Golden Hour Living: My Summer as High 90's Digital Marketing Manager
Working remotely for High 90's from San Diego this summer seems pretty surreal.
I keep waiting for someone to tell me this isn't real life, but here we are in July already and I'm still pinching myself.
7:00 AM: Getting Up Early-ish (Who Am I?)
I’m not really a morning person, but something about summer here makes getting up early feel less terrible. First thing is always taking out Jasper, my 13-year-old rescue Shih Tzu, who moves at the speed of molasses but is very serious about his morning routine. The marine layer usually hasn't burned off yet, so it's still cool and quiet while we do our slow shuffle around the block. Plus, I've learned that if I don't get my workout in first thing, it's not happening.
My reformer pilates studio is this tiny place about ten minutes away. I genuinely love it, which surprises me because I used to think reformer pilates actually made me more stressed out. Turns out when you're sitting at a computer most of your life, your body actually craves the movement.
9:15 AM: The Matcha Situation
I'll admit it—I've become one of those people who makes elaborate matcha lattes. I bought a proper whisk and everything. After living in LA, I was having trouble finding a decent matcha that lived up to my standards in my new neighborhood but now it's just this little morning ritual that makes me feel like I have my life together.
I usually make something easy for breakfast while the matcha does its thing. Usually a bagel or oatmeal with fruit, nothing too fancy.
10:00 AM: Actually Working
This is when I dive into the real work stuff. Analytics from yesterday, planning content for the week, responding to the Slack messages that I somehow accumulated overnight.
I run through my to-do’s and make sure all of my daily content gets pushed out on time. I make sure I respond to DM’s and am on the right track for all things digital marketing this week. We are always looking ahead here since we are launching campaigns so frequently. I try to stay on top of what’s coming next and most of the time living months ahead in my mind.
High 90's is all about that elevated everyday lifestyle, and summer in San Diego basically writes our content strategy for us. Beach shots, farmers market hauls, rooftop dinners—it's almost too easy.
11:30 AM: Convincing My Boyfriend to Help
"Can you film with me for like five minutes?" has become my most-used phrase. My boyfriend has reluctantly become pretty good behind (and sometimes in front of the camera) though he still gives me shit about having to retake videos because the lighting wasn't right or my Apple watch was accidentally in the shot.
Today we're heading out to create some content around the city. He's learned to just go along for the ride because he never knows how long it’s actually going to take.
1:00 PM: Lunch Break Reality
We hit up this deli that makes incredible sandwiches—and here's the thing about San Diego that still blows my mind: some of the best delis are inside liquor stores. Like, you walk past the drink coolers and suddenly there's this counter with the most insane sandwich selection you've ever seen. I get some sort of chicken salad situation, he gets the Italian combo, and we usually end up spending way too much on fancy chips and probiotic soda. The lighting is actually perfect for photos, so unfortunately for everyone when I’m working… the phone eats first.
2:30 PM: Beach "Office"
The beach near our place has become my favorite spot for afternoon content creation. This is pretty incredible actually. Like, my "office" today has waves crashing in the background and dogs running around me in the sand. But it's not always as glamorous as it sounds—there's sand in literally everything and I've definitely had to sprint to save my equipment from high tide more than once. But when you realize you just spent three hours "working" while breathing ocean air, it makes the sand-in-your-keyboard situation totally worth it.
5:00 PM: Farmers Market Vibes
Wednesday night Ocean Beach farmers market is genuinely one of my favorite parts of the week. There's something about the evening vibe that hits different—people are getting off work, grabbing dinner from the food trucks, and the whole thing feels more like a community hangout. Yeah, I take photos for work, but I also just love checking out all the fresh produce to get inspired about what to make for dinner. The lighting is absolutely perfect for content—that golden hour magic that makes everything look beautiful. The best kind of work-life overlap.
7:00 PM: Time to Cook
One of the best parts of working from home is having time to actually cook real meals. I genuinely love being in the kitchen, which is lucky since I come from a whole family of amazing cooks. Tonight I'm making fish with a tomato peach salad using my farmers market finds, and it's going to be amazing because cooking is one of those things that just comes naturally when you grow up watching your family for hours on end in the kitchen.
8:30 PM: Brain Off Mode
Once I close the laptop, it’s just me, my boyfriend, Jasper, and whatever ridiculous reality TV we're currently obsessed with.
Right now it's Love Island, and I'll never be sorry about it. After a day of strategy sometimes you need to watch people make questionable decisions in a villa. It is important to stay up to take on pop culture references so it’s basically part of my job in my opinion.
Why This Actually Works
I'm aware of how lucky I am. But the thing that actually makes this sustainable isn't the location—it's the flexibility.
Being able to structure my day around when I'm most creative instead of traditional office hours makes such a difference. Taking meetings from my courtyard when it's too nice to be inside. Turning a farmers market run into content for my next strategy meeting.
The longer summer days help too. When you've got usable light until after 8 PM, you're not rushed to cram everything into the 9-5 time slot, It's like getting extra time to live your actual life.
High 90's is all about this California lifestyle, and I get to actually live a version of it. Some days I still can't believe this is my job, especially when I'm editing beach content while sitting on said beach.
Tomorrow I'll probably wake up early again, make another fancy matcha, and feel grateful that this weird routine has become my new normal.
Happy Summer! -The Sweetest Scoop