Lover of food, mom of two, and food scientist, Charmaine Ng is the creator and founder behind our healthy and delicious LOVE ME SOME crackers. Balancing her home and professional life comes with challenges, but Charmaine makes it work by loving what she does.

The Creative Brain Behind LOVE ME SOME

Charmaine wanted an interesting career and the road to LOVE ME SOME started with education. Originally interested in dietetics, food science won her over, and she became a double major in food and nutritional science. After graduation, she was a quality assurance coordinator and the experience helped her realize that her passion in the industry was in the product development realm.  

She returned to school taking the Masters in Food Science program at UBC, then returned to her former employer to work as a product developer. Her research and development journey really started here. At her day job, she created crackers but learned about seed cycling on her own time. LOVE ME SOME was the intersection of her work and her interest.

You Are What You Eat

A balanced diet and balanced lifestyle guide Charmaine’s personal and professional journey. Raised with the belief that you heal the body with natural foods and herbal medicine, LOVE ME SOME stays true to this value. It’s designed to be a plant-based snack with extra benefits. 

In 2019, Charmaine had what seemed to be allergic reactions. They caused a rash that couldn’t be resolved with prescribed antihistamines. A naturopath suggested that the reaction came from a hormonal imbalance instead, prompting her to learn more about seed cycling and trying it out on herself. The LOVE ME SOME seed cycling cracker came into existence from this research and experimentation.

Studying hormones is a new way of looking at how the food we eat affects us. Ingredients need to be in the right amounts to get the nutritional benefits. On the back end, Charmaine has done a lot of math for her cracker recipes to make sure they pack the promised nutritional value.

LOVE ME SOME and Loving Yourself

The idea of our brand is about taking care of ourselves and healing through food. In general, women tend to put family, work, and life’s other obligations before their own needs. LOVE ME SOME is a reminder for people to take care of their bodies by eating well. When you’re so busy that all you have is time for a quick snack, they better be ones that offer the nutrition your body needs. 

A Super Mom and CEO

Charmaine is proof that you can start a business and have a family, although she admits it’s not the easiest way to launch a company. With two children, work occurs during the time the kids are occupied. When your business is your only baby, it allows you to work in a solid block of time. As a working parent, you need to be creative with productivity windows. Working eight hours a day is difficult even if you work until 11 or 12 at night. 

That said, launching LOVE ME SOME and showing her kids how much work it takes to realize your dreams is an accomplishment in itself. Her children see the hard work she puts in and understands the value of knowledge – the takeaway for them is that learning and effort lead to achievement. 

While still in its early days, Charmaine is proud of LOVE ME SOME’s progress. She notes that working outside her comfort zone and overcoming fears about starting business results in tremendous personal growth.

As for advice, she would give other entrepreneurs, Charmaine points out how happy and grateful she is with her network. Surrounding yourself with other people and supporting each other professionally leads to opportunities you would otherwise miss out on.

The Big Reason Why

The days of a working mom and running a company can be long and there are always obstacles that come with the territory. When tough patches come up, Charmaine asks herself the question, “Why am I doing this?” The answer grounds herself in the purpose and passion for her work, giving her the fuel she needs to keep going.

When you love what you do and believe in what you offer, it’s easy to tap into your purpose. With big plans for LOVE ME SOME’s future and expansion, you can expect to see more of Charmaine and these nutritious crackers.

 

Want to connect with Charmaine or learn more about LOVE ME SOME? Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

 

Written by Lise Oakley, June 28,2021