I swear by consistency and deadlines but also love a dose of adventure and the unknown (which is probably the reason why I run a travel company). I usually wake up when the sun comes up, I insist on sleeping with the windows and blinds open, much to the dismay of my husband. I have been this way since I was a young girl.
I spend the early morning hours reading and setting goals for the day ahead because I’ve always been a goal-oriented person. I also answer any important questions from our team across the world, cuddle with our cute little kitten, and prepare for my morning run which is the highlight of my day.
Every morning at 8 am I run a 2.5 mile loop in the hills behind my house, I always call my mom or a family member, and we run together and talk/hear about each other’s day, etc. We live in different states so this is a great way for us to connect and keep each other accountable to stay active and healthy.
I get home just in time for our daily team meeting at 9 am. I don’t like getting ready in the mornings unless I have to, which usually results in throwing on leggings ,or a comfy travel dress, and maybe some dry shampoo.
Team meetings usually last an hour. After going 100 percent remote, we found it to be extremely valuable to have a consistent time to connect each morning to catch up, talk about insights, and share our goals with the team. I’m most productive in the morning and evening, so I put my head down and work on projects until around 1-2pm.
My husband, Andrew, and I work in different rooms, close enough that we can walk down the hall to see each other but far enough away so that we don’t distract each other. After working out of the same room for a couple of days, we decided that this was the best decision for both of our companies. Having a dedicated space to work has been really helpful for me as I’ve been working from home.
I’m not a big breakfast eater (a bad habit I need to shake) but I always drink two big 32-ounce glasses full of water before lunch. Andrew and I normally do lunch together, either he cooks or we order-in from one of the amazing local restaurants in our area (usually Thai or Indian – both our favorites). If I could eat curry for every meal I would!
Kylie Chenn’s home office
From 2-6/7 pm I’m heads down working again on sales, marketing, operations projects, and taking meetings, etc. Since I love travel and I love what I do, work never really stops for me. But I always balance “heads down” time with creative projects to make sure I don’t burn out.
I’ve always lived my life by the rule that you never miss a sunrise or a sunset, so I always try to be outside or by the window for each of these occasions. Lately, I’ve been watching the sunsets as I’m doing yoga by my window or going on an evening walk (sometimes with our kitten, yes – I’m the weird lady in the neighborhood who walks her cat on a leash).
Andrew and I are both very active people! I’m a trail runner and Andrew is a rock climber, so we’ve really used this time to work on both our fitness goals together, and take time to really take care of both our mental and emotional health. Although, we do enjoy ordering in cookies at least once a week.
I love my job, so work doesn’t feel like work, and I’ve felt blessed to continue to grow despite the hard situation in travel right now. Our team is nimble and creative and we’ve been finding so many opportunities despite the challenges that have been thrown at us.
This article is part of a month-long work from home series where executives and entrepreneurs discuss how they’ve adjusted to remote work. Read more here.