My morning sets the tone of my day, so I try to remove distractions and consistently practice the morning routine I've created for myself. My day begins with a quick podcast session for motivation while I walk my dog, and then an hour workout before work. Lately, I've also added drinking warm lemon water because when I do, I've found that it keeps me hydrated, flushes out toxins, and gives me an extra spurt of energy.
After talking to a few of my favorite girl bosses, I've found a common thread in our daily morning routines that impacts our business and productivity: This whole idea of intentionality is something that's present in each queen's routine below. Keep reading to learn more about the morning routines that help them bring their best self to their work every day.
Arielle Loren, Founder & CEO, 100K Incubator
Image via Arielle Loren
"I'm usually awake at 6:30 a.m., but I give myself an hour to fully wake my body up before I jump into the day. I sleep with my phone off, so once I'm fully awake, I turn my phone on, check my email and calendar, and check my Instagram. Then, I get dressed and prepare to workout with my trainer.
"By 10:30 a.m., I'm starting calls and jumping into my workday. I keep my routine simple---no complicated meditations or anything over-the-top.
"The most important thing is that I feel rested. I don't wake up to an alarm. I give my body time to acclimate to the day before turning any electronics on, and I get in alignment with whatever God needs me to do that day."
Corvaya Jeffries, Founder, The Career Penny & Carmen
Image via Corvaya Jeffries
"I typically get up around 6 a.m. every morning. If I have a late night, I'll adjust as needed. Proper rest is a priority for me. Before my feet touch the floor, I take a deep breath and say a prayer. It is a brief but intentional conversation with God. If I wake up anxious or uneasy for whatever reason, I make it a point to write the prayer down in case I want to revisit it later in the day. This sets a tone of gratitude and peace.
"After a morning prayer and conversation with God, I get up and drink one standard-sized bottle or a full glass of water that I put at my bedside each night. Most people don't realize that after multiple hours of sleeping, our bodies and brains are dehydrated. This increases the oxygen to my brain and gives me that alert, on-point feeling I need to get right. Dehydrated is a bad way to start the day, especially if the goal is to be productive.
"After hydration, I move to another space in my room or apartment and do a short visualization exercise. I take 5 minutes to visualize a 'future me' because, for the rest of the day, I will try my best to focus on the present. As ambitious and purposeful women, we must find the balance between working toward our dreams and finding contentment and gratitude with what we already have.
"Then, it's hygiene time (face, teeth, body). I listen to a podcast, music for motivation (anything from Tasha Cobbs to Meek Mill), or an audiobook while doing this. Post-hygiene, I have breakfast---something aligned with my body or weight goals for the month. Finally, I check in with my team, catch up on emails, and open my planner which has an overview of my day, week, and month along with prioritized tasks. (Prioritizing is part of my nightly routine!)"
Lady Jade, Nationally Syndicated Morning Radio Co-Host, K104
Image via Lady Jade
"Since we start our national morning show at 4 a.m., my alarm goes off Monday-Friday at 2:30 a.m. The first thing when I get out of bed is [to] turn on the overnight news so I can be up-to-date on current events that happened overnight.
"After I get out of bed, I take a shower to wake up, get dressed; and to get my mind right, ready, and focused for the day I listen to [the] Word on my 20-minute commute to work. I love T.D. Jakes' podcast or I look up Pastor Mike Todd from Transformation Church to get motivated. I want to fill myself before I face the day."
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Featured image courtesy of Corvaya Jeffries
Originally published on March 23, 2020
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While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Feature image by Leon Bennett/WireImage
