In the age of “getting to the bag,” several entrepreneurs and bosses have detailed some of their day-to-day routines and how it is instrumental to their success. From starting the day with yoga and meditation to having a favorite morning beverage, the start of a pattern from successful people has emerging business owners (or those just interested) intrigued with the potential transferable option to emulate for their personal lives.

However, the 33-year-old first Black CEO of P.F. Changs – Damola Adamolekun – bypasses the holistic self-care stuff and jumps straight into work.

It All Starts At 6:00 am

According to a conversation Adamolekun had with Insider, he begins his day at 6:00 a.m. examining reports from his home office.

“First, I review our daily flash reports, which detail restaurant operating performance from the previous day and period to date. I make notes of any interesting observations, questions, or oddities from my review to discuss with our COO Art Kilmer later in the morning,” Adamolekun explained.

His daily detailed review of operations makes sense because when he became the CEO of the Asian-inspired restaurant in 2020, he quickly identified two challenges that needed to be addressed: what was going on inside and outside the restaurants.

“The brand was still as strong as I remembered. The quality of the food was still good. What was missing was the experience around the meal,” he said. “The lighting was too bright. The music was non-existent. The décor? ‘Beige central,'” he explained to Restaurant Business.

In Between Time

After reviewing operational data and reports, Adamolekun dives into his inbox and responds to less urgent matters that can receive an immediate response. It could be something like giving final design approval on a project. Responding in this way allows him to be highly responsive on team issues, allowing his team to move forward with work even after he signs off.

The Rest Of The Morning

7:30 a.m.: Arrive at the P.F. Chang’s Arizona Headquarters — it is during this time, that Damola meets with some of the company’s top executives to discuss relevant issues. The meetings are informal but have space for clarity and transparency.

Between the executive meetings, Damola uses a Word document he created to track his daily tasks and priorities and measure progress on future projects.

8:00 a.m.: As a note, the CEO takes no meetings before 8:00 a.m. However, once the clock strikes eight ‘o’clock, his assistant is busy scheduling his time to cover more significant company priorities and meetings with key stakeholders.

Cheers to this Black man for standing ten toes down and making so much happen before the sun rises.