How long have you been with Protein Bar? My relationship with PB began, very fittingly, just before Valentine’s Day of last year, and our mutual ]]> Where are you from? And how did you end up here?
Originally from suburban Downers Grove, IL, I worked seasonally for a bit in the near-wilderness of Alaska and the not-quite-rural upper Rockies of Colorado, finally graduating into the fully-urban life in Chicago when I needed something new.

How long have you been with Protein Bar?
My relationship with PB began, very fittingly, just before Valentine’s Day of last year, and our mutual passion for one another has only grown over the last fourteen months. We are still as deeply in love as we were the day I first responded to that lovelorn Craigslist ad.

Biggest Passions?
I am passionate (roughly in order of magnitude) about the following: all things musical; the quest for complete world knowledge and the meaning of life; outdoor activities in the vain of hiking, cycling, snowboarding, and all sports water-related; all things linguistic; hydration; the riding of roller coasters; the wearing of colorful headbands; and peanut butter.

If you had to describe yourself in one word what would it be?
Loopy

A goal you have achieved that you are proud of?
Becoming an Assistant Manager at Protein Bar! And I’m not just saying that.

What’s your personal motto?
“Do what feels good.” In a world of infinite variables, the one thing we have control over is ourselves. If you don’t actively make choices that make you happy, you’re doing it all wrong.

Do you have any unique talents?
I am great at Monday-Wednesday difficulty crossword puzzles, I do a decent Kermit the Frog impression, and I am also what some would call a ‘pianist’ or ‘songwriter.’

Something surprising about you? A few months before applying at Protein Bar, I came within days of moving to North Dakota to drive fuel tankers in the booming town of Williston, only to have a last minute panic and not go through with it (fortunately, I might say, for Protein Bar).

What is the scariest thing you have ever done?
Probably the anecdote from above, considering that after bailing on that plan, I had no money, no job, and no idea what I was going to do instead. Although a close second for this answer is the time I wagered my eyebrows over a game of Scrabble.

What is the coolest thing about your PB team?
Everybody is so passionate. It’s awesome to see how everyone’s individual passions from their own lives carry over into the context of work. It creates this sort of feedback loop where everyone wants to do their their best at work, and that motivation carries over into your personal life, and what you do in your personal life positively affects your work, which affects your personal life, and so on and so on.

If you could eat one PB item forever what would it be?
One El of an Oatmeal with bananas, raspberries, and two scoops of peanut butter. This is referred to as Joe’s Oatmeal, or more commonly, ‘Joatmeal.’

If you could add one item to the PB menu what would it be?
Hear me out on this: A drink with strawberries, bananas, and blueberries. We could call it the ‘Star Spangled Nanner”

If you could manage a Protein Bar anywhere in the world where would it be?
Please, please, oh pleeeease open a store in Denver for me! I need some mountain air in my lungs! (Note: I’ll go to Seattle, too.)

Joe’s LOVE List

Word—To say: Ostensibly. To hear: Rigmarole. For it’s impact on the English language: Unreal.
Magazine—Pythagoras
Musician—This is an ever-changing position that is currently held by Chicago’s own Andrew Bird.
TV Show—Community
Movie—Standby answer: Shawshank Redemption. But if I’m trying to be cool and avant-garde I’ll say Synecdoche, New York.
Website—Wikipedia!
Place in the world—Outside of doors, and inside my mind.
Way to spend your Saturday mornings—Reading or maybe doing a crossword puzzle.
Restaurant—There’s a breakfast place in my hometown that I’ll never stop loving. Moondance Diner, you make life worth living.
Way to work out—A bike ride? A hike? A climb at the gym? I’ll take them all.
Way to celebrate—A peanut butter milkshake from Oberweis.

How long have you been with Protein Bar? Since Earth Day 2013

Biggest Passions? I really love hoppy beer and the creative culture of breweries. I like understanding how beer gets from farm to table.

If you had to describe yourself in one ]]> Where are you from? And how did you end up here?
I’m From Oak Forest, IL. I came back to Chicago via: Champaign IL, Arizona, Chicago, San Francisco and finally Here I am!