Behind The Scenes: A Day In The Life Of DipWell

18 min read

As part of our birthday celebration, we thought we’d invite you over for the day. So c’mon in! Follow us for a whole day as we pack up orders, answer questions from dippers, and plan what’s next for DipWell.

Besides the work mentioned here, our business wouldn’t work without our dedicated Education team answering questions in our FB group and our customer service team helping make sure every dipper gets the right order.

And then there are content creators - nail artists, writers, photographers, and video editors who all pitch in, too! It really is a team effort!

We’re scattered across the globe, but our core team is in Southern California, so our business day runs on Pacific Time 🌊.

5:00 AM:

Allen - I wake up slowly, reading emails and newsletters before getting up.

Tyler - Roll out of bed to start making some coffee.

6:00 AM:

Allen - I like to start the day with reading. Currently on my nightstand: "The H Factor of Personality: Why Some People are Manipulative, Self-Entitled, Materialistic, and Exploitive—And Why It Matters for Everyone"

Tyler - Begin reading the news and staying up to date! Checking emails and getting to anything urgent that may have came through overnight.

Fave workout hack: “Staying active during quarantine has been tough so I go to bed wearing clean work out clothes the night before - this saves time and forces my body into workout mode as soon as I wake up.”

7:00 AM:

Allen - Time for work emails & planning out my day.

Arvis - Depending on the day, I roll out of bed straight into a ✨ quick ✨ 30 min run with the roomie. Staying active during quarantine has been tough so I go to bed wearing clean work out clothes the night before - this saves time and forces my body into workout mode as soon as I wake up. Some physical activity in the AM helps my brain map out what I need to do and sometimes, my best ideas come about during a run.

Tyler - Work, work, work!

8:00 AM:

Allen - I get to the office by 8:30 and walk the sales & admin, warehouse, and production areas, seeing how things are going and saying hi to everyone.

Anna B. - Because I work remotely from the East Coast, I get a head start in the morning - it's great! I am part-time with DipWell, so my mornings are usually focused on my freelance clients. When it’s time to shift over to DipWell, my first stop is always Slack to check for updates from yesterday evening. Then I'll log into Notion and check for task updates there.

Arvis - Starting with a quad over ice or red eye with an extra shot of espresso, I’ll go through my list of action items for the day and review the progress of upcoming events on our content calendar. From there, I'll catch up with our team via Slack regarding content, campaigns, partnerships, or community feedback.

Fast fact: Just printing our shipping labels takes 30 minutes every morning!

Gerard - By 8:00, the warehouse team has already been working for an hour. We get an early start every day to ship out as many orders as possible. I start by processing the previous evening's orders (and some early morning orders when we can!). Next is printing the shipping labels. It takes a full 30 min just to print them all!

Jen - First thing I do when I get to the lab is check and respond to emails as I drink my coffee. Then I review my to do list from the previous day and write a new daily to do list. These lists help structure my day and prioritize my tasks. Then I go into Flow, where I update the team on our active projects.

Maria - To keep my mental, emotional, & physical health in check, I try to get in a nice little run & a few body workouts at least 3x a week. It helps wake me up, get my blood flowing, and ready for the day.

Thu - From May to August I’ve been waking up at 6:30 snoozing all the way till 7:55 and clock in at 8. Lately, I’ve set my alarm to 7AM, snooze till 7:10, clock in at 8. Any day I wake up (and stay awake) at 7:10 is a win.

Tyler - On to the 2nd cup of coffee! Saying hi to my son who wakes up around this time, get some quick playtime in with him before getting in my office.

The DipWell team is always testing new formulas and mixing new colors.

9:00 AM:

Allen - I’m in the Doan Zone - I try to focus on my most important project, tasks, etc. If I can get this done, it's a good day.

Anna Y. - I usually start my day by switching on my computer and while it’s starting up I get my cup of coffee which my husband (hopefully!) makes for me. Black coffee no sugar no milk - the type that kicks you with adrenaline and makes you hate it afterwards, yet you do it again and again. I go through all my weekly to do list. Every Sunday I go through all the things I have to do during the week whether it’s for work, school, personal or what not. With work, I go through my main tasks first and check Slack for messages. I work early/late to make sure all orders, edits, address changes are ready and updated before the team starts shipping orders in the morning.

Arvis - On Notion (best project management app ever!), I’ll go through notifications and do a final review of copy and design before it’s their time to shine in the digital world. During the review process, it’s important to look out for brand tone and most importantly, make sure each component resonates with our audience. Being Enneagram Types 1 and 2, this usually takes time to review throughout the day.

Gerard - We usually pull 50 orders at a time. Our pullers work from "pick lists" and double check each item as they pull it from our shelves. Next, each order is separated into its own tray. Packers do another QC check, and then pack them up! We're usually working at a rate of 100 orders per hour.

Jen - At this time I am usually reading industry news, listening to the Beauty Brains podcast or tuning into a webinar. I put an emphasis on learning about cosmetic chemistry and formulation so I have made it a habit to tune into 2-3 webinars a week, NO exceptions!

Maria - I head over to my work station with a cup of fresh coffee & a yogurt bowl. After queuing up my Spotify playlist, I go through my slack messages & emails. Once that's taken care of, I head over to Later to make sure I'm happy with the social media content & copy scheduled out for the day.

Thu - By now I’ve made a mental to do list of tutorials, blogs, video stills, or design work I need to do for the day. If it's a good day, then I can whip up some breakfast downstairs while going through my Slack & Notion notifications. If it's a busy day, then a protein bar can hold me off until noon.

Tyler - Typically by 9 some calls start, so I go into my office and start having calls with everyone and work on completing the weekly tasks assigned. By this time I've already been up for a bit and have answered emails, so it helps me be able to concentrate on the more tedious items that need to be completed.

A CEO at work

10:00 AM:

Anna B. - By this time I'm usually busy working on copy and content tasks in Notion, our project management software. On Mondays we have a team content call at 10:30 to go over our tutorial, blog, and email publishing schedule. There are so many individual pieces that get published every week, it's essential to align and make sure everything's ready to go.

Anna Y. - I respond to the easy/quick requests first and mark tasks and emails as solved as fast as I can. Those that require more attention, I leave towards the end so I can concentrate and focus on each line item.

Arvis - As a Brand Manager, I’m also involved in our product development process and sometimes visit our lab around this time. Here is where we test and approve product samples or sit with the R&D team to discuss any product concerns shared by our Dippers. We take community feedback very seriously.

Inside scoop: “On Tuesdays we have our weekly product development meeting where we catch up on all active projects and plan for future projects.”

Jen- On Tuesdays we have our weekly product development meeting where we catch up on all active projects and plan for future projects. During these meetings we are always strategizing on making products that our clients will love!

Maria - If I have any meetings, they usually happen between 10 AM - 1 PM depending on everybody's schedule. My favorite meetings are usually ones we have in preparation for upcoming sales, giveaways, or big campaigns (birthday month, BFCM, & the holidays). I love collaborating with the team & getting the chance to be creative & think outside-the box.

Thu - Monday mornings at 10:30AM, the DipWell team files into our Google Hangout one by one. “Good Morning”’s and “How Are You”’s are passed around and we catch up in our virtual space. Then it's half an hour of new content, plans for the future, updates and changes keeping us on our toes, and then finally “any questions?”. Quarantine has us condensing a whole day’s worth of interactions into a 30 minute meeting.

Tyler - More calls & meetings!

11:00 AM:

Allen - Hopefully still in the Doan Zone - working with the team on projects, or sometimes focused on my own projects.

Anna Y. - Once the quick emails are done, I go through reporting and any other tasks I line up for the day. Now, mind you, this part is late in the day for me (I live in Australia). I shut down my computer and start my "calm down" process - tea, meditating and watching films I have already seen hundreds of times (current playlist on repeat - Harry Potter).

Arvis - Time for that second cup of Joe! If I’m not visiting the lab or product testing at home, I’m on calls most mornings until the early afternoon going back and forth between product, content, partnership or community updates.

Gerard - Mid-day I check Slack and Notion for any order issues we need to address. I work with Kelvin on any replacement orders we need to process. Then we spend some time evaluating our processes. We're constantly trying to optimize and build efficiency!

Most yummy afternoon beverage: a cup of ice Jasmine Green Tea and add in mango or lychee concentrate.

Thu - A quick snack is usually on the menu. Being at home means I can brew my own tea. 🤤 I’ll usually make a cup of ice Jasmine Green Tea and add in mango or lychee concentrate. By now, I’m hoping to be done with enough projects where I can plan around cooking dinner.

Tyler - Focus on my own projects with marketing. Review team performance on each platform. Work on anything pending.

12:00 PM:

Gerard - Our team stays socially distanced for lunch. It's not as fun as eating together, but it's important to keep our team safe. We also sanitize everything three times a day. By about 12:30, our pullers transition from pulling orders and move into packing.

Jen - Between noon and 2:00 is the part of the day where I get to be on the lab bench and formulate. This is definitely my favorite part of the day since I get to be hands-on. During this time I work on existing formulas or new formulas. I absolutely love working on new formulas since this is where I get to experiment and problem solve.

Thu - Sometimes I’ll have impromptu meetings around this time, a quick 15 or 20 minute check in to see where projects are at or if something new needs attention.

Tyler - Lunch! Since we've been at home so much, we typically make lunch at home.

1:00 PM:

Allen - Meet & Eat or Read & Eat. I'm normally doing one or the other at this time. Lately it's been a salad with yogurt and blueberries. During this time, I like to read something industry related whether it's manufacturing or marketing.

Anna B. 1:00 PM is a popular time for meetings. Slack and Google Meet make it easy to hop on calls and brainstorm new content ideas!

Anna Y. - Around 6AM -7AM my time, which is around 1PM-2PM PST I log back in. Even with the time difference, I want to make sure I log in when the team is logged in so if there's anything urgent I can reach out to them or if there's anything they need me to work on, I will also be available.

Arvis - I squeeze in lunch between meetings or multi-task while reviewing copy and design.

Gerard - Our building team works on pre-assembling kits for the next day. We're always looking for ways to get a head start! One of the ways we have to prep is by building our own DW branded boxes. It's not the most exciting work, but friendly competition makes it more fun.

Maria - Lunch time! If I’m craving something specific, I'll order ahead & pick it up at this time. Usually though, I either reheat last night's dinner or quickly whip up some avocado toast with EBTB Seasoning, sliced cherry tomatoes, spinach, pepper jack cheese, & an over-easy egg. I also like to watch a little bit of Netflix while I munch. Currently, I'm working my way through all 12 seasons of Criminal Minds.

Thu - I take my lunches usually at this time, if I go out to pick up food it isn’t busy. If I make food at home, it’s last night's dinner. I’ll start prepping for dinner while going through emails or messages that don’t take too much energy.

Tyler - Start working again. Reviewing anything needed and checking in with the team.

2:00 PM:

Allen - More meetings! My early afternoons are usually taken up with meetings.

Anna B. - The downside of being a few hours ahead is that I have to log off earlier than the rest of the team. Occasionally I'll check Slack through the evening if we have a deadline to meet. Before I step away from my desk, I write out the top priorities for tomorrow in my planner. When it comes to organization, I like having an old fashioned paper planner on my desk - it's great for jotting down notes and making sure I can see my day's schedule at a glance.

Anna Y. - I respond to emails and messages from customers and the team that came in during the day PST. Usually at this time, I will also have meetings with the team regarding Customer Service

Arvis - This is also a popular time for team meetings.

Jen - Lunch time! I bring my own lunch about 3-4 times a week. The days that I don't bring my lunch, I treat myself to mediterranean food, dim sum, poke or spring rolls!

Maria - Before heading back to work, I give my dog, Tobi, some cuddles & pour food into his bowl. Time to work on more social media content (scheduling out images, editing TikTok videos, interacting with our online community, & looking at analytics). If that's done, I work on any copy that needs to be done for upcoming projects like emails, sales, giveaways, & campaigns.

Thu - Hopefully I’m done with 75% of the work I set out to do this morning. I’ll have completed an IG carousel and a banner or two, maybe new packaging designs.

Tyler - Even though I am responding to emails throughout the day, I take this time to go back through to make sure nothing was missed.

3:00 PM:

Anna Y. - I usually wrap up around 10AM - 11AM my time and the rest of my day begins. This usually includes painting, reading a book (current book: Alone in Berlin), gardening (it's spring time here so my lettuce and kale are growing beautifully), working out or going to "class" (online) - depending on what day it is. I live in a small town so it's extremely quiet and there's really not much to do. People usually find it sad - it's not, I thrive in my alone time. At around 5:00 -6:00 PM my time, I get ready to log back in for Dipwell and my whole routine begins.

Arvis - More reviewing copy / design, providing feedback on content, etc.

Gerard - Before we wrap up our warehouse day, I do an inventory count and place orders with the production team to replenish our any powders that are running low.

Jen - After lunch, I head back into the lab and pick up where I left off.

Best perk of WFH: “If I feel like I need a break from social media content or copy tasks, I cuddle with Tobi for a few minutes.”

Maria - If I feel like I need a break from social media content or copy tasks, I cuddle with Tobi for a few minutes. To keep my brain engaged, I move on to a different task - typically researching valuable social media strategies & taking a look at what is currently trending.

Thu - Top off my tea with more ice and grab a snack downstairs. Around this time I get a bit sleepy so I’ll stand up and stretch to get the blood flowing.

Tyler - Afternoon break and say hi to the wifey and son 🙂.

4:00 PM:

Allen - The second Doan Zone. This is when I dive into my creative work, research, reading.

Arvis - I hop between all of DipWell’s social platforms to see how our content or sponsorships performed for the day and what opportunities we have to improve. Reading comments from our community gives us perspective on what type of content is important to include on our roadmap. And we like to give the people what they want!

Gerard - During heavy seasons (like when we're having a sale) our team works overtime. Otherwise we're closing up in the late afternoon, ready for another early morning tomorrow!

Jen - At this time I stop everything that I am doing and start cleaning the lab. It can get a bit messy! I wash all my used glassware, wipe down the counters and disinfect everything! I make cleanliness a priority in the lab. At 4:30 pm I pack up and make my way home to my husband Rick and my dog Asia!

Maria - Time to go back to my social media & copy tasks.

Thu - I will wind down for the day around this time, colleagues working out of CA have already clocked out for the day. I’ll check through Notion for any last minute projects that may have escaped me and go through Slack messages to plan for tomorrow.

Tyler - Start winding down. Clean up task, review anything pending and complete.

5:00 PM

Arvis - 5 to 7 pm is the time when I have the least distractions. It sounds backwards but this is when I’m able to go through most emails, track the performance of current partnerships, or review new partnership opportunities. At the end of my day, I like to make a list of what I need to do for the next day and read articles on how to optimize our social media efforts.

Maria - It's finally time to clock out! Woohoo! Before logging out for the day, I look over my planner & check off the tasks I have completed, & write a to-do list for the following day. I turn off my laptop, put it to bed, & give it a kiss goodnight. First on my "finally-off-work" list: some Tobi cuddles.


Thu - Clock out time. I turn off my laptop, store it under my extra screen stand, and go downstairs and cook dinner.

Around here we’re constantly learning! We make time for reading, webinars, and podcasts to keep us on our game.

Tyler - Depending on the day, I will dive into education (also throughout the day) because marketing is always changing so I have to keep myself educated.

6:00 PM

Anna Y. - It’s mid-day my time, early PH time- Late PST: The rest of the team that are working remotely is usually alive and kicking at this time. Even if I'm logged out I have my Slack open so if anything urgent comes in - I respond. Also, seriously - I live in isolation so human interaction (in whatever form - even online) is exciting for me so I respond to their messages when I see them. Again, sounds sad - it's not. Life is good.

Tyler - End my day and maybe go for a walk and take my son to the park.

7:00 PM

Allen - I like to do more reading at home if my wife is okay with me not paying attention. That only works 35% of the time.

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Get to know us more in our Meet the Team post. If you're new to DipWell, welcome! The easiest way to start dipping is with one of our all-inclusive kits.