The first hour ⏰ 5 routines to win the day
How real founders use the first hour to get ahead
After nearly 40 episodes of Millennial Masters, for every early riser I’ve interviewed, there’s another founder admitting their most productive hour is… whenever the world leaves them alone.
I’ve already exposed their real secret weapon: the calendar (and the to-do list for ammunition). I’ve also made the (scientific) case that sleep is a founder’s true superpower: treat it like your business depends on it.
But there’s one window that keeps coming up: the first hour. Whether you love mornings or, like me, feel most alive after midnight, what you do with that early time sets the pace.
So I’ve pulled together the best tips, tricks, and honest confessions from entrepreneurs who’ve shared what really works for them.
Full disclosure: I’m not a morning person. 🦉 Most of my ideas turn up long after everyone else has switched off. I’m not alone, as plenty of founders say their brain only wakes up at night (or when the kids are asleep).
But as long as you get your eight hours and build a morning routine that actually works for you, you’re on to a winner.
Here are five routines worth stealing from founders who know how to start strong. 👇🏻
— Millennial Masters is sponsored by Jolt ⚡️ Reliable hosting for modern builders
How top founders really spend their first hour
These are the non-negotiable rituals that set the tone for the day, pulled from their own words (and habits you can try tomorrow).
1️⃣ No snooze button, just movement
If you want to win the morning, you’ve got to start moving.
For Amy Morris (Pop Up Global), 6–9am is sacred: gym, long walk, podcast, then another walk with her husband, ideas always flowing, shoes always moving.
Jack Good (Reuseabox) runs at 5am, “like a madman in the dark,” just to prove any problem at work is already beaten before the day begins.
Jordan Stachini (Co & Co) is in the gym for 5:15 sharp, living proof that relentless routine can set the whole day up.
Ryan Carruthers (AI Response Lab) and Lydia Snape (Warwick Street Kitchen) both get their momentum from early gym sessions: lifting, running, or anything that signals the day is theirs.
Tom Hutchinson-Smith (Straight Line PT) is evangelical about morning training for founders (“get it done before distractions hit”).
And Archie Mackintosh (TruProductive) goes for sunlight, not screens, first thing—balcony, jog, sometimes just a cold shower to “really wake up.”
2️⃣ Mute the world, win the morning
Founders don’t start the day scrolling.
Nick Telson (Trumpet) takes an hour-long walk without glancing at his phone. “If you wake up, you look at your phone, you look at your Slack messages and you look at emails, you’re on straight away. And it’s just not a great way to start the day.”
Lexie Kirkconnell-Kawana (Impress) keeps mornings sacred: no phone, just meditation and focus.
Stefan Husanu (Pith & Stem) turns his commute into a distraction-free zone: no calls, no music, just his own breathing and the day ahead.
3️⃣ Headspace first, headlines later
Many of the most consistent performers give their minds a running start.
Gemma Price (HubGem) is up at 5am to meditate and journal “every day without fail,” sometimes beating her child out of bed just to make space.
Lydia Snape (Warwick Street Kitchen) checks in with herself, mentally and physically, before any work begins.
4️⃣ Control the chaos before it controls you
Morning is for clarity, not chaos.
William Stokes (Co-Space) blocks out his whole week on Sunday, protects mornings for deep work, and pushes meetings into less-productive afternoons.
Michael Buckworth (Buckworths) rewrites his to-do list at 6am, scans emails for priorities, and starts from a written plan.
Jordan Stachini (Co & Co) puts everything, even errands, into her calendar, hour by hour.
Jack Good (Reuseabox) updates his list before anyone else is up.
Ryan Carruthers (AI Response Lab) carves out time for deep thinking when the house is quiet and the kids are at nursery.
5️⃣ Tackle the hardest thing first
If you want momentum, start with the thing you’re dreading most.
Thibault Louis-Lucas skips the inbox and DMs, grabs his coffee, and dives straight into the hardest (coding) task of the day: no distractions, no delay. That first win changes everything.
Routines over motivation: Discipline is the secret
Nobody wakes up raring to go every morning. The difference is routine.
You won’t find the perfect morning here. Just the routines that stop the day eating you alive.
Steal one, remix two, or ignore them all.
But stop waiting for motivation: just show up on autopilot, and let the routine carry you forward.
The rest of your day will thank you. 💪🏻
As part of my morning routine, I set up my home office and ease into the day. After stretching and sipping my coffee, I settle in. When I sit at my desk, something shifts and that is work mode. That’s the boundary between home life and focus. The moment I take my seat, I’m no longer in the house, I’m at work.
I need snooze button 💤