Alexis Ohanian (born April 24, 1983) is an American-Armenian internet entrepreneur and investor.
Mornings
“As much as I loved my first 34 years, when I was basically just living for me, I’m really excited for my next 34 years as I’m living for this house — for this family,” Ohanian told Mens Health in 2018.
In an Inc profile, Ohanian revealed a daily routine that prioritised quality time with Serena (“I try to make sure I’m the first and last person she talks to every day”), healthy breakfast smoothies (“mixed with Soylent, baby spinach, whey protein, maca, chia, and sprouted flaxseeds”), and morning gym sessions (“This is the most important investment in my day”).
Diet
Ohanian said that eating plant-based helped improve his focus, his ability to work effectively, and see the fruits of his labor. He told GQ that he adopted a plant-based diet to be a more successful human, as a way of finding more purpose in his work, and reaching the goals he set for himself and his company.
Blocking out time
To keep productive, regardless of how much is going on, Ohanian sticks to a routine, and has recommendations for others to do the same.
“Block real time in the day for you to think at whatever time is best for YOU,” Ohanian tweeted on Tuesday, when asked how to establish a routine or flow. “Do a regular audit of your calendar and where you spend your time.”
Before Bed
Ohanian wraps up his day with some TV shows — in 2017 it was the Westworld — before sleeping at around 1am, for a typical 6am wake up time.
Typical Schedule
12:00 a.m. After watching Westworld and reading discussions on r/Westworld to fully understand what I just saw, I fall asleep.
1:00-6:00 a.m. Sleep.
6:00 a.m. Wake up and FaceTime Serena. (She’s currently on Eastern Time.) This is really important to me.
7:00 a.m. I do free weights and body weight exercises, followed by a smoothie (mixed with Soylent, baby spinach, whey protein, maca, chia, and sprouted flaxseeds) for breakfast. This is the most important investment in my day. I really hate when I miss it.
8:00 a.m. Pack and go to airport. I need to start packing the night before, but I rarely do. TSA Pre saves my life almost every other flight. I’ll usually get a flat white coffee at the airport.
9:00 a.m. Flight from SFO to LAX, during which I plow through email and browse Reddit. I read a book during takeoff and landing periods, but as soon as that bell dings, the laptop is out and I’m online.
10:00 a.m. Land and head to first meeting. LAX can be a nightmare with congestion, so I call my on-demand car as soon as I get off the plane. I travel with carry-on only, and the car is usually there waiting for me.
11:00 a.m. Prep meeting (for the pitch meeting later today) at a nearby bagel place. I order a tap water–I drink a ton of it to keep me healthy on the road. The team is very well prepared for the pitch meeting, so this is really just a final run-through. Everyone already knows their parts.
12:00 p.m. Pitch meeting. Pitch tip: Speak confidently about your product, but be able to admit when you need more information, and get it to the people you’re pitching quickly after the meeting.
1:00 p.m. I head to Reddit’s L.A. office in terrible traffic. I’m always tethering my phone and typing away on my laptop in the back seat of my on-demand car.
2:00 p.m. Lunch with team at a nearby ramen spot after dropping off my carry-on at my apartment. Ramen in L.A. is much better than ramen in San Francisco. That’s just a fact. Loads of spots let you order with an iPad like in Japan, which makes it taste better, I promise. Get it spicy.
3:00 p.m. I block this time to work on emails. I use my inbox as a to-do list and really work to keep it under 50.
4:00 p.m. More emails. Every 20 minutes or so (the Pomodoro Technique), I let myself browse Reddit or send Serena a random bitmoji snap.
5:00 p.m. Travel with sales lead to happy hour drinks with client.
6:00 p.m. Discuss the future of advertising and entertainment industry over drinks.
7:00 p.m. More talk and drinks. Then a call to Serena, to tuck her in. I try to make sure I’m the first and last person she talks to every day.
8:00 p.m. Dinner meeting with talent for potential upcoming project. We discuss what’s missing in the world of original content creation and television.
9:00 p.m. More of that.
10:00 p.m. More of that, less professional talk now.
11:00 p.m. Head home. Fall asleep around midnight watching Mr. Robot.
Sources:
- https://balancethegrind.co/daily-routines/alexis-ohanian-daily-routine/
- https://www.inc.com/magazine/201704/anna-hensel/day-in-the-life-alexis-ohanian.html
- https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/10/reddit-co-founder-alexis-ohanian-on-how-to-establish-a-routine.html
- https://thebeet.com/alexis-ohanian-speaks-out-against-factory-farming-and-bets-on-plant-based/