So, over the last five years, I’ve built a couple of businesses to the point where I was able to quit my job years ago and now run this soon-to-be seven-figure company full-time.
My life has completely changed since I decided to work for myself and leave my Marketing Manager career behind, both for the better and for the worse, as I’ll explain in this day in my life.
And, as difficult as it is, being an entrepreneur has given me the incredible privilege of turning my passions into an incredibly rewarding, fulfilling career, as well as opening many doors for myself and my loved ones that we never thought we’d open in this lifetime.
Morning Routine – 7 AM
My morning routine is currently simple and easy going so I can simply start the day off right.
I wash my face, brush my teeth, and then do a quick skincare routine of cleanser, toner, and day lotion. Taking just a few minutes to care for your skin is critical to maintaining its health as we age. Then I style my bed hair, blow dry it, and apply some wax.
Then, for a quick breakfast, I’m still brewing tea instead of coffee, and today I’m making a mug of Hojicha tea, which is a roasted green tea, and a quick bowl of oats with nuts and raisins. It really depends on my plans for the day whether I cook a proper breakfast or go out for breakfast.
I frequently try to use this time to have breakfast with my partner, who has a flexible schedule working for a tech startup and also working for herself on the side.
She’s a talented cookie, and I’m very proud of her, and we use this time to just talk about whatever comes to mind.
Following that, I’ll spend 20-30 minutes checking and responding to urgent emails because my clients are literally all over the world, from California, New York, and Israel, to Singapore and Hong Kong, but more on that when I get into the office.
Gym
Then I’ll squeeze in a 45-minute push or pull session at the gym. I just feel more refreshed and happier when I exercise, but I don’t always get the chance because of how hectic my schedule is.
One of my favorite aspects of being my own boss is being able to set my own hours, even though I frequently work 12-14 hour days.
I occasionally mix it up with more fun workouts like F45, kickboxing, or bouldering, but without working out, I feel completely off. I highly recommend incorporating physical activities into your daily schedule, even if it’s just a nice walk outside.
Creative Studio – 9 AM
I’m already at my new office and studio by 9 a.m.
This is a property I purchased a few years ago, but I’ve recently been working on transforming it so I can use it while the media company grows.
It’s still a work in progress, so if you want to keep up with this Setup Makeover Series, I have a playlist on my YouTube channel that you can check out.
A workday isn’t complete without some good music. I easily make the music flow in with a quick “Hey Sonos, play chill low-fi music” command.
I settle into my current office corner and desk setup, where I do the majority of my work, ranging from the mundane like emails and admin work to the more creative like filming, photography, marketing, and design work.
What I Do
I’m the founder of a media company that currently employs four people, all of whom work remotely, but we hope to expand with an in-person team next year.
I’ve been finding it difficult to let go of certain aspects of the business, so I’m hoping to do a better job of outsourcing and team building soon. If you want to check out our job opportunities, here’s a link to our website.
I’m also partnered on an eCommerce store and education business that we’ve been running for years, but that’s become a secondary thing because I’m having so much fun with this YouTube stuff and the media company side of things that I’ve decided to make that the primary focus.
The truth is that what I’ve built would not be possible without my experience as a digital marketing manager. It’s where I learned a ton of skills for starting, growing, and marketing a business.
As a marketing manager, I used HubSpot, which is a marketing, sales, and customer service platform that helps businesses grow. If you work in marketing, chances are you’ve heard of it. HubSpot has a large library of free resources, including its business startup kit, which you can use if you plan to start a business. It includes 9 free templates to help you brainstorm a business name, create a business plan, and even pitch your idea to investors.
Team Check-In / Emails / Shopify
My first couple of hours at my desk are spent checking in on the team in Slack, putting out any fires, assisting where I can, and adding my two cents.
Then I’ll go through my inbox, which I honestly spend way too much time in, usually to manage things like suppliers, and travel plans and a big one is brand sponsors – we’re lucky enough to have more brand partners in our inbox than we can actually take on right now. It’s one of the reasons we need to grow the team.
So, even with the help of my team, fielding these emails takes a significant amount of my time, and I decline at least 90% of sponsorship requests, if not more.
Then I’ll move on to running the routine Shopify store and ad checks, as well as assisting our students in our Mastery programs, which is our marketing and online business course.
Filming – 11 AM
By 11 a.m., and before I take a break, I usually start on the fun creative work, such as photography, filming, and tech reviews, which I absolutely love creating.
I usually buy the majority of the technology I review with my own money, but we also get sent a lot of cool gadgets from various brands.
Every day is different when I’m filming; sometimes I’m in this dedicated studio space, sometimes I’m out and about, and sometimes I’m even filming overseas.
And it’s a lot more work than most people realize; setting up all the camera gear, setting up the new technology, and getting literally hours of cinematic footage can be physically exhausting – but it’s extremely rewarding, and all that matters is that you guys enjoy the end result.
My workday is always dynamic and different, and as someone who struggles to stay focused in an office cubicle, it suits my working style perfectly.
Lunch / Work from Cafe – 1 PM
Today isn’t as busy for filming, so I’m going to a local cafe.
Before I drive over, I turned on the robot vacuum cleaner so that I could return to a clean office. These gadgets are a lifesaver and save me so much time.
It’s great to have the option of constantly changing up the workspace, as it keeps things interesting.
I usually go with my partner or a friend to catch up over lunch and then continue with other work such as video scripting, managing incoming contracts, and a routine check on the team via Slack and other similar things.
According to research, most people, including myself, can’t sustain more than four hours of deep work per day, so I work in blocks and try to break it up otherwise it’s just too much of a struggle. This is something that has not changed.
This was a nice treat for today; this local cafe serves excellent specialty drinks and coffee. We ordered some fresh sandwiches, sodas, and scones.
We don’t get to work from a cafe every day, and depending on what I’m doing, I often work right through lunch.
Dinner/Hellofresh Cooking – 5 PM
By the time we get home, it’s around 5 p.m.
It’s been extremely difficult to simply switch off and stop working in the evenings, especially when you run your own business.
My partner is the same way, as she has a lot of incoming work and projects in her business too.
So cooking healthy dinners together has been a force function to wind down, and to save time, we’ve gotten into the habit of cooking Hellofresh dinners, which has been really enjoyable. This is not sponsored by them in any way. It’s just that we’ve been enjoying Hellofresh for a few months now.
Tonight, we’re making sesame oven-baked fries with Sichuan-glazed pork meatballs and a Japanese salad on the side, and it’s going to be delicious.
We also had a friend join us for dinner, and we talked about our days, what we accomplished at work, things we’re grateful for, future travel plans, and other random things.
Although I’ve built this company and achieved many career goals, I’m most proud of my partner and our love and family, and no matter where I’m at in a few years, the intention is to stay grounded and prioritize family and friends no matter how much “success” I manage to achieve.
It’s her turn to do the dishes today, so I just played the piano for a while – something I don’t get to do very often anymore, but it’s still really relaxing and peaceful. It’s sometimes just the little things in life!
Night Shift Work – 8 PM
In the evenings, I’ll set aside a night shift block to do more work, such as video editing, writing, or more analytical work on the e-commerce store.
I try not to work late nights anymore; unlike my tough old days of working from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. every day to make this business work, it wasn’t healthy.
But, to be honest, running a business is difficult, and I frequently work late at night.
But I still enjoy it; I turn on the moody smart lights, get into the zone, and burn the midnight oil either at my office or in my small home office.
The hardest part is stopping myself at a reasonable time to actually wind down, especially since my clients are literally all over the world and I get requests at all hours of the day.
Winding Down
When I’m finally done with the day and still have some time or just want to stay up late, I’ll usually fit in a short gaming session on my new gaming PC setup I built earlier this year, watch Netflix, or read a book on my Kindle in bed.
Every day is different, and this is just a snapshot of what this particular day looked like. I’ll let you in if I can do a remote and international version of this day in my life.