Name: Madeleine Slade
Age: 24
Job title: Community manager
Company & location: Hux Health, London
Education: University of Edinburgh, Scottish MA in History of Art
Why did you decide to go for a career in food & drink? I am passionate about all aspects of the wellness industry and have always had a keen interest in nutrition. I knew this was the field I wanted to go into as I’m fascinated about the steps we can all take to better ourselves each day. When I discovered Hux I knew it was a perfect fit. The company itself really excited me – Hux is a health lifestyle brand that’s not preachy, but that’s relevant, beautiful and powerful and I wanted to be a part of that.
Explain your job to us in a sentence (or two): As community manager I am responsible for engaging both the Hux community and building brand awareness. My role includes creating and managing our content outflow, as well as overseeing our influencer strategy and brand partnerships. I also manage our customer service channels ensuring everything runs smoothly from end to end in terms of deliveries and customer satisfaction.
What does a typical day look like for you? Every day is different and fast-paced, and that’s why I love it. From planning out our social calendar week to week, organising brand partnerships, filming TikToks, as well as managing our customer service, my day is very varied. I also teach spinning classes once or twice a week as that’s a real passion of mine. The Hux guys are so supportive of this, they even came down to my class a couple weeks ago! I’m very lucky our team is small and I get so much one-on-one time with the founders and our MD. We have regular check-ins and there’s a strong focus on my personal development, it’s a real perk of working with such an experienced team of people.
“Send emails, DM brands – you might just hit the right person at the right time”
Tell us about how you went about applying for your job: I was actually approached by a recruiter. There were two interviews: the first was a Zoom call with our managing director where I got a feel for the company, what the role would entail and I told him about my own experience. After that I was assigned a task to bring to our more formal in-person interview, again with one of the Hux founders and the managing director. This interview lasted an hour, in which we discussed how I saw Hux, and what I believed our social channels could look like and do for the company. They really grilled me but it was a really interesting discussion and I left feeling so sure it was the right place for me.
What’s the best part about working for a food & drink company? I love that what we’re doing is actually helping people. It’s so rewarding when a really great review comes in from a customer whose sleep has drastically improved or their headaches have gone away. That’s something really great to come back to if you ever get lost in the day-to-day. As we’re small the scope for growth is also hugely exciting, it’s awesome to be part of something like this.
And what’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food & drink? Before starting my career in this industry I had no idea how connected everyone is within it. It’s really like a big food and drink family over here. Every time I mention a brand it seems someone from our team is going for dinner with them or used to work with them! In short, it’s a really great industry to be in, everyone is genuinely keen to help and share in whatever way they can to support each other.
What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry? Reach out! As I mentioned, everyone here is really up for helping, even if it’s just to offer some advice. Send emails, DM brands – you might just hit the right person at the right time. There’s so many different roles out there, some I never even considered would exist. It’s a really fun industry to be a part of, just be willing to get stuck in!
What’s your ultimate career dream? I’d love to create a wellness space to support both nutrition and fitness platforms. A kind-of one-stop shop for all your wellness needs. I’d run the spin classes, Hux would provide the nutrition… watch this space!
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