Extraordinary Employees: Meet Garden of Life’s eCommerce CRM Director, TJ Mapes

At Garden of Life, we love to celebrate our extraordinary employees and this time we get to shine the light on our eCommerce CRM Director, TJ Mapes. If you've received an email or text message from Garden of Life in recent months, he’s the one responsible for pushing that button. He also spends his workdays trying to understand what you love about our products, what you want from us and when, and how to get your attention so we can help empower your extraordinary health. 

TJ has also earned the distinguished title of Gummy Connoisseur here at Garden of Life. If there’s a GOL product that comes in gummy form, TJ has likely tried it. He’ll pick gummies over tablets or capsules almost every time, and he’s a fountain of gummy knowledge we’re about to dip into for you. (Ever wonder how to keep your gummies from sticking together? TJ has the answer!) 

Join us as we chat with TJ about his life here and outside of GOL, and, of course, what he thinks makes a great gummy. 

TJ’s Role at Garden of Life 

Thanks for sitting down with us, TJ. Let’s get right to it. What’s your role here at Garden of Life? What do you focus on? How do you spend your time? 

I’m the eCommerce CRM Director. This means that I spend most of my time trying to understand why our customers buy our products. I’m focused on making sure our customers are happy and satisfied by creating strategies and processes that help us understand what they want and when they want it. 

I’m also responsible for driving retention and identifying customer segmentation and personalization opportunities through various marketing channels and automations.  

Sounds fun right? It's actually very fun because I get to help tailor our messaging and offerings to the individual which boosts engagement, makes marketing more relevant, and most importantly, provides value. 

Any exciting work projects you’re working on? 

I'm always working on exciting projects—typically focused on learning about our customers and how to speak to them at the most optimal time. Right now, I'm working with the team to rebuild our post-purchase communications to provide more value through education and content. 

At Garden of Life, we live by our motto of Empowering Extraordinary Health®. What does “Empowering Extraordinary Health” mean to you? 

To me, Empowering Extraordinary Health means, through knowledge and a dedicated mission of providing products with clean and traceable ingredients, we can help others live heathier lives. The motto means a lot to me as an employee and is 100% our team’s north star in all that we do. 

Food, Supplements, and Healthy Routines 

How cool is it that you walk the walk and feel fully aligned with Garden of Life’s mission! Let’s talk more about that. We’d love to hear all about your healthy routines, the types of foods you eat, and, of course, which supplements you just can’t live without. 

How do you kick off your day?  

I'm a total morning person. I love waking up around 5:45am, making some coffee, and heading downstairs to start my day with a weightlifting session. Once I'm done, I'll make a breakfast smoothie usually consisting of some skyr, blueberries, spinach, plant-based pea protein milk, and a scoop of Garden of Life Vanilla Raw Organic Meal. If I'm feeling crazy, a little peanut butter! 

What are your lunch plans? Any favorite go-to's? 

Currently I'm really focused on strength training so I'm counting all my calories via an app. With this I need to consume a lot of protein, so for lunch, I typically make a rice bowl with white rice, a brick of tofu (I'm a vegetarian), hemp hearts, edamame, and some type of sauce, maybe an orange or teriyaki sauce.  

Then around mid-afternoon, I'll have another Garden of Life Protein shake or a Garden of Life SPORT Plant-Based Protein Bar in Peanut Butter Chocolate if I'm running errands. 

How do you close your day? Are you a night owl? What’s your routine? What products do you take? 

I'm usually tired by 10pm and in order to get good, deep sleep and recover from workouts, I take our Dr. Formulated Magnesium Gummies - Raspberry. 

How about free time? Are you diving into any podcasts, shows, or books at the moment?  

I'm trying to read one book every month in 2023 and so far, I'm on track! I've never been a huge book reader, more an audio book listener, but there is just something great about feeling the paper and turning the pages of a book. 

I'm also an avid podcast listener. My favorite shows right now are Twenty Thousand Hertz, Overheard, Business Wars & Business Movers, and Land of Giants. 

How do you fill your mindfulness bucket? 

One of my favorite activities is snorkeling. A few years ago, I was fortunate to go on a two-week conservation excursion to study and record data on local whale sharks in La Paz Mexico. Any chance I get to swim in the ocean, I take it.  

How do you fill your creative bucket? 

I've always had a desire to build things. My son and I recently launched a kids trivia podcast, so that has been a great creative outlet. 

Love that! And how do you get your movement in each day, aside from your morning weightlifting sessions? 

I walk my son to school every morning and bring along our dog Arlo.  

Let’s Talk GOL Vitamins and Supplements

What’s your favorite recipe using a Garden of Life product? 

I'm all about the overnight oats (when I have the time to prep). I love using our protein powder mixed with some plant-based milk, peanut butter, etc. I've made this Peanut Butter Brownie Overnight Oats recipe a few times and it's fantastic.  

You’re stranded on a deserted island. What Garden of Life probiotic are you taking with you? 

Dr. Formulated Probiotics 10 Billion Gummies - Orange Dream 

I take these every morning and just love the taste. They never stick together, and I only need a couple to keep my gut in check and get my 100% daily dose of Vitamin D3. 

Favorite GOL Gummy 

mykind Organics Elderberry Immune Gummy† 

Favorite GOL Protein 

Raw Organic Meal Replacement Protein Powder - Vanilla 

Favorite GOL Vitamin 

mykind Organics Men's Multi Berry Gummies 

The Goods on Garden of Life Gummies 

We spy a lot of gummies on your favorites list, so let’s talk all about them. TJ, give us the gummy goods! 

How did you become a Gummy Connoisseur?

By incorporating Garden of Life products into my daily routine. I've never been a great pill swallower, and I have a sweet tooth, so gummies and I are friends. I even ration out gummies for each day I'm gone on vacation and bring them with me... I never travel without them! 

Awesome! You really are a gummy diehard. So what do you think makes a great gummy? Taste? Texture? Both? 

First of all, for me, taste is the most important decider of whether a gummy is good or not. Second is how hard it is to chew. Some gummies are nice and soft, and some aren't. 

Why do you prefer gummies over tablets/capsules/liquids? 

Gummy form is my preferred form because they usually taste like candy, and I can take them without having to drink anything. Just open, pour, and eat!  

How and when do you take your gummies? 

I take all my multivitamin and probiotic gummies in the morning while my coffee is brewing, and I take any others such as magnesium or CBD Sleep before bed. 

How do you keep your gummies from sticking together? 

I put the bottle on the shelf upside down. For almost all gummies, this really helps prevent them from sticking together. If push comes to shove, I just use a butter knife to loosen them all up. 

What’s your best hot-take gummy tip? 

I always order two bottles at a time, so I have a backup. Once I drain the first supply, I know the clock is ticking and I need to order again soon. 

Ooh, that’s a good one! Never be left empty-bottled! Anything else gummy-related you’d like to share? 

Gummies are great for all ages; kids, the elderly, everyone! My son really loves his mykind Organics Kids Multi Cherry Gummies, and he especially loves the fact he gets to eat four of them every morning with breakfast. I've even seen him put them in his cereal.  

Love it! Maybe gummies in cereal will be the next culinary trend. Thanks for sharing that, and thank you for sharing all about yourself, your work at Garden of Life, and, of course, your hottest gummy tips. It’s been fun getting to know you. 

To check out Garden of Life’s extensive selection of gummies, CLICK HERE.