartbest and having a bunch of plantbased meals on the regular, but most to be kind to my body and me.
There are many more of learnings but these are the most valuable to me, I carry them with me all the time and cherish them deeply. I hope they can be as valuable to me, to all my colleagues who may read me and to you, unknown reader.
