I Tried This Wellness CEO’s Morning Routine to Set Me Up for Success in Self-Quarantine
You’ll want to write this down.
Photo: @Sacha.Strebe
There’s a reason why the most successful people in the world have a morning routine. It’s the only time in our “always-on” culture where we can enjoy a few moments of sacred silence before the outside world demands our attention. If you’ve never really thought about turning your A.M. into a ritual, then now, more than ever, is the time.
A consistent morning routine can help establish a sense of stability and control. And in a time where it can feel like a lot of things are out of our hands, that idea is incredibly comforting. Of course, creating a morning routine sounds good in theory, so before you get started, just be aware that it can take some trial and error to nail down the one that suits your life, or want to stick to. And it doesn’t matter what that ritual is—there are no rules here—it’s entirely individual.
But, if we are going to take notes from anyone, it will be from the people who run multimillion-dollar businesses, oversee international teams, and have built brands from scratch, because let’s face it, they must be doing something right to have the energy, determination, and organization to pack as much as they do into one day without burning out.
But, if you haven’t given thought to how you spend those first few hours, take heed from former Target exec and now CEO of Rae—evidence-based vegan supplements made for women making moves—Angie Tebbe. Despite a jam-packed schedule, Tebbe takes time every morning for self-care, mindfulness, and coffee!
Photo: Courtesy of Rae Wellness
As someone who has really struggled with sticking to any semblance of a schedule since self-quarantine began, I wanted to give Tebbe’s morning routine a spin and see if it helped set my day up for success too. For context. I typically get up at 8 AM (it was 6:30 AM pre-quarantine), I have a cup of earl grey tea while I’m checking emails, I take a shower and then jump into my sweats or exercise gear (in the hope it will inspire me to workout later). I have been known to work from my dining room table from 9 AM until 7:30 PM without a proper break and snacks in between. It’s safe to say my water intake is at an all-time low too. Can anyone reading this relate?
So, I was ready to start creating a morning habit that could not only help my health, but also quell my stress and anxiety, so I can take charge of my to-do list and power toward my goals in a better mood. Read on to learn how Tebbe uses the first hours of sunlight to give her day the best chance of success, then discover how I went about incorporating it into my own routine.
(Spoiler alert: It greatly impacted my mood, metabolism, and stress levels.)
“I
no longer check my emails in the morning; it has helped me be less reactive and more present and patient as I start my day.”
—Angie Tebbe, CEO, Rae Wellness
CEO of Rae Wellness, Angie Tebbe’s Morning Routine
Wake Up Before Everyone Else
I always used to find mornings stressed and rushed, until I realized how important it was to create rituals that work for you. Since becoming a CEO, I have made intentional choices about mindset and routine to make sure I show up for my family, team, and partners. I wake up at 5:45 AM to ensure I have a few moments to myself before my household begins to rise, beginning with my 5-year-old at 6 AM! I find that I am my best when I can first ground myself in gratitude, especially right now given everything going on in the world.
Practice Gratitude
I meditate every night, so I save the deeper rituals for then but in the mornings I practice gratitude for two-three minutes. A mentor once taught me—visualize the most important moment you remember with your partner, and the first time you met your children. What did that feel like, sound like, etc.? It helps me plant my feet and ensures I’m in the right headspace to approach the day.
Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
I drink about 20 ounces of water every morning (the first few sips are always with our Hydration Drops) before I allow myself to drink my Americano with our Vegan Collagen Boost Powder, cream, and monk fruit.
Photo: Courtesy of Rae Wellness
Fast Until 9 AM
I have experimented with intermittent fasting a bit and typically fast from 6 PM until 9 AM—15 hours is how I feel my best. The first thing I have in the morning is coffee at 9 a.m. and then I’ll drink an almond milk and pea protein smoothie—I blend it with ice. It keeps me going for three hours until lunch at 1 PM
Do a Workout
I like to workout in the morning, but being at home has changed my routine a bit. I typically work out on weekdays (running or spinning), and on weekends I’ll spend the mornings with my husband and boys instead. Due to the quarantine, I’ve been working out around midday and taking a walk with the family after dinner. Getting it in is the most important part so I try not to worry if the time slot changes given everything we are all trying to juggle right now.
Don’t Check Your Inbox
I recently changed my own habits on this, and no longer check my emails in the morning; it has helped me be less reactive and more present and patient as I start my day.
Tackle Important Tasks Early
I minimize distractions and give myself a couple of completely uninterrupted hours to work in the morning before any meetings. I find that I’m more productive and “fresh” to tackle challenging questions or needs of the business right away. As the day progresses, I make sure to keep my energy up with lots of water and protein. At lunch, I take our multivitamin, which gives me energy through the afternoon.
My Verdict
Name & Title:
Sacha Strebe, Editorial Director, Create & Cultivate
The Routine:
I tried Angie Tebbe, CEO, Rae Wellness’ AM ritual for one week!
The Products:
Rae Wellness Hydration Drops
Rae Wellness Vegan Collagen Boost Powder
Rae Wellness Multivitamin
Rae Wellness Destress
Rae Wellness Energy Drops
Rae Wellness Sleep
The Goal(s):
I have always been so intrigued by the morning rituals of successful people. CEOs are some of the busiest people on the planet and from all of the articles I’ve read, they swear by an AM ritual to kickstart their day and maximize their time. Upon reading Tebbe’s morning routine it immediately reminded me of my own.
I am very ritualistic, especially since becoming a mom, so a lot of her steps resonated with me but since quarantine began, my schedule is entirely out of whack so I wanted to test out Tebbe’s to reintroduce structure and ritual in a bid to bring about some normalcy in this “new normal.”
My end goal in testing Tebbe’s morning routine was to enhance my energy and mood, relieve stress, and encourage better sleep.
My Week in Review:
Tip 1: Wake Up Before Everyone Else
Since I don’t have to commute to the office in self-quarantine I have been sleeping in much later so I’ll admit that waking up at 5:45 AM was a struggle. But I’m never going back (although I may schedule it slightly later to 6:30 AM instead!). I absolutely love having my own time in the morning before the family wakes up. It’s the only part of the day where I can truly let my mind relax, there isn’t anyone demanding anything from me—it’s just me, the sunlight through the window, and a cup of tea.
Tip 2: Practice Gratitude
This is something I have always done with our family but I haven’t ever formalized it into my AM routine. I now use that quiet time before the house wakes up each morning to run through what I’m grateful for and sometimes I will write them down, too. It has really helped me approach each day with intention and mindfulness, something I think I took a little for granted before.
Tip 3: Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate
I loved starting my morning with 20 ounces of water and the Rae Wellness hydration drops with pure and powerful hyaluronic acid and electrolytes. (I also added in their energy drops which was so much softer on my stomach than traditional Vitamin B tablets). I struggle drinking water normally so this ensures I’m getting maximum hydration with every drop. I also found that prioritizing water first thing before any other liquids are key to making sure I’m hydrated throughout the day. Tebbe also inspired me to get back into making green smoothies each morning. I add the Rae Wellness Vegan Collagen Boost Powder into the mix with baby kale, spinach, blueberries, protein powder, and rice milk. I’m a vegetarian, so I’ve been searching for a vegan option that isn’t bovine for ages and this one is also flavorless so it’s a win-win.
Tip 4: Fast Until 9 AM
While most of Tebbe’s morning routine looked reasonably simple to achieve, I wasn’t sure how the intermittent fasting would work for me. Our family usually eats around 8 PM (or later since self-quarantine), so fasting from 6 PM was tricky for me. But on the nights that I did, it definitely helped my sleep overall because it allowed for proper digestion before going to bed. I also went to bed earlier, which in turn saw my energy levels increase the next day. I definitely want to continue eating our dinner earlier so I can fast for 15 hours like Tebbe each day. It made enough of a difference to warrant continuing it and turning it into a habit—the research behind intermittent fasting is compelling. On the nights I couldn’t sleep, I took the Rae Wellness sleep capsules with melatonin (and they worked) but I found on the days I
Tip 5: Do a Workout
I’m glad that Tebbe switched her morning workout to midday or later since quarantine because while I have been working out more, I have never been able to motivate myself to exercise first thing. I definitely prefer the afternoon or early evening. Like Tebbe, I have also been less focused on “working out” and instead, making sure I incorporate some type of movement into my day. It has dramatically enhanced my mood, my metabolism, my sleep, and my energy.
Tip 6: Don’t Check Your Inbox
I used to practice this but I got out of the habit since self-quarantine. Before I started Tebbe’s routine, I would wake up, grab my phone, and dive into emails while I was still sitting on the side of my bed. My poor brain hasn’t even had a chance to wake up yet and I’m already bombarding it with tasks and requests. So, now I’ve reverted back to the “no emails” rule in the morning, and instead, I focus on mindfulness practice, setting myself up for success, both physically, emotionally, and spiritually. It’s the one part of the day that belongs to me! It’s a game-changer.
Tip 7: Tackle Important Tasks Early
Most mornings I am pretty focused early, but since I have been waking up earlier and incorporating Tebbe’s gratitude practice, my brain is sharper and laser-focused. At 9 AM, I sit down at my dining table come makeshift office during quarantine with my decaf latte and really focus on urgent tasks for a good hour and a half before our seniors meeting at 10:30 AM. It has been so impactful. I definitely have fewer distractions in the morning from my family and team (they’re usually all logging on) so I have been able to get so much done during that time period. I will definitely be incorporating this into my morning routine moving forward.
Final Verdict:
I am so grateful for Tebbe’s AM tips. I feel like I have more structure, more focus, and more gratitude this past week which is especially needed while we navigate this “new normal.” It’s also a realistic routine to emulate, unlike some other CEO morning routines I’ve read about so I’ll definitely continue to incorporate them into my own morning ritual. I loved all of the Rae Wellness products too, especially the hydration and energy drops—so genius! The Destress capsule and Multivitamin (I loved the mint flavor) was also a great addition to my daily supplement line-up—they’re also incredibly affordable, too.
While I loved mimicking a CEO’s morning routine for a week, ultimately your morning should be exactly that, your morning. So don’t feel like you have to copy anyone else’s routines and expect the same results. The goal here is to find a ritual that works for you and it will change as you and your circumstances change. Self-quarantine is an emotionally and mentally challenging time for all of us, so be kind on yourself, do what works for you, and your personal health and wellness will improve, too.
SHOP MY RAE WELLNESS FAVORITES BELOW:
Rae Wellness Multivitamin
$14.99
Rae Wellness Hydration Drops
$14.99
Rae Wellness Destress
$14.99
Rae Wellness Hydration Drops
$14.99
Rae Wellness Vegan Collagen Boost Powder
$14.99
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Ask The CEO: Should You Go Into Business With Your Partner?
Communication is the foundation of a great relationship, work or otherwise.
In 2009, Courtney Nichols Gould left her job as a tech startup executive, moved to Los Angeles, and took a beat to think about what she wanted to do next. While in LA, she reconnected with an old colleague, Gordon Gould, who was researching how nutrition affects children’s brain health. The two joined forces and launched SmartyPants, a vitamin company with a sharp focus on high-quality ingredients, affordability, and great taste. Coincidentally, she and Gordon also fell in love and got married, so her business partner is now her real-life partner, too.
We checked in with Courtney on her biggest hurdles, best advice, and what it’s like to run a multimillion-dollar business with her spouse.
How did you step into the wellness space?
SmartyPants started out as a conversation among friends and shared struggles in finding an elegant, high-quality, palatable, and affordable solution to gaps in our diets and our family’s diets. Initially, we just wanted to launch a comprehensive solution for parents, but as soon as we launched our “baby” online back in 2011, we heard from so many parents that they wished we would make a comprehensive supplement for them to use as well. We realized the problem we were trying to tackle was great. Any problem takes time, attention, and likely money to solve, so being able to put all that energy toward solving a problem for a much larger group of people moved our interest to an all-out obsession that has been the engine for our growth—both in the number of customers and retailers we serve (from Amazon to Whole Foods to Costco) to the number of grant recipients we reach through our work with Vitamin Angels (8 million grants and counting!).
If you could go back to year one, what piece of advice would you give to yourself?
Every unpredictable nightmare increases your company’s capacity to handle its much bigger future—which turns a negative into a very big positive.
What do you think are some of the biggest hurdles in the wellness space today?
I think the scariest one is the “everyone is an expert” issue. Wellness has become one of the biggest growth areas for investment, which means a ton of money is flooding in, so ill-founded ideas can get resources. That might have negative consequences for investors in a field like fashion or mattresses, but in a field that intervenes with someone’s health, consequences are felt by the end user themselves. Combining that growth with primarily online sales without the kind of checks that retailers require (proof that you are testing and producing your products in accordance with FDA guidance) can create the very real risk that someone could become hurt, which is bad for all of us.
“Having someone in the trenches with you, husband or not, is critical to make sure you are leading with your best ideas.”
What is the best part of having a Co-CEO? And what’s it like working with your husband?
Being an entrepreneur can be a lonely and stressful business. Having someone in the trenches with you, husband or not, is critical to make sure you are leading with your best ideas. Bouncing things off each other ensures more rigor around your thinking and also means you can have a bad day and someone else can help step in and vice versa. Most of the great businesses I admire have a team at the helm. Working with your significant other can be hard, and it can be amazing! It’s all about communication. We feel really lucky to have been able to build this business together and for our kids to witness the amount of work required to build something from scratch.
Do you have any advice for women who are considering getting into business with their partners?
Make sure you have different skill sets. It works for us because we have very different areas of expertise. I run the business with a focus on product design from beginning to end, and he is our chief data scientist with a strong expertise in e-commerce—the foundation of our business.
What about your job makes you feel the most complete?
Being able to see that we are having a real impact: Through providing a better product to our customers; by showing other companies they can make better choices and still be profitable, which helps to change the industry as a whole; and by putting a matching grant in place with Vitamin Angels before we launched. That allows us to have a much bigger impact than we ever thought possible.
Where do you see the wellness and vitamins industries in the next 5 years?
I think you will see an increasing focus on quality and efficacy and a lot of new and interesting formats to drive compliance. With a lot of investment dollars out there, there will be plenty of competition, and that’s always a good thing for the end user.
What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received?
Never do or say anything you wouldn’t want to see printed on the front of the New York Times.
It’s how you make the hard decisions—that no one will ever know about—that shows you where your integrity lies.
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Serena & Lily's CEO Shares How Women Can Stay Confident at Work
This is what it’s like to be a woman at the top.
Photos: Instagram/@serenaandlily
Here at C&C, we're fortunate enough to chat with women at the top of their careers all of the time. Our most recent interview features Lori Greeley, CEO of Serena & Lily, who's killing it in the design space at the moment.
You've likely seen Serena & Lily designs and stores that offer a breezy California approach to potential customers. But what does it take to take a brand forward and be at the head of one of today's most popular lifestyle destinations? That's where Lori's expertise comes in.
Just like a lot of us, she ended up switching her major and dove head-first into an industry where more women should, in fact, be at the top. We chatted about switching your career path, being a female CEO, diversity in the workplace, and so much more.
Create & Cultivate: Where did you go to college and what did you study?
Lori Greeley: Bucknell University where I studied Psychology (after realizing that Biology/Pre-Med was clearly not my calling).
You’ve spent your career in the fashion and retailing businesses, and have taken some really big brands to the next level. Did you always want to work in corporate retail or was your journey unexpected?
I did not have a grand plan to work in retail. I think like many of my peers, it was an obvious contingency plan. I had worked in stores or as a waitress all through high school and college and always had an interest in fashion (I have vivid memories of favorite outfits from age 3). After graduating with a liberal arts degree, career options were obviously pretty uncertain. I ended up being recruited into an executive training program at a regional department store and my career in retail began. I quickly discovered that being a department store merchant was uninteresting to me. The role was much more focused on negotiating good deals than having a strong influence over the product offering or customer experience. I was uninspired in this environment even though I had moved quickly through the training program. Fortunately, I was recommended to a store business in Ohio by a very nice woman in the market which ultimately lead to my long career at Victoria’s Secret. I joined VS only a few years after it had been acquired by Les Wexner of Limited Brands and stayed on that journey for 20 years, playing several roles from associate buyer to CEO. At VS my role evolved from retailer to a focus on brand building where we embraced the concept of “a brand is a story well told.” To deliver on this concept it’s important to understand your customer as a best friend. Knowing your customer informs decisions from product design to pricing, to brand voice. To wrap this question up, it was a journey, not a plan. A combination of being competitive and unafraid of taking risks has made my journey a successful one.
You also serve on the Board of Directors for other businesses. Do you feel that more women are being welcomed into those positions or is there still work to get done?
I’m lucky to serve on boards that are very gender balanced. I am also fortunate to serve with men and women with diverse work experience, age, and ethnicity. There has been progress made in the last few years to recruit more women to boards, but we’re a long way from parity. Honestly, the only way the pace of the progress will improve is with a strong commitment to change led by chairmen and male directors. The positive impact to business results has been documented for years with indisputable facts, and yet the change is slow.
"There has been progress made in the last few years to recruit more women to boards, but we’re a long way from parity."
What is the best part about being a female CEO?
It’s hard to pinpoint what’s unique about being a female CEO (since I’ve never been a male CEO). What I love about the position is that you’re able to create an environment where people can be at their best. I believe in encouraging people to take risks and step out of their comfort zone. Some of the people I’ve had the most pleasure of working with were not considered obvious future leaders early in their careers. I love scouting talent and seeing people develop into high impact players and being able to recognize that contribution with life-changing promotions.
What is the most challenging part about being a female CEO?
There has been much written about the topic of work-life balance, especially when it comes to juggling motherhood and a career. I am fortunate enough to be married to a wonderful man who was willing to pursue a career with a more flexible work day than mine and who was always happy to share the responsibilities of parenting with me. Admittedly, if I had to do it over, I would have been more present for my daughter’s school events earlier in life (simply because they grow up so fast). Thankfully, this helped me to discover that modeling a healthy work-life balance as a CEO by being transparent about leaving the office to attend a tennis match or a concert made my team feel more comfortable leaving the office for important personal commitments. Technology has also made it so much easier to flex between work and home responsibilities.
"Every role has the opportunity to contribute to the business’s success in very tangible ways."
What’s the best thing about working at Serena and Lily?
At the risk of sounding sappy, I love so many things about leading the next chapter of the Serena & Lily brand. I spent my career prior to S&L in lingerie, but my passion was always home. I also love the beach so an interior design brand that’s inspired by coastal living is a dream come true. My husband and I were born and raised in the northeast so having the opportunity to live in Marin and explore Northern California has also been really inspiring. And last, but certainly not least, are my colleagues at S&L. We are a very small team and we all wear many hats. This creates an environment where every role has the opportunity to contribute to the business’s success in very tangible ways.
At our Create & Cultivate conferences, we meet so many young women who want to work their way up the corporate ladder. Is there any advice you can give to young women to help them remain confident in the workforce and have their voices heard?
This is such a good question. I believe strongly in having a lean organization that allows for young women to have meaty roles early in their careers. Who you work for also really matters - if you don’t aspire to have your boss’s role in the future or you don’t admire their leadership style, don’t waste too much time on their team. That said, you can learn a lot from poor leadership. Some of the things that shaped my leadership style most were experiences where my boss behaved in a manner that I vowed never to mimic. Ultimately, I would advise women to not wait to be invited to speak up. Ask questions you truly do not know the answers to, not just the ones where you are simply hoping to showcase your brilliance. When in a meeting - soak it up and remain mentally engaged even if you’re not in a position to speak or actively participate. Use these opportunities to build muscle by “testing” yourself in the early years before you’re the one in the position of accountability.
What is one thing you wish you knew in your 20s that you now know today?
I honestly like the way I “played” my 20’s. In hindsight, I might have had loftier career aspirations earlier, but the truth is that I was never shy about putting my opinions on the table and challenging the status quo. When possible, perform at the next level before being recognized with a formal promotion.
How do you stay inspired to continuously lead a team and brand successfully?
Customer feedback, beautiful products, colleague relationships (surrounding yourself with people who give you energy), and one of the great things about being a retailer is the daily report card you get from your customers in the form of sales.
Is there any exciting Serena and Lily news that you can share with us today?
We are very excited to continue to introduce new people to our brand through our catalogs, digital advertising, social media and the opening of more design shops in inspiring neighborhoods across the country. The design shops will offer guests the chance to work one-on-one with expert design advisors to explore styling options and bring their vision to life. As you may know, we opened our newest design shop in Lincoln Park earlier this year and are looking forward to the addition of beautiful new locations in Pacific Palisades and Dallas. Our collection also continues to expand to encourage more creativity in our customers with the depth of our new assortment. We have some exciting new bedding collections and are introducing an entirely new nursery collection in a few weeks… the first major introduction in over 10 years. We designed the collection to be sophisticated with the same quality and design details that we include in all our products for the home.
Don't forget to stop by the Serena & Lily Lake Michigan-inspired experience at Create & Cultivate Chicago!
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