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Welcome to The 6 am CFO, where CFOs share how they jumpstart their day and tackle the challenges ahead.

Today, Ogilvy’s global CFO, Stacey Ryan-Cornelius, shares the importance of breaks at work in a creative environment, dealing with unexpected events that require reorganization of their day, and fulfilling the purpose of their leadership.

Be sure to check out the entire 6am CFO series, and if you would like to be featured in a future post, please Send us an email here.

Ogilvy

• Advertising agency based in the UK
• Year of foundation: 1948
• Size: Over 10,000 Employees
• Annual revenue: $5.9 billion (2023)

MORNING ROUTINE:

Wake-up time on weekdays: My alarm is usually set for 5:30 a.m., but I snooze for 6:00 a.m. Then I spend the next 30 minutes in bed doing my Daily Calm meditation, my daily prayers, and going over my schedule. I often check in on how well I slept and note how I feel mentally as I start the day. My husband has been getting up at 5:00 a.m. to work at UPS for 30 years, so I often wait for his morning kiss goodbye before I physically get out of bed.

Morning drink selection: I start my morning with a fiber drink and a protein shake. No caffeine for me – I’m hypersensitive to caffeine so I skip it. If I drink tea, it’s herbal/decaffeinated.

Morning activities that are not related to work: I have grown children, so my life today is very different than it was 10 years ago when I was getting up at 4:30 a.m. to take my youngest to figure skating practice!

Now I’m a Peloton fanatic and have both the treadmill and the bike. I alternate between cardio and strength training. I have a few favorite trainers who also act as therapists for me and help me start my day.

My favorite quote from trainer Alex Toussaint is, “Breathe in that confidence and breathe out that doubt.” Sometimes I just go for a walk in my local park, which is always good in the morning with a breeze or a bit of Pilates. Anything that keeps me moving four to five days a week. That helps me focus.

Start of the working day: I have a global role, so most days my calls start at 8:00 am and are back to back. I’m in the office about three days a week, so from the time I wake up until lunchtime it’s fast and hectic.

This is how I spend the first hour of my day: I always check my email first to see what problems need to be resolved or if I want to reorganize my day based on certain priorities. I often get distracted by requests from my CEO or other colleagues, so that’s always to be expected. No matter how I plan my day, there’s always a surprise.

I try to make a point of completing at least two things on my list. This helps me stay sane and ensures that I don’t feel too overwhelmed. I also try to check in with key team members one-on-one when I come into the office. It’s always good to take a moment and ask them how their evening was or how they’re feeling. And then of course, I keep up to date with what’s going on in the world and in the business.

Time when I send my first email: Probably around 7:10 am to reach someone in Asia or respond to something from the previous evening.

Tips for writing an effective email: Short and sweet. Although I struggle with it!

The first dashboard I check: Our Power BI dashboard of our pipeline and cash governance is always the highlight of the day for me.

This is how I structure my morning meetings: I try to start by asking people how they are. I hate it when we jump straight to the point. We’re all human, after all. Then we get into the topic, have a deep discussion, determine the next steps, and move on to the next one. Some are more productive than others.

Morning snack of your choice: I need to keep my blood sugar levels stable, so I often eat a low-carb wrap with oven-roasted turkey – my snacks are limited to 150-200 calories and always contain protein.

Because I start so early, the protein shake lasts until about 10:45 a.m. and then I don’t eat lunch until around 1 p.m., or I work through lunch and have to eat on the go, so I need something in between to keep me from collapsing.

What morning didn’t go as planned recently and how did you adapt? Uh, like yesterday? Or the day before? I constantly adapt my day depending on what needs to be solved.

I work in a dynamic, creative environment where I try to create controlled chaos. The beauty and challenge of this environment is always being on guard. There are some “normal” days, but most of the time I use the mental attitude of “pause is power”. (Thank you, Powerade and our latest Olympic work with Simone Biles for the timely reminder.)

When something urgent needs my attention – a deal doesn’t go as planned, the forecast is off, a talent issue arises – I trust my business partners and walk around the hall a bit to collect my thoughts and refocus on work. The end of the day comes soon enough.

INSPIRATION AND GUIDANCE

Favorite quote or mantra: By Maya Angelou: “When someone shows you who he is, believe him immediately.”

Favorite leadership lesson: If you want people to listen to you, you have to listen to them. The purpose of leadership, in my view, is not to leave them with something, but to leave something in them that can carry on without you. To change a system, you need psychological safety. You can achieve this in other ways, but you will lose the ability to optimize your adaptation and development if your team members do not feel both excited about and responsible for your organization’s goals.

Something important about me that you couldn’t learn from my business biography: I love mixed martial arts fights! Everyone thinks I’m reticent because I’m a CFO, but I love watching a good fight – boxing is boring. Let’s spice things up!

Favorite number/Why: Hmm, I don’t think I have a favorite number, but if I had to choose one, it would be 22, which is the day I was born.

The most notable items in my work area: My desk calculator – I get teased a lot. It’s huge! And it’s the same one I had in high school. I was traveling in Germany once and the security guards laughed at me and called it an abacus. It’s part of my identity.

Do you have a pet and are you currently with it? Yes, I have two cats – Sandy and Sesame. They aren’t with me at the moment because they would crawl all over the keyboard. I leave them in their area during my workday when I work from home because they are too distracting. They are my two daughters’ cats, but they have both moved out, so you know how it is.

Favorite non-business app on my phone: Houzz – I’m trying to plan some renovations at my home and find myself checking the app frequently throughout the day to look at ideas.

Year, make and model of your first car: 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan – I kept it for 12 years. It supported me in all my mother’s activities when my children were young. This car brought back many memories. It was sad to see it go. But today I am very happy in my Lexus.

Most influential or famous person you have ever met: It was hard to pull this out of my mental Rolodex. I’ll be honest and say this is something I still need to do in my life.

However, if I could make one request of the universe, three living people would step forward: Shonda Rhimes to talk about storytelling; Simone Biles to talk about discipline, mental toughness, and resilience; and Mellody Hobson to discuss business strategy and leadership.

The most inspiring people in your life: Two people in particular always stand out to me when I’m asked this question. My mother, Dolores Ryan (deceased). I miss her terribly, but she was the wisest person I’ll ever know. And poet and author Maya Angelou, who also reminds me of my mother… so there’s a theme there.

Both women used the power of words and storytelling to convey life messages and inspiration. They both experienced pain and triumph, but always respected themselves and commanded respect. I would do anything to sit at the table with both of them today and just talk.