How a PR exec spends the first hour of her day

In the story, writer Kevin Purdy reveals how business leaders—including Tumblr founder David Karp and motivational speaker Tony Robbins—start their days.

Guess how most do not start their days?

With email.

Some do, however, spend their first hour meditating, exercising, and/or visualizing their days.

Others work on the biggest project of the day so it’s behind them and the little stuff can get accomplished in between meetings and calls.

And yet others—such as Craiglist founder Craig Newmark—spend their first hour on customer service, putting out fires, managing complaints, and responding to customers on both Craigslist and the boards.

My first hour

I’m writing this column during my first hour of the day. I woke up at 4:45 a.m., with a 106-pound dog staring me in the face. After I whispered, “Just half an hour more,” he settled his nose into my neck and we slept until 5:23.

After feeding and walking him, I turned on my laptop and began to write.